{"id":884,"date":"2011-06-12T16:09:47","date_gmt":"2011-06-12T20:09:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=884"},"modified":"2025-02-26T15:01:58","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T20:01:58","slug":"chapter-33-spring-of-junior-year","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=884","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 33: Spring at WVU; My First Ride"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Back to school \u2026 a relief<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5418\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5418\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5418\" title=\"Red Candle Punch\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/red-candle-punch-558x600.jpg\" alt=\"Red Candle Punch\" width=\"335\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/red-candle-punch-558x600.jpg 558w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/red-candle-punch-279x300.jpg 279w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/red-candle-punch.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5418\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red Candle Punch (recipe classified)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>As break neared its end, I couldn\u2019t wait to return to WVU,<\/strong> which I now considered \u201chome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I performed in my first \u201cUpper Level Recital\u201d violin solo in December, accompanied by Teri-Lynn on piano.<\/p>\n<p>This was the first of two such recitals that would fulfill my requirement to graduate\u2014one prepared piece as part of a program including other music majors.<\/p>\n<p>It was nerve-wracking, as I disliked playing anything but snare drum solo.\u00a0I did fine, however, and was quite relieved when it was over.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;La Isla Bonita&#8221; by Madonna<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375883390010\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'120', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Madonna-La-Isla-Bonita.mp3\">Madonna &#8211; La Isla Bonita<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>Ours was a fun, busy apartment. We hosted quite a few parties, including a Christmas bash during finals week.\u00a0Eunice and I invented <em>Red Candle Punch,<\/em> consisting of various beverages with attitude miscellaneously tossed into the bowl, a potent crimson-hued elixir.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2381\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2381\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2381\" title=\"Bonita Beach, FL\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/bonita-beach-boat.jpg\" alt=\"Bonita Beach, FL\" width=\"650\" height=\"569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/bonita-beach-boat.jpg 500w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/bonita-beach-boat-300x262.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2381\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bonita Beach, FL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Who gave a rap about the drinking age? There was always an upperclassman to grab the goods on the legal.<\/p>\n<p>We even had a little silver Christmas tree with gifts underneath for all of us, including Bob, Bear and Gene.<\/p>\n<p>Winter break was a longer stretch of the same from Thanksgiving. I hung out at the house, seeing friends and preparing mentally for the next semester. Perhaps as a part of his grieving process, Dad was rather vocal about the women he was seeing. At the time, I found it annoying, but looking back, he was probably attempting to assure himself (and anyone who would listen) that he was still very much a vibrant being.<\/p>\n<h3>Winter Break in Florida<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2383\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2383\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2383\" title=\"Disney World 1987\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/disney-87-me.jpg\" alt=\"Disney World 1987\" width=\"335\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/disney-87-me.jpg 500w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/disney-87-me-162x300.jpg 162w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/disney-87-me-325x600.jpg 325w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Disney World 1987<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Toward the end of break, John and I drove down to Lehigh Acres, FL with his parents.<\/p>\n<p>By that time, they were &#8220;snowbirds.&#8221;\u00a0A bunch of their friends from Somerset did the same, and settled in condos for a few months in winter.\u00a0John&#8217;s parents eventually ended up buying a villa in a retirement community, Beacon Square.<\/p>\n<p>We enjoyed the pool and went to Bonita Beach to visit his Aunt LaVerne and Uncle Jim.<\/p>\n<p>They stayed at &#8220;The Egret&#8221; oceanfront high rise. It was wonderful to feel the warmth and take evening walks together.<\/p>\n<p>One night, we stayed up all night in the living room watching TV because we just wanted to be together.\u00a0John\u2019s\u00a0\u201cold school\u201d\u00a0aunt and uncle were less than pleased, though it had been completely innocent. We got an earful!<\/p>\n<p>We also hit Disney World for a couple of days. John and I went off on our own, and had a ball, meeting his parents for dinner.\u00a0It was a pleasant drive down, and John&#8217;s parents put us on a plane back to Pittsburgh so we could return to school.<\/p>\n<h3>End of an Era<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Old Mountaineer Field downtown was demolished early in 1987.