the adventures of pamalicious

 

Summer Breeze

 

As I watched Goddess and ‘the cuz’ getting set up for their visit here in Atlanta, I got nostalgic thinking back on the lazy days when the most I had to care about was ‘what if I didn’t get picked to be on the kickball team’?  It took me right back to my own childhood and the random memories:

• Rummaging through my mom’s old pocketbooks to get change to go and buy 1 pack of wafer meat, and some Colonial Golden Wheat Bread for sandwiches.

 

• Standing at the back door to my step mom’s house with the rest of the neighborhood to get us a half a sandwich and a dixie cup of apple juice at midday.

 

• The girl up the street who charged a quarter to see her dance around in the window in her mom’s nightgown

 

• Tying scarfs around our heads to make our own long hair so that we could play Charlie’s Angels with my Brother. He would sit in the basement with his backs to us and send us on missions in the neighborhood.

 

• 7:00 am kickball tournaments that lasted all day.

 

• Movie day at the library. We would ride down on our bikes and when the movie would start we would play this game where we lay on the floor and roll very fast (there were no chairs) from one end to the next - we got put out usually for being loud.

 

• The time my brother convinced us that the slip and slide could start IN the house and we could slide out the door.

 

• There was a less fortunate family who lived next door to us. They had no furniture and were just busted. Well they had sons who were bad as hell.  They used to throw pebbles at our window, which was like two arms length from their house. One day we opened our window and they opened there’s and we began throwing shit back and forth.  It went from small stuff like balls and small rocks to us running back and forth outside to get bigger stuff which ended up including but not limited to Red Bricks, Cinder Blocks, and finally we tossed an old car jack in their window. Man did we get in trouble for that!

 

• Breaking out due to the toothpaste all over my face as I was a member of the group “Kiss” with my brothers.

 

• Going swimming in the rain with umbrellas

 

• The time my brother used an can of deodorant to make a flame thrower and burned off all the screens on our apartment. He then stole some off of someone else’s and replaced ours. Yep the cops brougth his stupid ass home.

 

• Stepmom said she could ride the go-cart - speeding down the hill loss control ended up under my Dad’s Caddy - stuck.

 

• Long days at six flags, digging in the garbage to see if anyone had threw away any money; scoring $20 in a food bag.  In a stampede at the Billy Idol concert and having my shirt ripped from my body.  ‘Finding’ another one to continue our evening.

 

• Getting new Jellies only to burn the entire bottom off stopping the big wheel at the bottom of the hill.

 

• Sitting on the porch in the evening between your momma’s legs getting your hair braided, while the adults chit chat and drink iced tea.

 

• Sleeping till Noon

 

• Getting on punishment for playing outside in the early morning in your underwear

 

• Making wrestling belts out of cardboard and tin foil and then having tournaments

 

• Convincing your brother to jump off the top bunk in a somersault and then pulling the mattress out so he hits the floor

 

• Summer assignment: Write the Dictionary - the Entire Webster Dictionary

 

• Kids that came to see Grandma during the summer only and the excitement that they were coming to town.

 

• block vs block kickball games, Momma May I, Hide and Go Seek, Jacks, Monopoly, Old Maid 

 

• dance contest in the front lawn in the sprinklers

 

• Hello Hello H-E-L-L-O, Hello Hello - well my name is Pam Hello Hello and I’ma sucha sucha Gemini Hello Hello…..

 

• Sipping left over Pink Champale and pretending to smoke as you perused the trappings of the party the night before

 

• Having to get hosed off in the front yard before you came in the house

 

• Sleepaway Camp:  Ain’t we cute, we the girls from cabin Ute, Now I ask you very confidently ain’t we cute!  Only one of three black girls there - so we all let our hair dred over that week.  Mom got a job at corporate office of said camp to change the menu to no pork and to ensure we got to go free.

 

• Flying kites on Highway 285 out the back of the convertible caddy

 

• Nowlatas, chico sticks, shortbread cookies, pickles, wax lips, gem rings, pixie stixs, fu man chew gum, blow pops, bomb pops, push ups and other summer delights

 

Damn I am kinda sorry I had to grow up!