Monday, March 22nd, 1976

Finally turned in my mystery story and it was one of only very few that she actually read aloud in class! Reactions were varied but not really bad. I gave Amy a card for my self-imposed "B.N.T.A.D." We had a Rep assembly for the so-called "Super-dogs." I guess I'm glad they're winning but I just can't generate any enthusiasm for sports.

Lots of Elvis talk all day at school today. Some people went. We got out a little earlier and I ran all the way so I could catch the 3:15 bus but I missed it anyway.

Time seems to fly by lately. Mom always said this would happen as I get older. My main obstruction sometimes seems to be Sheldon March. Being in a sane moment, I actually believe I turned toward insanity when I was thinking that evil might only be able to be eliminated by evil and if it can be it should be. Heavy. Hope I can steer away from that insanity part, though.

So sad. Lovely Claudine Longet, forever identified in my mind with Sherry Parkinson, has been arrested for murder! Boy.

Watched a Paul Williams-hosted MERV with guests Seals and Crofts.

NOTES: Amy was a girl in several of my classes--quiet and smart, very classy--but I never looked twice at her. No idea what this B.N.T.A.D. stuff was here with her.

Sheldon March (not his real name) had been in various classes with me since seventh grade. He was self-righteous, conceited and sycophantic but if he was such a big thorn in my side in 1976 why have I forgotten all about that now? Once again, the lesson here is that today's major issues really do become tomorrow's trivia questions.

French singer Claudine Longet had been the wife of popular singer Andy Williams and had often appeared on his TV specials with their children before they separated a few years before this. I loved her accent and her breathy singing but she was also good at comedy as in the Peter Sellers movie, THE PARTY and memorably on TV's McHALE'S NAVY and its feature film version. In 1976, she was arrested for murdering her then boyfriend, skier Spider Sabbich. Endless SNL jokes later, it remains a controversial situation and she has maintained a low profile ever since.

Sherry Parkinson was a girl who had been in my grade school classes up through 7th grade who, in my mind, reminded me of Claudine (even though in retrospect there was no reason to think so). We were sort of an item for about twenty minutes in the sixth grade but her temper killed that quickly!