#26

One of my favorite childhood places was Teta and Honey's apartment. It was a tiny one-bedroom in an assisted-living building, but I didn't ever think it was small or boring. It was one of the most fun places on earth, in fact. We played with the same toys my mom and her siblings played with when they were kids. We dressed up in rouge and earbobs. The only things ever served there were white ice cream out of the box, soggy buttered popcorn in sandwich baggies, buttered toast from the toaster oven, cheese toast from the toaster oven, and cookies. And Tang to drink with Mickey Mouse straws that my mom had used, too.

The cookie jar was absolutely always full and never ever off limits. We just ate when we felt like it. It was always iced animal cookies.

Teta and Honey would sit in their individual arm chairs smoking. Honey had 3 Musketeers cigars and Teta Marlboro Lights. She had us run down the hall to bum a cigarette off another old lady once in awhile. Once she got menthol and was irritated. Once she lit the filter end on accident and I had to go back for another.

At night, we would all get one of Honey's pajama tops out of his "chester drawers" and sleep on the fold-out couch together. That apartment was like an ice box at night. The couch looked out the windows right onto the UT clock tower that would be lit orange on game nights. Teta would watch Dynasty and Falcon Crest and tell us to cover our heads with the blanket until some parts were over.

This place was perfect.