So tonight is family night (woo hoo!!) … even with this isolation – we still look forward to that as usual and is one constant that we keeping alive ❤️ woo hoo!!! Friday… my other favorite F word ✌️😄
I feel little pressure with some stuff – nothing I can’t handle… just thinking. I need a ?? Escape? Yeah that. So taking that now…
Anyway… I had my phone cycling through all my music – half never gets played because there is just sooo much in my music…
And this song came on…
Lol… so what does that remind me of?? Back in the day, many moons ago (lol)… my parents had a 1979 Ford Econo Van…
That was our van… it was fully stocked and loaded with everything!! We took this on cross country vacations every year!!
– also let me mention… my dad ordered just a plain blue van… when it came in …this is what came instead 😄😄😄 … my dad was not happy but got a deal so … that became our van… and FYI my parents were NOT hippies at all… nerd and dork but not hippies lol … people would sometimes see that van and ask me if my parents were hippies – I fricken wish lol … no no they were not lol
That van drew a lot of attention lol … my dad was private like me – not really into grabbing attention but whatever … that was our van… it was pretty spiffy – it drew attention
The reason I think of that van with Donna Summer…
Well that’s because that van had an 8-track 😄😄😄 Oh my god! The only 8-track cartridge I had was fricken Sesame Street Fever 🤨 … and there is only so much “Doin the Pigeon” I could handle!
The other cassette always in the van was Donna Summer… so my 2 favorite songs were … Hot Stuff lol… and then Bad Girls 😄😄😄 Oh my god! – I was really little!! Toot toot … ahhh … beep beep lol ❤️ – what would you have rathered? Sesame Street or Donna Summer lol – yeah I went with Donna Summer lol
Every year we piled into that van and drove all over the United States 🇺🇸… I’ve seen every National Park, many theme parks, a lot of historical sites … just tons …
Many times my friends or family will try to take me places they think will be new and fresh – nope… I’ve been there lol … if it’s in the United States – I’ve probably been there.
I appreciate that now, because I have seen a lot – thanks to that van ❤️ and my parents ❤️ … but it can be frustrating when you wanna see something new but instead have flash backs and realize you have been there before 🤨😄
We could have maybe upgraded that 8track lol … but whatever – I was good with Hot Stuff and Bad Girls lol … we eventually added John Denver and Whitney Houston lol … but I have to say – it’s Hot Stuff and Bad Girls attached to that van 😄😄 oh that’s funny ❤️
I was also teasing my little brother today ❤️ I’m the only one who can freely do that… first of all – I am oldest and big sister … I own him lol kidding 😄✌️ I don’t tease mean – only to make him laugh – but he only allows me to do that, or maybe I’m the only one who does it right – I’ve had years of practice lol 😄 plus I have many little brother stories he probably never wants to hear come outta my mouth lol
If I had to pick a song attached to my brother … it would be this…
My brother and I share a particular trait lol… if we find a song we really like – we play it to death … when he was in high school – he just played this song constantly!!! Lol – so now it’s attached lol
I miss that van… and I miss my brother ✌️😘 this post made me feel better though ❤️
The things that shape you or get etched in your memory ❤️
Learning Life 
I would go with beep beep and toot toot. What a fun post to read. It is always my dream to travel across the US. I only have been to couple places, mostly couple states along the east coast, and of course California, which is almost the whole West Coast. Have you been to the Shenandoah NP?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually no… the one section of the continental United States I have never been is Washington and Oregon. Have not been to Shenandoah!! Sounds beautiful though … waterfalls? Have you been?
Yeah I had a pretty amazing childhood. ❤️✌️ I have many stories lol
LikeLike
Sure, I call it my backyard where I do most of my hikes. It is no where near as famous as the Great Smoky Mountains NP. It is about couple hours from DC and pride of Virginia. I think its what it means “Virginia is for Lovers” for its natural beauty.
We have seen enough and often remark on our hikes that all the Appalachian Trail in Virginia looks exactly the same.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol …
I have been to Virginia … Charlottesville and Richmond … absolutely beautiful!! Very lush and just gorgeous! Beautiful area… I can see why they say Virginia is for lovers… it’s very romantic- ish
Although I will mention, when I was there it was May… OMG!! Your humidity!! Lol smack you down lol
When I was a kid… I always had my headphones on cause we went everywhere and it was like yeah yeah lol… but my mom used to sit in the passenger seat and get all excited – oohhh look at this, look at that!! 🤨🙄😄 we would look, but took for granted … now I am the one who excitedly says – oooohhh look at this, look at that!! Lol ✌️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love Charlottesville and Richmond too. I used to not go far from where I live, but running and hiking trips the last couple years have brought me all over Virginia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah – I have a comfort zone myself … I used to stay in my area too… I still like my little zone – but I have to be everywhere usually.
California would blow your mind! So much out here!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve seen most of the US, and every State & National park, too!! We went by car & 18′ trailer. I actually don’t remember too much… except that I have seen “amber waves of grain”, “deer and the antelope play”, picas, had marmots in my lap, nearly killed by lightning (several times), my dad accidentally nearly stepping of a cliff to certain death (pulled his foot back just in the nick of time), crunching ice in Sequoia, the coldest shower I’ve ever taken (dripping snow runoff that felt like ice cubes being thrown off my head)… experiences more than scenery.
Our cassettes (never had an 8track) were old radio shows and soundtracks to plays (Fiddler on the Roof and Paint Your Wagon).
