Random Memories...

 When I was 17 years old, I had this dress. It was the most grown-up dress that I felt that I had ever owned.  It was this creamy white color, sleeveless, it reminded me of something you'd see Charlotte wearing on a trip to the Hampton's in Sex and the City. It had delicate silk laces up both of the sides, the material was kind of a soft linen I guess?  There was a slip built into it.  I loved spinning in it.  It spun really well.  I kept that dress until it was falling apart.  It lasted 3 years. I actually cried when I had to throw it away.  

***

I was seven years old, watching "You Can't Do That on Television" with my Dad at the second Shamrock house.  It was fairly soon after we moved in because the carpets still smelled new.  My Dad was having a glass of coke.  I asked if I could have a sip.  He said no. I shrugged it off.  A little while later he got up to go upstairs for something.  He very specifically told me: "Now Jessie, don't you take a drink of my coke. I'll know if you do."  My dad went upstairs and what was the first thing I did?  I took a sip.  And boy did it taste funny!  My dad came back downstairs a minute later and I giggled.  He gave me a knowing look and he didn't even have to ask me, I volunteered the information.  

"I took a drink of your coke.  Just so you know, it's flat or something. Doesn't taste right."  I wasn't touching that drink again.  He could have it.  My Dad, however, just giggled and sat down.  I was confused.  I had a drink of his coke.  A flat coke, but worth it because having a coke was a rareity unless I was at Grandpa's and then it was only one bottle of RC Cola and no more.  So, I had to make that last as long as I could (and y'all wonder why I became such a soda fiend in my early adulthood! Low and behold it managed my ADHD for a while so I could function!).  

My Dad settled back into his recliner, extending the leg rest.  He laughed again and said "So you had a sip of my coke, huh?"  I nodded.  I didn't mind. He could have the nasty thing.  Besides, The Monkees were coming on next and that was what was really important.   My Dad took a drink and set it back down on the tray table next to his recliner.  "Well, did you like it?" 

"No," I answered.  "It was flat." I remember scrunching up my nose when he took another drink. 

"Well, you just had your first taste of rum and coke."  My Dad informed me.  I instantly felt like a bad ass.  I was going to tell George about this in the morning.  He would be impressed (George was my bestie when I was 7.).  I laughed. This would give me total clout at school.  No one else in second grade at Christ the King was gonna have a story about how they had rum and coke!  

I don't actually remember telling anyone the next day at school.  I do, however, remember thinking that my dad's rum and coke was gross and that the best part of the coke was the fizzy and this rum and coke had absolutely no fizzy so what was the point of actually drinking one?  

I will occasionally have a rum and coke, but it's very rare and I would much rather have a strawberry daiquiri or something. 

***

This is one of my youngest memories.  It's just a snippet, really.  I am wearing this outfit.  It's a tank top and shorts.  It's this blue color and there are rainbows on the sides of the short and on the front of the tank.   I'm about two years old.  I'm giggling, in the eat in kitchen of our house on Shamrock Drive.  I remember my Mom is cooking at the stove.  She's laughing, too.  It's a happy laugh, I'm being cute and funny.  I am wearing her orange chanclas with the big brown chunky platform heal.  

I remember the clop, clop, clop the heals made on the linoleum.  I loved it.  It was a really fun sound. I can really focus on my Mom laughing.  Her laughing would make me laugh and the cycle would repeat.  I just remember stomping around and laughing.  That, to me, is a pretty great memory.  I'll keep that one safe.