Friday, January 25, 2013

Ah, the 80s!

I can't remember if I've posted these before, but they amuse me so I'm posting them again. I joined the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve in 1987, the year I graduated with my Bachelor of Music. It seemed to me like a good place to play clarinet and get paid to do so. I had a ton of fun and never really thought much about the possibility that I might get shipped off to war somewhere! Ah, youth...

I found these pics the other day and they brought back some memories.

Here I am in my dress blues in 1988, with my trusty dog Chelsea. I have no dea why I didn't put on shoes for this photo. Not long after this, the Navy got rid of those stupid necktabs for women and I learned to tie a Windsor knot.


Chelsea lived to 15-1/2 and was my heart dog. I adopted her as a puppy from the Pickering-Ajax-Whitby animal shelter and she was my loyal friend through thick and thin.

In 1989,  I spent a lot of time playing gigs with our Naval Reserve jazz band,  and the combo a few of us had put together. Although I'm a clarinetist, I am proficient on saxophone. That's my and my alto sax, second from the left in the front row.


Gordon is the one who taught me to shine my shoes for Navy. I used to keep them looking very nice!


14 comments:

  1. I almost joined the Navy when I was 19 - I was looking at it from the perspective of free University Education. It wasn't so much the thought of having to go to war that changed my mind (oddly that didn't bother me) - but the fact that I tend to have too little respect for those in position of authority - and I might like to challenge it a little too much.... so probably not the best career choice. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like - I definitely would have seen more of the world than I have.

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  2. I love jazz bands and the alto sax is my favorite instrument. I wish I could have heard your group!

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  3. Ooh...I played clarinet in our band before switching to cheerleading (It got me closer to the jocks!) I love the photo of you in your uniform and stocking feet:-D

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  4. I love those photos. I wish I could hear you play. One of my nephews entered the Canadian Navy at 18, made it his life career, and was L.Cmdr. when he retired at 50. He saw the world.

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  5. The Clarinet is a rather calm animal, but an Alto Sax can win wars!

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  6. We had collars we had to pin hold on with studs...hated those things.
    Jane x

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  7. As a former US Navy music maker who achieved the lofty rand of "Second Class Musician," I salute you.

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  8. A good friend's granddaughter plays the mellophone. After college she joined the airforce, and has been deployed everywhere--with the band. It's an unusual instrument.

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  9. Maybe you didn't wear your shoes, because they weren't as shiny that day? : ) Chelsea looks like she was a very sweet dog. Well, now we know you play both clarinet and saxophone. I wish to be able to play a musical instrument. Ah, how young we were back in the 80's!

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  10. I love these pictures and your memories. (I'm also now in love with Chelsea.) And you were and remain adorable.

    As for the lack of shoes, wasn't THAT the Canadian dress uniform at the time?

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  11. Some great distant history here! Reserved armed forces were excellent places for young people. There was so much they learned,
    My son was in the reserves from 87 to 93. It has always been a big part of his resume.

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  12. The military bearing is all very impressive, until scrolling down to the bare feet. Your dear dog stands her front legs to attention very well.

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  13. Wow....a musician and in the Naval Reserve. You are very talented in many areas.

    Love your buddy there. Hard to lose those we love like that.

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!