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After history class at the historic Woodburn Hall, I would walk down and around the huge fenced-in demolition area and observe the progress.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1196\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1196\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1196\" title=\"Old Mountaineer Field demolished\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/old-mtr-field-demo.jpg\" alt=\"Farewell to a friend: Old Mountaineer Field demolished\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/old-mtr-field-demo.jpg 480w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/old-mtr-field-demo-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1196\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Farewell to a friend: Old Mountaineer Field demolished<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was sad to witness this once-dynamic place for decades of West Virginia football fall by force. My generation in the Marching Band had marched only at New Mountaineer Field during football games, to a crowd of 65,000.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;Big Time&#8221; by Peter Gabriel<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375883418490\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'80', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Peter-Gabriel-Big-Time.mp3\">Peter Gabriel &#8211; Big Time<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;80&#8217;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>For the first year of college, we\u2019d used the old facility for practice.\u00a0Now condemned, it was to be razed to make way for the new Business and Economics building.\u00a0I stood there watching the wrecking ball fly, seeing the plastic bench seats bend and hearing the crunch of the concrete crumbling under its pounding weight.<\/p>\n<p>Predictably, people sneaked onto the site to grab any mementos they could from the old icon: Artificial turf, plastic from the benches, wood \u2026 even pieces of concrete.<\/p>\n<p><em>Control<\/em> by Janet Jackson and <em>Big Time<\/em> by Peter Gabriel (above)\u00a0remind me of seeing a once-integral part of the University slowly meet its inevitable demise.<span style=\"font-size: 1.3em;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Tau Beta Sigma<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1198\" title=\"Tau Beta Sigma\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/TBS-Letters-300x125.jpg\" alt=\"Tau Beta Sigma\" width=\"335\" height=\"141\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/TBS-Letters-300x125.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/TBS-Letters.jpg 379w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/>That year, I also pledged the honorary band sorority, Tau Beta Sigma.\u00a0They, along with Kappa Kappa Psi, worked together for the benefit of the organization and also hosted a few regional events for different chapters.<\/p>\n<p>One such event was a party one night at the Star City Fire Hall.\u00a0Served in a huge barrel was an interesting citrus\/grain alcohol punch concoction called the <em>Dutchman<\/em>. Smooth going down, its effects struck like a cobra. Needless to say, a good many of us got silly mighty quickly.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-5436\" title=\"KKY-TBS convention\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/KKY-convention-449x600.jpg\" alt=\"KKY-TBS convention\" width=\"335\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/KKY-convention-449x600.jpg 449w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/KKY-convention-224x300.jpg 224w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/KKY-convention.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>John and I ended up hopping a ride back to his apartment \u2026 neither of us could drive.<\/p>\n<p>I was still a few months from legal drinking privileges, but not so for John, by then approaching a worldly age 24.\u00a0John survived the overindulgence just fine, sleeping it off. I wasn&#8217;t so fortunate.<\/p>\n<p>My participation in these organizations evolved, including serving as Chairman of the Telephone Outreach Committee.\u00a0I designed some posters, including those for <em>Percussion 80,<\/em> WVU&#8217;s premier group directed by &#8220;Chief&#8221; Phil Faini.<\/p>\n<p>Life was good that semester. I did well in my classes; Teri, Eunice and I enjoyed apartment life (along with the four live wires across the hall), and John and I spent lots of time together.<\/p>\n<p><em>Caught Up in the Rapture<\/em> by Anita Baker was one of the many tunes playing on my Walkman as I went about life on campus, as well as <em>Candy<\/em> by Cameo, <em>La Isla Bonita<\/em> by Madonna, and <em>Big Love<\/em> by Fleetwood Mac.<\/p>\n<h3>Campus Canoodling With John<\/h3>\n<p>When we weren\u2019t studying or spending time with friends on the weekends, John and I would make the days our own.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;d snuggle at either of our apartments, head up to Mountaineer Mall to browse, drive into Pittsburgh to walk around the massive Century III Mall, or catch a fast food snack at Wings, Rax or McD&#8217;s.\u00a0On campus, we\u2019d delight in having a PRT all to ourselves as we zipped between destinations. It didn\u2019t matter what we did; it was enough to just be together.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4849\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4849\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4849\" title=\"Pete\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pete-600x519.jpg\" alt=\"Pete\" width=\"650\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pete-600x519.jpg 600w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pete-300x259.