You Get to Sleep With Liz Tonight!

I have been friends with Vinnie for over 20 years. He and I worked together at a movie theater in Atlanta in the early 90s. I think he had a crush on me (of course, most did at that time – look at how cute I was) but we never dated.  My loss, I’m sure.

Janie & Vinnie - Disney World 1992

Twenty years ago Vinnie & I pulled off the near impossible. As teenagers in the summer of ‘92, we each somehow talked our very conservative parents into allowing us (along with two other friends who also worked at the movie theater) to take a road trip to Orlando.  We convinced them to let us stay at a hotel for two nights (boys AND girls in the same hotel room?? <gasp> the scandal!) and basically have a weekend of fun.

Looking back on it now, I realize we were all over 18 and could’ve done whatever we wanted, with or without our parents’ consent. But not having their consent never occurred to us. We thought we had achieved something wonderful, whether due to our gifts of persuasion, use of the Force, whatever. We didn't really care why they said yes, just that they did.

To many, probably most, the joy of this little escapade – our sheer delight at being allowed to carry it out, will be lost. It was a different time, the world was a different place.  We had an absolute blast. We did every possible stupid teenager thing you could imagine – ate junk food until we were sick, talked our way into a movie theater without paying, drank WAY too much caffeine, and went to all the Disney parks in one day.

The infamous Liz with whom everyone got to sleep...

If you went to Disney in 1992 and had a camcorder, you might want to check to see if you have a shot of some random teenager saying, “You get to sleep with Liz tonight!” (Liz was a co-conspirator on our trip). For some reason we said that next to every camcorder we saw that day. And each time we thought it was HILARIOUS in that way only stupid teenagers can find stupid stuff funny.

Now, twenty years later, Vinnie & I have pulled off the near impossible again.  Calling upon our gifts of persuasion, or the Force, or whatever, we have somehow talked our spouses into allowing us to run in this crazy race from Miami to Key West. And although there won’t be any hotel rooms, we may still throw in a couple of “You get to sleep with Liz tonight!” if we see a camcorder.