Interview about Co7G
Jul. 16th, 2009 06:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dmxratedBehind the lj-cut is a written draft of the questions that Scott sent me and my answers to them. I have requested that he also send me a copy of the recorded interview to host on this blog as well. I should also link to the day that I first brought up Chronicles of 7th Grade, as it explains what inspired me to continue with it after so many years, what made me decide to start writing it in the first place, and also says some stuff about Monster Collection Chronicles. Actual entries of Co7G will continue to be posted tomorrow.
https://dmxrated.dreamwidth.org/2008/02/07/
1) What is the chronicles of 7th Grade?
Chronicles of 7th Grade is a document I started writing during 10th grade, with which I attempted to write down as much as I could remember from 7th Grade.
2) Why did you start writing about 7th grade? (Was it the best year of your life? What made it the best year? Did you enjoy school/video games/friends/camp/etc that year?)
Well, for one thing, that was the first year during which we had the Nintendo 64, two years after it had been released in the United States. It was also the first year that I knew Matthew, and the year that I actually enjoyed having him around or going to his house. Other than that, I really can’t place a finger on what made it so special. Somehow, I think that if the events from that year were switched with those from either 6th grade or 8th grade, 7th would still be the most special year I ever had and ever will have.
3) Is everything you write about based entirely on memory? (do you remember everything, or did you write it down when you were in 7th grade? Is it hard for you to remember?)
Most of it is based on memory, but I did get some stuff from my agenda book from that year, my journal for Group (which I had been going to every Tuesday back then), or other written sources.
4) How do you remember all of that information?
Back then, I kept a system of weeks in my head. I’d remember them mainly in units of six, but on a secondary basis, in units of seven and eleven. This continued into 8th grade, but faded out afterwards. It started in 6th grade, when it was based on days of the week rather than weeks themselves.
5) Is there anything you like to write about most? (some possible answers could be 'video games' or 'bad stuff that I did'. why do you enjoy writing about these things? or do you not have a favorite thing to write about, and you simply write about all the facts you can remember?)
I just wrote down as much and whatever I could remember.
6) Why do you write so much about the video games you played?
Video games have just about always been one of the most important things in my life.
7) How does writing about the 7th grade make you feel? (does it make you feel nostalgic? are you happy to write about it, or does it make you sad to think about the past? when you write about times when you were angry with dad for taking away violent video games, do old feelings of anger arise?)
The actual writing of it is kind of a chore, but looking back to it makes me feel happy. Somehow, everything after summer camp of that year, and of 8th grade, just feels dismal to look back to. 8th grade wasn't a bad year, but it just doesn't have that spark that 7th grade had. This is why I want to write a fanfic based on 7th grade, which won't focus entirely on me. (Described here.
Nowadays, I don’t feel as angry with Dad for stuff that happened, so much as stuff that happened much more recently. And no, I wasn’t mad at him for taking away Mortal Kombat Trilogy (the only game they knew to contain blood), nor did I have any real interest in that game or Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (which Brian got for Christmas that year), although I did use the former game as a revenge device on several occasions (such as when Mom and Dad confiscated a rented copy of South Park, which Brian’s friend James brought over).
9)Who are some notable people from 7th grade? (perhaps you can talk about Mrs. Bandows, Anna McKenzie, Dennis Marino, or the kids in your snowboarding trip. also talk about the role that they had in your life.)
Ann Marie Bandows: My one-on-one most of the time. Half the time, she was nice to me, but the other half of it, she was rather terse. This had been the last full year that she had been my aide, until at some point in 8th grade, she was replaced by someone else.
Matthew Neiditch: Someone who went to Group for a good portion of the year. He and I frequently got together and played video games. After 7th grade, I found visiting him or inviting him over to be less and less enjoyable, until Mom and I agreed to cut the number of hours down during which I’d be with him.
Anna Mackenzie: A girl I knew from Summer Camp in 1998. She happened to be the first then-ten-year-old girl I ever knew who wore braces at the time. Before summer camp of ’99, I had only seen her twice, once during the Veteran’s Day parade, and once when Mom was driving around with us, although I do understand that she had been on the track team (which Brian also participated in). Today, she (renamed “Anneth”) is one of over eighteen real-life-based kids who will appear in a fanfic series called Monster Collection Chronicles, and she is my favorite of the Supporting Knights.
