Joy Riding Gals

The cats o' plenty couldn't have been a tip off to my fourteen year old mind? Did I need thunder and lightning, omens were going down -  we just were ignoring them that night. Especially when the key didn't fit in the lock. C'mon, whether I was fourteen or four hundred, this wasn't working.

Karen, Lydia, Anne and I decided to take the family wagon for a cruise yet again. I think Karen was new to this particular fiesta. I had tucked her away in the closet, hidden gently out of my parents sight (my dad wasn't sweet on sleepovers) so the inventive mind just stuffs your friend in the closet until the coast is clear. It never dawned on me Karen's comfort level, or whether she thought this might be a tad unwelcoming. I can't imagine going over some friend's house, then her saying, 'Ok, it's time for you to get in the closet for some undetermined amount of time, I'll let you know when the coast is clear. Please feel comfortable in my home.'

I can't tell you how hard I just cackled writing that. The 'norm' I grew up with is so ridiculous, that my only choice is to laugh! So, apparently the coast must have been clear...out the little gal came. The old folks must have settled down for their long winters nap. Anne was seventeen, and Lydia, Karen and I were fourteen. None of us, I repeat....nary a one had any form of drivers license. The three of us weren't even old enough to drive. Anne may have had a learners permit. So, all these omens were going on. I can't remember if that was the same night we walked down to St Lukes,  and I convinced everyone one of the statues had talked to me. I may have consumed something and been in an altered state at the time. But.... I stand by my word. That statue rapped to me.

It is getting later into the evening. I am not feeling it. We had this next door neighbor named Fred Flintstone. Ok, This I cannot take credit for. My dad actually named him, and for the life of me I cannot remember why. Maybe he looked like Fred Flintstone? My dad used to  call this one particular family "Mortician Chins"  (I  am laughing so hard I can't see straight),  because they had super long jaws. Why Mortician Chins... and do Morticians have super long chins? I thought everyone knew what I was talking about when I said Mortician Chins. Most responded with "Deer in the headlight"  looks..... what???

Back to our story. We are trying a couple more times to get this fine ride out of the driveway. I am a little tripped about Fred Flintstone and Mrs Flintstone. Falling on deaf ears, these lady friends want to go for a cruise in the  lovely hamlet of Temple City. We start our ritual of pushing it back through the "Golden Arches" of the driveway, then starting the car out of earshot of our parents. 

Now we have done this many a time on our cruises....but this is just feeling so wrong on every level. I look back on the street and see, I swear it seemed dozens of cats milling about. Are you  friggin' kidding me? Then as we are at the end of the driveway, ready for takeoff....

One cop car with its lights shining it's spotlight, than another, then another. Seemed like Temple City's finest were out that night, welcoming us.We all unload from our ride, and these cats are going crazy meowing and climbing everywhere around the family wagon. This was  around 1975, we were females in Temple City and were escorted to the front door. Very lucky I would say instead of getting hauled off to jail. My mom answered the door in her nightgown. (She did look lovely with the moonlight  glistening on her face . ) She wasn't looking so happy as the door opened with four motley crew chicks meandering into the living room, followed by some wound up Sheriffs. Big doings going down in Temple City tonight!

We slung our heads in shame.... but true to her nature, Anne, my middle sister wasn't having it. She was a snippy thing and wouldn't be quiet. The Sheriff asked my mom if she would like to have Anne arrested.  I  had my 'inside' smile going on. I wanted to laugh, scream- haul that one away- now! But....Francie just said, "No, thank you, she would take care of it." (My dad never woke up with all the noise going on.) Francie wasn't too happy with all of us. A trip to Magic Mountain was the next day-  my mom said I couldn't go. I told her I was going to kill myself if she didn't let me go. I was nothing if not dramatic, I was going to Magic Mt, and that was that! My oldest sister had to take over , bet she was pretty happy. Think I still went to Magic Mountain.

That didn't slow down our car hijinks. Sly/ clever/ sneakier come to mind. So I thought. I still would get caught this time in my brothers pinto after pulling an all night-er beginning of Junior year.  Just one problem, failed to get my drivers license yet. We did have a couple of good cruises....until two or three in the morning. Joy ridin' gals just wanted to have fun. Those were the days.