Experiencing life....

[Smitty37]

I often wonder what folks here have done in their life....I think it's interesting to find out some of the things people have done.

I'll start:

I was born at home (as were all my 4 brothers and 3 sisters) in a house with no electricity, no indoor plumbing and no central heat.

I actually did walk 2 miles to school in the first three grades and 3/4 of a mile the next 5. In high school I walked 1/4 mile to get the bus.

I mowed grass with a push reel mower.

I fished with a dried stick for a pole and cord string for line. I never used a safety pin as a fishhook though.

I played basketball in high school where there were 1 and 2 shot fowls, the keyway and 3 second zone was only 3 feet wide.

I rode on trains pulled by steam locomotives
In my work lfe:
I caddied including once in a foursome with a man who won the Masters one year - Art Wall jr.
I dug holes and ditches for septic systems
I worked a summer with my dad as a house painter
I worked a summer as a dish washer in a summer resort.
I worked a summer as a bus boy and waiter in a summer resort
I joined the Navy at age 17 - a little over four years on that job
I worked as an electronics technician and engineer for IBM Corp for 32 years.
I had a route where I put products in small stores on consignment
I sold Real Estate and had a broker's license and my own office.
I worked for a stock broker.
I worked for an auto rental agency/used car lot.
I sold mobile homes
I worked as a security guard at a small development
I had my own business preparing income taxes
I sold coins at auction at Yahoo
I now have a small business selling pen kits and related stuff.

I lived in the house I was born in.
I lived in a small bungalo on the headwaters of the Lehigh River in PA.
I lived in a big 1940's house in a small town in PA
I lived in a furnished room I Poughkeepsie NY
I lived in an apartment in Wapingers Falls NY
I lived in a development house in Pleasant Valley NY
I lived in a furnished apartment
I lived in a furnished house
I lived on a small farm for over 30 years and during that time we raised:
hogs
laying chickens
roasting chickens
turkeys
lambs
beef cattle
dairy cattle
goats
ducks

I also bred and raised standardbred horses. We also had at least 5 ponies and riding horses.

I lived in a trailer
I now live in a home in a nice development, we are the first owners of the house....it is worth $70,000 less than we have in it..but that's life.

I have collected coins, stamps, truck and car banks and I am now collecting pens. I did model railroading for awhile. I turn a few pens and I made about half the furniture in my house. Built quite a few things out of wood.

I played basketball in high school, baseball growing up until I was about 23 or 24, soft ball for a few years. I now swim, walk and ride an exercise bike daily or as close to daily as I can for esercise.

I hunted until 1986 when I decided I didn't want to shoot animals anymore. I have owned a number of firearms but don't have any at the moment. I am a life member of the NRA and I support shooting and hunting sports.

I have 6 children and 7 grand children. My wife and I will celebrate 50 years together in May if we live that long.

 

[renowb]

Smitty, remember GRIT newspaper? I sold it for a while, door to door. Sold it for 15 cents and I kept a nickel profit. Just one experience of mine.

 

[Pens By Scott]

In my life, I recall:
- a time before home computers
- a time before cell phones
- our home phone (the only one in the house) was a rotary phone (you had to dial someone)
- I was introduced to the internet in 1994

 

[GrantH]

I remember when I had to get my dad to enter the msDOS coding to get me into my PGA golf game.

I took a converted schools bus painted like it is straight out of the 60's from North Carolina to Michigan for a weekend concert/festival. Easily one of the best times of my life.

I am building a mini truck to go to shows in.

 

[ttpenman]

Nice piece Smitty. A few things I remember:

I remember when our phone number had 3 digits, then 5, then 7 and now 10.

B&W TV most of the time I was growing up -- 2 then 3 channels and you have to get up to change the channel and volume. Remember the first time I saw color TV the family went down to the local Elks on a Sunday night and watched 'Wonderful World of Disney' and 'Bonanza' on a color TV. Don't recall when we got color at home -- mid to late 60's I believe.

My Dad never filled the car with gas. It was always a dollar or two, BUT, 2 bucks worth was half a tank! On the rare occasions when I got to use Dad's car I would often put in 50 cents worth of gas to drive around.

Always walked to school, rain or shine or snow (about a mile each way). Only kids in the country rode the bus.

My first car cost $40 and I sold it for $50 2 or 3 years later.

My brother is 8 years older than me and I found a receipt for the hospital bill for his birth/delivery -- $12.00.

Remember working as a kid for $ .50 - .75 per hour and first 'real' job was $1.00/hr. which was minimum wage.

First computer had no hard drive and 64K memory (Apple II) and cost over $4000 dollars.

First internet speed I used was, I believe, 9.6 K, then 14.4, 28.8 and 56K. For you younger folks, that's "Kilobytes" not Megabytes"!!!

First PC had 64 Meg of memory and RAM cost $40/Meg. Most Hard Drives were 20-40 meg.

Darn I'm getting old!! When do the "Golden Years" start???

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

 

[Smitty37]

Yup

Smitty, remember GRIT newspaper? I sold it for a while, door to door. Sold it for 15 cents and I kept a nickel profit. Just one experience of mine.

