ah...childhood memories

As I go through my nightly routine of brushing my teeth, taking out my contacts and taking NyQuil to assure a good sleep with this cold I'm reminded of a childhood memory.

I was in grade school, the year that I was now being called four-eyes because of my lovely big tan glasses, the ones that when I smiled my cheeks pushed them off my nose, yes it was my dorky years with awkward teeth and strange hair. I remember one night seeing my dad take NyQuil in his downstairs bathroom. (I call it his because we never showered in there...rather the six others of the family all used the "family bathroom" upstairs - which dad later lectured me that I should always make sure me and my husband share a bathroom and closet...okay, getting off subject) Of course it peaked my curiosity, for what reason I'm not sure. So, as the little investigator that I was I waited patiently downstairs acting like nothing was going on...I was just checking out the photos framed in the hallway. (nothing odd about that, I'm sure dad thought I just was waiting to "go number 2" which many of us made a point to do only downstairs!) Once dad left the bathroom and I knew for sure he was upstairs I tiptoed quietly into his bathroom, jumped up on his sink to reach his cabinet and yep, there it was - second shelf from the bottom. A bottle of NyQuil - only half full of green liquid. At that point I knew it, I was shocked by it, I finally figured out that my dad was addicted to this green stuff they call NyQuil.

I remember the next day clearly - I walked onto the playground between classes and gathered my friends in a group to tell them this shocking news. I carefully, not too loudly, announced that I found out last night my dad had an addiction to NyQuil...and this stuff had alcohol in it (which I found out because I asked mom what was in it and she told me I couldn't take any because of the alcohol in it - sneaky, I know!) I don't remember more than a few friends gasping like it was the worst thing ever and then the rest of the gang just running away to go swing or play on the monkey bars. But to me, it was tough. I never did confront dad about it until I was around 17 years of age...by that point I had figured out that it was common practice to keep medicine in a cabinet called the "medicine cabinet" - we had some good chuckles over it and looking back it was just another "Annie moment."

tata for now...and remember, NyQuil isn't the enemy!

Annie