Memory Lane - Slipping Into the '90s (October 1989 to March 1990)

The Burk family exited the '80s moving smoothly through our well-established groove. The holidays, which in our family begins informally with Nancy's birthday, came off according to plan. We had cake and cocktails at Nancy's parents' home, brother Dave here doing the honors.

Halloween came next with the usual witches and cheerleaders.

November began with the departure of an old friend - my faithful 1983 Chevy S-10 pickup.

This little mud-brown baby had a 4-banger engine with a floor shift and a club cab with fold-down rear seats. It was fun to drive and would run all month on a tank of gas. It had 80,000 miles and the original tires when I sold it. 

It was in pristine condition, but not really suitable for the extended family travel we were planning. We needed something bigger and had purchased the full-sized van conversion I referenced in my last post. So, the S-10 had to go.

I soothed my grief over losing my beloved ride by burying myself in the holiday vibe, doing my best to move on. I took solace in the little things, like a floor-puzzle date with the girls.

Some refrigerator wordplay with my budding life coach.

And a gathering of a few friends who helped me over the hump with some thoughtful dialog.

And a little rock and roll.

Even my Bride was caught up in the moment.

The high lasted for several days, I'm told. I don't remember much from that time except that I felt renewed. By the time I came out of it, this had happened.

I dove into the spirit of the day and never looked back. What truck? I had a deluxe full-sized conversion van. Who needs a truck? That's how I exited the '80s.

There's not much to say about the first few weeks of 1990, other than we were in our usual deep-winter work and school routine. Occasionally, we remembered that we had a camera and caught a memorable moment on film. Like this shot of me demonstrating proper food-prep attire for Cathy.

It's not easy coordinating a shirt, tie and an apron.

Or this shot of the girls cleaning up after....something. I don't remember what and I'm hesitant to guess. But they seem to be petty amped up.

I also found this shot of me cranking up the old Scandalli for a mid-winter serenade.

Apparently overwhelmed by my performance, a member of the audience, Linda C, wanted to try her hand.

Though more accustomed to an 88-key piano, she seemed to handle her inaugural 41-key accordion experience quite well. She did find the 120 buttons on the bass side a little tricky. But she got extra points for getting the instrument on right-side up the very first time.

1990 finally started to wake up and get going in March with a family trip to Florida, which sort of set the tone for the rest of the decade. We had visited Florida in the past a few times, including that first trip in 1982 when Christine was only seven months (that story was shared in my earlier post We Discover Florida). The other trips we had taken were short and usually to visit my grandmother and my parents during their snowbird period. This time it was different.

First, we had kids who walked and talked and every once in a while complained. Second, we had the big van which meant if I played my cards right I could put a healthy distance between me and needy passengers. Having a TV and VCR was another good move. So we packed up and headed out for an 18-hour car ride. 

As it was our first attempt at such a long distance with the kids we broke it into two fairly even days. The trip took a little longer than planned because I failed to factor in the number of stops we would be making to satisfy the kids requests for snacks and drinks. They were in control and they knew it. Nancy and I were willing to make the stops to keep attitudes upbeat and mostly whine-free. (We did learn from the experience. On future trips we packed enough snacks and cold drinks in the van to open a roadside stand.)  

Another memory I have is that the kids were at that age where as soon as they finished watching their favorite movie, they wanted to watch it again. The movie I remember most was Homeward Bound. Three pets (two dogs and a cat) through circumstances too elaborate to explain here found themselves lost far away from home. The movie is about their journey back. As the kids watched and rewatched the story on the van TV, I could hear it but not see it (sort of an early audiobook experience). The irony is that having heard the story maybe a couple of dozen times over the years, I've still not seen the movie. 

Overall, the time on the road was enjoyable. The kids entertained themselves, Nancy and I chatted and listened to music, and nothing really troublesome happened on the road. We were honing our road trip shtick and we liked it. Our mantra became "the party begins where the driveway ends", and it stuck.

But we were happy when we finally pulled into The Meadows, the Sarasota resort where Nancy's parents Rae and Marge were spending the month along with her Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ken. To boot, Nancy's cousin Lynne and her family were visiting Ken and Evelyn at the same time. We were back with the Canadians. It was like "Ipperwash South". Some pics. 

