For several summers in our early, married-without-children years we rented a beach house in the Hamptons with our good friends J and K. After a few years our friends – serious fishermen by then – opted for the mountains instead and bought a house near a trout stream. (See Catskill Weekend)
And so the next year we rented the beach house by ourselves, and did so for a few more summers after our son Noah was born. (See The Great Hampton Babysitter Heist)
In fact we potty-trained Noah on that Hampton beach by letting him frolic in the sand and the water without a bathing suit or diaper. The theory was without his diaper he’d be more aware of his pressing needs. We’d then have teachable moments and could rush him inside to the beach toilets, and as I remember the strategy worked!
Of course we were responsible parents by then, so it was only our toddler who went skinny dipping. But thinking back to those earlier, carefree summers at the beach house with J and K . . . that’s another story.
My most memorable date was my first date with Garth (see Found), but my second most memorable date was my very first date ever. It was the first time I was allowed to go out with a boy, in a car, at night. His name was Rusty, and yes, he had red hair. He picked me up in his parents’ car, a long, yellow convertible, and of course he opened and closed the car door for me. As he pulled slowly away from the curb in front of the pink house I grew up in, it hit me…a wave of freedom.
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RetroFlash – 100 Words
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Here’s my actual diary entry:
Dear Diary, recently I have started dating, and it’s just wonderful, even better than I thought it would be. Even going out with a male friend is fun. I know that I will have many more dates, because there are so many more boys and so many more days, and things don’t all of a sudden just stop.
New Rule: You can add as many words as you want to a RetroFlash as an addendum. Just kidding…I made that up. But I couldn’t resist when I found that diary entry. Deep thoughts, right? Little did I know I would continue to date off and on up into my sixties…so many boys, and so many days indeed!
