Memory Flood

Karen, Amanda and Brandy Alexander - 1985

An old friend of mine (Amanda) and I were e-mailing each other today and feeling our age. She has twin infants and Connor is 10 years old now. Recently, I was sorting out the pictures I took to my 20 year high school reunion in August, and I came across a picture of the two of us from 1985. Writing to Amanda today I told her about how that picture made me feel when I saw it again after so many years.

The kitten was christened Brandy Alexander because she was the same tawny color as our favorite alcohol/ice cream beverage at that time. Now that I think about it, 1985 was the only time in my life I thought it was normal to drink alcohol in the form of a shake. During that year we would go Bennigan's to get our favorite meal of fried cheese and illicit Brandy Alexanders whenever we had the money or access to a car (the Atkins diet had not yet been dreamed of). Our favorite waiter, Roberto, was not only gorgeous, but he had a great tuchis. Best of all, he never carded us. Then a very bad thing happened one day, we got the quiche instead of the fried cheese. The quiche was off, and I ended up with stomach cramps and nausea that was so intense, Roberto's spell was broken. I think It was more than a year before I went back to Bennigan's. When I did return, it was with a different group of friends and it wasn't the same.

Roberto served us the super sweet, mildly dizzying concoction while when we were 16 and 17 years old, which mortifies me when I think of it as a parent. When I think of it as a 17 year old girl, it occurs to me that it was more icecream than liquor and he was really hot (think young Antonio Banderas - before he could speak English). I know that technically that is not a valid excuse or explanation, but you should have seen him...

This is a portion of the letter:

Amanda,

...I found a picture of you and I the other day that gave me a "memory
flood" of you and I going to Bennigan's for fried cheese and brandy
alexanders from that good looking (but probably gay) waiter, Roberto.
The picture is of you and I and we're laughing and you are holding up
that kitten, Brandy Alexander. It seemed like it was yesterday, then it
occurred to me that Connor will be driving in 6 years! That seems crazy
to me. In a short 8 years, he can be drafted or he could be going to
college. Brace yourself, time is about to start flying about the time
the kids hit 5 years old. It's like you're in a time warp. The school
year comes and goes, then you blink and Summer is over and the cycle
starts again. At the same time everything is flying by for you, it
seems like it is standing still for the kids (just like it felt when we were
kids). The circle of life and all that...I may blog this.

I didn't mean to write so much, oops.

K.

Funny how things work out. We go from kids
trying to get away with all that we can,
to adults raising kids trying to get away
with all that they can.