MARIA’S DIARIES

In 1979 I bought myself a diary. I was just 18 years old.  Back then, long before journaling or blogging became an ‘in’ thing, I just thought it would be interesting to write my life in real time and then maybe look back on my thoughts and feelings when I reached old age. 

 

Today is 1st February 2021.  We are living in a very challenging and strange world and I have much more time on my hands than I normally would as my dance classes are all closed due to government restrictions.  I am now 60 years old – which of course isn’t considered old anymore (phew!), but I thought it was a good time to start sharing some of my writing.

 

Starting with 1st February 1979, each day I will take a little snippet of my entry for that day and then I will go onto the next year, so the 2nd February 2021 will be 2nd February 1980 and so on…until I run out of diaries (or Facebook statuses!)

I won’t share it all – there are some things a girl needs to keep to herself – so I’ll just share some snippets… 

Here goes…

 

Horrible day today. Altogether me & John had two big rows. One on the way to work and the other one on the way home. I hate the place, it’s boring and monotonous and I can’t wait to get another job. By the way, I’ve given up smoking. I’ve only had about five cigarettes since 4 o’clock and I haven’t bought any.

 

 

 

 

Took my films from last night into the chemist this morning and then went up the Swan for the usual boring Saturday lunchtime.  Went to the library and continued my educating of Alan by getting out two more books for him. Alan dropped me home and I went over to Caro’s where there was almost a little party going on as Julie and Janice came over too. We drank tea and laughed so much our sides ached.  Alan came over later and we drank wine and watched TV and then went upstairs. Bla kept a watch – although there wasn’t any reason Mum & Dad should come home. 

 

 

I am so fucking pissed I can hardly think straight.  We are Top Team of the month and we went down to the Bishop’s Finger for a booze up!  It’s Terry’s birthday too, so I think we all deserve to be pissed, and I tell you, I’m really pissed.  Too much Champagne and red wine. 

 

 

 

 

Nigel put a new radio in my car today (the old one got stolen). He lent me one. It’s only an old crappy thing – but I have a radio that plays Capital, so I feel good about that!  Simon and I decided to go and see ‘Arthur’ at the cinema in Bromley, but they didn’t have any seats left so we had to see ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’.  Simon thought it was a load of crap.  So did I. 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 5th February 1983 

 

 

 

Executive day today. It’s amazing what you can do when you really have to.  Managed to drag myself out of bed and be in the office on time.  Had a really good day and it was all over the good ole pub afterwards.  Came home coz awfully tired and was just about to throw myself onto the sofa when the phone rang.  It was Stratton.  He came around, borrowed a pound off me.  He’s living with Cyclops now.  Poor girl.  She’ll learn.  Had a bath.  Went to bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlotte woke up at 4am.  We tried juice.  We tried rocking her.  We tried putting her in our bed (mistake).  We tried letting her cry.  We tried more juice and even lullaby’s – would she go back to sleep?  No, she wouldn’t – not until 6:30am, when I finally laid her down and sang the Coventry Carol to her.  Consequently – I turned the alarm clock off and then rang in at 9am and said we’d been up all night – although I stretched the time by two hours… 

 

 

 

Went trampolining tonight.  Did some reasonable crash-dive ball-outs and some somersault linking, and then rushed off to Eileen’s.  Got horribly lost and found myself in East Dulwich, took another wrong turn and the next thing I know, I’m in Dulwich Village and heading in the complete opposite direction to the way I wanted to go!

 

 

 

 

Had quite a good day today – although I was late for my first appointment as the traffic as so awful.  Had lunch with Christine and met the new girl at Cresta Holidays and then went to sort out a deal at Etrop Grange for our Northern dinner.  Went back to Dad’s, repaired my make up and then took Dad & Judith out for a meal to the French restaurant in Altringham.  Lovely.

 

 

 

 

Steve’s Mum rang me about 3 o’clock.  Charlie wasn’t well, she’d been shivering and she was worried abut her.  Dropped everything, told Chris I had to go and took Charlotte to the doctors.  He diagnosed Tonsillitis and gave her Penicillin.  Took her back to Steve’s mum and then went to the dance centre for my lesson.  Decided to stay on for the session – which was Samba. Don’t like Samba much!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another busy day.  Went up to the Bike Shop to hear a band play, then went to Starvin Marvin for lunch, lovely.  Then to the Ace Cafe for a two and a half hour MAG regional meeting, and then to Dave’s and then to Loz & Serena’s.  Went out to Pizza Express in Harrow for supper. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Friday 23rd February 2001

Having kept a diary for over 20 years. 2001 escapes me completely.  I wrote a lot of emails – but sadly no diary entries.  So I have absolutely NO IDEA what I was doing on this day in 2001 – however – I can make an educated guess.  I have been teaching at Christchurch in Eltham every Friday since 1999 so – I probably taught the following dance:  Forever & A Day.  Good news though – in 2002 – I was BACK!    

 

 

 

Had an interesting evening if not a boring day.  Didn’t get up till late.  Dave made an omelette and we listened to some CD’s. I did all the ironing while Dave made more mess than normal and Niki Dean rang up to arrange for us to pick her up tonight.  I don’t particularly like the way she sings, but there is no denying she’ll probably go far. However, Gail Davies was excellent though – really powerful stuff. Niki sang all the way home.

