Random Remembrances

Every now and then when I get together with friends we end up reminiscing about the 'ol days...and I'm shocked at how easily/quickly some things have been forgotten. It's at these times I really regret not having written a journal all the time. Funny, too, how I forget some of the more 'unforgettable' moments, yet, some of the more insignificant things are still vivid. It's funny how the mind works.

Here are a few random memories...back to when we lived in Ottawa so that's a loooong time ago (we moved here when I was going in to grade 5).

I remember:
- my older brother telling me that one day I wouldn't watch "The Polka Dot Door" anymore - and I cried at the very thought (seriously).
- seeing Kiss on the Grammy Awards & crying, running downstairs in terror for my Mommy (she was watching the award show with me but had slipped downstairs do change the laundry).
- seeing the word "F.U.C.K" spelled into the cement and coming home to show Mom how well phonetics worked for me.
- coming home from school, telling Mom that Fred said the bad word that I figured out phonetically, when he swore he only said "suck"; and, he likely did. She believed me, though.
- walking our neighbor's dog, Charlie, and being very curious at what the pink thing was. Charlie was a boy.
- screaming in absolute terror as a garter snake slivered in front of me on the sidewalk. I was scared stiff...unable to move from the fear, and just kept on screaming. I screamed so loud a neighbor had to come to my rescue. I forget what he did to the snake.
- walking to the Pavillion (our nearby corner store) with $1 - and being able to get a bag of Hostess chips, a pop & a chocolate bar.
- taking my bag of chips and putting them under the runner of my rocking chair to break them up into smaller pieces. I thought I had 'more' when they were broken up.
- dressing Todd up in a dress & jewellery. I likely styled his hair too. I think Mom & Dad were angry.
- the "snake" incident on Monterey Dr. Some older neighborhood kids put snakes into mailboxes. Mom was terrified and made Dad get the mail for ages after that.
- thinking I would drown at the Pavillion pool when Suzy Anderson swore I'd still be able to touch the bottom and lead me out further than I was accustomed to. I did not still touch the bottom. Thank God for the few years I spent in Yellow at swimming lessons which at least taught me the 'doggie paddle' to get over to the edge of the pool. I still can't swim.
- the time I peed myself as I attempted to stand up and pee 'like the boys did'.

Ah the memories!