Somewhere between your first ride down University Drive and your last meal in Brown-Lupton came a magical time called "Spring Break."

The week, as you know, was the special holiday created to honor the writers of "Beach Blanket Bingo." Earnest students (and, students not named Earnest) left the classroom, packed a bookbag with jean cutoffs and outrageous T-shirts, then headed for points unknown.

Years later, some remember it because 1) away from home and college concerns, they met the "love of their lives," or 2) It's the first time they went to jail.

What are your special memories? Do they include the following? Deep sea fishing. This marked a great opportunity for those with adventurous spirits and high-limit credit cards, but the activity bore no resemblance to any passive freshwater event, like "Hook Your Own Catfish Night" at Lulu's Grill.

You climbed aboard a big boat and headed out to rough sea. Once there, you "set anchor" (whatever that means) and received a fishing rod you could pole-vault with.

Next, a sailor loaded your hook with bait that looked like a small goat. He did this because you were trying to land a fish roughly the size of a politician's tour bus.

Do not believe this giant fish came passively. He fought, you sweated, and if you won the struggle, you of course wanted to have him stuffed and mounted, which the fish objected to.

Today, you would not want to carry him home yourself, since fish-related hernias might not qualify under your HMO. Camping. This required little more than a tent, matches for a fire, plus a guitar to accompany friends while they warbled songs from the "Freddie Fleet and His Band with a Beat" album.

Friends tell me co-ed camping parties were the best. I doubt this, because after a couple days without showers, toothpaste, or deodorant, nearly everyone smells like anchovy-and-tuna pizza.

I do remember that hungry beasts prowled the woods, so we had to watch for mountain lions, bears, and crazed campers who forgot can openers. I also remember an article that said a snake's head can still bite you one hour after it's been cut off.

No kiddin' ... this actually saved my life one time. I remembered to stay back from the snake's skull. And I reasoned that the bodyÑwithout a headÑwould never remember which way I went.

Rix Quinn went to school a long time ago. He fondly remembers Spring Break on Padre Island, but doesn't remember why his friends left him there.