 

 

 

Went to the doctors about my spotty boobs.  I look terrible!  I’ve got a big fat pregnant belly and funny spots on my boobs and now my tummy too (although they aren’t too bad – yet).  The doctor said they were due to a viral infection called Pityriasis Rosacea (or something like that) All I need to know it that it’s harmless, not catching or infectious and can last six weeks.  Great.

 

 

 

 

Dear Diary,  Dave has just spent around 10 days ‘working’ (yeah!) in Texas, leaving me here to do everything, including looking after his parents and his sleepless offspring. He arrived home jetlagged and did nothing but unpack all over the house.  Although still allegedly jetlagged, he rushed off to north London to collect a guitar (more ‘work’) and then came home, developed a sore throat, had a bath, a chocolate yoghurt – and went to bed.  Oh to be a musician! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bloody stupid Virgin Wines.  Or bloody stupid delivery drivers.  Came home to discover they had left a box of wine outside on the doorstep in FULL VIEW of the whole road with the delivery note to say it had been left in a ‘safe place’ tucked into the top of the bloody box!!!  Honestly – surely the whole point of a delivery note is to let the person know it’s actually been ‘delivered’?  I despair.  

 

 

 

Bought myself a new car.  A Jeep.  I blame Dave. It cost far more than I was planning to spend – and I actually fancied a Land Rover.  Of course, he hates them.  Jeeps are the original dirty four letter word and they are American (obviously).  I also bought a number plate – Y333 HAH.  Dave says I should definitely wear a cowboy hat every time I drive it now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taught at Goodmans today and then came home and FORCED myself to sort out the IDTA Exam timetable.  I spent all weekend successfully avoiding it – which is nothing new.  It’s such a pain in the arse!  If I get one more parent texting me saying we need a morning slot as she has a party to go to in the afternoon, or we need an afternoon slot as she has swimming/gymnastics/horse riding lessons in the morning… they have NO idea how much bloody work and jiggery pokery this takes!  Grrrrrr….

 

 

 

It’s World Book Day today.  JJ wanted to go dressed as one of the characters in the Funnybones book.  Fortunately we already had the PERFECT costume, which was the same one he wore for Halloween last year, which actually fits him now.  Had to paint his face white and lend him one of the top hats, which involved a trip into the loft (yuk), but he looked AMAZING! 

 

 

 

 

Steph came over tonight for a long overdue get together/gossip and a few (several) glasses of wine.  Dave said he’d hid the corkscrew – ha!  Steph bought a screw top – that’ll teach him to interfere.  Two hours in and guess what?  Yep!  Dancing. 

 

 

 

 

Still recovering from the weekend at Minehead and meeting Collin Raye.  Definitely worth it, but I am absolutely knackered though still and didn’t do very well at Karate tonight and we’ve got Gradings next week.  Sensei Bob says I’ll be fine and when I pass, I’m halfway to 1st Dan, HD says the higher up you go the thicker the treacle and Suzanne says he’s right.  Maybe I’ll just stay Yellow belt forever…

 

 

 

Laura has upset Sally (the other Zumba instructor in Eltham (honestly I don’t know why everyone just can’t get on). We are all trying to help people get fitter!  Sally sent her an email, it’s full of spelling mistakes, rather! a lot! of exclamation!!! marks!!!! and CAPITAL letters.  She really is LIVID!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

OMG.  Tried to help JJ with his Year 6 Maths homework.  He doesn’t understand it.  I don’t understand it.  I know maths is not one of my greatest subjects, but I can add up, multiply, work out a percentage, give change, and manage a recipe – so I don’t understand (never did) why they make you do all this ridiculous stuff… ended in tears. Mine.

 

 

 

 

Got home from teaching SO late – too much hanging around outside the hall after class talking and such a sweaty class by the time I’d had a shower and got back down stairs it was nearly 11pm.  I have just eaten a cheese & onion omelette and it’s now 11:45pm.  Obviously I can’t go to bed right now as I’ll never sleep, so I suppose another glass of wine it is.  

 

 

 

 

JJ did cooking at school today.  Obviously he’s multi-talented, just like his mother!  He made savoury rice.  I am super impressed!  It was very yummy.  He is very pleased with himself. Maybe I can retire from kitchen duties?

 

 

 

 

Went out with Charlotte for an epic (expensive) shopping trip to Bluewater.  When she says to me, “Mum, I think it’s time we had a girly shopping day.”  What that means in code is, ‘Mother, get your credit card out.  I need a new coat/shoes/dress or whatever…’

So that’s what we did.  Credit card currently recovering from new shoes, a Bare Minerals makeover in Boots and supper at Zizzi’s.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have drawn JJ up a weekly ‘timetable’ of incentives in an effort to try and get him to earn his pocket money.  Things like clean his bathroom (£3), tidy his room (£3), be on time for school run each day (50p per day) and take the bins out for me (£1).  It has the potential to ‘earn’ him £25 a week.  Currently, he actually owes me money as I’ve taken the bins out and his room is still a tip.

 

 

 

The world has gone mad.  People have started to panic buy.  I can’t get any fucking pasta or flour!  FFS.  BUT, a least I don’t need any more toilet paper – thanks to Who Gives A Crap.  But – it did get me thinking… if you are going to be locked up at home for a couple of weeks – surely you don’t actually need any toilet paper?  Surely if you ran out – you could use a cloth?  Like wash? There’s not a water shortage – yet….