Memories: Diane - Part 1

I have a story to tell. In fact, it's one of my profound memories growing up. This will actually be a story in parts.

Now, the reason I wanted to write and share this is because this morning driving to work I was listening to my Smooth Jazz channel. I really love Smooth Jazz! I listen to all sorts of music to heavy metal, rock, pop, Enigma & Enya (what category do they fall under?) but NOT, and I mean a capital NOT, Rap! Now, I have found that some of my favorite artist have jumped on board with this whole "featuring" so-n-so, such as Kanye West and 'lil Wayne. Eck! You'll never find me purchasing their music. Can you really call that music? In my opinion, NO! But that's my opinion and I'm entitled to it, so there.

Anyways......

So, I was listening to my Smooth Jazz and this music always takes me back to my childhood and makes me think of all the memories of growing up and certain occasions. Well, the song I was listening to reminded me of my mom's best friend back in the day. In fact, I choked up and nearly started to cry. Her name was Diane. This is where my story begins.

My mom had recently moved back and my parent's remarried. Then, when my mom was looking for work since she quit her other job when she came back. I think this was around 1982. She was told of a lady named Diane who was in construction and that my mom went to meet her about working together. Diane lived in the same town as us and had 1 step-daughter, Wendy (who I became best friend's with), a son and then was also pregnant with her soon-to-be 2nd son.

I can't remember how everything played out since I was only 8 yrs old at the time. All I know is my mom and Diane started working together. They would clean the model homes for a builder in one of the expensive areas and also started working for the N. California home builder, Seeno. Well, because they did their job so well, the owner of the builder in the expensive area asked if they would clean their vacation home in Clear Lake, CA. They could stay there and enjoy the amenities of the vacation home for the weekend while they cleaned. They were on board! So was I and Diane's step-daughter, Wendy since we were old enough at the time to help clean.

We would spend a weekend each summer somewhere around 1985-1989 going to Clear Lake to clean this vacation home. It sat right on the lake too. Also on the property grounds was a guest house which was a 2-bdrm, 1 bath plus a loft. This would be mine and Wendy's to clean while our mom's cleaned the main house.

Wendy and I would stay up til all hours of the night snooping around in this guest house. One of the things I thought was interesting was, the owners were rich people yet they shopped at Kmart. I thought that was kind of funny at the time. Now that I am older, perhaps that's one of the reasons why they were so rich. They didn't need the biggest and best of things.

During one of our many late nights, I let Wendy put Sun-In in my hair. I don't even think they make that stuff anymore. I just remember going out on the lake the next day spending all my time in the sun that the stuff really lightened my hair. I thought it was cool too!! LOL

One time when we were driving to the Clear Lake for our weekend, I remember we stopped at an A&W in Calistoga. We were getting something to eat or drink. Don't remember. We had some tortilla chips and the jalapeno cheese dip. Yum! Diane would seriously take a huge dip into that dip and I was like "Come on, you're gonna eat it all" and she said she would just buy more. Well, a couple weeks ago my husband was eating some tortilla chips and the jalapeno cheese dip and thought of that incident cause I had previously told him about it.

During these days in Clear Lake, my mom, Diane, Wendy and I would have a blast! We would go to this one particular pizza place every time. It was so good! We even saw the movie Cobra with Sylvester Stallon there at one of the little theatres in town. Good times!

So many memories that I think of all the time, wishing there were some way I could recreate them, but I can't. The thought of that puts a lump in my throat and I just want to cry sometimes.

To be continued.....

Part 2 to come.