Showing My Age: 80’s Style- Vol. 3

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Just when I thought I was over striped jeans and Jiffy Pop popcorn, Taoist Biker had to publish a comprehensive series of 80’s music blogs.  That, coupled with finding an image of McDonald’s Garfield mugs I once owned, launched another nostalgia bender.

Was there any better way in 1981 to express your friendship than to place a bunch of beads on a safety pin, christen them friendship pins, exchange them with anybody who had a decent pin to trade, and proudly affix them to your showstrings?  I didn’t think so.  Moving along to 1985, was there anything more annoying to teachers than hearing the bells of these Charmies necklaces jingle?  If nothing else comes from this blog post, other than I finally figured out what those necklaces were called…it will all have been worth it.  And Swatches.  Everybody knows Swatches.  I think you could even buy some little guards to protect the watch face.

Summer was all about playing outside with friends when I was a kid.  My friend down the street, Jenny, had these Smurf walkie-talkies.  If Thou shalt not covet thy friend’s Smurf walkie-talkies, had been a commandment, I would have perished long ago.  They definitely looked better than they worked.  For us to be able to hear one another, we had to be so close that we could have read lips instead.  I had a pink Schwinn bike with a banana seat very similar to the one pictured below.  The seat had flowers imprinted on it, and I had a bell with a deer on it.  I’m willing to bet that the banana seat would be a lot more comfortable than the seat I have now.  I also played with roller skates outside.  Mine were smurf skates, of course.

Mr. Men.  I can’t quite express how happy I am to have stumbled upon these little characters.  How could I have forgotten about Mr. Men?  Each character in the books taught some kind of moral lesson, in a creative and humerous way.  I always responded well to humor and bright colors as a child.

As we approach the summer Olympics, let me take a minute to reflect on some of my favorite Olympians of the past.  Mary Lou Retton- Every girl my age wanted to be her.  I still get excited when I see her today…even if it’s on a commercial for arthritis medication.  Greg Louganis- I held my breath every time he dove…and nearly passed out when he hit his head on that springboard in 1988.  Flo Jo- Remember her fingernails?

If you look closely, you’ll see that the Barbie and the Rockers doll came with a cassette tape.  This cassette tape contained the Rockers theme song and, well…I played it often.  It was just as bad as you might think.  Imagine a less talented version of Jem.  I also had a My Little Pony and a Pound Puppy. 

The majority of my summer hours were spent at the city pool.  My mom dropped me off when it opened and picked me up when it closed.  For sustenance, I ate Chick-O-Sticks from the canteen.  I also liked Chucky bars and Pop Rocks back in the day.  As an FYI, Pop Rocks, once moistened, will stain wood surfaces.  A camera flash lasts longer than a stick of Fruit Stripes gum, but the temporary tattoes made up for that.  Fun Dip…mmmmm.  I know somebody who eats the candy stick and throws away the Pixie Stick-like powder.  That’s just wrong (unless you’re throwing away the lime flavor).  I think Zero might be a misnomer.  Zero what–  Calories?  Flavor?  I think not.

Rainy days and winter were meant for board games.  I loved playing Cathedral and Payday with my BFF Stacy.  I owned Operation but lost several of the bones/organs, so it was a little challenging to play according to the rules.  I tried to make articifical body parts to replace, but didn’t have much medical success.  This might explain any aversion I ever had about going into the medical field.

I have Tinkerbell Costmetic’s Peel-Off nail polish to thank for helping me kick my nail chewing habit.  My mother bribed me, and it worked.  I had Strawberry Shortcake paraphernalia out the wazoo…dolls, bedspread, tins, dishes, and the lunchbox pictured below (back when they were metal, and susceptible to rust).  I also had numerous Hello Kitty items.  I got a Hello Kitty diary for my 8th birthday, which started a lifelong tradition of journaling.

Of course, I can’t mention the decade of my childhood without paying tribute to a few cartoon such as Gummi Bears, Snorks and Rubik, The Amazing Cube.  Of these, Snorks was my favorite…probably because the Snorks reminded me of Smurfs.  Incidentally, I seem to recall a cartoon movie based on a children’s book about a teacher who was secretly a witch.  I think a couple of her students found out about it, and she let them ride on her broom with her.  It aired every now and then on Saturday mornings.  Does anybody else remember this???

A big thanks to Jenefur for reminding me about the Kodak Disk Camera and giving me a link to a commercial for it. 

                        

I don’t miss the perms, high bangs or Aqua-net, but I do sometimes miss those Garfield Mugs.  Oh, and kudos in advance to anyone who comes up with an answer to my cartoon questions.

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Filed under 80's, Life, Nostalgia, Pop culture

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