"Going to California"

When I was a child my family played a game called "Going to California".  I have asked around all my life and have never found anyone anywhere who has ever heard of this game.  So, maybe it was made up by my Mom's family?  I don't know.  It was a very fun game, especially on a rainy or cold day when you couldn't go outside.  It's really fun for kids, but adults can have fun with it, too.  It's fun to play with a bunch of kids, because they have so much fun.  If anyone out there has ever heard of it, I would appreciate someone contacting me.  In a comment recently another J-lander asked how it was played, so I am going to try to explain it here today.   Actually, I will give an example. 

It is a "round"-type of game, if that makes sense.  It is most fun when played with three or more people, because there are more variables.  Below I will give an example of our family playing it.  The line in bold print is what each person will say before giving his/her own choice.  So in your mind, say the line in bold each time.  Here goes:

Part one:  I'm going to California, and I'm going to take --

   Me:  A tomato plant.                                          

   Thomas: My fishing poles.

   Eler Beth: Coloring books.

   Andrew:  My Game Cube.

*Notice that each of us took something that had no similarity to what the person(s) before us took.  The further apart the better.

Part two:  When I get to California, I'm going to --

   Me:  Plant my tomato plant and watch it grow and when there are tomatoes on it I'll make a nice tomato sandwich.

   Thomas: Plant my fishing poles and watch them grow and when there are tomatoes on them I'll make a nice tomato sandwich.

   Eler Beth: Plant my coloring books, (repeat rest of line).

   Andrew:  Plant my Game Cube, (repeat rest of line).

Now, the second person in the game would start part two.  For example.

When I get to California, I'm going to --

   Thomas:  Take my fishing poles out on the nearest lake, bait them up and catch a mess of fish for dinner.

   Eler Beth:  Take my coloring books out on the nearest lake, bait them up and catch a mess of fish for dinner.

   Andrew:  Take my Game Cube...(repeat rest of line).

   Me:  Take my tomato plant...(repeat rest of line).

Then Eler Beth would start part two, and she'd probably say something like "find me a quiet, shady spot in the yard and spend all afternoon coloring in my coloring books"  Andrew would "color in his Game Cube", I'd "color in my tomato plants", and Thomas would "color in his fishing poles."  Then Andrew would start; he'd hook up his Game Cube to the nearest TV and play video games all afternoon, and each of us in turn would hook our object up to the nearest TV and play video games.

Then depending on how long you want to play you start over, with the second person beginning with part one, and choosing what they're going to "take to California."

The trick to making it really funny, besides picking things that aren't similar in any way, is to make your statement as detailed and colorful as you can, because everyone else has to repeat what you say exactly, merely inserting their item.  My sisters and parents were always masters at coming up with the most unlikely things to "take to California" and doing the most detailed and interesting things with them.

I hope this made sense and you get an idea of how funny it can be.  We've played with as many as 12 people before, but usually it was around six.  As I was typing this Eler Beth walked by, caught a glimpse of her name, and when I told her what I was writing about she said, "Oh I LOVE that game.  When can we play it again?"  It's a good one for when you have a house full of bored kids on a rainy day.