Kindergarten Blues - by Charlie Macias

It reminds me of graham crackers. That stuffed bear reminds me of animal crackers. It reminds me of kindergarten and youngsters taking cookies, cupcakes and other treats to share with their classmates on their birthday.

It reminds me of the time in kindergarten when I was walking home at lunch and I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and a cute little blonde girl slapped me for no apparent reason. She zipped past me and ran home. I started to cry and walked home sobbing. An old man was working on his car in his driveway and probably wondered what was up with that crybaby kid.

I got home and my Mom asked what happened. She grabbed me by the hand and we went to the little girl’s home. Her mother answered the door. The two moms spoke and worked thing s out. The little girl came out, tried to make nice, and showed me her cat (name not remembered).

I always hated cats after that.

Out To Sea - by Charlie Macias

Frame from the never-released 1985 movie “Aquaman” -- based on the comic book super hero. In this scene actress Virginia Madsen (see 2004’s Sideways) takes to the sea on a Rick Baker-conceptualized giant seahorse. “It was part Push-me Pull-You, part Flipper,” quipped Baker. The Aquaman role was to be taken on by water-logged Christopher Atkins (Blue Lagoon). Most of the un-used footage wound up in Kevin Costner’s ill-fated Waterworld movie. Said Madsen, playing Aquaman’s love interest, of the flick: “I kind of liked being tugged around on a seahorse all day. It was either this or Jaws 3-D!!”