so, we got naked. on very hot days, i strip my kids down to bathing suits or diapers, and we do a bunch of messy art, and then play outside in the elmo sprinkler. so, after the little people woke up, we ate our snacks, fingerpainted, played with shaving cream, and ran around outside for quite some time. it's supposed to be a scorcher again tomorrow, so i imagine we'll be back at it.
ah, the elmo sprinkler- it brings back memories. when i was in college (not that long ago, though sometimes it seems like it's been about 10 years, not 5) in maryville, missouri, it would get so hot in the summers (no air conditioning, either) that i'd lay out on the back porch most summer afternoons (after completing all of my homework early, of course) and bask in the sun...with my elmo sprinkler set to "low", so i'd be constantly misted and (theoretically) would not suffer heat stroke and have to be taken to the hospital. the sprinkler was purchased at the wal-mart in town (the competition was pretty much chased out of town) for about $15.....cheaper than most kiddie pools, and far easier to set up. so, day after day, i'd set my towel on our marble slab ("the patio"), hook elmo up to a hose, and try to keep my book dry and my body tan.
and then one day, i went outside and elmo was gone.
first, i suspected my roommates. (six chicks in one house is not a good idea.)
when i realized none of them would stoop that low (even the one i really didn't like, especially after her boyfriend drunkenly whizzed on my groceries in the middle of the night one weekend when she was out of town- i mean, really, dude. if she's not here to keep an eye on you, you really should spend the night at your own place.....), i began to suspect that elmo had taken off with the underground gypsy movement in maryville, missouri.
when the underground gypsy movement theory was debunked, i started looking in the "lost and found" section of the local paper.
and then, one day, my roommate ashley wandered into my room. she'd been out on the back porch (probably having a smoke), and a little girl from down the street started poking around our back yard. ashley asked her what she was looking for, and she replied something to the effect of, "i'm looking for more toys." ashley was a little puzzled, as not many of my roommates had the sort of toys that would appeal to someone of such a young age.
"what kind of toys?", ashley said.
"well, i found an elmo here the other day....."
and can you believe ashley didn't follow the kid back to her house and rescue elmo for me? as i recall, the little girl told ashley that she and her brother didn't really have many toys, because their family didn't have a lot of money (not even 15 bucks for an elmo sprinkler? come on......), and ashley felt bad for her.
i felt bad for elmo.
however, i'm not mean enough to chase down some poor kid to retrieve my $15 elmo sprinkler. (okay, i probably am, but i didn't know what the kid looked like, and i didn't want to wind up rescuing "my" elmo from the wrong family.)
so, the rest of the summer, i had to make do with some crappy $5 sprinkler that was supposed to shoot water in all different directions in that popular arcing motion. unfortunately, to get close enough to stay cool, i was practically on top of the thing, and of course my book kept getting wet.
so, playing in the sprinkler today brought back memories. that girl's probably old enough by now to work at mc donald's and earn money for her own damn sprinkler.
by the way, some of my trip photos have been added. scroll down and have a look. (more to come in the next day or two- i'm adding them to posts from "are we here yet?" to "whaddya mean....time to go home?") enjoy!
in other news, my decluttering mission continues. today, i leafed through the october 3, 1996 issue of rolling stone, which featured a naked brooke shields on the cover. a few tidbits from that issue (feel free to place comments with your guesses):
1. mtv 2 launched on august 1, 1996. what was the first video played, and who was it by?
1a. what was the first video played on mtv, and who was it by?
1b. what was the first video played on vh1, and who was the artist?
2. who was brooke shields' fiance in 1996?
3. the title of the keanu reeves movie "feeling minnesota" is taken from the song _______________ by __________________.
(bonus: which album was the song on?)
4. the band republica had a hit with "ready to go" in 1996. their name was inspired by which new order album?
there- that should keep you busy for a minute or two.....
by the way, in 1996, i entered college. funny, doesn't seem like it was that long ago.......
2 comments:
1b) "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. Evil, evil song that you can't get out of your head.
2) Andre Agassi. -10 guy points for knowing the answer to this one.
- Scott
you boys are too damned smart for your own good.
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