Those su-u-mmer niiii-iiiights

I've been moping around like Olivia Newton-John in a nightgown humming Grease tunes for three days. One, because it was on TV over the weekend and, well, they're catchy little tunes. And, two, because being at Disneyland on Sunday, all humid and summery-feeling, made me remember a few trips to Disneyland before, on similar balmy summer nights, with some special boy I had decided was worth taking there. (que: John Travolta)

There was the first one in sixth grade. We shared the same birthday and decided that we should go celebrate together. His best friend was "going around" (oh, the 80's) with my sister who, of course, was also sharing a birthday, and we invited another "couple" to join us. If I remember right, my parents also went, but let us go off on our own and check in occasionally so that they could buy us food (only being in 6th grade, we had no money; I wonder if they bought all of our tickets......that would cost you $420 these days, yikes!). Looking back, I wonder if they weren't sneaking around following us all to make sure we were behaving.

What do I remember most about that day? A bird pooped on my friend's head, the boys bought my sister and I matching Minnie Mouse charm necklaces with our names on them (which we wore for months; I think Laura still has hers), and I almost got kissed for the first time while riding The Haunted Mansion. The poor kid asked me if he could, I said "sure," and then he never actually did it. Oh well, I was probably too young anyway. It didn't keep me from floating on cloud 9 the rest of the summer until I went on to Jr. High (he was the same age but in a grade lower) and he promptly dumped me for a younger woman. I believe I remember crying on the couch, listening to some Whitney Houston song. Oh, young love.

Another Disneyland date that I remember was my birthday again. The summer I turned 18, I think. He was a boy I had liked for a few months. It was hot out and I had a cute new outfit. He was sweet and fun. It was another double date with my sister (being twins, you tend to spend birthdays together) and it was the summer that Fantasmic premiered. He waited two hours with me so that we would have good seats to see the show. I was walking around all dreamy-eyed until the night ended with him trying to get a little too friendly out by his car. I don't remember speaking to him much after that.

There was a guy in college that I went with, "just as friends" but by the end of the night it was "boyfriend" (after all, it IS the "happiest place on earth"; that's bound to make you want to fall in love, right?). Times with friends old and new (ah, dogboy, those were the days). The smell of sunscreen and popcorn. The Electrical Parade. And every night ends the same.....your arms around someone special, watching the fireworks, thinking that there couldn't possibly be anything more romantic.

So, I suspect I'll be "hopelessly devoted" for a few more days. Or at least until I can get these darn songs out of my head.