My wages jumped from $2.75 at the liquor store to $3.35 an hour at the Heger's grocery story, with more hours. Plus tips. That was back when people tipped bag boys. I dunno, do they still do that in small towns?

* Bought beer from a delivery guy (2 cases of miller hi-life in bar bottles) cause he discovered he had extras on his truck. Sorry to say he lost his job over our $20.

* Bitty DeBoer pierced my ear in the back room one afternoon. My mom came in for groceries, saw it and said only, 'You'd better not let your dad see that." and I didn't wear an earring again for another 2 years.

* The back room was nothing more than a wide hallway, both walls stacked high with boxes. Chris (Bitty's boyfriend) and I wrote ESAD all over the walls, the beer cage, everywhere we thought it would look cool. That and SOMF.

* Superman, Christopher Reeves had family in my town and came to visit right after Superman 1 came out. He shopped in the store but I missed him damn it. It was big news in my small town.

* After I had a huuuuge party at my house with no parents home, my parents made me hitchhike home from work for a meeting with the police to answer some questions regarding some neighborhood damage.

* I was there a year and wanted a raise. When they said no, I asked again, for just a dime more an hour. And that was my last day.

*Otis worked at Heger's first and stuck it out till he left for college. Of course he did. God loves him and so do I but he was tough to follow.