1984: Year in Review
Looking backward from 2009-11-28.
1984-01
- Started college and experienced my first official computer class, CS-7, which taught the Pascal programming language on Digital Equipment’s VAX-11 mini computer, running the VAX VMS operating system.
- Met Paula Eide and we dated, mostly by phone, throughout this winter.
- Withdrew from my first college class, which was History 41. I had, naively signed up for 15 credits in this term, and found the work load excessive. This class was the first, but not the last casualty of my ignorance.
- Joined the Visually-Impaired Students Association (VISA) at the university. Paula Eide was the present.
- Unemployment compensation ran out, and it took several months to start receiving disability payments. So I was pretty poor this month.
- I resumed the rubbing of snuff after a 2-month hiatus.
1984-02
- I wrote lots of papers for my Basic Writing class throughout this entire term, on a Smith Corona cartridge typewriter.
- [Z] visited me and spent the night.
- I actually enjoyed the math work for the Algebra and Trigonometry class.
1984-04
- Finished my first term of college. I successfully completed introductions to Sociology, basic writing, computer programming, and college math.
- Started reading talking books on cassette tape for the first time as an adult, prompted by [First Love].
- Paula came for a date / visit, and I fixed us a spaghetti dinner. I remember her commenting about me giving her such a bit bowl of lettuce: “What?” she said. “Do you think I’m a rabbit?”
- [First Love] and I fought over the usual stuff — her, not giving me as much of her time (or body) as I desired.
1984-05
- Entered my first Calculus class. At first, I signed up for the six-week version (in half the time). But it moved too quickly for me to keep up with the assignments. So I switched to the full-length version of the course, which covered the same material but took over twice as long.
- Paula Eide and I stopped associating. Our relationship had deteriorated into constant bickering and arguing, and her health was heading south as well.
1984-06
- Left Mellon St. for Moorhead.
- Bought the bed with the metal head and foot boards and an open-style spring board — not a box spring.
1984-08
- Successfully completed the introduction to Calculus course in college; I received an A.
1984-09
- Returned to college, full-time again, to finish out my freshman year.
- Entered my first FORTRAN computer language class.
- Ditto for the introduction to music listening / appreciation.
- I experienced dating a black woman for the first time.
- Received a job offer to return to work as the head electronics technician at The University of Pittsburgh. But since I was already fully challenged by my college coursework, I declined.
- Purchased my first CD player and my first CD.
- Withdrew from my second class this year, which was a Calculus-based introduction to physics. I had problems applying the Calculus theory to real-world problems such as are found in physics.
1984-11
- Enjoyed my first intimate experience with the African American woman I met in September.
1984-12
- Finished my freshman year in college.