6.18.2007

Holbrook: Gateway to the Petrified Forest
















I’ve been going through old scrapbooks and photo albums, this has caused childhood reflection during my young years in Holbrook. The following are some of my favorite recollections.


· Chasing the mosquito fogging truck. This consisted of a flatbed truck with some sort of greasy machinery attached at the back where toxic fumes emitted to kill mosquitoes. I found chasing this slow moving truck on my standard-issue pink girls Schwinn, with tassels and plastic white front basket, immensely fun.

Me: “Hey Mom, I’m going to go out and chase the Agent Orange spewing mosquito truck for awhile.’

Mom: “Ok hon, just be careful, it’s getting dark outside.”

This would explain my stunted growth and carnival midget sized hands and feet.

· Swimming at Hensley’s pool. There were 2 pools in our fair town, one was the municipal urine pool, the other, Hensley’s backyard diving pool with cover and pink slide. This was like the Celestial Kingdom of pools circa 1965. I nearly drowned in this pool if it were not for Donna, who happened to see me lying at the bottom of the pool in my snappy one piece catalog ordered JC Penny swim suit.

Me: “Hey mom, I’m going to go swimming even though I have had no formal swimming lessons and arm floaties weren’t invented yet, and I will be alone.”

Mom: “Ok hon, be home for dinner.”

· Going next door to find Barbara's mom's Vodka bottles, kinda like hide and seek.

Me: “Mom I'm going over to Barbara's her mom is passed out again and we want to find her bottles, her older brothers are there too, last time they asked me to pull down my pants and I did.”

Mom: “What? Ok, but clean your room first.”

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

L.O.freakin'L. I saw the liquor bottle and literally wet my pants. Because if there is an icon for Holbrook in general it would be the omnipresent bottle of hooch.

Was Mom really THAT clueless to let you inhale chemicals and play at the Golsary's house (where you were groped at the tender age of 5)??? I mean, what was she doing???? LORD.
I love the pic of the two dopes by the Holbrook sign--are those people we know, I didn't look too close.
Viva La Holbrook! God bless it and all it's brown and white trashiness. I think it's our only brush with ethnicity in our sheltered white bread lives.

-C

Michelle said...

Chris, I knew you of all people would appreciate the Holbrook post. MOTHER had no clue what I was doing, she was "la te dah, iron clothes, la te dah cook dinner, le te dah, I'm relief society president" I ran around like a orphaned hoodlum.

Anonymous said...

It's so weird about Holbrook, it is such an armpit, but when I lived there, I've never been happier. I think it's what those New Age people would call a 'vortex'. I'm surprised they don't set up camp there. Next to the teepees. You need to include a pic of the famous teepees!!

I swear, if I knew someone had groped my child at the age of 5, I would take a shotgun to their head. Did you ever tell Mom about that??? Again, WTH was she thinking letting you play over there!!!

Everyone in Holbrook IS an orphaned hoodlum. LOL.

-C

Michelle said...

I don't know if I told her or not, but letting me "play" over there at all with Clifton lurking around the corners was probably not great judgement.

Anonymous said...

I've never been to Holbrook.... but this cracked me up. And I can just hear Donna's voice sending you off to play in complete cluelessness...

Though, you must admit, it seemed like a much safer world when we were young.

Michelle said...

Yup Alli, it was a whole different world and frankly, I miss it a lot.

Erica said...

"Clifton" just sounds like a creepy name! lol lol to Holbrook. I wish I could watch you guys run around that place when you were in high school. All the stories kill me. And by the way, I too have many memories at the Hensley Pool. Their slide was a complete DEATH TRAP, I think we all got fiber glass cuts every time we went. Holbrook is the greatest place on earth.

Michelle said...

I'm glad that Holbrook is also appreciated by the next generation.

dani said...

Hey Michelle! Its Danica. Love the blog! Your so hip and up with the times. I too am in the "appreciate holbrook club". I can definatly remember many good times in that pool. The sign that said "OOL- notice there's no P in this this pool, lets keep it that way" haha

Can you belive I spent my 3rd night being married in the Holbrook tipees?? Went there to make memories, ended up just smelling like Indians and appriciating the world outside of holbrook. I don't recomend it.

dani said...

Oh and im adding you to my blog by the way... thanks.

Michelle said...

Danica! Good to hear from you, yes please add me to your blog list. 3rd night in the TeePee's I would think you would stay there the 1st night :)