Re: Wheel of Fortune Board Game

So in my last post about Gran and Grandad I mentioned that mum once picked me up with a Wheel of Fortune board game in the car and I didn't know why. The night I posted that I asked her and I never was bothered to update it. She told me that they were giving away the board game for free to the player who came last (on the TV show) and my brother said he wanted it. Mum wrote a letter to the company saying that she loved the show and that she wanted the board game but couldn't find it anywhere in the shops, and asked where she could get it from. About a week later it turned up in the mail. How about that, eh?

Thought-Theatre: Gran and Grandad

I don't exactly know why, but I used to have to spend the day at my Gran and Grandad's place when I was about 4 or so. What was weird is that instead of screaming and wishing I didn't have to, I always really liked going there. I have a few memories of being there, but they were over a long time so I'll just mention certain times without making it into much of a story.

My main memory was the actual place itself. It was a flat, and just like most flats every other one was identical and it certain sections. From memory, theirs was the 4th one along when you went into their section. They had no car, so the car port was always empty. We always used to have to enter in through the back door which was just a small alley way connected to the back of the flat with a sliding glass door. There was a gate so the 3 dogs wouldn't get out. I think I only ever went in and out of the front door twice. Along the back of the flat was a garden that I used to play in (keeping in mind that it was about half a metre wide). I have a photo of me in it, and if I ever find it I'll upload it and attach it to this post.

For some reason I had an obsession with watching Beethoven 1 & 2 as a kid, and every time I went over there I would watch, even if I had just watched it the day before. I remember seeing the Honey, I Blew Up the Kid trailer and always sort of wanting to watch it.

I would always have breakfast there because mum didn't have time to make me some before she went off to work and dropped me off. So, every time I was there I had peanut butter on toast - the food of gods. I remember one time I asked if I could have toast, and Grandad asked what I wanted on it, and before I could answer he cut me off and said "PEANUT BUTTER!" with a sly smile and it made me giggle. And bloody oath, it was good toast.

They used to have a vacuum cleaner with a button that sucked the cord back up, and it always amused me because ours didn't do that. I remember going into the spare room (where it was) and pulling out the cord and sucking it back up, pretending it was that big plant from Jumanji (don't ask me why, just go with it). Gran asked what I was doing, and I told her nothing, but I don't think she believed me.

Gran and I were alone (I don't know where Grandad was) and she cut me up some oranges. It must have been one of the first times I had real orange, and I remember that all I did with them was suck out the juice and leave the actual fruit alone. I felt a little guilty handing back a bowl with four orange quarters that looked slightly deflated and less orange.

Gran and I used to play board games a lot because there was nothing else to do. I remember playing Trouble with her once and we dropped one of the red pieces, and one of the dogs chewed it up. We still have it. It works fine.

Gran and Grandad had a small little garage sale once and I gave her my Blinky Bill books to sell because I never read them anyway, and someone bought them for 50 cents, and I got to keep the money. I was in awe when I held that much money in my hands. I was so happy that day!

Gran and I were going for a walk one day and she started setting up the stroller. Instead of telling her that I could walk, I decided to be a lazy bastard and got in it anyway. I only remember walking a couple of metres to the start of the section - maybe I fell asleep.

My Greatgran was there one afternoon and I had a Batman figure that shot orange discs off it. I remember showing it to her, and was less than amused, but did that nice thing old people do where they pretend to care when they could give a rat's ass about what you're talking about.

One time mum came to pick me up once and she had bought the Wheel of Fortune board game. I have no idea why.

Once Gran took me into Hobart and we went shopping and she bought me a fishing toy that has the magnet on the end of the rod and on the end of each fish and you can go fishing in the bath (well, kind of). I still have no idea how we got there and back, though.

Once Gran washed my mouth out with soap (yes, they mean it when they say they will) and it was horrible.

They used to have pink toilet paper and I was amazed because it was different to ours.

One night we (my mum's close side of the family) went over to their flat for dinner. I remember it was raining and before we went over there I was sitting on the couch playing some crappy soccer game on Matt's Gameboy Pocket. When we got there we played I Spy, and someone said something beginning with B, and I said "Bob" and everyone started laughing. That made me feel good.

I once watched a Batman video with Two-Face over there. That was pretty badass.

And, well, that's pretty much it really.

Thought-Theatre: Say What?

Just a short one here. I was about 6 or 7 at the time, and the holiday care I went to (that mum still believes never existed because she's forgetful like that) took us to the movies. I don't know what we were going to see, but that's irrelevant. I was waiting in the lobby or whatever you want to call it sitting next to a girl that I loathed because she just looked stupid, and I was eating the lollies that mum bought for me the day before to take, and I said I really liked them. She replied, very defensively may I add, with a "Cake is better." I was shocked to hear that. In no universe is cake better than lollies. I never spoke to that girl again (not that I really did anyway).