Dennis Marino: Someone I had been “friends” with during 6th Grade, even though he was four years younger than me. In 6th grade, he did some mean things and very often made up excuses as to why he “couldn’t” play with me. I hated him since May 1998, and during 7th grade, I fantasized about buying him off of his family to have as our slave.
The kids in my snowboarding trip: These would be my circle of sideline friends at the time, Brian’s circle of friends, Marie’s circle of friends, and everyone who had been in my gym class and the other adaptive gym class during 6th grade. The actual snowboarding trip (mentioned during the first entry) had been cancelled very early in 7th grade.
Gretchen Theune: Another cute girl I met at Summer camp towards the end of Co7G. I liked her mainly because of her plastic hairband, even though she didn’t wear braces to go with it.
James Russell: One of Brian’s friends. He was the one who got Snowboard Kids for Christmas that year.
Craig Setzer: Another friend of Brian’s. From what I understand, he had moved away late in the year.
Daniel Lupfer: A friend of mine since 2nd or 3rd grade. After summer camp of that year, I began to see him less and less.
Libby: A sideline friend of mine. She was the one that I had danced with at the End of the Year Dance. Can’t remember her last name.
Juliet Williams: The head of Group for most of the time. She was at first assisted by another lady named Jane, who left early on.
Anu: Juliet’s assistant at Group. At some point, Juliet left, and she took over as the leader.
Erin Hatch: A girl I knew at school since 6th grade. Most notable about her is that I once planned on sneaking her a note saying that she has a big, coneshaped nose (something I did succeed at a year later with another girl named Elouise through her locker). Other than that, I just thought she was pretty because of the braces she wore in 6th, though I only one time tried to make friends with her.
Janus Papa (pah-puh): One of my substitute aides, and also took over for Ms. Bandows during 7th period when she went on lunch break. During the third quarter, she left, and someone named Ms. Darrow took over for her.
Corinne: Our (extremely overweight) counselor at summer camp during both 1998 and 1999. During the first two days of s.c. ’98, we did not get along well with her, and I even went as far as to give her the finger.
Pastor Ralph: Reverend of the Yaphank Presbyterian Church, where he ran both summer camp and the Haunted Woods event that we went to.
10) When do you write co7g? (maybe mention that you wrote the whole thing already, but post it in your blog. what time do you post it? how often? is there a reason behind this?)
The whole thing was already written, though not without one big hiatus and many small hiatuses throughout. I usually post entries of it to my blog every morning, which is also the time I normally write in my blog anyway.
11) What do you think about while you wander? (often in co7g you mention the things that you think about while you wander, such as A Bible School Story, the snowboarding trip, and video games. You can explain all of these things in detail.)
Well, yeah, there was A Bible School Story (something I wrote, based on my actual experiences at Bible School the previous summer), the aforementioned snowboarding trip, and video games (both ones that I play and ones I think up). Not a whole lot to say about those things. But, I also used to think about people (mainly female) having big, sometimes coneshaped noses (based on Linda from this game called Snowboard Kids). Only a select few boys and one elderly lady (Janus) were part of these fantasies; no adult males ever were.
Made up games include Snowboard Kids 3 (mentioned recently, w/ all courses from both N64 games), Goldeneye vs Jerry Springer (from November), and the untitled game recently described where a vampire steals all of N64.
-----
Received: Indian Summer
I had come to work at the hospital for Mom yesterday. Not much to say about that. When we left, though, we went to Target to return my electric shaver and pick up some new cutters for my original one.
When we got home, we noticed some kids across the street from us selling Kool Aid. Mom and I decided to buy some off of them, and each cup was 25 cents each. We got three of them, but Mom decided she didn't want any after having a root beer in the car.
Coming off yesterday about that Makenro transformation parody of Ellen, wanna know who else could make a good parody of... any transformation sequence from Makeruna! Makendou Z?
