The Town that Built Me.

This has been a long time coming

and comes only due to the passing of one of the most genuine, gracious, funny, loving  and infectious women

I have had the pleasure to know and love:

Judy Cochrane Mahood - mother and best friend to Heather Mahood, one of my 'oldest' and closest friends.

Pleasanton, California is.....

the town that built me.

Fairlands Elementary to Harvest Park Middle School

finally made it to Amador Valley High - class of '95.

I remember Boswell's party store's 'adult' section, paying $.50 for a candy bar, Esprit, the era of Craig Jimerson & Tim Roberson, riding bikes through the greenbelt, square dancing, lip synching, detention, tether ball, Heather & Kyle's slimy first kiss, butt's up against the wall,  ghosts in the graveyeard with the Bergets and Hays kids, the dead man's drop that only Victor had perfected. 

I remember spin the bottle at parties, when Jamaica Lucas and Kyle Downs were the new kids at school and when the movie Dirty Dancing was risque. I remember the Soup Dragon's 'Free', Mrs. Quintella, Yo MTV Raps at Jen's house, Its Its, Dance Competition and Ro Randall singing 'It's so hard to say goodbye' by Boyz II Men at our junior high promotion.

I remember sitting in Kristi Yen's room and talking for hours, playing video games at Bridget's house and countless movies at Kim Kits.

I remember church dances that played Depeche Mode and Celine Dion, seminary before school, snow mobiling, dates on top of City water containers, homecoming football games, cheerleading with Jen Marler, Shelley Fleshman, Carrie Dogget, Brooke McKinley, Alison Duthie, Ali Sekany, Andrea Bird, and other gorgeous girls, making Varsity soccer with Amy, driving the Taurus' with Katie and hanging out at Turner's house because her parents were the 'cool parents', hot tubbiing in the spa with plastic champagne cups at Emmy's house (pretty sure we got shushed just a few years ago by the neighbors-somethings really don't ever change), toilet seat bandits, crank calling, cheerleading camp, T.P.ing people's homes, building homecoming floats, Ace Ventura impressions, track meets, soccer games, the quad, the PIT, high school rallies - where Jen Marler lip synched to the Beastie Boys' 'Brass Monkey' (we were robbed), I remeber "a pencil is a very dangerous weapon" speech given to Jen, Carrie and me in Carol DeBoer's chemostry class, attempting to teach Laura Ward how to dance, yogurt & hot dogs, Carlos Binitos, I remember Richie Boitano's Raiders jersey, jean shorts and hiking boots, powder puff football practice, the Wilson family's graciousness during my mom's illness, I remember it all.

 I will always remember the first and last names of the boys I had crushes on, Jason Voit in 2nd grade, you were my first (I could rattle off a list and nearly every guy I liked, Heather managed to snag first, not bitter at all).   I remember red jeans, turquoise high tops and yellow belts, we were kids of the 80's which is why Goonies, the Lost Boys, the Breakfast Club, Top Gun and Say Anything will forever stay in my heart.

I remember yearly camping trips with my family in the station wagon and ultimately the van which we drove to Canada (I wouldn't trade those trips for anything in the world), fighting with Matt and Mandy, I remember my older sister was the nicest gothic person I knew(the only gothic person I knew), weekend trips to soccer tournaments that my parents never missed, I remember girls camp every summer and the girl who always made me laugh, and to this day is the funniest person I know, Emily (Johnson) Davis, I remember Brooke McKinley always managing to get the 2 of us in trouble whether it was at church, school or cheerleading and Cara Germany's dad's Audi and blue van. 

Herb & Sharon Veglahn gave me the childhood of my dreams.  My childhood is the stuff (PG) movies are made of.  I sometimes can't quite believe it was real.

I was a kid for as long as I can remember.

I didn't grow up too fast; in fact I'm still waiting to, and if I'm lucky I may never, grow up.

I was raised with unshakable confidence.

I was raised to have a variety of friendships.

I was raised to believe in kindness.

I was raised to believe in the pursuit of happiness and the journey that takes you there.

While Pleasanton is no longer my home, it will forever be....

the Town that Built Me.