Several of my girl friends could hardly wait for me to pick them up in my mother's Buick. We had de- cided to go to the boys' school in Fountain Valley and surprise them. "Hurry up, Elliott", they yelled and laughed. "Elliott" was what I was called at that time.
I whizzed down the highway and onto the dirt road that led to our destination. Almost there, a curve got me... and into the ditch I drove. Try as we may, we couldn't get the car back on the road ... stuck!
All of us walked down to the boys' school ... and... guess what?????? The only person there was the janitor! The guys were also 'out on the town'. Nary a boy in sight. He got his car and pulled my car to safety. Phew!
We all were totally crestfallen and I drove my friends to their houses. I made them swear they would never, ever tell their parents about our famous "Double Ditch Day"! If my mother found out, "Elliott" would have been grounded forever! Double Ditch would have to remain a secret nick-name.