The Summer of '69

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Friday– July 25

Had a delicious breakfast of French toast, cereal, stewed fruit and milk.

Finished the symposium this morning and heard a man speak on environmental pollution.

For lunch there was tuna salad on lettuce, Cheez-Its, pickles, lime jello, cake, ice cream and grape drink.

We went on a field trip around the campus in the afternoon. We looked at the different kinds of rocks in the construction of the buildings. Saw a movie about Surtsey*. Dr. Rommey's wife and son were in class to see the movie, too.

It started raining.

We had fish, boiled potatoes, carrots, cottage cheese, cranberry sherbet and grape drink for dinner.

Went to the floor library to listen to records, but both record players were broken. Carol went with some girls to see the movie “Sinful Davey”**. She came back disappointed – the movie wasn't what she had expected.

*Surtsey is a volcanic island near Iceland. More about it here:
Surtsey - Wikipedia

**If you want to know:
Sinful Davey - Wikipedia

 

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Two days since they are short entries.

Saturday– July 26

Slept through breakfast. Didn't get up until 11 am. Had pancakes, sausage, cherry jello, ice cream and lime drink for lunch.

Parents arrived in the afternoon bringing lots of goodies. It rained so the picnic was canceled. They went out for supper, then went directly home. I ate in the cafeteria. Had meat loaf, mixed vegetables, baked potato, cottage cheese, brownie and lime drink.

In the evening, there was a showing of the Marx Brothers movie “Horse Feathers” in the auditorium.

Sunday– July 27

Slept through breakfast. Didn't get up until almost lunch.

For lunch they gave us chicken, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, orange jello, cottage cheese, roll, pineapple juice, sundae and lime drink.

Watched TV most of the afternoon. Nothing much else happened. Didn't sleep well during the night.

 

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Monday– July 28

Woke up bright and early for a change because we're going on an all-day field trip to Little Falls. Started out with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, cereal and grapefruit juice.

We went to Little Falls on the Thruway stopping at some unusual outcrops of dark shale. They are very earthy and we got very muddy. It rained almost constantly and many kids got soaked because they didn't bring raincoats. One place we stopped was the Barge Canal locks and watched a large barge go through.

We ate lunch at a park there and had deviled ham sandwiches, potato chips, apple, chocolate chip cookies and soda. The deviled ham was in cans, but we hand no can openers, so Dr. Rommey opened them with his pen knife.

There were wild blueberries growing on the island and some kids got more interested in the berries than in geology. For a change, Ed Shay drove the van back and Dr. Rommey drove station wagon.


We got back late (5:30 pm) but in time for a supper of ham slices in raisin sauce, baked potato, apple sauce, cottage cheese, chocolate pudding and lime drink.

Carol is going on a starvation diet, so she only eats lunch.

Floor meeting tonight at 11 pm to discuss the banquet next week. Got a letter from mom and Donna DeVito*.

*Donna was another high school classmate. She is still with us as far as I know.

 

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Tuesday– July 29

Woke up at 7:30 am, but dropped back to sleep and didn't get up until 8am.

They gave us pancakes, bacon, cereal, orange juice and milk for breakfast.

Worked in the lab correlating the rock samples we collected yesterday and making a stratographic map. Heard Al Blow's seminar on the Champlain Basin. It was 1 hr 20 min. Dr. Rommey said to be back at 1:30 pm.

Got a postcard from Dan Denny*. Carol got 4 letters.

I ate turkey slices with lettuce and tomatoes, orange jello, 2 candy bars and lime drink for lunch.

In the afternoon we heard Sue's seminar, goofed around and saw a geology themed movie.

Veal patty, mashed potatoes, corn, coleslaw, cottage cheese with a watermelon wedge, cookie, ice cream and lime juice were served for dinner.

Somebody walked by our window at night and threw a liquid through it. I told Terry about it and she came and smelled the bed where it had soaked. She said it was soda pop.

*Dan was a high school classmate. He became a professional musician locally, but was killed in a car crash driving back from a gig in a snow storm in January 2014.