Donna Summer makes me think of a long disco shirt I wore everywhere in those days.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lol… we had quite the memories too… once there was a bat 🦇 in the bathroom … which made me and my mother run out screaming lol …
And then once camping 🏕 we had been warned about bears and the food etc… so anytime you heard steps or rustling – you be still lol …
My dad once carried us over these shallow rapids one by one – including my mother … the water was freezing he jacked up his pants and took off his shoes to bring us over so we could explore
Once as a young teen – maybe my daughters age – I got hurt and the hottest fire fighters came lol … so before it was excruciating pain lol … then they came and oh hello, yeah kinda hurts right there as I try to keep composure and my mom is in the back laughing cause she knows lol
We were literally like that Chevy Chase movie ❤️ lol … my dad would just roll his eyes
We used to take our showers with that portable one we had – outside 🤨 with towels hung around it … I was always terrified a towel or towelS would fall 😮 I would be mortified lol … but that’s only when we camped… usually there was a nice big stretch of hotels in there too cause we always wanted hotels lol
Do you remember magic fingers? In hotels … the bed shaking thing you put a quarter in the bed thing and it would shake you ❤️❤️❤️ fricken loved that – why they take that away???!!! lol – bring that back!!!
Yeah we didn’t do radio shows my dad loved tv… watched a lot of Honeymooners and Andy Griffith lol
That van had tv too… we would watch our Saturday morning cartoons while driving …
I would make them play that Donna Summer if we got bored … or I had enough of my brother 🤨😄
We also had a toilet so if he had to go to bathroom … nope I will be up front lol
Funny what you remember ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
No hotels or tv for us. And no showers unless we stayed at a campground that provided them, because water was so limited. Record the was 7 days without showers before my dad finally took us somewhere with pay showers (intended for back packers).
I remember a lot of 12hr days in the car… driving through lots of nothing. I don’t know how my dad stayed awake! I also remember him getting food poisoning (not cool in a tiny trailer in the middle of nowhere), white water rafting, mailboats on the Rogue River, the Samoa Cookhouse, finding a lost dog on the beach and it’s owners driving 400miles to get it back, hunting banana slugs for the annual races (we went to Big Basin a LOT), and Rangers teaching us interactive songs around massive campfires. “The Good ol Duke of York” and “You Push The Damper In” have stuck with me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh yes – I liked showers even then lol… no way could I go that long!! Yeah I need my showers …
My parents would “Kinda” trade off … most of the time my dad drove and my mom was the sucky navigator using a map lol … which sometimes got us lost … she would take over once in awhile but she was a nervous driver especially in areas she didn’t know. So my dad would get a quick break and then be like – ok I’ll take over, pull over lol
I remember no matter where we went … I always found friends …
Ooohh once when I was 9… we were at some cabins up in the Rocky Mountains … and there was a TON of other kids… so we were all playing …
Well my brother comes over to me and says – hey… this kid wants to tell you a secret…
What?? What kid? What secret? Well my brother didn’t know…
So I went over to the kid and was like what?
He said …I have a secret, C’mere. So I leaned in and this fricken kid full on kissed me 😮😮😮 Oh my god!
That was it – I was done – I took my brother and we went inside
It was horrible – I felt sick- I told my brother don’t you dare tell mom and dad!! I didn’t do it… and had no idea that’s what the kid was gonna do … but that woulda been all bad… I had a headache the rest of that trip cause it really bothered me… ugh it was awful … after that I never liked secrets again lol ✌️
My brother never told, but he remembers – he has reminded me – we reminisce sometimes
I remember rangers and those songs lol … I also remember getting eaten alive by mosquitoes while listening lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Re friends: My family had just started our annual month-long cross-country summer vacation. We were in Seattle, in the Russian Pavillion at the World’s Fair, and ran into my BFF (and her family) from back in Cali. They were wrapping up their own month long cross-country vacation. Weirdest fluke ever!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my god! Wow!!! What are the chances of that??!! How hilarious – you must have been excited lol – that must have been funny!
LikeLike
I remember it being super shocking & confusing!
Our parents weren’t friends so we probably only had a few min together before each family went on it’s way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s crazy with the lost dog – dogs can move really fast!
LikeLike
A dachsund. It had been missing for more than a week but ran straight to me on the beach. There was no one around so I brought it back to my parents. It was a private campground and the mgrs had info for the owners who had left, devastated, the day before.
I was prob 12 to 15yrs old. When the owners got the dog I cried & cried & cried. My dad was super embarrassed and annoyed, thinking I was upset about giving up the dog. I told him I was crying because I was so happy they were reunited. I think he gained a lot of respect for me that night.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Awww that’s kinda a nice memory… helping a dog in need and reuniting – but then also having love for that dog – that’s really sweet ❤️ I woulda cried too
That is a bittersweet and beautiful memory!
LikeLike
I’ve always loved animals and I’m still thankful the dog came to me… someone else might not have bothered with it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely!!!
LikeLike
I have always loved animals too… still do … I have one problem… I tend to find lost animals or strays and take them in… I have fostered many animals from my police department/animal control … I can not take the thought of them in a cold cage at the pound – they can wait with me for their owners
I’ve done that a few times and ended up with a couple animals lol
LikeLike
I ended up with 8 cats. Fortunately, my yard is too small (and easy to escape) for dogs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I ended up with 2 chihuahuas lol ❤️
Growing up I always did that too…
Once I brought home a cat that needed care – was malnourished etc … so I snuck him in … put him in my closet and took good care of him… had that hidden for about 2 weeks … then I was discovered and I got in trouble lol
Yeah I was one of those kids
I always had dogs or cats… have had a lot of chihuahuas over the years
LikeLike
https://ashivamchoudharyblogger.wordpress.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person