The Meadows had a beautiful common area including a huge swimming pool. Not quite Lake Huron but of course much warmer. It was too inviting to resist. All three generations spent a lot of time in it.

Here's Christine in what I would call an aquatic Zen state, just letting the healing waters flow over her.

Cathy on the other hand, not yet fully certified in the swimming department, liked to stick close to the steps and practice her frog kick.

In this shot Ted and cousin Andrew are modeling the latest in fashionable pool eyewear.

The senior generation got into the act as well. This is a rare shot of the sisters, Marge and Evelyn, enjoying a dip escorted by the ever-dapper Rae. Both he and Marge are sporting their own choice of pool eyewear. Stylin'.

This last pool shot is a fam-favorite - Uncle Ken showing the younger ladies just how this Florida vacation thing really works. That's Christine, Heather and Cathy from left to right.

When we weren't pruning up in the pool we were usually gathered in one of the seniors' condos for a social hour. Pretty much just like Canadian cottage life but with a tougher dress code. Here's a nice shot of the second cousins, all-spiffed up for their Shirley Temples.

From left to right cousin Heather, daughters Christine and Cathy, son Ted and cousin Andrew.

Below is classic shot of the seniors, equally spiffy in their Florida finest. That's Rae, Marge and sister Evelyn, and Uncle Ken left to right.  

I couldn't find any pictures of the "sandwich" generation from these few days. I guess we were more interested in keeping our kids from annoying our parents. Four grandparents and five grandchildren in close proximity for a week is a risky proposition. These pics bring a favorite Burk family story to mind. I may have shared this story in an earlier post, but it's worth repeating. 

One day during this visit Nancy told Cathy to go inside and put on a pair of shorts. I speculate that this was after a dip in the pool. Cathy, being the adventuresome spirit that she is, went in and put a fancy dress on, ignoring her mother's wishes. 

A bit later Marge went into the condo and discovered Cathy walking around admiring herself in the dress. Having overheard the exchange between mother and daughter, Grandma reminded Cathy of her mother's instructions about the shorts. Whereupon, as Marge later shared, Cathy replied, "My mother loves me even when I'm bad." Thus one of our favorite happy hour stories was born.

After a few days of fun in the sun, the Burks took a day trip to visit Busch Gardens where my parents joined us for the day. I like spending time at Busch to visit old friends from past visits, like these amiable fellows. 

And this talented couple 

Here my Dad Wendell is catching up with one of his old acquaintances. They usually talk about beer.

The girls had their own idea of fun in the park. First there was spinning.

Then out for a spin of another kind.

Finally, a little acrobatic flying. From the looks on the girls' faces, this might have been Cathy's idea.

Meanwhile Ted was off on his own adventure. I wasn't able to catch the ride he went on but from the look of his shirt and shorts, it involved water. Lots of it.

The next day was our last at the Sarasota resort. The kids took a last walk down the Siesta Key beach with cousin Tom.

From left to right are Christine, Heather, Tom, Cathy and Ted. It was a beautiful spot (if you could find a place to park - always crowded in March).

The kids were also allowed to take one last dip in the big beautiful pool before facing the rigors of packing up. Here's a shot of them as they ambled back to the condo for the last happy hour, showing a little style of their own. Life was good. 

The next morning we loaded up and headed north up I-75. We stopped in for lunch at my Grandma Katy's home in Tampa. We were getting into our road mode, so we didn't stay long. Just enough time to eat and squeeze in this four generation shot (all except for the top of my head).

And this departing pic (which includes the top of my head). 

Note - if you think you've seen this last pic before, you have. I incorrectly included it in a previous post covering the spring of 1989, due to a misfiling in my slide carousels I believe. That post has been corrected and the picture included here where it belongs. The vagaries of working with pre-digital technology.

We arrived home on the second day of the return voyage quite pleased with ourselves for executing the trip itinerary as planned. We learned some dos and don'ts for managing future trips, and discovered that our kids were top-flight, long-distance travelers - as long as there were plenty of snacks on board and the rear-cabin headphones were working. It really is the little things in life. 

Grosse Pointe Charles