Chapter 1 - She's Got Bette Davis Slide

We had a lot of camping spots when we lived in Indiana. The best was Lake Barkley in Kentucky. Very scenic, lots to do whether hiking, water skiing, or swimming, but the best was this towering pair of water slides.Unlike most slides, there was no soft rubber lining. Only concrete, so you needed a foam mat to lay on in order to soften the ride. The slides were cut out of the largest hill in the area feeding into a pool at the bottom. Riding them was almost like being dropped down the side of a mountain into water. Once you reached the bottom, you rocketed into the pool like you'd just been shot out of a cannon. But before you could ride, you had to wait, and wait, and wait. The stairs leading to the slide's summit ascended into the heavens like an ancient temple built to challenge the gods, or so it seemed according to my 5 year old perception. And you had to endure top 40 music while standing in line. "She's Got Bette Davis Eyes" was on heavy rotation. I heard it so many times while waiting to get to the top of the slide, I still have flashbacks to Lake Barkley everytime I hear the song. So we stood in line and waited, and waited, and waited. To say I was getting impatient would be putting it lightly. Finally, our family was at the top. My dad and uncle René went first racing to the bottom. Then my Aunt Rosemary Uncle Jonathan. Then my sisters, Renee and Christine. Then it was my turn and by now, I'm no longer paying attention. I'm swinging my arms around and drop my mat down the slide. My mom sees this and I realize she won't let me get down the slide without a mat, so I make a break for it. I could hear her shouting "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" all the way down that slide while hearing "And she'll tease you. She'll unease you. All the better just to please you" blaring over the PA system.

 

 

For me, Kim Carnes, Lake Barkley, and a giant waterslide will be forever intertwined.