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More Stories for Doldrums Days
Posted By: Capt D In Response To: Re: Story for Doldrums Days (Jim C)
Date: Tuesday, 2-12-13, at 12:04 p.m.
Remember no mono, cord line then nylon. Guess thats an age tellin thing.
Lived in apartments behind family tavern. Gas station on one side and used cars and vehicle steam cleaning on the other. Tiny back yard shared w/ apartmnet units garbage cans and rats of course. Built clubhouses on the precious little land. Borrowed, bought or begged the lumber. Learned to ice skate w/ moms skates in the puddles left after the steam cleaning water froze. Lots of gravel made it exciting.
Were about 3 miles as the crow flies from the city zoo. Turtles escaped from there and used to come thru every summer, and we relocated them to the cemetary ponds across the street.
Had no garage. Dad got his 1st new car in 53 a Chevy. Was parked out back on gravel pad. Buddy and I decided to wash it. Dad found us on top of the roof. Not good. We were wearing our PF flyers and the bottoms had gravel emdedded. Scratched top, hood and trunk lid right down to the metal.
Winter nites sky would be pink from the stacks of the steel mills. Spent many a nite w/ friends snow balling semi-trailers goin by. Did buses too but rule was had to throw up, so snowballs came down on bus tops and not hit windows. Ocassionally rode back bumpers down the street.
Played poker 1 nite a week rotating homes, and 2 times a week went out for pizza. Shops were 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles away. We were like the postman...neither sleet nor snow would keep us from those walks for pizza.
Earned money collecting pop and beer bottles for the deposit. 1 cent and 2 cents respectively. Eventually took over tavern front window cleaning, and repainting apartments as tenents moved out. At 14 got a job at the "new" YMCA about 1/2 mile away. Supervised the "Boys" department part time for 85 cents an hour for 3 years. Sometimes showed 16mm movies for residents. Last year there, senior year of high school, switched to maintenace of the lower level of the building. Money was so much better. $1.00 an hour!!!! Come summer left for job at a burger joint. $1.15 an hour + free meals if you were there at lunch or dinner. Worked 10:00AM - 4:00PM, leaving evenings free for social life.
First bike dad made from parts. So ugly hated to be seen on it. Friends had newspaper routes or families w/ more cash than ours. Saved up enuf finally to by a french "Eland" 3 speed racer. Invested in all the bells and whistles.Battery operated horn, rear view mirror, speedometer, generator lights front and rear. In the small black bag that came attached behind seat carried my transistor radios. Had quite a few of those as the stiff ride trashed em pretty regular.
Summer nites played hide and go seek w/ boundries = the streets around the block. Jumpin from garage roof to garage roofs was the norm. Wonder none of us ever got hurt. One night took up hiding in leaf pile in the street. Car parked right over the top of us.
Helped friend build tarp and wood 3 ft. tall 12ft. long clubhouse. Used it all the time. Took girlfriends in there in winter. Had stove made out of coffee can.
Same friends dad was kind of recluse. Had old cars. Never drove a car in all the time we knew him. Walked to work. One old Model T outside just sat there rusting. We decided to start it up. After weeks just couldn't get it going. Couldn't afford a battery. Well, I had this electric MARX train set. Figured juice was juice. Hooked up the transformer to the battery cables. Actually started the car, tho it smoked a lot, and never was any good for the trains again.
Just a few more memories of the good "old" days...
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