Significant Dates
Thursday, December 10th, 2009This is a list of some of the significant dates of the most important events in my life that show why each date is so memorable to me. Under each date, I list the things that I can recall that happened on that date, and the year in which they took place. This is a living document, as I anticipate many additions to it as I recall more of my earlier life story. When other posts exist to provide more detail about a particular event, I’ll supply the links to those as well below.
01-01: New Years day.
- Spent many of these days with nasty headaches from partying the night before. But the pork and sauerkraut dinner Mom often cooked cured all that. Only trouble was that dinner wasn’t ready until later in the afternoon so in the meantime, I just had to suck it up and endure that throbbing head.
- In 1980, Mom and Dad both drove me back to Pittsburgh. I remember the trip so well because we’d just experienced a heavy ice storm and all the branches on all the trees going over Cressen mountain, Laural Ridge, et al, were coated with a clear, glistening shell of frozen water. The sun came out intermittently as we rode, making for quite the pretty, wintry scene.
- In 1986, I stopped chewing snuff for good. Haven’t touched it or any tobacco products since. This New Years resolution is probably the only one I’ve ever been able to keep permanently.
- In 1991, [Hane] stayed the night with me at Betsy Ross Circle. This would be the only complete night we ever spent together, though we dated for the better part of a year.
- Gram Hesley died on this date, also in 1991.
01-02:
- In 1980, I started back to trade school at Connelley Skill Learning Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
01-05:
- in 2006, on this date, Uncle Jack Sargent passed away.
01-07:
- In 2010 on this date, June Dillon passed away.
01-10:
- [Cher] and I spent an intimate afternoon together in 1982, at the end of which, she announced that she was going to marry [Tad] and said that we wouldn’t be together again like this. Well, she was right; we never were though we did try once in 1988, after her and [Tad] were divorced.
- [Emeebee] and I spent our last intimate evening together in 1994; we broke up this very day.
02-04:
- Uncle Ken Hesley died on this day in 1992.
02-08:
- In 1970, this day fell on a Wednesday and this was my first day attending the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children (WPSBC).
- This date, also in 1970 was when I met [First Love] for the first time. Read more about her here.
02-12:
- Sister Jojo’s birthday.
02-14: Valentines Day
- Any year that this date found me pining for a girl, I nearly invariably sent her a Valentines Day card.
02-15:
- Mom moved on this day in 2011 from her home to permanent residence at a local nursing facility due to declining health.
02-22:
- Uncle Ray Hesley died on this day in 2009.
03-05:
- In 1979 on this windy and chilly day, I exchanged my first pillow kisses with a woman. This was the first time I’d ever taken a woman to bed. Well, more precisely, [Dawn] took me to bed.
03-17: St. Patrick’s Day
- Pap Jewel’s birthday. He was born in 1905, and passed away on September 10th, 1977.
- In 2003, I resigned from my software engineering job, which I’d worked for nearly fifteen years, to pursue a writing career full-time.
03-31:
- On this day in 1983, I moved from Jackson St. to Mellon Sreet.
04-09:
- In 1974 on this date, I met my second love, [Molly]. Read more about her here.
04-10:
- [Emmy's] birthday. Read more about her here.
04-15:
- In 1983, this was the last day I worked at University of Pittsburgh as an electronics technician. Due to insufficient budgets, they said that they had to let me go.
04-24:
- Long-time, best friend [Mentat's] birthday.
04-30:
- In 1979, I moved into my first apartment, on McKee Place, on this day.
- I received my degree in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh on this day in 1988.
05-03:
- I played trombone in my first public musical performance, with the WPSBC band in 1973, in my first spring concert.
05-04:
- My second trombone performance with the WPSBC band. This night was the first that my parents had seen me play in 1973.
05-05:
- Dad passed away at 11:30 AM on this date in 1997.
06-01:
- In 1980, I moved to the Jackson Street apartment on this day, from the McKee Place apartment.
- In 1984, I moved to the Craig street apartment on this day, from the Mellon Street apartment.
- In 1985, sister Christine got married.
- In 1990, I moved to the Betsy Ross Circle condominium, from the Hunt Drive apartment.
- In 1991, I moved to the Jamestown Circle condominium, from the Betsy Ross Circle apartment.
06-03:
- In 1977, I attended my first high school prom with [Shaina].
- In 1980, I made love for the first time, and I consider myself so blessed that my first time was with [First Love].
06-04:
- [First Love's] birthday.
- On this day in 1977, the day after my prom date with [Shaina], I fell in love with her; it happened in a dream, and those feelings would follow me throughout the entire 1977 summer. They came quickly, yet they endured.
06-06:
- In 1988, I moved from Pittsburgh PA to Hunt Drive, in south Dayton, OH.
- Long time friend [Jack's] birthday.
06-07:
- In 1979 on this day, I graduated from high school at WPSBC.
06-12:
- In 1982 on this date, Richard Parker married. I attended the wedding along with [Mentat] and other school mates.
06-13:
- In 1988, I began my job as a software engineer in Dayton, OH.
06-25:
- My Tommy’s Tunes disc jockey business was born on this date in 2001. On this day in my last Philadelphia apartment, my accumulation of MP3 music files began when I ripped my first CDs to the computer.