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pete.jpg 952w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4849\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pete<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A few times, we stopped in to see some old pals of his from his two years at Cal U. (California University of Pennsylvania) before John transferred to WVU in 1984.<\/p>\n<p>This included a cool drummer from their snare line named Pete Harris, and we would talk percussion. Things were always interesting at Pete\u2019s\u2014lots of beer, munchies and weed for the mutual enjoyment of all.<\/p>\n<p>Pete had a nice girlfriend named Jamie, and some other curious characters would come and go as the wind shifted.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;Part Time Lover&#8221; by Stevie Wonder<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375883445145\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'120', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Stevie-Wonder-Part-Time-Lover.mp3\">Stevie Wonder &#8211; Part Time Lover<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<h3>Plans for a summer together<\/h3>\n<p>As the weather warmed, finals approached. John and I began talking about where he would live over the summer, and we both hoped he could spend it in New Jersey.<\/p>\n<p>Never mind the ruckus that ensued when his parents learned of his intentions. That was just ridiculous considering their \u201clittle Johnny\u201d was now barely a year shy of a quarter-century of age! It boggled my mind.<\/p>\n<p>My parents had sent me off to a school 8 hours away at 17\u2014now, John was facing opposition to a mature and practical decision. He wasn&#8217;t temporarily moving to Taiwan; it was New Jersey.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5410\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5410\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5410\" title=\"Party\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-party2.jpg\" alt=\"Party\" width=\"650\" height=\"485\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-party2.jpg 700w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-party2-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-party2-600x447.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5410\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grab a Bud (or twenty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Just weeks from 24, nobody should have to knuckle under to parental demands over a living situation. This caused a real strain between all of us. I was perceived as wanting to control John&#8217;s every move. That always hurt, because I would never dream of forcing John to do anything, especially that which would put him at odds with his parents. This was his call.<\/p>\n<p>It was simple\u2014we just wanted to be together and there was little anyone could do to dissuade him.\u00a0Though John\u2019s father warmed to me over the years, I still sensed a hint of disapproval and resentment from his mother when we visited. So I let it be.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, I believe she also eventually softened toward me as she gradually realized John and I really were good for one another.<\/p>\n<p>John\u2019s intention was to drive us home to NJ in his AMC coupe, pulling a small U-Haul trailer with both our things in it, and find a room for rent for the summer through a local real estate agent. Naturally, he\u2019d have to get a summer job as well.\u00a0We were cautious in the hope that it might actually work out. Spending a third summer apart was a thought neither of us wanted to entertain.<\/p>\n<p>So to Jersey we went in May, and we immediately began perusing the papers for rentals (Dad graciously allowed John to sleep downstairs in the meantime).<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;Right On Track&#8221; by Breakfast Club<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375883717772\" class=\"{skin:'black', animate:false, width:'120', volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Breakfast-Club-Right-On-Track.mp3\">Breakfast Club &#8211; Right On Track<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5409\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5409\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5409\" title=\"One of our many parties\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-goofing.jpg\" alt=\"One of our many parties\" width=\"650\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-goofing.jpg 700w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-goofing-300x228.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/pierpont-goofing-600x456.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5409\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andy&#8217;s chokehold<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fortunately, John found a room in a house in Somerset, off JFK Blvd. in a quiet suburb. An elderly lady, Mrs. Grogan owned the place.\u00a0John moved in immediately. His room contained a twin bed, dresser and night table. It was more than enough.<\/p>\n<p>We would not have to be apart after all! John and I were elated at our good fortune. I submitted a basic clerical resume to a few temporary agencies, hoping to pick something up quickly. I landed my first clerical job in a small office in Parlin, and John grabbed something doing construction or some other manual type of work, and our summer got off to a good start.