The Angry Video Game Nerd (assuming he were to review that game, if not the entire Makendou trilogy). Here's how it would go: He throw a bottle of Rolling Rock into the air, the bottle shoots a beam which causes his everyday clothes to dissolve, his Nerd outfit then forms on him, and then a PC-FX controller forms in his hand, and he's ready to review a certain shitty game that I actually liked. (Yeah, I know it's much more obscure than anything that he ever actually did spoof, and he would more likely do something similar if he were to review any Sailor Moon games in a video.)
https://dmxrated.dreamwidth.org/2008/02/07/
1) What is the chronicles of 7th Grade?
Chronicles of 7th Grade is a document I started writing during 10th grade, with which I attempted to write down as much as I could remember from 7th Grade.
2) Why did you start writing about 7th grade? (Was it the best year of your life? What made it the best year? Did you enjoy school/video games/friends/camp/etc that year?)
Well, for one thing, that was the first year during which we had the Nintendo 64, two years after it had been released in the United States. It was also the first year that I knew Matthew, and the year that I actually enjoyed having him around or going to his house. Other than that, I really can’t place a finger on what made it so special. Somehow, I think that if the events from that year were switched with those from either 6th grade or 8th grade, 7th would still be the most special year I ever had and ever will have.
3) Is everything you write about based entirely on memory? (do you remember everything, or did you write it down when you were in 7th grade? Is it hard for you to remember?)
Most of it is based on memory, but I did get some stuff from my agenda book from that year, my journal for Group (which I had been going to every Tuesday back then), or other written sources.
4) How do you remember all of that information?
Back then, I kept a system of weeks in my head. I’d remember them mainly in units of six, but on a secondary basis, in units of seven and eleven. This continued into 8th grade, but faded out afterwards. It started in 6th grade, when it was based on days of the week rather than weeks themselves.
5) Is there anything you like to write about most? (some possible answers could be 'video games' or 'bad stuff that I did'. why do you enjoy writing about these things? or do you not have a favorite thing to write about, and you simply write about all the facts you can remember?)
I just wrote down as much and whatever I could remember.
6) Why do you write so much about the video games you played?
Video games have just about always been one of the most important things in my life.
7) How does writing about the 7th grade make you feel? (does it make you feel nostalgic? are you happy to write about it, or does it make you sad to think about the past? when you write about times when you were angry with dad for taking away violent video games, do old feelings of anger arise?)
The actual writing of it is kind of a chore, but looking back to it makes me feel happy. Somehow, everything after summer camp of that year, and of 8th grade, just feels dismal to look back to. 8th grade wasn't a bad year, but it just doesn't have that spark that 7th grade had. This is why I want to write a fanfic based on 7th grade, which won't focus entirely on me. (Described here.
Nowadays, I don’t feel as angry with Dad for stuff that happened, so much as stuff that happened much more recently. And no, I wasn’t mad at him for taking away Mortal Kombat Trilogy (the only game they knew to contain blood), nor did I have any real interest in that game or Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (which Brian got for Christmas that year), although I did use the former game as a revenge device on several occasions (such as when Mom and Dad confiscated a rented copy of South Park, which Brian’s friend James brought over).
9)Who are some notable people from 7th grade? (perhaps you can talk about Mrs. Bandows, Anna McKenzie, Dennis Marino, or the kids in your snowboarding trip. also talk about the role that they had in your life.)
Ann Marie Bandows: My one-on-one most of the time. Half the time, she was nice to me, but the other half of it, she was rather terse. This had been the last full year that she had been my aide, until at some point in 8th grade, she was replaced by someone else.
Matthew Neiditch: Someone who went to Group for a good portion of the year. He and I frequently got together and played video games. After 7th grade, I found visiting him or inviting him over to be less and less enjoyable, until Mom and I agreed to cut the number of hours down during which I’d be with him.
Anna Mackenzie: A girl I knew from Summer Camp in 1998. She happened to be the first then-ten-year-old girl I ever knew who wore braces at the time. Before summer camp of ’99, I had only seen her twice, once during the Veteran’s Day parade, and once when Mom was driving around with us, although I do understand that she had been on the track team (which Brian also participated in). Today, she (renamed “Anneth”) is one of over eighteen real-life-based kids who will appear in a fanfic series called Monster Collection Chronicles, and she is my favorite of the Supporting Knights.
