Free Supernatural ep? Sweet. I was wondering how I'd get to see that.

Liese, at best God was having a laugh at your expense.

I know, right? But he does this all the time.

Oh man, Liese. I feel sad in a slightly laughing sort of way for your young self.

Totally. I was so forlorn. And yet mockable. And yet bereft.

Also I'm deeply amused that when prompted to tell that story, I remember very distinctly the difference of opinion I had about the brunette Barbie and the blonde Barbie. Terrible the early societal influences. I'm pretty sure the brunette Barbie got to drive the Barbie Corvette, and the blonde Barbie was the interloper in the married brunette Barbie's happy household. (What? There was a wedding set. You had to break them up if you were going to have more weddings.)

Suddenly I feel dirty, like I need to assert that I also had an extensive Matchbox car collection and I played with sticks and dirt outside a lot.

I played with friends' barbies. I had 2, I think. They got radical haircuts and had mad affairs with Chuck, one of my brother's dolls. Which is fucking weird, if I think of it. (I don't recall the age range.) The vintage 60s barbies at my friends were the most fascinating.

What I do recall playing a lot with was Green Lantern (sorry, paperdol) and some similar sized girly figure. I can't recall what they were named. We blew things up. Including the dolls. GI Joes were particularly sucessful.

Oh yeah, and I almost bought a big giant set of Tinkertoys during the last photo scavenger hunt. I came home and told the SO and he was all, and you didn't, why?

Man, I loved Tinkertoys. You could do anything with them.

Lincoln logs.

Oh, there was a teachers' center (teacher resource center- they could borrow equiptment and supplies , as well as use things like die presses to cut out figures, man, that was neat) that let you borrow GIANT TINKERTOYS and cardboard bricks. Since mom was a teacher, we got to bring them home sometimes. SO AWESOME.

One of my favorite toys as a kid was a tiny, working sewing machine. I used to make clothes for my dolls.

My barbies all had mohawks and tattoos.

Grace and Noah continue to blow me away with their adorability.

We had giant tinkertoys when I was a kid. Santa brought them one year. They were awesome.

The locals brought us to... Grand Luxe, which is apparently a Cheesecake Factory spinoff. America.

I cannot imagine the kind of horrifying overabundance that a spinoff of Cheesecake Factory that is entitled Grand Luxe provides.

::shudder::

::forever::

I almost bought Polgara Tinkertoys for her birthday. And then the friend I was with almost did, but I told him it was like how your best friend can't date that guy you like but aren't going to be with.

Just like that.

Anyway.

There were Tinkertoys.

I played house. With everything. Chess pieces, buttons from my mother's sewing kit, office supplies, anything. I put together a few outfits for my actual doll, but representing humanoids was the least of what I needed them for.

I also..I tried to straighten the hair of one doll (they were black, of course) with a hot fork.

That didn't smell like emancipation.

I cannot imagine the kind of horrifying overabundance that a spinoff of Cheesecake Factory that is entitled Grand Luxe provides.

You really, really can't. I've never even been in the place, and it scares me.