I think a little bit of my childhood died yesterday.

Last night hubby spent the evening pulling up Micheal Jackson videos on YouTube to show the kids. They knew a lot of his songs, just didn't realize that it was Michael Jackson songs that they knew.

Man did it take me back. When I was a kid, I spent a whole lot of my time at a place called The Commotion Center. Took gymnastics two or three times a week after school, and sometimes every day through the summers. I can't tell you how many aerial cartwheels and handsprings I threw with Michael's music blaring in the background.

I even learned to break dance from a Michael Jackson look-alike...

Okay... maybe "learned" is a strong word. I participated in the breakin' clinics and I had a very good time, if not any rhythm. That's me in the blue unicorn shirt (go figure) and the very cool, dark blue parachute type pants. My mom made these pants for me and they were so awesome, people would actually stop me and ask where I got such cool pants. One of the few fashion worthy statements I ever pulled off, I believe.

And then the news of Farrah.... my good friend Missy was a great fan of the Angels and we used to play Charlie's Angels when we were at her house. I wasn't a big television watcher as a kid, so I had to talk to my mom about watching the show a few times so that I understood the role I was playing. I was always Sabrina, and Missy was always the blond one, which was probably more Cheryl Ladd than Farrah Fawcett... none-the less, Farrah always takes me back to those days of playing Angels and then in later years wishing I could get my hair to style like hers.

On a local (and adult memory) note, Kansas author Don Coldsmith passed away yesterday. I didn't know him well, but I had met him a number of times and really enjoyed his keynote address at the 2004 Kansas Authors Club Convention. Here he is signing a book for me. (Yep, I'm the body without the head.)