Family Vacations.........

Parker aka Rodriquez Family 1970"s

Flying used to be so much fun. As a kid I remember the first time we flew as a family. My parents took us to Bermuda and it was very exciting. This was the 1970's. Ya know, they were stewardesses and that was my dream job.  I didnt realize they had to put up with people like me.
I remember I had a big floppy white hat and a female type leisure suit ? It wrapped at the waist and i am sure it was quite awesome.
Things were going swell until we landed at the airport and arrived at security. These people took their jobs very seriously and they were not too thrilled to see the Parker family from Orange County, NY.
My brother was about 16 at the time and looked somewhere between John Travolta and the guy from Chips...okay, that was a TV cop show with two motorcycle cops. My brother looked like the hispanic one. Yes, we are not sure where he came from.
 Actually, there is a framed family picture where we all look hispanic. Dad has a pinstripe suit on and mustache to match and well, mom was in a dark wig( no mustache), I was a little heavy into the pancake makeup. Remember that...(isn't it stage makeup really?) My sister looked normal enough, like the little white girl adopted by the Latino family. We looked like The Carl and Arlene Rodriguez  family.
That picture hung on our wall for at least 10 years. Too funny really.

So, we landed at the airport and my brother was whisked away to be strip searched and they questioned me as why i had aspirin in a bottle clearly not marked aspirin. The very cranky but also very large man questioning me dumped all of my purse belongings onto a table and proceeded to dig his fingernails along the bottom of the leather purse convinced he had scraped up some pot( i think it was tobacco). My parents and I stared at this in horror. He proceeded to beret me about bringing anything unlawful into his country.  They had been really cracking down on American kids visiting their country at spring break and bringing marijuana...... really?!
My brother showed up soon after, looking more than a little humiliated. Wow, this was going to be a great vacation. Thanks mom and dad, can we do this again next year?!

The awesomeness about it is that it is part of my story, my movie and i haven't forgotten it .  I laugh when I think back to it and other fun times. The time my parents thought it would be great to take us to Block Island. It must have been the end of the season because no one was there. Actually  I don't think anyone was there "in season" either. It was before the resurgence of the Island. What can I say , my mom was ahead of her time and..... a little cheap. Okay, frugal, it was the 70's, gas was a million dollars a gallon! I know, I know.
I distinctly remember the ferry ride over. We had just had a lovely lunch of fried fish and fried everything we ate at this little greasy spoon on the dock. It was out of a movie... horror movie I think.
I remember it was a little overcast when we boarded and i think it was a 60 minute trip. Just long enough for............
yup, my brother, my sister, my mother , all clinging to the sides. Did i mention we were on the top floor of the ferry? Poor people underneath, poor planning on our part.
 My dad and I gripped our seats, willing ourselves to live another day. We made it...
We got off the ferry and i remember my parents going directly inside the office and looking for a helicopter ride back for our return trip...... did i mention my mom being cheap, i mean frugal ?! We took the ferry back.

My kids will probably tell silly stories about us someday. Wait, they already do and most are totally untrue!  I hope they have the same love and adoration I have for my parents for giving us a good story.
 I hope I always keep the humor and joy that God has given me. Life is rich and meaningful and I hope we keep the stories alive.