Blog 23 My last free summer, 1st semester in college, the need for a job, sharing an apt, 2nd semester debacle

(Being able to part my hair for the first time.)

(I could be myself!)

        Even though I felt like I raised myself through High School, it was different after school was over. I was the assistant manager for the swimming pool, and since I was old enough to buy alcohol, I was asked many times to be the provider for parties after the pool closed. I received a full swim scholarship to two Northern schools. After reading the requirements for the scholarships, I realized I would not be able to stay focused on my pre-medicine classes and also swim. 

        The scholarship I received for being highest ranking boy was limited to one semester and you had a list of schools you could use it at. I chose Saint Edward’s University in Austin. It was ranked fifteenth in the country for a medicine program. Yes, it is a private Catholic school and I was Baptist, but that did not mean much except for choir. It was a requirement to sing in the choir at mass every other Sunday. That was very awkward!!

        Most of my friends, had already begun their adult lives, as well. Because I worked at the pool and was still active in Boy scouts, I usually was the oldest. I had already befriended a guy named Steve. Since he was active in scouting, too, we hung around together on my days off, or Saturday nights because the pool did not open until 1 pm on Sunday. I liked micholob and coors beer or Seagrams seven and seven. Even though I partied with others, also, little did I know that Steve could out drink all of them. 

        Since Steve was still under age, we would drink at his house with his parents inside. We played the game where you used a can opener at the bottom of the can. you would suck out all the air in the can, turn it upside down, then someone would give the signal to pop the top of the can. The suction would shoot the beer down your throat. Obviously, the person who could finish first without spilling any out won the round. We could get drunk very quickly. When the beer was finished we would get into my car, go to Pleasant Grove on Buckner Blvd, and go girl hunting.

        Once Steve was drunk, he would become this horn dog. Not a car could pass with girls in it that he did not try to get them to stop and talk with us.  Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it did not. But, it was never boring either way. We always stayed out late and we never came home sober. But, that is just part of the night. After dropping Steve at home, I would go back out by myself. These trips never turned out lonely. I knew where to go, and instead of me trying to pick someone up, I just had to wait and I would be the one picked up.  I never told Steve because I enjoyed our trips and parties and I never wanted to lose that friendship.

(The day we got caught in a horrible storm that included  a wind twister)

          There was one day that we were going to start partying a little early and was on the highway heading to get beer. The skies got really dark and a major storm began about a mile from Buckner. I could barely see the road in front of me. We pulled under a bridge, and in a few minutes we saw things being blown across the highway in a circular motion. (even a trash can!) My grandmother lived about five miles away, so I decided to go there and get out of the storm. Back then, Jim Miller Road had a big drop in the road that flooded when it rained. To get to my grandmother, we HAD to go through it. I started at the top of the hill and sped up to keep a forward motion continuing through the water. We passed a Cadillac right when we hit the water. I was in my little 1963 Dodge Dart.

        As we passed the Cadillac, it drenched us with water. Then the  reverse pressure from my car did the same thing to them. Since I started my speed at the top of the hill, I still had good forward momentum as I went through the water. But, our splash to the Cadillac  slowed it down and it came to a stop in the middle of the water. As we passed it, and its engine stopped, Steve and I  in unison yelled, “Midasize it!!!” The engine was still running, but we coasted through the water. Being the scouts that we were trained, I pulled over to make sure the other car had made it across. We smiled and waved and made it to my grandmother’s house right before it began raining hard again.

.           I went to start my car but it was flooded anyway. We had to wait for it to dry out. My grandmother, being the loving person I always knew, made us some sandwiches and tea, so we spent another thirty minutes or so and finally got back to our party mission. We took a different way back to Steve’s house and made it without incident. Onward to start the party. Even though there never were many people, we always had a blast. 

       I did party with the pool employees, swimmers home for summer break, and sometimes alone.  It was now time to get ready for college. I shall start my next blog with this story. 

• 27th Nov 2017
• mylife
• 4 Comments
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