just when we were havin' fun...

"Daddy, I'll see you later" Callie said on her first day of kindergarten as she made her way up the steps to the Bluebird school bus wearing her new Justice outfit and a Hello Kitty backpack. Older sister Presley was right behind her all excited about going into the 3rd grade sporting a Justin Beiber book bag with new pencils, notebook paper, and Silly Bands. Somebody get me up to speed on why kids want us to pay 3 to 7 dollars for rubber bands shaped like a fish. I reflected on being in Mrs. Matthews' kindergarten class at her house on West Mill Street. I remember we had to take naps in kindergarten. That is a tradition I wish they could bring back. Recalling the 3rd grade and being in Mrs. Simanton's class and how she constantly washed her hands with rubbing alcohol several times during the day. Rocky Mullins said it was so she wouldn't catch our cooties. Going back to school for my generation was a new book satchel and school supplies like Blue Horse notebook paper from the Empire 5 & 10. It was new school shoes from O.D. Lipham's, Princess Shoes, National, Cummings or the Bargain Mart. Back to school clothes were 3 for $12.00 second quality slacks from Mr. Brock at his store in Waco. I can remember when a pair of Chuck Taylor Converse tennis shoes were $6.00. Today parents are shelling out close to $100.00 for a pair of sneakers with a swoosh on them. I went to my daughter's elementary school orientation on Tuesday and wrote checks until my hand started cramping. They have a fee for about anything you can think of. If you join the Chess Club, take karate, take an after school course program, it costs extra. Funny thing, when it comes to my kids, it doesn't matter. We just got back from Panama City Beach and I have found that you can suffer the heat and humidity of northern Georgia or go to the Panhandle of Florida and find the same thing except have a breeze that feels like you are standing in front of a large blow dryer set on high. The best seafood I had was at a Mexican restaurant and had shrimp tacos. I recommended to the owner of Los Pinos to put that on his menu. Los Pinos cheese enchiladas are as good as any I ever had in the big city. I think before I graduated college, the only Mexican food I can remember having was Hormel canned Tamales and Taco Bell. My junior year at West Georgia I went out with a girl from Marietta who lived behind the Roswell Street Baptist Church and two blocks from a Taco Bell. You could get three bean burritos and a Pepsi for just over a dollar. I have had a long held theory that college kids will eat anything at anytime. I've seen the time when a 3 day old cold pizza was breakfast.