Confession time: I had some weird-ass crushes growing up. If you haven’t read about my first crush, you can do so here. And yes, that oddity set a precedent for some doozers.
I had some normal ones: Donny Osmond (who my sour-puss Grandma claimed had head lice–WTF?), Andy Gibb, Han Solo…but a few of mine were strange.
Glenn Campbell? Now hey, Rhinestone Cowboy was the soundtrack to my early life, and to this day, that song makes me hap-tastic, but what was alluring about the Sideburns that Ate the Midwest?
The Fonz? While everyone was swooning over Chachi, I was trying to figure out what kind of goodness happened in Fonzie’s “office.”
Perhaps most disturbing (at least to my sister) was my devotion to a certain character from Grease. Danny Zuko is for pansies, boys and girls. The only one deserving of my mad-love was Rizzo, and I plastered my room with her satin-clad, crimson-lipped visage.
Luckily for me, Mama didn’t bat an eye. “Ah, Stockard Channing,” she said, scanning my walls. “She’s a smart one. She went to Radcliffe. Plus, you’re right–she did have all the good lines.”
My sister’s crushes were more plebian, but I must say, I couldn’t fault her for her devotion to David Cassidy. Whenever he crooned, with his shaggy hair and bell bottoms and pooka-bead necklace, I was riveted, too. We must have played The Partridge Family Album (with the maroon and yellow cover) until Mama’s ears bled. She didn’t complain, but I’m sure that after the fifth rendition of “C’mon get happ-eeeeee,” she was ready to hit the gin.
My girls aren’t yet in the serious crush-zone, and for that I am grateful. But I know I’m working on borrowed time; earlier this week, as Miss D. was watching Batman, she said, “Oh good! Robin’s in this one…he’s hot.”
Which sent me straight for one of these. It may not save me from the Jonas Brothers or that Beiber kid, but at least, sipping this little refresher, I’ll be happ-eeeeee.
Gingery Peach Cooler
serves 4
from Real Simple magazine
3 cups ginger ale
1/2 cup peach nectar, such as Kerns
2 peaches, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
4 ounces gin
Mix ingredients together and serve over ice.
*PS: to my beautiful readers who don’t indulge in alcohol, this recipe is perfectly delicious without the gin.
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t be jealous but I met the Fonz and had my photo taken with him and EVERYTHING a couple of months ago.
http://www.ceriselle.org/blog/2010/08/question-time-the-girl/
Just call me awsome.
Oh my heavens – I LOVED Rizzo and I LOVE Stockard Channing. I think subconsciously, she is the reason I still West Wing set on my DVR.
I love the sound of this drink! With Colorado peaches it would be divine. Dorky childhood crushes…I guess I’ll have to admit to a New Kids on the Block phase, scary I know!
Since we’re admitting weird crushes on men in 1970’s leisure suits… The Six Million Dollar Man. I even had the action figure. That is until Han Solo caught my eye.
I’m game for anything with ginger! Sounds pretty refreshing.
As for crushes, mine were pretty run-of-the-mill: River Phoenix (and then he died on me), Rob Lowe (until the sex videos scandal – I was just heartbroken he had so many others before me, ahem) and Leslie Cheung (a Hong Kong singer/actor who killed himself – I suspected he was gay but couldn’t come out for fear of losing his fame and adoring fans like me).
Years later, it was Heath Ledger.
Yeah I’m like the black-widow-equivalent fan. Watch out Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Fonzie had that weird power… everyone was mesmerized. Me too.
Stockard Channing still rocks.
Han Solo is still hawt by today’s standards, but not today’s Harrison Ford.
Borderline stuff: 6 million $ man. Iffy.
Super-weird girlhood crushes: Michael Landon (can we say daddy-issues here?!), David Hasselhoff (don’t poke fun), and John Black/aka Roman Brady from Days Of Our Lives. Let’s not ever talk about this again.
Love how the colors in the napkin match the peach so well. :)
My boy crush – NKOTB – Donny Wahlberg. **hangs head in shame**
I was all about Luke Duke. I couldn’t understand why anyone liked Bo.
My Baby Girl will have the crushes I’m sure. The other day we were talking about Kindergarten and her comment was, “there’s a lot of cute boys in Kindergarten.” Not exactly what I wanted to hear.
I have purposely repressed my childhood crush memories although I have a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Cassidy was on that list. Oh, and Andy Gibb. Definitely Andy Gibb. I made the Parent buy me an Andy Gibb coloring poster. Christ, did I just admit that?
Make my cooler a double please.
