the funny papers

Toon Lagoon brought me so much nostalgia. I wasn't expecting to be transported back to my childhood Sunday afternoons. We would go to my Memaw and Papa's house every Sunday and have burgers. While we were waiting I would always grab 'the funnies' from my grandparent's Sunday paper. Sometimes they were over my head, but my Papa often explained some of the harder concepts to me. 

Some valuable lessons I learned were: Cathy is a self-absorbed and manic self-deprecating individual, who is never satisfied. Beetle Bailey is lazy, but I think he has a good heart. Dagwood is always hungry, and Blondie is the dutiful wife, ready to feed him at any moment, even if he often disappears. Peanuts showed me to never trust Lucy. And Family Circus taught me not to want children. 

I remember reading them in a particular order. I'd start with the ones I didn't enjoy, and save Garfield, B.C., Calvin and Hobbs, Hi and Lois, and Hagar the Horrible for last. 

Toon Lagoon went over the kids' heads, but that's ok. I will say that no one was tempted to try any of Cathy's ice cream, because really, who wants to think about ice cream when she's sliding down an ice cream sundae in a bathing suit? Not me. Plus, Florean's in Diagon Alley put all other ice cream to shame. 

Toon Lagoon was home to two rides, Bilge Rat Barges and Ripsaw Falls, both water rides. Ripsaw Falls was your basic log ride. A couple small falls and then a big drop. We got wet, but no more than your average log ride. Bilge Rat Barges was another story all together. I've been on many raft amusement rides, but never one like this. I wore a poncho and was still soaked all the way through. And as much as I hate being wet, I equally enjoy the instant connection and group experience that you have with the strangers you are put on a raft with. You laugh and laugh on those rides. You laugh at yourself and each other. I've been on raft rides where half the raft didn't speak English, but the laughter surpasses those language barriers. I don't know about you, but it's always nice to share a brief, intimate moment with people you never have to see again in your life. 

But still-Bilge Rat was a new experience in raft rides. It was literally like being on a river rapid. This was no kiddie ride. I only rode it once with Owsley. Peppy rode it once with Owsley. And Gage adamantly insisted he would sit that ride out. 

Ah, to go back to the carefree days of the funny pages. I'm not sure I'd want to go through life again though. But the brief trip back in time was nice.