Tara: Even though it was rather “chafe-y”, I so loved my Slip ‘N Slide! (From Wham-O!)
Good times, good times. Although it wasn’t much fun if the Slip ‘N Slide had too much water at the end of it. Then you’d go flying into next week and just end up all muddy with grass stains on your … everything.
Did you have a Slip ‘N Slide, Michael?
Michael: Yes, I did. I don’t remember much about it, because anytime any of my friends came over, we all dogpiled the thing. And, inevitably, someone got hurt, bloody nose, broken arm, something … and one of the parents put us on time out or somesuch.
Tara: You lie! There was no such thing as “time out” back then. They “grounded” you.
Michael: That’s not true! They committed us to manual labor. Picking weeds out of the bark … sweeping gutters … cleaning our rooms. No television. Torture, I tell you! And all because we couldn’t take turns sliding on wet plastic.
Tara: You know what’s kind of sad? I bet kids today, with their attention span of 3.2 nanoseconds, would be bored with the ole Slip ‘N Slide after only one slide. Back in the day, my friends and I could do this off and on for hours. The solution to getting all grassy and dirty? Why the trusty garden hose! (Also a source of great summer entertainment!)
Michael: Well, I dispute your nanoseconds. And here’s why: My kids had something similar, but it was one of those open shark mouthed Slip’ N Slide contraptions. You know the ones I’m talkin’ ’bout, Willis? With the teeth and the eyes and the water squirting out the mouth?
Tara: Good to know the Slip ‘N Slide is still around in some way, shape or form.
I wish I could remember the name of that crazy gadget you attached to the hose. It had tentacle arms and whupped around really fast. You were supposed to run through it like a sprinkler, but it would always hit you in the leg and give you welts. Hey. Maybe these old summer toys weren’t so great after all.
Michael: I remember what it was called! It was called the “lawn water torturer.” Yes, I’m sure … I’m certain that’s what it was called. Wait, wait! I could be wrong. I think it was called ‘The Flailer’ … !!! That’s what it was called. I’m sure of it. “The Flailer!”
Tara: No. I think you’re wrong. You’re wrong because my parents would never have bought me something with a name even remotely that scary. They were hypochodriacal. It was called “The Octopus.”
Ah well. There’s always the legendary Slinky. Couldn’t hurt yourself with that one (unless it got caught in your arm hairs.) And! It could climb down stairs!
Michael: Never liked the Slinky. It smelled metallic-y … weird. I couldn’t get over that smell.
Tara: Sometimes when it went down the stairs, it pinched me on the arm.
Michael: Why were your arms in the way?
Tara: I had a coordination problem. And it did smell, you’re right. And! It got caught on my arm hair.
Michael: So … it pinched you, you have a coordination problem when you played as a kid and your arms were abnormally hirsute … is that what you’re saying?
Tara: I hate you right now … and I’m sure I would have hated you as a child as well.
Michael: Maybe … but at least I didn’t have hairy girl arms!
Tara: Slinky smeller!
Michael: Coordination-challenged pinchy girl!
Clacked by Tara Shrodes
on Jun 03, 2011 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
A toy we wanted more than life itself, but only played with for about 5 minutes for reasons of self preservation was the Water Wiggle. If you wanted both some clean, wet fun AND a serious concussion or deep tissue damage then this was just the thing. Never has a product so completely fit with the name of the company that made it: WHAM-O.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D_WdavMuKs
Oh, and the original Slip ‘N Slide was a heck of a lot bigger when first introduced as evidenced in this old commercial for both it and the Water Wiggle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl4hUHGXfIs
We had a lot more fun when one of my uncles came out with a huge, long sheet of plastic, a couple of yard sprinklers and some dish detergent. It was better than the Slip ‘N Slide because it was wide enough for 2-3 kids to slide at once without killing each other and he laid out a piece that was about twice as long as the Slip ‘N Slide. The plastic was also thicker than said toy so it lasted longer without coming apart. Slather several drops of dish detergent across your torso then get a running start for a real slide that cleaned you in the process!
We didn’t have the “fancy” toys unless given as a birthday gift (by grandparents). We were the poor folks out on the farm. But come irrigation day we created our own ‘Slip n Slide’. Big tarp anchored to the grass and with 2 to 3 inches of irrigation water to cover the entire yard including the tarp…….weeeeee hoooooo!
You both are too funny!
I remember the slip n slide. Our grass neither looked good in the summer. We always had that flat area where the slip n slide was. I am surprised our water bills weren’t sky high during the summer because we were outside with that or played jump rope with the hose. Kids today don’t know what it is to have fun.
Oh yes they do! My 6-yo has a slip and slide (a vintage Batman hand-me-down from my aunt’s basement) and he and his friends use it all summer long, even last week during the hot spell!
I remember an episode of Girls Next Door and they brought out the old Slip and Slide… pretty sure Astro Glide was used instead of water, though.
I had forgotten about the dish detergent! What was that big bottle of pink stuff that we used for blowing bubbles AND making everything wet extra slippery. Our municipal pool actually had a sign as you entered, “No Dish Soap.”, along with all the other signs: “Must take nude shower.”, “Females must wear swim caps.” [Blatant discrimination!!], “No glass.”, “No squirt guns.” [Never did understand that one.], and “No running in pool area.”
Before Slip ‘N’ Slide, there was “Garden hose attached to top of playground slide.” We used dish soap there, too!