Wow, this looks delicious! I love all things gin, ginger, and peach. I’m just on the north side of 30, so my crushes were a little different. I loved Chachi, but I watched him on reruns. My biggest crushes were on Donnie Wahlberg and Leo DiCaprio. Who’m I kidding? Leo’s still up there.
another O Oh, O-O-Oh, O Oh, O-Oh The Right Stuff…. groupie here.
I hate how your old comments were lost in the blog transfer. I remember that Tang Junk, er, I mean, drink you made. That thing could walk itself to the moon and back.
I didn’t start crushing until the late 80’s, really, and then it was all about long hair, tight pants, and rock stars.
Drink Looks great, you know I will give it a try. You made me laugh with the Robin coment. Mr Man (4) has taken a shine to Bat Girl! He will only watch the episodes that she is in.
I had a HUGE poster of Shaun Cassidy on my wall and I kissed it every night before bed. My college roommate thought that was odd but what did she know? ;)
I loved Andy Gibb when he had hair on his chest. Then it disappeared? WTF. And then he died. My biggest crush was his older brother Barry Gibb. We didn’t get posters or magazines filled with pics of celebrities in Kenya in those days. Someone brought a pic of Barry Gibb from the UK which she wouldn’t part with so I had my Dad make photocopies in his office – in those days, only b&w – and I stuck those pics everywhere. :-D
Has Kerns stop using HFCS in their juices yet?
I liked Bo Duke but had to pretend I liked Luke because my best friend liked Bo first. I remember gazing soulfully into the eyes of a Shawn Cassidy poster and feeling my breath catch.
Scary times up ahead. I would say around 6th grade was when it got hard for me with my daughter. but good news she is 20 now and she turned out to be a great kid.
* Its not all about soccer.
You are so funny! And this drink sounds delish! After a few sips, I might reveal some of my more abnormal crushes…but I’m right there with you with Donny Osmond. And right there with your sister with David Cassidy. I had that album, too!
I am completely embarrassed to admit – Shaun Cassidy. At one point while watching his show he had in the late 70’s, I said to my mom, “I wish Shaun Cassidy was my dad.” I never heard the end of that one – and how could I ever say something like that and hurt my father’s feelings. Jeez, what a buzzkill mom.
I adored Jonathon Taylor Thomas (JTT) when he was on Tool Time. This was such a precious post, and this drink looks beyond refreshing! I need to make one of these ASAP! Thanks for sharing love.
In my acting days (short lived and never amounting to much) I was obsessed with Rizzo and the whole character.. I tried out for our high school play of Grease determined to be here.. but instead I got Marty.. still awesome but man I loved Rizzo too! ha I must admit I was a big Andrew Keegan fan :) haha and even in my mid twenties I love me some jo bros :) by the way this cocktail looks delish!
I believe you already know all about my crushes, but this drink? The peach cooler? It’s like you know the nature of my soul. Can’t wait to make some.
Mmm, I could use one of these after having helped a friend move all day! Looks so refreshing and delicious!
I don’t blame you for having a crush on Han Solo, he was hot! Still is! ;)
And in regard to your comment on my site, I can’t say I am the biggest Rachael Ray fan myself, but I couldn’t resist grabbing her cookbook at yard sale prices! ;)
Do I dare admit a crush on the Dukes of Hazard boys? *cringing in shame*
Nope. Nevermind…
My first major crush? Larry Bird. Wore his jersey (avec the knee socks) almost every day of 5th grade. Lovely stuff.
This drink sounds delish. I am happy to be back here savoring your good stuff after a long, semi-voluntary blog-reading hiatus. Sad that I didn’t get to meet you at BlogHer. Not sure exactly how that happened, but then again, BlogHer was a wee bit nutso.
:)
I love you, people. Especially those of you confessing to a crush on the WRONG Cassidy. Sorry folks, David didn’t have those earthworm eyes like Shaun was sportin’.
I’d totally forgotten about the Hazzard dudes? Can’t even keep them straight. I liked the dark-haired one; then again, I liked the un-Shawn Cassidy Hardy boy…I must have a thing for dark hair.
Manisha: what DID happen to Andy Gibb’s chest hair? Did he snort it?
Justine: Please do not ever have a crush on me, Grim Reaper of Teen Idols.
C: no fair! Own up to the hair-band crushes!! A certain Jon Bon Jovi has always lit my Aqua-Net flame.
Evan and Winn! You loved the Riz?! I am so oddly excited to hear that news.
Aidan, nice to see you back. I have to laugh at Larry Bird–*that* is an original crush. Kinda like Dave Golley.
