Friday, March 13, 2009

Childhood Memories

Today’s sunny sky is making me long for warm weather. To feel more summery, I’ve been listening to The Beach Boys in my office all morning. Listening to The Beach Boys always makes me want to clean my house.

Growing up, we had Saturday morning chores: a parent-imposed prerequisite to anything fun. Mom would list the jobs for the day in a spiral notebook and leave the list on the kitchen table. It paid to get up early on Saturdays! The most coveted chores (dusting, cleaning windows, vacuuming) were always snatched up quickly, leaving the late-risers with less desirable tasks like bathrooms, weeding the garden (in summer) or raking leaves (in the fall). Mom would turn on her favorite music during chore-time, although I don’t know if that was to encourage an upbeat attitude in us kids or to drown out the moaning of the poor soul who got stuck with mopping the kitchen (by far the worst assignment ever). I remember the stereo in the kitchen pumping Beach Boys almost every Saturday but sometimes we mixed it up with Dallas’ own 98.7 KLUV “Good times and the best oldies.” Man, that station provided the soundtrack to 90% of my childhood.

I think I should re-institute Saturday morning chores for myself. Then maybe I wouldn’t have nightmares about the towering monolith of laundry in the corner of my room coming to life and attacking me as I sleep.


In other news, did anyone else play Commander Keen as a kid? And was it not the best thing ever?

4 comments:

Kristina P. said...

That's too funny. The Saturday morning chores. I've blocked it out of my memory.

Dale said...

I really should do Saturday morning chores too but I think I'll go play cards in Wendover with my friends instead.

Why fold clean clothes when I'm just going to wear them any way, right? As for dishes, well that's why somebody invented plastic flatware and styrofoam plates. And if all your food is take-out you don't have to clean the oven or stove-top or wash pots and pans.

Sometimes it's good to be a bachelor...Prime Rib buffet here I come.

;-)

Lauren said...

I totally played Commander Keen! Weren't there slugs in that game?

Ashley said...

TOO FUNNY! i too, have blocked out those awful memories....