Boredom-Bashing Fun on Tap for Teen-Agers

School is out and you’re ready. Ready for nothing. Weeks, even months of it. Hangin’ at the beach. Sleeping till noon. Partying with friends.

It’s all going great for a couple of days. Then Mom shows up at your bedroom door at 7 a.m., and she’s holding a blow torch.

“Clean up this mess or I will,” she says. Then you ask for your allowance and assume that the convulsive laughter that follows is her way of saying no.

Meanwhile, Dad has started scouring the Yellow Pages looking for just the right way for you to spend the rest of summer.

“Perhaps Teen Marine Boot Camp,” he says. “That, or you can come with me to the factory and sort the bolts.”

Broke and dejected, you think about heading for the beach until Mom cheerfully reminds you of the latest skin cancer projections for sun-worshiping Californians.

Summer tan suddenly has the same attraction as nuclear winter. And sheep-dipping yourself in sun block is not a viable alternative.

Before thoughts of a sizzling summer fizzle in your mind’s eye, perk up; we have some ideas on how to avoid the blahs. We dispatched staff writer Jeff Meyers on a mission: Find things to do, places to go and fun, fun, fun for teen-agers.

Meyers succeeded beyond his expectations. “I couldn’t believe the almost unlimited good-time opportunities for kids in the county,” he said. “It’s almost like living in Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.”

Our centerpiece will serve as a summer survival guide for teen-agers, making boredom nearly impossible. Even if you can’t summon the energy to get off the couch, we’ve got you covered with our advice for slackers.

Parents: If your teen-ager professes to be unable to find gainful employment, be suspicious. We’ve learned that summer jobs are available through agencies that specialize in finding work for kids.

“When I was a kid, I made the obligatory applications at a couple of fast-food restaurants and supermarkets,” Meyers said. “I never heard back. But these agencies make all the contacts for you and almost guarantee a job to anyone willing to work.”

But will they come over and find a clean shirt at the bottom of that compost heap of a bedroom?

Perhaps not, but Westlake resident, Lindsay Jackson--the subject of this week’s Fashion column--might. She designs a line of clothing from old drapes and drapery remnants. Columnist Kathleen Williams, our arbiter of fashion, found Jackson at her east county condo creating tunics, vests, flowing pants and tank tops. The garments are sold in upscale boutiques here and elsewhere, out of the recycled fabrics.

So there’s one more idea for county teens. Peel apart, un-wad and generally separate the individual elements in your room. Get pinking shears, borrow Mom’s old sewing machine and create a line of clothing.

Maybe if you become a successful entrepreneur, Mom will let you do nothing next summer.