I used to really like my Hot Wheels and tracks. My friend had a racing track where the cars were remote control, but we still always went back to the Hot Wheels. Every Christmas when I'd get something new for my tracks, I wouldn't be able to play with it till afternoon after my Dad had run it through its paces and pushed the cars to the limit that gravity would allow.
Some misguided soul gave me a Barbie at some point. I rigged her up in a harness and made ziplines all over my room with fishing line. She became commando Barbie. Those pointy little feet looked a little silly, but I could overlook that.
When I was younger I had Billy Blastoff. A little space guy who had moon cars and stuff. I think I played him to death.
Mostly I played outside, building forts on the beach, going beachcombing for fishing lures after storms. I had a little 8 foot sailboat that I was allowed to take out within sight of the house, so I'd take that out and go fishing. In storms, we would cast off the shore and catch fish. And I tried to set up ziplines for myself and my friends using cable and pulleys. Once I moderated the angle I was somewhat successful, although nearly broke my legs with the first try.
Oh, and building Go-Karts and racing them down the hill by my place. Riding our skateboards down the hill and seeing who could go from furthest up the hill without wiping out.
We'd build rafts that mostly sank. And sand castles with elaborate moat systems to see whose would stand longest when the tide came in.
It was a pretty idyllic childhood. Small neighbourhood, on the beach, between two campgrounds, so the few kids in my neighbourhood always had summer friends. Most of my friends were girls because there weren't any boys in the neighbourhood, but luckily they all had the same interest in stuff to do. Or they were too polite to object to my ideas. And I had a dog, Rusty, who would faithfully follow along with everything if no friends were available (except the boat, he hated the boat).
Dennis
