If you ever forget your parent's old phone number, they're probably under Nick's butt.

Let me explain: most of you who came by my folks house in King Point during our high school years may remember my art desk- a little wooden desk, previously my mother's, that was covered with signatures, random quotes, silly musings, song lyrics, and various items- all drawn with a colored marker of some color over a nice white paint job. My mom was probably never happy about that. It was a tradition over the years for my friends to stop in and write something on my desk, and I would also use it as a bulletin board of sorts to jot down phone numbers, important dates, and any other item a young girl finds important. My white phone sat nearby, ready for those important life-line phone calls, before cell phones came around, we would call our friends every day after school, then go meet to drive along Thomas Drive, or make plans for Friday after a football game.
I have been blessed to keep this desk with me since those days, and it is currently being used as the diaper changing table. I use the drawers for baby stuff, as my own pens, oils and address books and stationary are better suited high and dry from little hands. For the past two years, our Nick has laid his baby bottom on the changing pad strapped to the top of the that desk, much to my amusement. We never did buy a big nursery furniture set- why bother since soon we'll have little men, not babies in that room. So, we painted white shelves for toys, books, cd player for classical naptime music, and put together a room that looks pretty well "put together" and done in a blue ocean motif.
Except for that art desk. I checked it out this morning, laughing at the random musings from old friends. Here are some of the various items that have lasted since at least 1990:

• "Class of 92 rules"-- this is written by my girlfriends all over, many people who were so darn proud of being from that class. Were we not having the time of our lives- most of the time?
• "Cheerleaders suck"- this was probably me, not really recognizing the writing and I was generally an anti-cheerleading type who ironically had lots of best friends who were cheerleaders. Go figure.
• "Jane says...I'm done with Sergio"- my cousin wrote this while visiting from Clearwater one year, she also being a Jane's Addiction fan.
• " ATO rules"- this being from a boy I dated long distance (when were they not? It always made things much simpler and romantic) who LOVED his fraternity. He was a nice kid, and left me autographs all over my desk to remember him by.
• "AGAJ- this was a very obnoxious but cute name four of us gave ourselves in case anyone really cared. You know who you are. We were responsible for toilet papering many boy's homes in the Cove and King's point in retaliation of course.
• Signatures from KT G (miss Gillard), Darryl White, Ashley Hartsfield, Katie Ekman, Jalon, Amy Wilkes (my mom has a good friend with same name- not the same person), Christy Bourne, Amy Litt, Adria, and many others who are now famous in their own time.
• Ever so important phone numbers that I remember jotting down as soon as I came home from school- from memory or from a piece of paper someone had passed me in a hallway. One of them written only once, slightly faded, but at the time was a truly big deal- started in 234 and the boy lived on the beach. Hmm...could be one of many students who had a 234 number who lived on the beach, right?? Only I know whose number that was, and as it fades in time, will have that girlish memory of those long lost phone calls.

As this little desk holds up under my son's behind, I am contemplating rescuing it from our second son and putting in my art room near the keyboard, guitar and canvases to once again hold my collection of letters, mail, and random household items. I have thought about repainting it to pass down to my own children like my mother did.

but then I think... no. It's got way too much fun history on it that can never be collected on one spot again. Besides, how else are my sons going to learn about their mother's history in high school- it's all there in writing and so much more amusing than pictures.