OMFG, OK Computer Is Ten Years Old This Week: What Does The Summer Of '97 Mean For You Today?

Finally was getting a handle on my newly placed position in govt. after surviving a huge office (all political) restructuring year before....bahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was unfortunately nursing a very painful knee problem all that Summer (no running at alllllll). Was running a blinder of a relay stage during 24 hr. relay for the kids, tripped on some pothole on side of Ring Road, sharp pain under kneecap, finished strong still, almost went down shortly after finishing. Serious problem!

Biking was possible though painful, needed bike to commute daily.

And yes, came back from spending all day down at Ship Point annual Blues Bash to hear on tv news that, first announced, princess Di had been in a car accident and was walking around with a broken arm...then official announcement was she had been killed!! Along with Dodi (sp?).

Shocked.

Weeks later stayed up to watch live her memorial. Historical! Blown away by her brother's honest tirade & by the emotional reaction of London's population (city of my birthplace).

Labour Day was over to Vancouver to catch the INXS concert at the PNE (Pacific National Exhabition), Michael Hutchense was terrific...Suicide Blonde, Elegantly Wasted.

A performance.

Why his untimely death 2 months later? On my 50th. birthday too!~!! Same time as finding out how a former PIH club president had died suddenly, only 40 yr. old!! :(

All in all 1997 was a a good year.

Just got my first full-time teaching job and took on a coaching job at the local university. I wish I knew this back then, but 1997 was the end of my competitive career. I tried to hold on to it as long as I could, but it finally ended in 2000 with a 32:30 10km at 30 years old. I couldn't juggle all the pieces effectively - something had to give. Today, my house will be paid off in one year, I have a great wife, a terrific 17 month old son, and I still run 9 miles 4 times a week. what else could I ask for. I still think about getting competitive again, but I don't have that kind of selfishness in me any more.

ha, that's what I thought. Even after reading the majority of the posts and multiple Radiohead references, I still didn't have any idea this was the name of an album.

in 97 my second kid was 2 and my achilles was toast. I realised the much anticipated masters money was not going to materialize and I picked up a new career coaching gymnastics of all things. I got flexible from demonstrating all the stretching to kiddies, ditched the stick shift toyota and 4 years ago was able to run again, but only on a modest level and without any of my beloved track work. At least I can run fast vicariously through my track and cc kiddos. I still try to get my 1 - 11/2 hours a day in whenever possible out on the roads.

I had just gotten married so it was the start of almost 10 years of slavery. I just acquired my freedom this spring. I always look back at that summer and say: "If only I had known..."

wjw0006 wrote:

Summer of 97-

Oasis released their last good album.

Um, Be Here Now? :)

I love this thread - remembrances of times gone by and what they mean to people totally fascinates.

Princess Di died

Royalty Fan wrote:

Princess Di died

Hmm a historical event. Tragic, of course.

Like I posted last night, took the opportunity to view first hand the televised memorial service, a rivetingly epic event.

funny how I just turned on our local radio FM station, 100.3 TheQ. They were playing INXS. their featured song of 1997, 'Elegantly Wasted' Two mos. later Michael Hutchense apparently wasted himself. Tragic!

runamook wrote:

in 97 my second kid was 2 and my achilles was toast. I realised the much anticipated masters money was not going to materialize and I picked up a new career coaching gymnastics of all things. I got flexible from demonstrating all the stretching to kiddies, ditched the stick shift toyota and 4 years ago was able to run again, but only on a modest level and without any of my beloved track work. At least I can run fast vicariously through my track and cc kiddos. I still try to get my 1 - 11/2 hours a day in whenever possible out on the roads.

1 - 1 1/2 hr. per day? That's doing well don't you think?

Had just come off the DIII triple crown...first ever for a DIII school. All three wins were close and never a sure thing until the very end. All very exciting.

At this exact time, I was stationary biking like a madman due to a shin injury. 2/3rds of my summer was spent on a stationary bike for training, but by the time cross country came along I was in great shape and had my best season ever.

Can't believe that was 10 years ago already!

Had a bs internship at a brokerage firm. Wanted to transfer schools but didn't. Boring on the romance front. Remember hearing of Di's death vividly. Was back at school. My roommate came back drunk and turned on the radio.

Going into my Jr. year in HS, was attending some preppy summer school at Philips Exeter in New Hampshire. That was the summer I decided to stop playing Football and throw myself into Baseball (the next summer, I decided to get in the best shape I could for baseball, even, gawd forbide, run XC).

Not all was bad kicking it with the little rich white kids. I broke out of my Rap only music listenings, was introduced to Radiohead (prior to, only song I knew was "Creep"), was getting down to Sugar Ray, dug a little bit of the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, and kept grooving to the catchy, yet quite annoying, "Mo Money, Mo Problems" by the B.I.G.

The rest of '97 was not all that great. Man how time flies.

In 97 I graduated from Western Washington University, quit running for the next 6 years, started dating my now wife, and spent most of the summer drinking. Not a real productive time in my life, except for the future wife part.

I had a newborn baby at home (our first), so I wasn't getting much sleep and was often sick. Was working as a computer instructor for a company on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC. Kind of fun to do that for a while. That summer is when I began looking for work back in Ohio as we wanted to move back to be closer to family. Took until February 1998 before I found one I wanted to take. One of the more stressful times of my life.

Finished my first year of 6th grade, lost three of my best friends because they started smoking pot and I didn't like it.

Many have mentioned Princess Diana's death, and I might have it missed it but has anyone mentioned the other notable death of Mother Theresa the same day?

Mike in HC wrote:

Many have mentioned Princess Diana's death, and I might have it missed it but has anyone mentioned the other notable death of Mother Theresa the same day?

Mother Teresa died a few days later on Sept. 5.

I was 32, running a bunch, unemployed and depressed. Now I'm 42, running a bunch, employed and not depressed. Yahoo. Beyond that, not much is different. Oh yeah, never listened to Radiohead (didn't have a radio or TV then or now).

I had just graduated HS, had a car, worked at a small outdoors shop. I won states my senior year in XC and 3200 outdoor. Had a regular girlfriend and also some action on the side with the hot freshmen girl on the track team. Spent my summer working some, running to get ready for college, and banging those 2 hot chicks. One of the best summers I've ever had.