I was looking on Mieke's sit this afternoon, killing some time because I'm meeting Alan for a drink or two nearby work and found this. She made some improvements to it and it looks like other people have made improvements to it or changed the masculines to feminines. Glad it still is going around, and people still enjoy it. Well I updated it again and re-releasing it.

I'm talking about hide and seek in the park. The corner milk bar where you had to go and buy Dad’s cigarettes, billy carts made out of wood and gave you the old ‘death wobbles’, cricket in front of the garbage bin and inviting everyone on your street to join in. Skipping, handball, handstands, bullrush, catch & kiss, footy on the best lawn in the street, slip 'n' slide, the trampoline with water on it and remembering putting a hole through it or falling off it, hula hoops and yo-yo’s, stepping in puddles, mud pies and building dams in the creek.

The smell of the sun on fresh cut grass, and hot asphalt and popping the bubbles. Being kept awake by cicadas and finding their shells and pinning them to your shirt or someone else’s.

'Big bubbles no troubles' with Hubba Bubba bubble gum. Eating raw jelly, making homemade lemonade. Sucking on a Funny Face, Paddle Pop, red Icy Pole, choc-top, or a Bubble O Bill. Mr Whippy cone on a warm summer night after you've chased him round the block. 20 cents worth of mixed lollies lasted a week, and pretending to smoke "fags" (the lollies) was really cool! Being upset when you botched putting on the temporary tattoo from the bubblegum packet but still wearing it proudly.
A dollars worth of hot chips from the corner take-away fed two people (AND the sauce was free!!) and making chip sanga’s!

Growing up with cartoons: 'The Smurfs', 'Astro Boy', 'He-Man' and 'Sheira', , 'Banana Man', Superted, Duckula, 'Scooby Doo' and 'Heeeeeey heeeeey heeeeey its Faaaaat Albert'. Or staying up late and sneaking a look at the "AO" on the second telly. Watch 'Monkey Magic' while Sandy and Pigsy had a cult following. And who could ever forget Degrassi Jnr High and Snake!?

When around the corner seemed a long way and going into town seemed like going somewhere, although when you had your bike you would go discover new streets. Where running away meant you did laps of the block. A million mozzie bites and bee stings.

Sticky fingers, cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, riding bikes and catching tadpoles. Marco Polo in the 'ABOVE GROUND' pool or making a whirlpool, drawing all over the road and driveway with chalk. Climbing trees and building cubbies or fortresses out of every sheet your mum had in the linen cupboard. Trying to dig a hole to China in the back yard.

Walking to school no matter what the weather. When writing to 'I hate ....?' or 'I love ....?' on your pencil case. Running till you were out of breath. The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team. Water balloons were the ultimate weapon. Spokey-dokeys or cricket cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle. Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt. Pitching the tent in the front/back yard. Jumping on the bed. Ghost stories with your best friend. Pillow fights, spinning round, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for the giggles.

Remember when there were only two types of sneakers - girls and boys. Dunlop Volleys with the green 'n' gold or blue and the only time you wore them at school was for 'sports day', because your Dad may have made you wear leather shoes. You learnt to swim in the ocean, not a in pool. You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents! It wasn't odd to have two or three "best friends".

You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas Eve and pretended to sleep for the tooth fairy and loved eating Red or Green toffee apples and hope one may dislodge.When nobody owned a pure-bred dog, and yours would follow you to school, and even though you shouted at it to go home you loved it to death because it loved you because you played with it all the damn time, unlike now?!? When 50c was decent pocket money. When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for 10c or it was your luck week when you found $1 note on the path. When nearly everyone's Mum was there when the kids got home from school, and afternoon tea was vegemite sandwiches. It was magic your Uncle would "remove" his thumb, your Pop taught you how to play Patience or help him with the crossword, your Dad showed you how to play chess and let you win sometimes. When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at the local Chinese restaurant with your family or having all you can eat at Pizza Hut.

When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed or use him to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it. When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home. Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! Some of us are still afraid of them!! Still have memories of lining up to the bathroom for the leather belt.

Remember when decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo", dib dibs or scissors, paper rock. "Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in Monopoly. Terrorism was when the older kids were at the end of your street with his friends waiting to ambush you. The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was boy/girl germs, and the worst thing in your day was having to sit next to one. Where blue light discos were the equivalent to a rave, and asking a girl out meant writing a 'polite' note, getting them to tick 'yes' or 'no'. When there was always that one HOT guy/girl. Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot. Your biggest danger at school was accidentally walking through the middle of a heated game of "brandings".

Nobody was prettier than your Mum, and your Dad could fix anything and everything. Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better. Taking drugs meant scoffing orange-flavoured chewable vitamin C or swallowing half a Panadol. Ice-cream was considered a basic food group with chocolate sauce! Going to the beach and catching a wave was a dream come true. If you actually lived there boogie-boarding in the white wash made you the next Kelly Slater. Abilities were discovered because of a 'double dare'. Older siblings were the worse tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors.

--I will continue to add to this when I can

--- and yes I am still very much hung over. I was helping the removalists about 1pm and had to guard the trigger alarm. I set it off and caused the whole building to go off. Red faced and trying not to laugh was the hardest!