<\/p>\n<p>Mom\u2019s estate also came through, and this meant I could finally buy a car for college and beyond. My absolute top choice was a sleek Dodge Daytona coupe.<\/p>\n<h3>Dream Wheels<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1202\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1202\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/1985-Chrysler-Ad.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1202\" title=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/1985-Chrysler-Ad.png\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/84-Chrysler-Laser-XE.jpg\" alt=\"My first car\" width=\"335\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/84-Chrysler-Laser-XE.jpg 288w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/84-Chrysler-Laser-XE-216x300.jpg 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1202\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">My first car<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dad took me car shopping, armed with his lifetime of know-how and uncanny ability to negotiate the nuts off even the slickest dealer.<\/p>\n<p>At Richard\u2019s Honda City on Route 9, I set my sights on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.curbsideclassic.com\/uncategorized\/ebay-find-1984-chrysler-laser-turbo-one-for-the-hair-metal-set\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Daytona\u2019s sister model by the same manufacturer<\/a>, a\u00a0 metallic cocoa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zero260.com\/posts\/muscle-car-evolution-30k-mile-1984-chrysler-laser-xe-turbo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">142-HP Chrysler Laser Turbo XE<\/a> that took only premium fuel. As quoted from this online review, &#8220;&#8230; as anyone who has experienced a turbo Mopar can tell you, it&#8217;s a different way to get there and nothing to be taken lightly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bestcarmagz.net\/sites\/default\/files\/1983-chrysler-laser-1319152-3859610.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">What a beauty<\/a>\u2014 low mileage, and only three years old. It had a monster engine, stereo tape deck, all-leather interior, bucket seats, a rear spoiler and a tight, sporty feel.\u00a0To top things off, this car was like something straight out of <em>Knight Rider<\/em>, with an articulate male computerized voice modulator (this supplemented the \u201cidiot light\u201d indicators on the dash). James T. Kirk would approve.<\/p>\n<p>There was not a mechanical dial to be seen\u2014 the dash displays and the speedometer (mph and kph at the touch of a button) were bold, large alpha-numeric and graphic readouts. This was recently rated on\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carthrottle.com\/post\/which-car-has-the-worlds-best-instrument-cluster\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">World&#8217;s Best Instrument Clusters<\/a>, in good company with the likes of the late-model Porsche, Tesla, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Lexus, and Ferrari.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dash.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10929\" title=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dash.png\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dash.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dash.png 821w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dash-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dash-768x519.png 768w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dash-600x406.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cPuttin\u2019 a Rush On Me\u201d by Stephanie Mills<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375883837314\" class=\"{skin:&#039;black&#039;, animate:false, width:&#039;120&#039;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Stephanie-Mills-You-Put-A-Rush-On-Me.mp3\">Stephanie Mills &#8211; Puttin&#8217; a Rush On Me<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>I knew not to raise my hopes. However, after a test drive, countless mechanical inquiries courtesy of Dad, and an assurance that they\u2019d throw a new sunroof on at no extra charge, I knew this was The One.<\/p>\n<p>I was ecstatic\u2014 but at the same time leery of owning something of such significant value for the first time, and being responsible for it\u2014eight hours away at school, no less. I went to bed that night thinking about buying the car the next day, sunroof installed, and all the logistics involved.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5663\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5663\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-5663\" title=\"Dad's latest Caddys\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/dads-caddies.jpg\" alt=\"Dad's latest Caddys\" width=\"335\" height=\"537\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5663\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dad&#8217;s latest in a lifetime parade of 17 Cadillacs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>First thing the next morning, I went to the bank to make a withdrawal. Ben Franklin\u2019s many faces winked up at me as if to say, \u201cfine horse she is indeed, milady \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dad and I later ran back down to the dealership, and I made the financial transaction and took title.\u00a0Outright ownership of the car was mine, and I carefully drove it back to East Brunswick.<\/p>\n<p>I had to make insurance arrangements, so I was on the phone with Dad\u2019s insurer, Allstate, buying my own policy. This would take effect the next day.