It started one weekend. Tina had been up late and I had decided to let her sleep late. I took Samantha to McDonalds for breakfast. She had the "big breakfast", and I had pancakes. I should have known I was adding an event to Samantha's weekly mental planner, the one we go over, every night, at bed time. "Daddy go to work...Pantha go school..Momma clean house...Donald's...Pancakes...SAY IT!" (I have to repeat it all back to Sam to let her know I understand how she wants her week to go.)

One night, Tina announced that she would be going with Sam and I on our next trip to McDonalds to have pancakes...to which Sam replied, "No Momma! You sleep! Daddy take Pantha for pancakes!"

After breakfast, I always let Sam go to the little playland and crawl through the little tunnels...she loves crawling through the tunnels and going down the little slide, and, I enjoy watching her. One week, it rained throughout the weekend, soaking the playland, and we were both horribly disappointed. When we got home, Sam gave me a napkin and instructed me to put it in my pocket. In her mind, she figured that if it rained, I would be able to dry off the playland.

The following weekend, Sam and I, again, awakened to the sound of rain. "Rain Daddy!", Sam moaned. Undaunted, I drove to a neighboring town. A town I'd heard, had an inside playland.

As I saw the "golden arches" in the distance, I told Sam I had a surprise for her. As we pulled into the parking lot, Samantha squealed with glee, and my heart nearly stopped. In front of us lay a giant "Habitrail" encased in glass. To me, it looked as though someone had decided to build this monsterous playland, and then, as an after-thought, had added a McDonalds.

As we entered McDonalds, Sam said, "Not wet, Daddy! Cool, Daddy!" While standing in line, waiting to order, I took a moment to look at the playland. The whole thing was about thirty feet long, and about twenty feet high. At one end, there was a spiral stairway leading to the top, and a tunnel running from the stairway to the slide at the other end. The only way down, was a giant, winding, tubeslide. The tunnel, at the top, was made of a heavy, cloth mesh, allowing a good look at the concrete floor below.

Samantha, finished with her food, turned her attention to the playland. "Get up Daddy!", she ordered. The only other people in the giant room was an elderly couple, who, I'm sure, had chosen this spot to watch the children play. Sam began to climb the stairs...slowly...talking the whole time. "Daddy, watch!" Finally, having reached the top, she stood staring at me. I wanted to tell her to come back down. I could tell she was very uneasy...but, I knew, if she came down, she would want to climb it again...that, is Samantha.

Standing beneath her, I pointed to the entrance to the tunnel. "Go in there!", I instructed. Sam slowly lowered her head, and began to crawl through the opening. As she disappeared from sight, she hollered, "Daddy!"..." C'mon Sam!", I replied. When she reached the part of the tunnel that turns to mesh, she stopped. "Scared Daddy!...What happened Pantha?"

With my heart in my throat, I replied, "Your're ok, c'mon, come over here!" I pointed to the other end of the tunnel, and motioned for her to come toward me. I took my eyes off Sam long enough to glance at the elderly couple who was sitting a few feet from us. Both had stopped eating, both were staring at Sam, and the woman had taken hold of her husband's hand.

Having scooted through the mesh, Sam was now perched at the ened of the tunnel...which turned into the slide. With all the curves and twists, she was peering into darkness. She glanced at me, and I said..."Daddy's here...c'mon Sam!" I watched her slowly sit down and begin to inch her way into the tubeslide. I wondered what I would do if she panicked, and sat, frozen in that spot. I looked at the couple again...I could see the knuckles on the old lady's hand...they were white. I heard the "clunk" of Sam's tennis shoes, as they hit the sides of the slide, slowing her descent. "Uh oh!", I heard her gasp. I stuck my head into the tunnel, and called to her..."C'mon Sam...Daddy's here!" I saw her feet emerging from the darkness, and heard her say, "One more time Daddy?" I heard the old man tell his wife to "c'mon".

As Samantha started for the stairs again...I called after them softly..."That's right...run...run, like the wind...the adventures of Samantha are not for the faint of heart. They are for her and her daddy!