 

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Wednesday– July 30

I felt so sleepy this morning I thought about not going to class, but after I ate breakfast, I felt better. We had eggs, toast, cereal, pineapple juice and milk.

This morning, Dr. Rommey talked about moon rocks and showed slides of where we were on Monday. We also talked about Little Falls and Onondaga Lake and heard another seminar.

They served roast beef Charlemagne, lime jello, ice cream and cider for lunch.

Got 2 pen pal letters and a letter from mom, Grammy D, and soon-to-be Aunt Audrey.

In the afternoon, we looked at “fixed” outcrops in the lab, took their dip and strike and heard Bill Abramoff's seminar.

Didn't eat supper – instead had a cream horn and Korkers*. Finished the roll of film in my camera.

Went to the observatory again tonight and finally got in. We looked at the Moon and it took an hour for everyone to have their chance. Dr. Rommey escorted us back to the dorm since it was 11:30 pm and after curfew. The girls were thinking (jokingly) of getting him a pair of Swiss suspenders because he was wearing shorts and knee socks.

*Korkers were a snack of spiral-shaped corn chips popular at that time (1969 -74).

 

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Thursday– July 31

Another all-day field trip. We are going to Theresa, NY. Munched on French toast with bacon and drank grapefruit juice for breakfast.

We made 6 stops at outcrops. Some were composed of metamorphic rocks and some were sandstone.



We ate lunch in the van and has “potted meat food product” on a hard roll, oranges, corn chips, brownies and soda. The kids were joking about how the meat looked, smelled, and tasted like dog food.

In the afternoon we meandered southward and found mostly sandstone outcrops. The bugs were so awful and it was so hot, we headed back by3:15 pm. we stopped at Carrols in Watertown. It seems when I bring money we don't stop for refreshments and when I don't bring money, we stop.

 

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Friday– August 1

Sleepy again this morning. Had trouble getting to breakfast, but had orange juice, cereal and milk. We had Mr. Shay holding class since Dr. Rommey had gone to Washington, D.C. We heard 2 seminars, and worked on the Theresa problem.*

For lunch there was macaroni and cheese, lemon jello, fruit cup and cider.

In the afternoon class, Mr. Shay said we'd be going on an all-day field trip on Monday and wouldn't get back until after supper, so we're going to eat at Dr. Rommey's home.

Tonight's dinner consisted of broiled fish, mixed vegetables, fruit salad, cottage cheese, cake and milk.

I saw a poster on the dorm bulletin board that Ike and Tina Turner will be in concert soon somewhere near here.

Carol got a letter from a student in Venezuela whom she is going to have in her home for a year starting in September. She is an exchange student and is taking part in AFS**.

*Don't ask.
**American Field Service

 

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Saturday– August 2*

Slept until 11:20 am. Took a shower and washed my hair and did other toiletries. Did laundry and set hair.

There was tuna salad on lettuce, Cheez-Its, jelly donut, lemon jello and cherry drink for lunch.

Goofed around until parents arrived. They brought soda and Korkers. Dad and I played chess (I won), then we watched part of a ball game. Went to the Red Barn** for supper. I had fried chicken, French fries, root beer and apple pastry. Parents left. Later, I went to the cafeteria and had ice cream and cherry drink.

Played solitaire and had a can of soda and cupcakes. Carol and friends went to a dance and a midnight movie.

*Starting the last week here

**The Red Barn was a restaurant chain. More here:
Red Barn (restaurant) - Wikipedia

 

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Sunday- August 3

Carol and friends didn't return until 1:00 am and they stayed until 4 am just talking, laughing and making a lot of noise. Terry finally came down and told them to be quiet, so Carol went to another room and spent the night. I slept until 11 am.

Had lunch of ham slice in raisin sauce, boiled potato, broccoli, cottage cheese and ice cream.

Went up to Thorndon Park and walked around for a while, then came back and went to the picnic at Green Lakes. I tried the diving board and did some general swimming. I rented a boat and rowed around the lake for an hour. Got back in time for the barbecue.