\u00a0I couldn\u2019t wait to show John, however. I took a huge chance and drove \u201cDino\u201d the Laser XE to Grande Pizzarama, where he met me for dinner.\u00a0John gave his enthusiastic approval. It was a sweet machine\u2014not bad for a young woman\u2019s first ride.<\/p>\n<p>John and I spent most evenings and weekends together. Now that I had my own car, I didn\u2019t need to regularly borrow Dad\u2019s Caddys anymore.<\/p>\n<p>Dad reinforced what he\u2019d taught me about the basics of auto maintenance: checking\/filling oil, trans and coolant levels as well as monitoring tire pressure and the air filter. Extra quarts of oil, jumper cables, washer fluid, dry gas and a fire extinguisher were stashed in the hatch. Dad also gave me my own tire gauge, which I still have today.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5413\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5413\" style=\"width: 335px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5413\" title=\"By the kitchen\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-pierpont-kitchen.jpg\" alt=\"By the kitchen\" width=\"335\" height=\"573\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-pierpont-kitchen.jpg 500w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-pierpont-kitchen-175x300.jpg 175w, https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/me-pierpont-kitchen-350x600.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5413\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Howdy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I remember one night I watched <em>Moonstruck<\/em> with John in the living room of the Grogan house and drinking Bartles &amp; Jaymes coolers.\u00a0The other boarder where John lived was a real piece of work in his 20s with a dark side and loose cannon of a personality, but who mostly kept to himself.<\/p>\n<p>One time I parked in this guy&#8217;s &#8220;spot,&#8221; and John was told to &#8220;get your girlfriend&#8217;s car out of here [sic].&#8221; Well when I heard about this, I waited until wise-ass returned to the house, cornered him in his own car and let him have it with both barrels.<\/p>\n<p>He was a captive audience in the driver&#8217;s seat of his beat-up pickup truck. Grudgingly, he apologized.<\/p>\n<p>Favorite songs from that time include <em>Right On Track<\/em> by Breakfast Club, <em>Rock Steady<\/em> by The Whispers, and <em>Puttin\u2019 the Rush On Me<\/em> by Stephanie Mills. They all bring me back to cruisin\u2019 in Dino that first summer\u2014tape deck pumping, sun roof open and being with John.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-9464 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/musicnotes-tiny.gif\" alt=\"musicnotes-tiny\" width=\"50\" height=\"61\" \/><\/a>&#8220;Save a Prayer&#8221; by Duran Duran<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"mbmaplayer_1375883476298\" class=\"{skin:&#039;black&#039;, animate:false, width:&#039;120&#039;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Duran-Duran-Save-A-Prayer.mp3\">Duran Duran &#8211; Save a Prayer<\/a><textarea class=\"map_params\" style=\"display: block; padding: 3px; background: #444; color: #fff; text-decoration: none;\" disabled=\"disabled\">map :: {skin:&#8217;black&#8217;, animate:false, width:&#8217;120&#8242;, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}<\/textarea><\/p>\n<p>For the first time, I could attend the two-day \u201cpercussion pre-camp\u201d down at West Virginia. This was a voluntary opportunity for the Line to get together and work up our chops and play on our chosen instruments, do some marching and hone our skills for the following month\u2019s cut-throat auditions.<\/p>\n<p>John and I went down together, and we stayed at his apartment at Pineview, still leased to him for the summer.\u00a0It was a nice getaway; it gave Dino his inaugural run (made the trip beautifully) and I got to do some hard core jamming with the guys.<\/p>\n<p>ASTA came in August and I enjoyed another conference as a counselor, this time having gone in my own car.\u00a0What freedom that meant! I could avoid bad weather, zip around instead of walk, and go on snack runs.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"Chapter 34: Senior Year and \u201cLegal\u201d At Last\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=898\">Chapter 34: Senior Year and &#8220;Legal&#8221; At Last<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-13050\" src=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/drum-avatar-thumbnail-sm.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/> <a title=\"Return to Memoirs\" href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=13681\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Return to Chapters<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Back to school \u2026 a relief As break neared its end, I couldn\u2019t wait to return to WVU, which I now considered \u201chome.\u201d I performed in my first \u201cUpper Level Recital\u201d violin solo in December, accompanied by Teri-Lynn on piano. This was the first of two such recitals that would fulfill my requirement to graduate\u2014one &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/?page_id=884\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Chapter 33: Spring at WVU; My First Ride&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5411,"parent":4,"menu_order":34,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-884","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17165,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/884\/revisions\/17165"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adrummergirlslife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}