Dear Smiley: My 10-year-old daughter, Abigail, and I were looking for some sandals for her in Walmart recently.

She was disappointed that she couldn't find the same fancy, glittery sandals in her current size that she used to wear when she was younger.

I tried to explain to her that she's growing up, and the sandals for older girls and adults are not cute like little girl shoes, so she may need to look for tan or beige.

Abigail says with a sad, heavy sigh, "Well, this isn't turning out like I expected."

I'm not sure if she meant shoe shopping or life in general!

TAMMY TATE VANVECKHOVEN

Central

VW voyage

Dear Smiley: The story about the 1970 Volkswagen Bug brought to mind an experience I had with mine.

In the spring of 1979, I was working for Amoco on Poydras Street and parking in the Superdome.

One rainy day streets were flooding around the Dome by the time I knocked off work. As I maneuvered my way through a maze of dry streets, I came across a flooded impasse that looked reasonably shallow enough for me to proceed.

I built up a bit of speed, and plowed into the waters. Then I felt my Bug was no longer responding to my demands. I was floating down the street.

After a couple of slow 360-degree spins, the HMS Beetle sailed to high ground, regaining traction, and had me safely on my journey home.

PETER DASSEY

Kenner

Who's who

Dear Smiley: In August 1974, my brother and I decided we would go to the Eric Clapton concert in Greensboro, North Carolina. So we drove nonstop from our home in Portsmouth, Virginia, to the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium.

Before we left, my brother, who was driving, decided to toss out my cigarettes, which he told me after we left.

We got to the concert in time to see the introduction of the unknown opening act (Rush). So I went out to the lobby to find a cigarette machine.

When I left the auditorium, two guys who were standing by the exit followed me. As I roamed around the lobby looking for a vending machine, they stayed behind me.

I went to the restroom and they followed me in. Then they lit up cigarettes, so I asked for one, which they graciously gave me. We talked a few minutes and then I went back to the auditorium.

When Eric Clapton was introduced, these guys came out with a toy guitar, started making jokes, then ran around the stage and smashed the guitar on the floor.

Throughout the concert they kept coming out making mischief, including taking Eric's shoe and socks off and throwing them to the audience.

When it came time for the encore, Clapton introduced them: Peter Townshend and Keith Moon, guitarist and drummer for the Who.

I should have known them; I was a big Who fan.

TOM REAGAN

Central

For emergencies

Dear Smiley: The story in Wednesday’s column concerning an ice chest as a "porta-potty" (don’t ask this person for a cold beverage!) reminded me of growing up in Florida in the 1950s.

We lived in Tampa, and occasionally would go to visit Aunt Bob and Uncle Pat in Orlando.

In those days, before Disney arrived, the long drive was a two-lane road through woods and some orange groves, with no convenience stores and few gas stations.

After our visit, on our way out the door, Aunt Bob would always hand us a coffee can she had been saving for us, “in case you have to tinkle on the way home.”

PATTY MARX

Lafayette

Dear Patty: Those huge soft drink cups at gas stations also work, or so I'm told.   

Try trig

Dear Smiley: I enjoyed reading, in your Thursday column, the Boudreaux/Thibodeaux flagpole joke, where they unsuccessfully tried to climb the flagpole to measure it.

I reasoned that the use of trigonometry would have produced a quicker measurement.

But after considering the math acumen from the two jokesters, I had “secant” thoughts!

BILL HAYNIE

Slidell

Dear Bill: I'm sure that was a funny observation; unfortunately, I don't speak math.