I’m blogging from Old Chicago’s via my WordPress iPhone app.  Eating out with Ellie since Karen is out with her girl friends in Louisville.  Ellie is playing in the arcade but just came back for more money.  She showed me the ring she won.  Wow.  It took me back like Lennon singing a psychedelic song.

I was in the record shop in downtown Marion, Iowa.  45s cost 99¢, not unlike iTunes today, except they had a B-side.  I bought, well actually won from the weekly drawing, my first 45.  I picked, “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”  For whatever reason this little record shop also sold friendship rings.  I picked up a ring that looked amazingly similar to the little faux metal ring Ellie just showed me.  Same multiple rings of hammered steel design, except mine really was metal.  I recall it costing like $1.39 or something.

The next day at school – Emerson Elementary – I gave it to this girl who was a friend of my older sister Diane.  I was in 4th grade, Diane was in 5th grade, and her friend’s name was Tina Fleming.  She was this incredibly pretty, petite (for a 5th grader) brunette with anime brown eyes.  She was my  Mary Ann Summers.  Her dad was my little league baseball coach.  I gave her the ring before the lunch recess and she agreed to go steady with me.  She gave it back after recess.  The first girl to ever break up with me, although not the last.  This anime pic isn’t too far off from how Tina looked in grade school.  No idea where she’s at now, but I imagine she’s still beautiful.