Author: 610rrandtr

“Kid, you got shit in your blood.” Dad’s medical assessment of his son. From first to fifth grade, I was usually sick around 2 weeks a year. Once in December, and once in February. I was prone to bad colds/flu. Very sore ears, sore throat, clogged nose, hacking and coughing. I went to bed with… Continue reading Sick!

Is that—-No ! It can’t be! If you’ve been reading along, I mentioned the girl thrown out of her house. I think that happened around fourth grade. Now–close your eyes and imagine this: you’re riding your bike down the street, in your own little juvenile world and you see colored things that look like rags… Continue reading Sex Education (kinda) on the lawn

Even then, they didn’t ride the wave, they MADE the wave. Remember I mentioned how JFK’s death was in our protoplasm? After 11/63, every child seemed to require Disney in order to breathe and brush their teeth. First, as always the movies: The Lady and The Tramp, 101 Dalmations, Sword and the Stone, Jungle Book,… Continue reading The diabolic Genius of 1960’s Disney

Smile-a-day. As I hurried home from school, the evening paper awaited me. I can’t remember all the comics, but here’s a small list: Rick O’Shea, Kerry Drake (and his brother), Dick Tracy, Peanuts, Nancy, Lil Abner (and the graceful Fearless Fosdick). Mark Trail, Amy, Trudy, Beetle Bailey, Popeye, and The Phantom. They served to shepherd… Continue reading The Daily Funnies

Hurt Feelings? Who cares? I mentioned last time how people dressed up more in the 60’s. I hated it, but it was the way people were and my father loved food (not all fat people are jolly!!); expensive food was his specialty. So, I’m in the living room with dad, waiting for mom. Typical, right?… Continue reading All Husbands Know Saying this is Taboo (Dressing Up II)

Dressed up, But can they take me anywhere? In the sixties, people generally dressed up more. Any meal outside the house (even diners) meant suit and tie for dad, dress for mom. There were many times I was embarrassed in public by being overdressed. Case in Point: the county’s first Sears opens a half-hour away.… Continue reading Never trust a smiling father (Dressing Up, Part 1)

Boners and Washing Dogs…. In third grade, I remember seeing a kid laugh so hard he fell out of his chair. We had an English book and there was a story about a boy taking his muddy dog to a swanky place that washed dogs. There was an illustration, and it showed the dog covered… Continue reading First Time for Everything

Why, or why, dear Lord, was this exercise in stupidity so savored by adults? Oh, and did you say ‘dodgeball’?  Well, they tried that.  Sure, let’s go. What can go wrong? Well, plenty! Here’s what happened:  Rule 1—Boys can only throw at boys (constant boy on girl harassment with associated puddles of tears). Girls can… Continue reading Gym III: Dodge Ball and the Labyrinth of Rules

Or, ‘Karma Bites the hand of the Powerful’ While I grant you that it must have been a bitch to think of things to do with 50+ kids throughout the winter, you can’t just wing it as your passions dictate. One day he was in ‘THE mood’, and decided the boys were going to do… Continue reading Elementary Gym Class II: The Saga of Cold Steel and Warm Flesh

“What devil art thou that dost torment me thus? This torture should be roar’d in dismal hell.” Our auditorium doubled as our gym.  Useless basketball nets on both sides of the room–you couldn’t even contemplate getting a ball up there until at least fifth grade..  That was it. The stage took up half of the… Continue reading Ahhhh, Gym Class (everybody sigh with pleasure)