07-04:
- In 1997, on the first day of the session at Beacon Lodge camp that I attended, I met [Judith], a woman who would claim my heart for the next nine months.
- In 2009, I traveled home from Philly by train after attending my second foot party. Also on this day, I narrated my first fireworks display to the people on a public voicemail forum. I took a little ribbing for this seemingly fruitless waste of time. But people liked my descriptions for the most part.
- In 2010, I did not travel; but stayed in Altoona. [Emmy] spent the holiday with me and the two of us went to sister Christine’s for an afternoon of great music, swimming, and lots of good food.
07-07:
- [Tad's] birthday.
07-10:
- In 1997, I decided to leave camp Beacon Lodge before the session was actually over, because I had fallen painfully in love with [Judy]. The pain came because she was not permitted by camp rules to return my affection, and I sensed frustration from her that I did not understand and accept this better.
07-16:
- Richard Parker, a long-time friend / foe, more friend than foe actually, passed away after a protracted bout with gastrointestinal cancer.
07-19:
- I met [Emmy] for the first time at Beacon Lodge camp on this date in 2003, on the first day of the camp session.
07-20:
- Gram Jewell passed away on this date in 1980.
07-21:
- This day in 1980 marked the beginning of the end of my romantic relationship with [First Love], for it was the last time I’d ever seen her be so warm, understand, and tender to me — in the wake of Gram Jewell’s death. After this date, we didn’t see each other much at all until [First Love] came back to Pittsburgh to resume college in September. By then, our drifting apart was quite pronounced.
07-28:
- In 2010, this was the last day Mom was able to walk and drive a car. She contracted MRSA and VRE, and a diagnosed hematoma may have put pressure on her leg nerves so that she can no longer use them for much.
08-01:
- On or around this date in 1992, I purchased my first Bible.
08-06:
- In 2000 on this date, I saw the pop jazz group, Blood, Sweat, and Tears perform at DelGrosso amusement park; I even got to shake the hand of their lead singer, David Clayton Thomas.
08-08:
- In 2000 on this date, at around 4:00 AM, Cubby the cat had kittens; she gave birth to Baby and Jasper, two black tuxedo kittens, which would become affectionate and highly-liked family pets around the house here for many years.
08-14:
- Boyhood friend Joey Moffa’s birthday. However, he’s now deceased.
09-10:
- My grandfather Jewell passed away at 72 years of age, due to the deteriorating effects of diabetes.
09-13:
- On this date in 1973, [First Love] and I broke up, the first time.
09-21:
- On this date in 1980, [First Love] and I broke up for the second, and what would turn out to be, the last time.
09-28:
- On this date in 2008, uncle Bill Hench passed away.
09-30:
- In 1992 on this date, I purchased my first home on Copper Creek Court in Dayton, Ohio.
10-23:
- Mom’s mother, Mae Jewell was born on this day in 1910.
11-06:
- Sisters Christine’s and Diane’s birthday.
11-19:
- On this date in 2000, I moved from Altoona back to Philadelphia. I moved to Red Lion Road.
11-26:
- In 1988, sister Jojo got married on this date.
12-16:
- David Middleton passed away on this date in 1995.
12-20:
- [Olga's] birthday.
12-22:
- [Emeebee's] birthday.
12-24:
- Sister Mary Ann got married on this date in 1990.
12-26:
- In 1993, [Emeebee] drove here from Michigan to visit me. She stayed for two days.
- Neighbor Brenda has her annual day-after-Christmas party. I’ve attended this several times between 2002 and 2009.
12-28:
- In 1993, [Emeebee] and I drove back to Dayton when, she refused to turn the heat on in her car for me, because she didn’t like the noise it made. That was an awful trip and because of that, it would become one of the very last ones I ever took with [Emeebee].
12-31:
- In 1975, my sisters and I went next door for a party that the two oldest boys hosted.
- In 1978, [Mentat] and I attended a party at a local radio DJ’s place. We got very drunk, and this was the first time I’d ever experienced severe dizziness in bed (the bed spins); wanting more than living itself to make it stop but totally powerless to do so.
- In 1984, our family had a party at Third St. in Bellwood.
- In 1985, sister Mary Ann and I went to the Philadelphia area and stayed with her boyfriend. The three of us went to a night club called Pulsations, located in Media, PA.
- In 1986 and 1987, I attended the celebrations at the K&M Bar and Grill in Bellwood PA.
- In 1990, [Hane] and I spent our first and last night together at my Betsy Ross Circle apartment after appearing at a New Years eve party that was hosted by one of [Hane]‘s coworkers.
- In 1993, [Emeebee] and I went to a mutual friend’s house for a New Years eve party.
- In 1998, [Kar] and I spent New Years eve together, first at a bar/ restaurant in Bensalem, PA, then it was on to her apartment.
- In 1999, I worked Y2K duties at my software engineering job in Dayton.
- In 2000 and 2001, I spent this New Years eve at Christine’s house, though I didn’t DJ much; just played CDs on a boom box, and gave [Beetee] foot massages.
- In years 2002 through 2009, I’ve spent every New Years eve, DJing at my sister Christine’s garage.