Came out once a week and we got it for many years.

 

[Smitty37]

Yes..

Nice piece Smitty. A few things I remember:

I remember when our phone number had 3 digits, then 5, then 7 and now 10.

B&W TV most of the time I was growing up -- 2 then 3 channels and you have to get up to change the channel and volume. Remember the first time I saw color TV the family went down to the local Elks on a Sunday night and watched 'Wonderful World of Disney' and 'Bonanza' on a color TV. Don't recall when we got color at home -- mid to late 60's I believe.

My Dad never filled the car with gas. It was always a dollar or two, BUT, 2 bucks worth was half a tank! On the rare occasions when I got to use Dad's car I would often put in 50 cents worth of gas to drive around.

Always walked to school, rain or shine or snow (about a mile each way). Only kids in the country rode the bus.

My first car cost $40 and I sold it for $50 2 or 3 years later.

My brother is 8 years older than me and I found a receipt for the hospital bill for his birth/delivery -- $12.00.

Remember working as a kid for $ .50 - .75 per hour and first 'real' job was $1.00/hr. which was minimum wage.

First computer had no hard drive and 64K memory (Apple II) and cost over $4000 dollars.

First internet speed I used was, I believe, 9.6 K, then 14.4, 28.8 and 56K. For you younger folks, that's "Kilobytes" not Megabytes"!!!

First PC had 64 Meg of memory and RAM cost $40/Meg. Most Hard Drives were 20-40 meg.

Darn I'm getting old!! When do the "Golden Years" start???

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

You jog a few memories:

Our first Phone # was Moscow 4543...it was on an 8 party line and we heard 4 of the rings ours was 3 shorts.

My first PC was in 1981 it was an IBM pc 64K Storage 160K floppy discs 15 inch CRT monitor.

First attempt at internet connection was a 2400 baud probably about 1991. When I kept it was a few years later at 9600 baud.

We didn't bother getting color TV until about 1973 or so. There just weren't enough programs broadcast in color where we lived to make it worth the extra cost.

I didn't get a drivers license until I got out of the Navy because we didn't have a car...and while I never actually owned a 50 dollar car, I knew a lot of people who did, Most of my buddies probably paid about that for their first car.

 

[Smitty37]

In my life, I recall:
- a time before home computers
- a time before cell phones
- our home phone (the only one in the house) was a rotary phone (you had to dial someone)
- I was introduced to the internet in 1994

Here is an interesting note about phones. I rented a room from 1960 - 1962 and my land lady wouldn't let me put in a phone so I had to use hers. Her phone was intalled the year I was born 1937 and was still working just fine when I moved out of her house.

 

[Jim Burr]

Boy does this go back...
Melrose 3082
Candy bars were a nickle so we'd walk the railroad tracks picking up bottles to turn in for 1cent each.
Gas was .22cents a gallon and that was still in California!
Milk bottles on the porch...No 2%.
Ladies with white gloves in church.
Our doctor made house calls, gave us a key to his house so we could use his pool.
Got the paddle to the back side by my 6th grade Principle.

 

[Smitty37]

Boy does this go back...
Melrose 3082
Candy bars were a nickle so we'd walk the railroad tracks picking up bottles to turn in for 1cent each.
Gas was .22cents a gallon and that was still in California!
Milk bottles on the porch...No 2%.
Ladies with white gloves in church.
Our doctor made house calls, gave us a key to his house so we could use his pool.
Got the paddle to the back side by my 6th grade Principle.

Where I grew up the deposit on bottles was 2 cents.

 

[knowltoh]

My home phone number was 41
I also sold the Grit
Bought a 1949 Ford for $300 in 1961---my first car. Saved the money by working at Montgomery Wards during high school.
After graduating frm college in 1968, I was a grave digger for 6 months before landing my first teaching job.
Taught chemistry and math for 37 years, retiring in 2005.
Have 3 kids, 7 grandkids and a great wife of 40 years.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Born in September 1941 in NYC
lived in a 6 story walk up cold water flat until 1952.
Had a 12 inch Dupont TV in '50 with a magnifying glass that was on a stand in front of it, you moved in and out to get a bigger clearer pitcher.
Remember the Gillette Friday night fights
T.V. Didn't come on until 7PM
we were luck and only had a 4 party line
Moved to my Dads home town of Tampa, Florida.
Played ball with Lou Pinella, Tony LaRussa,and Al Lopez Jr. as kids, Sweet Lou is 2 years younger than me and Tony is 2 years younger and both out hit me as 15 year olds.
First job was delivering Drugs ( not that kind) for a drug store at $1 a day plus tips on my bike.
Second Job was pumping gas/changing oil at a Supertest gas station and Gas was 9.9 cents a gallon a complete oil change was $2.50 included topping off the tranny fluid,break fluid, and a grease job was $1 more.
Third job was installing A/C duct work in attics for a summer, we would work for 1/2 hour rest for 1/2 hour.
@17 Went to work for a company called Gulf Coast Business Machines, learned repairs of the Old Olivetti D24 printing calculator and then went into sales of business machines.
Next went to work for Revlon Cosmetic as a sales Rep
Next worked for Madenform as a sales rep
worked at Sears in their Management training
After my Divorce from wife # 1 I met Dee and we decided to move to Texas
We owned a Mexican Import business for a few years, a Flower shop, Pet shop , swimming pool construction business and a Satellite business, the last 4 all at one time for a while.
Became a sales rep for the largest importer of silk flowers in the country movet to Oklahoma to cover my territory which consisted of Oklahoma, Arkanas, North Texas and S. Mo. hile doing that we opened up a Nascar Collectable store ( Dee just needed something to do)
Retired..well tried to
went to work part time at our local Loews which became full time and was manager of three departmens at one time.
Retired again....well again I tried but ended up doing Art shows all over the SW. and now Own "The Classic Nib".
Dee and I have been very happily married 40 years have 4 childern 9 grand children and 1 great grandson.
I have no idea how all this happen in just a very few years as I only feel 30,,,,,until I bend, lift, walk,:biggrin::wink:

