This is the house I grew up in. It had a cool tile roof. It was pink. We added a bunch of trees to the outside. One got struck by lightning. Two more were chopped down when we sold it. But the very last tree we added still survived as of 2004.

Yes, my best friend as a child was our pet cat, Lady. I totally loved and adored her. She provided most of my early socialization. No, that doesn't mean that I'm vain and obsessive about my personal appearance. It means that I consider it proper behaviour to wait hand and foot on people!

Well, this is how I remember him from my childhood. I'm pretty sure it is not how he would necessarily like to be remembered! But I have always wanted a mustache like his and really liked the song "Age of Aquarius". I even occasionally wear a red bandana around my neck. But, woah, check out the pattern on the couch!

This is more likely how my Dad remembers my childhood. Sleep deprived, spaced out, continuously feeding and cleaning the small ungreatful fruit of his loins. I'm sure he'll be over it by the time I have to go through the same!

What childhood picture collection would be complete without the ubiquitious "kid in sailor suit" picture?

Yet another required picture: kid in cowboy hat. Killing two birds with one stone this also counts as the mandatory topless kid shot. Incidentally that is my mother. No, really, that dress was way cool back then. The curtains, on the other hand, were blotted from my memory.

Just to dispel the notion that I was always smiling. I have no idea who that strange cat is. But either he or I is on valium.

Introducing my sister. (And another very period choice of couch fabric.) I had dead straight platinum blonde hair. My sister had massively curly platinum blonde hair. My parents had kind of brown and kind of wavy hair. They got lots of questions about that. Now my sister and I both have kind of brown and kind of wavy hair. They get a lot fewer questions.

You can't tell from this picture, but I totally loved camping as a kid. This is in Juniper Springs, one of my favorite parks in all of Florida. I still visit it when I end up in Florida.

You can tell from this picture: I totally hated marching band. Don't get me wrong. I loved music. But having to dress in a hot polyester uniform, spend MORE TIME in school, and march up and down in the hot sun was totally offputting. Not to mention the resentful racist band teacher who had to give me a lift home after practice.

This is me on a visit back to the States from Ireland with an Irish friend. I think this is the skinniest I've ever been. Wow. Weirder still, look at my sister! She's hot! I never really thought of my sister as hot before. It's kind of weird.