Microsoft OneDrive Taking Me On A Log Ride Memory With Mom & Dad

That which you see here showed up in my email this morning in the daily Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day.

You are looking at my dad, my mom, my uncle Mel, aunt Judy, and Mel and Judy's eldest grandson, Kevin, on, I think, the log ride in Knott's Berry Farm

It was back somewhere in the mid 1990s. My dad had retired. A group, including some of my siblings, and others, went on a cruise to Mexico, sailing out of either Long Beach, or San Diego. I don't remember which.

What I do remember is I don't think I was invited to go on this cruise. I was tasked with something else related to the cruise.

Upon ending the cruise, the cruisers ended up in Anaheim.

My cousin Jeff's ex-wife, Ellaina, met me at Sea-Tac, with little Kevin in tow. I had my nephews, Chris and Jeremy with me.

We were putting the three little boys on a plane, with no adult accompanying them, to fly to meet up with the grandparents, to go to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm.

It was a different world back then, pre-9/11. I don't remember even going through any sort of security to get to the gate and wait with the kids to put them on the plane. We explained the situation to the stewardess and she was real nice about it, saying she'd look after them til they found their grandparents.

I'm surprised my mom agreed to do the log ride. 

Around that same time frame, mom and dad had made a cross country roadtrip in their RV. Thanksgiving of 1995 I was in Las Vegas, staying at Treasure Island. I do not remember how it got arranged, pre-cell phones. But, mom and dad showed up at Treasure Island. I took them to Luxor for the lunch buffet.

Luxor, back then, don't know if it is still the case, had several fun adventure rides.

One was an extremely realistic simulator which made you think you were flying deep underground.

I was sitting next to mom. When the seat started moving, making it feel like you really were zipping steeply down, mom gripped my arm and acted all panicky. I told mom, just close your eyes and it'll be okay.

I don't think mom closed her eyes. I think she enjoyed the ride, though she would not admit it...