Revisiting Adolescence

So it's year three of regression day! To recap: every year, my long time friend ET and I play hookie. We run away from our lives for an entire day.

The first year, we hit the water park. After running around soaking wet, screaming our heads of on the Texas Tornado, picnicking under a tree (eating nothing but junk), we decided it felt so much like being teenagers again that it deserved to be a new tradition.

So year two came along. We almost had a teen-like fit when we drove the half hour to the water park only to find that our favorite ride was closed for repairs. But tradition is tradition... even if it's brand new. We did exactly as we would have done had we actually been sixteen: we hunted down another pool play area.

This year fate tried to mess with us again. After carefully planning around our complicated lives, we had identified the perfect day. That morning we were awakened by the sounds of thunder--sounds the whether forecasters had promised would be no more. But regression can't and mustn't be neglected!

Instead we treated ourselves to an indoor day of putt-putt golf, mall loitering, bowling (regular and our new speed version), salty pretzels, and other such roaming. Though it was an excellent day of uselessness, we were left with sad longing for the water park. There's something about the sweet smell of tropical sun block that just takes us back, you know?

Well, I guess the universe sensed the teenage angst we had managed to muster because ET won Hurricane Harbor tickets at work.

And this year the Texas Tornado was open! We even made friends with two girls in line who shared the second ride down the Tornado with us. I say "second" because the Tornado demands at least three turns. It's a 7.5-story drop into an enormous 60-foot diameter funnel--possible the only scenario in which we can still laugh and screech maniacally in public without alarming others or being shipped to the funny farm.

The day ended with Chinese take-out in front of the TV and hours of talking and drinking way too much soda.

Regression is so satisfying! I highly recommend it.

pic by Valerie Everett