Random Childhood Memories #5

--Age 10. I used to crawl up into my parents bed late at night and watch Johnny Carson's monologue. They had a huge king-size bed and I'd lay just close enough to be next to them, but far enough away to not feel like a baby in his parent's bed. I love to hear my Dad laugh.

--Age 17. At the state water polo tournament in San Antonio, TX, the referee blew the whistle and summoned me over to the edge of the pool. He motioned for a towel and asked me to get out. When I stood up out of the pool, the blood was pouring down my face and chest. Turns out, I had bitten clear through my lower lip. I still have a scar.

--Age 9. After a rainstorm, my friend Trevor and I would try to catch crawdads out of the ditch near our house. We'd tie pieces of bacon to string and lure them out of their shelters made of dirt. On a good day, we'd catch upwards of 50 of them. Once, my brother put one in the microwave. It took three steps backwards and exploded into a thousand pieces.

--Age 5. I took a black magic marker and practiced writing my name all over the laundry room, including the washer and dryer.

--Age 11. My family once had to evacuate our home on the Texas coast due to a pending hurricane. We drove our camper and pulled the boat behind us half way to Austin in the middle of the night. Until we ran out of gas. My Dad had to walk several miles to a phone and then wait for a gas station to open before my grandfather could come save us. How did we survive without cell phones and 24-hour gas stations?

--Age 15. My history teacher, Ms. Moore, lived in nearby Clear Lake City (home of Johnson Space Center and NASA) and had recently become very friendly with her new neighbor, Mrs. Christa McAuliffe. She was so excited that day in late January, 1986 as we all gathered around the TV in her room to watch the Challenger lift off. We all cheered when it left the platform. 73 seconds later, the mood changed significantly.