Ditching

Do you guys remember how fun it used to be to ditch school?? Don't get me wrong. I always took care of business and was in all the AP classes offered. But, there was something about ditching school that was SO FUN, even when you didn't have anything in particular planned!!

It all started when I was in 2nd grade.* I missed the school bus going from school to daycare one day (because my My Melody backpack's strap got loose and I had a hard time trying to re-string it), and I was so freaked out that I ran all the way to daycare. Unfortunately, I ran too fast and got to daycare before the bus arrived. But, from then on, I had a taste for "deviating from instructions." (I'm sure Mr. Nonny Nu is nodding his head right now and thinking, "Yes, I am very familiar with her 'deviating from instructions' approach to life...") So, now and then, I would just not take the bus after school. Instead, I would walk home and I would stop on the way at the liquor store where they had soft serve ice cream and other treats and candies. This place even had the dual-cone soft serves. Yummmm...

But then, I had to change school districts (they figured out that I wasn't in the right one, so I had to go the one nearer to my house), and that was when MonkeyPig and I were in the same school district. By then, I was in 3rd grade and MP was in 11th grade. I couldn't deviate from instructions at that time because I had to be home at a certain time (before MP got home). However, after she went away to college, the world was mine! I regularly walked home from school so that I could stop by yet another liquor store for treats.

Then, in junior high** and high school***, those were the best times. My best friend, DT, lived within walking distance of school, so we would ditch and hang out with his mom all the time. I distinctly remember one day when we three just did aerobics all day! From 6th grade onward, I don't think my schools ever saw my parents' actual signatures--it was all me on those excuse notes and report cards. I think I might have ditched at least one class per week. It was so fun.

* Check this out!! I went to Monterey Highlands School for 1st and 2nd grade, and my teacher for those two grades is still teaching there! Her name is Ms. Yamabe.

** Whoa, my junior high used to be called a "junior high school." Now, it's a "middle school" (I've always hated that name). Also, Thursdays used to be Hamburger Day and they even got rid of that.

*** Ha! They're still playing badminton there! (Go to "Sports Calendar" and see the month of March.) Did you know that, in my last year on the Varsity team, I was Most Improved?? Yeah, after 3 years of playing, I finally figured out how to "whip" the birdie. What a maroon. Back in those days, our biggest rival was Arroyo. If I am not mistaken their uniform was black and white. Okay, I am going to revise my statement about Arroyo being our biggest rival. Whichever school has the black and white uniforms, THAT was our biggest rival. (I'm pretty sure it was Arroyo.)