July 9: Memories that make me smile

Last week Kirsten reminded me of a WWC memory and I thought it was time for a new list, one that wasn't all complaints or making fun of others. It was hard to know where to stop with this; I'm sure I could go on for pages. But here's what I came up with this morning (only rule: wedding, kids' births, graduation, etc. are off limits):

• Me and Kirsten throwing glass jars at a brick wall at the end of our last year of college. It was such a mess—jam, mustard, salad dressings—but felt oh-so-good to be so destructive. (1991)
  
• When April hit a girl. Okay, so I wasn’t even there, but if you know April then you know why this is such an unbelievable story. (1988?)
  
• When I told Ed about how I used “Ask Jeeves” to look up a term I read in a book. I thought he was gonna die laughing. (1999?)
  
• Telling my dad that I was pregnant (1999)
  
• Turning on the radio and hearing myself singing (yes, I got some radio play for a few months back in 1996)
  
• Friday nights at Kim & Kari’s apartment (1987-89)
  
• Grocery shopping with Kathy when we lived with Dad. We turned a truly boring experience into something hilarious. We can do that with just about anything, of course! (1983-85)
  
• Every time I have walked into Disneyland and passed under the sign, "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy”
  
• The first time my mom let me bake Snackin’ Cake all by myself (1975)
  
• The birthday party Karen and I threw for April and me. The guests ranged in age from little kids to people in their 80s, and we played traditional birthday party games. It was an absolute ball. My favorite picture from that day is of April’s grandpa tying a balloon to his ankle. He was determined to win that stomping game! (1994?)
  
• Spending a day in San Francisco all by myself (1994)
  
• My kindergarten graduation at Bear Creek Park (1973)
  
• How proud I always felt to see my sister perform with her choral group in academy
  
• One night at Red Robin in Federal Way with Sherrice’s family and other people I didn’t know. It was one of those I-laughed-so-hard-I-peed-myself kinds of nights. (1994?)
  
• The smell of scorched coffee and something yummy baking at Grandma & Grandpa Saltmarsh’s house
  
• April’s wedding (1991)
  
• Driving over to Vic’s house in my brand new car (1996)
  
• Going for Sunday drives with Mom, Dad and Kathy. Mom would sit in the front and file her nails while Kathy and I fought over space in the back seat. I think Dad kept quiet except for the occasional warning that he was this close to turning the car around. (1970-76)
  
• My Grandma Saltmarsh teaching me how to sew (1980-83)
  
• “The Marcia & Karen Show,” a variety show that my friend Christi and I performed regularly in her backyard, to little acclaim (1977-79)
  
• Richard Scarry books—love that Huckle

What memories make you smile?