Dennis Marino: Someone I had been “friends” with during 6th Grade, even though he was four years younger than me. In 6th grade, he did some mean things and very often made up excuses as to why he “couldn’t” play with me. I hated him since May 1998, and during 7th grade, I fantasized about buying him off of his family to have as our slave.
The kids in my snowboarding trip: These would be my circle of sideline friends at the time, Brian’s circle of friends, Marie’s circle of friends, and everyone who had been in my gym class and the other adaptive gym class during 6th grade. The actual snowboarding trip (mentioned during the first entry) had been cancelled very early in 7th grade.
Gretchen Theune: Another cute girl I met at Summer camp towards the end of Co7G. I liked her mainly because of her plastic hairband, even though she didn’t wear braces to go with it.
James Russell: One of Brian’s friends. He was the one who got Snowboard Kids for Christmas that year.
Craig Setzer: Another friend of Brian’s. From what I understand, he had moved away late in the year.
Daniel Lupfer: A friend of mine since 2nd or 3rd grade. After summer camp of that year, I began to see him less and less.
Libby: A sideline friend of mine. She was the one that I had danced with at the End of the Year Dance. Can’t remember her last name.
Juliet Williams: The head of Group for most of the time. She was at first assisted by another lady named Jane, who left early on.
Anu: Juliet’s assistant at Group. At some point, Juliet left, and she took over as the leader.
Erin Hatch: A girl I knew at school since 6th grade. Most notable about her is that I once planned on sneaking her a note saying that she has a big, coneshaped nose (something I did succeed at a year later with another girl named Elouise through her locker). Other than that, I just thought she was pretty because of the braces she wore in 6th, though I only one time tried to make friends with her.
Janus Papa (pah-puh): One of my substitute aides, and also took over for Ms. Bandows during 7th period when she went on lunch break. During the third quarter, she left, and someone named Ms. Darrow took over for her.
Corinne: Our (extremely overweight) counselor at summer camp during both 1998 and 1999. During the first two days of s.c. ’98, we did not get along well with her, and I even went as far as to give her the finger.
Pastor Ralph: Reverend of the Yaphank Presbyterian Church, where he ran both summer camp and the Haunted Woods event that we went to.
10) When do you write co7g? (maybe mention that you wrote the whole thing already, but post it in your blog. what time do you post it? how often? is there a reason behind this?)
The whole thing was already written, though not without one big hiatus and many small hiatuses throughout. I usually post entries of it to my blog every morning, which is also the time I normally write in my blog anyway.
11) What do you think about while you wander? (often in co7g you mention the things that you think about while you wander, such as A Bible School Story, the snowboarding trip, and video games. You can explain all of these things in detail.)
Well, yeah, there was A Bible School Story (something I wrote, based on my actual experiences at Bible School the previous summer), the aforementioned snowboarding trip, and video games (both ones that I play and ones I think up). Not a whole lot to say about those things. But, I also used to think about people (mainly female) having big, sometimes coneshaped noses (based on Linda from this game called Snowboard Kids). Only a select few boys and one elderly lady (Janus) were part of these fantasies; no adult males ever were.
Made up games include Snowboard Kids 3 (mentioned recently, w/ all courses from both N64 games), Goldeneye vs Jerry Springer (from November), and the untitled game recently described where a vampire steals all of N64.
-----
Received: Indian Summer
I had come to work at the hospital for Mom yesterday. Not much to say about that. When we left, though, we went to Target to return my electric shaver and pick up some new cutters for my original one.
When we got home, we noticed some kids across the street from us selling Kool Aid. Mom and I decided to buy some off of them, and each cup was 25 cents each. We got three of them, but Mom decided she didn't want any after having a root beer in the car.
Coming off yesterday about that Makenro transformation parody of Ellen, wanna know who else could make a good parody of... any transformation sequence from Makeruna! Makendou Z?
The Angry Video Game Nerd (assuming he were to review that game, if not the entire Makendou trilogy). Here's how it would go: He throw a bottle of Rolling Rock into the air, the bottle shoots a beam which causes his everyday clothes to dissolve, his Nerd outfit then forms on him, and then a PC-FX controller forms in his hand, and he's ready to review a certain shitty game that I actually liked. (Yeah, I know it's much more obscure than anything that he ever actually did spoof, and he would more likely do something similar if he were to review any Sailor Moon games in a video.)