the journals of alan rhodes

I was listening to Yes's 'Fragile' and 'Close to the Edge' a lot this month, which Dave had lent me. Yes' reminds me [among other things] of Donna's apartment building, the empty lots around it and of winter...strange...I also began to smoke drugs by myself much more this month...

February 6 Tuesday
Art-blood package under a rag and stabbed [a test for the film]. Lunch-student's lounge-Lesley, Ruth, Mike Andy and Chris (no). French-[Rod] Smith had a black eye. English-got a copy of "Julius Caesar". Drew a picture of a Veronian guard [from the planet Veron (with a domed city), an imaginary place from a series of drawings I was doing at the time. They were inspired by the music of Yes and drugs].

February 7 Wednesday
B(spare)-Christine, Andy and I at the C.C. for a smoke. Christine and I played ping-pong [in the Great Hall]. Lunch-got Cambodian weed. Andy, Ralph, Chris (no). Mike outside, inside with them and Lesley. French-fire drill, Ralph and I talked to Chris Todd outside at the front. Told him about Sue and Paul [my sister and her husband had separated in January, and she was now staying at our place. They would later divorce]. nite-Driver's Ed, motor code.

February 8 Thursday
B(spare)-Christine, Dave, a blond Donna Kerr [ah Donna. With her appearance 1973 really begins, events of the recent past had become dull. The focus of activity having first been Lesley, then myself, would now shift to Donna and Dave] and I went out for a smoke. Dave went home, Donna and Christine played cards. Art-Lesley, Christine and I started to paint the Machine Shop door. Lunch-outside with Ralph, Mike, Lesley, Andy and Chris (not). Threw snow on the roof (or tried), then we watched a snowball fight which started.

February 9 Friday
B(spare)-Christine, Andy, Sandi out at the back for a smoke. Thorley-Brown [Thornley-Brown] told us after he had seen us.(*) Art-Christine, Lesley and I painted the door more. Lunch-student's lounge with Lesley, Ralph and Mike. Last 10 minutes I walked around. nite-met Andy and Mike at St Thomas (84) and we went in. Mahogany Rush was playing. Mike, Andy and Chris (no) got thrown out for smoking up. Judy and Pat (Dec 23+27/72) were there. Sat in the hall most of the time [a real drag it was too].

February 10 Saturday
[In the] afternoon Gillian and Ralph [came over], we smoked up. Attacked Ralph with a knife [sounds like Reefer Madness]. nite-Dave, Andy, Danielle came. Watched 'The Andromeda Strain' on TV [the wrist cutting scene grossed us out (well almost, the girls didn't react). That scene today is tame...]. They left at 11:30.

February 11 Sunday
In the basement from about 4, filmed in the den. Dave, Ralph and Lesley. Watched almost all the movies in the basement. Dave and Lesley acting French on the couch [is that P.C.?]. They left about 9:30.

February 12 Monday
Art-Lesley and I did the door. Lunch-outside at the side of the C.C. with Donna Kerr, Dave, Ralph and Mike. Stayed out alittle too long. nite-Driver's ed.

February 13 Tuesday
Art-the door, started black lines. Lunch-got [the winter] carnival button. Sat in the s.l. near the Great Hall with Donna, Dave, Ralph and Mike. English-Rod Smith did the 'assume' joke on the board (ass of u and me).

*. Thornley-Brown, Leslie A., a retired teacher from John Rennie High School, passed away peacefully and unexpectedly at the Royal Victoria Hospital on December 19, 2006 at the age of 83.

84. In the journal update of December 1980, I say we talked to John Tate (a friend of Andy's, he and his sister Tracy would appear later) outside the school, and a guy pulled down his pants in telling a joke.