I liked Shaun Cassidy too – watched The Hardy Boys when I was in grade school. Oh – and – yeah – I did probably buy some of his albums…..
Great drink! Love ginger – love peaches….
Ah a fellow Fonzie lover…yeah, he was my boyfriend when I was 10. No, really!
Eli danced with a 6 year old at my sister’s wedding (Eli was 3 at the time!). When the 6 year olds dad came over to have a dance with her Eli grabbed her hand and pulled her away from her dad – all the while giving the dad a nasty look. I knew then I was in HUGE trouble!
My childhood crushes… Bo Duke, Johnny Depp and most shamefully Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. There was always something about that face…
I love your stories. And the tie into this delicious drink. I might just have to pick up some gin this weekend.
I was more into musicians – specifically Duran Duran and more importantly, John Taylor.
This sounds amazing!
I am totally making this drink this weekend–we’re thinking of hitting up Coney Island on Saturday (weather permitting) and this would be the perfect apres-beach drink.
Better yet–maybe I’ll make the husband get the ingredients so we can make it today–it would also be a perfect birthday drink for him…
As for silly crushes, well, I must say that my friends and I all had way inappropriate crushes on the 1993 Phillies team–not due to the fact that we were 12, mind you, but because everyone on that team had serious mullets. WTF we were thinking?!?
I think you had some fabulous crushes…I had some of the same, not the Rizzio one though! The drink sound lovely. Hubby recently made me some sort of peach concoction but it had vodka, peach schnapps, fresh peaches, and orange juice…yummy none the less. Loved this post. From memories of hot boys to booze, what’s not to like?!
I knew there was a reason I loved you. Andy Gibb and the Fonz. Totally loved the Fonz!
When I was a kid I was all about Joey from NKOTB. As a grown up I can not get enough of LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnel… and I can get my fix of both on that new crappy NCIS show they are both on. It’s overwhelming.
oh and Mark Wahlberg… I just watched Fear the other night for the 1st time in a long time and drooled through the whole movie.
oh and that drink looks amazing. I want a double right now. It’s 931am…
Awww…enjoyed reading this! Like your taste! And as for your girls and crushes…we were only just teasing the boys here this lunch time about girlfriends…they grow up too quickly! xxx
Forget childhood crushes – I can help you out with a real, live one: Lyle Lovett. Love him.
This sounds like something I had out to dinner the other night that was delicious!! My crushes: Kirk Cameron, Scott Baio and Ralph Macchio were my favorites…posters everywhere!!!
I can relate to the guy side of odd crushes—like Ms. Romano on “One Day at a Time” and Joan Rivers… and also the girl that the doomed hero of Truaffaut’s “The Soft Skin” falls for, which I saw on PBS as a mesmerized child being first introduced to the very idea of obsessive attraction.
…I need a Gingery Peach Cooler
i loved the fonz too. but am definitely loving your refreshing peach cooler right now!
I am not into peach drinks…sorry for this one! But I do have a shameful crush…and I almost don’t want to admit it. I have had it since…Top Gun. You guess it, and I won’t utter it here for fear of being stoned.
Wow, this peach drink sure look SO refreshing…love the idea of ginger in it and gin…Lovely picture!
Ah girlfriend: I hear ya. Rizzo and then some. I belted out that times holding my brush in front of my mirror more times than I should admit in public places.
Would that I could imbibe right now. I’m in Pueblo at the State Fair where my son is getting ready to compete in the Archery competition. Kids a-plenty. Gin, scarce.
Haha, I’m sure you will be drinking lots of these as your girls grow up. I adored Robin (esp. the Chris O’Donnell Robin) so I totally get what your little one was seeing!
I had all the same crushes. Donny Osmond rocked my world. I saw Grease 7 times and was just beside myself with teenage syrupy swooning after watching the movie.
Right now, I am glad I have a couple of sons, and have not had to endure the Jonas Brothers and that kid Bieber ( Really, he is talented? No way!)
Appears my younger son likes Robin Meade head anchor for CNN’s morning news.
I will be trying this soon, sans gin! My morning sickness has been killer this time around, and I’m wondering if all the ginger in this might be helpful. Thanks for sharing :D
I tried to remember whose posters I had on my wall when I was in Junior high… Sheena Easton and Rambo from “First Blood”. What did I win? :-)
How about Shaun Cassidy…or Bo Duke? I can’t believe Miss D said Robin was hot. What a crack up! ;D
Yummy cocktail!
Oh I just read your comment about the Duke boys. So you liked Luke Duke. I think the other Hardy boy is Parker Stevenson. You are so right about Shaun’s eyes. Creepy!