 

[Xander]

OK... I'll make an attempt.

Born '58 in Wisconsin. Have vague memories of early childhood, playing in piles of leaves, making snowmen, etc.
In about '63 family moved to Australia. This was just after the Cuban missle crisis.
Spent 12 months on the ship getting to Australia, stopping just about everywhere. Went through suez and panama canals.
First computer was a "Dick Smith system 80", a clone of the Radioshack TRS 80. Had maybe 64k, NO hard drive, used cassette tape for data storage, used B&W TV as monitor. No programs were available and EVERYTHING had to be written in very basic BASIC.
TV was 20" B&W until I bought my own color. To this day my parents still don't have color or any type of cable.
Attended university doing science degree, then went on to engineering.
In 1997 or thereabout became disabled.
About 6 years ago I moved back to USA.
Last month started making pens.

 

[Smitty37]

My home phone number was 41
I also sold the Grit
Bought a 1949 Ford for $300 in 1961---my first car. Saved the money by working at Montgomery Wards during high school.
After graduating frm college in 1968, I was a grave digger for 6 months before landing my first teaching job.
Taught chemistry and math for 37 years, retiring in 2005.
Have 3 kids, 7 grandkids and a great wife of 40 years.

I actually got my first car in 1961 also It was a '57 Chevy.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Forgot, my first car was a 1939 Ford twodoor 90. Guess what the 90 stood for..

 

[Smitty37]

Born in September 1941 in NYC
lived in a 6 story walk up cold water flat until 1952.
Had a 12 inch Dupont TV in '50 with a magnifying glass that was on a stand in front of it, you moved in and out to get a bigger clearer pitcher.
Remember the Gillette Friday night fights
T.V. Didn't come on until 7PM
we were luck and only had a 4 party line
Moved to my Dads home town of Tampa, Florida.
Played ball with Lou Pinella, Tony LaRussa,and Al Lopez Jr. as kids, Sweet Lou is 2 years younger than me and Tony is 2 years younger and both out hit me as 15 year olds.
First job was delivering Drugs ( not that kind) for a drug store at $1 a day plus tips on my bike.
Second Job was pumping gas/changing oil at a Supertest gas station and Gas was 9.9 cents a gallon a complete oil change was $2.50 included topping off the tranny fluid,break fluid, and a grease job was $1 more.
Third job was installing A/C duct work in attics for a summer, we would work for 1/2 hour rest for 1/2 hour.
@17 Went to work for a company called Gulf Coast Business Machines, learned repairs of the Old Olivetti D24 printing calculator and then went into sales of business machines.
Next went to work for Revlon Cosmetic as a sales Rep
Next worked for Madenform as a sales rep
worked at Sears in their Management training
After my Divorce from wife # 1 I met Dee and we decided to move to Texas
We owned a Mexican Import business for a few years, a Flower shop, Pet shop , swimming pool construction business and a Satellite business, the last 4 all at one time for a while.
Became a sales rep for the largest importer of silk flowers in the country movet to Oklahoma to cover my territory which consisted of Oklahoma, Arkanas, North Texas and S. Mo. hile doing that we opened up a Nascar Collectable store ( Dee just needed something to do)
Retired..well tried to
went to work part time at our local Loews which became full time and was manager of three departmens at one time.
Retired again....well again I tried but ended up doing Art shows all over the SW. and now Own "The Classic Nib".
Dee and I have been very happily married 40 years have 4 childern 9 grand children and 1 great grandson.
I have no idea how all this happen in just a very few years as I only feel 30,,,,,until I bend, lift, walk,:biggrin::wink:

You had a busy life Roy.

You're lucky in one respect, I never got to play ball with anybody who got to the majors - played with a couple who made the minor leagues in the 50's but none ever got to the big times.

I did play bridge for a couple of years with Spook Jacobs who played for the Philadelphia A's one year, so I did get to know a major leaguer.

My son did play against Kirt Manwaring (catcher Giants and Astros,etc) in American Legion ball. So you could say I knew 2 major leaguers.