I remember when.....

[Widebrim]

Ice Cream at Thrifty's; Single 5 cents, double 10 cents and triple 15 cents.

I can verify that, and I have often told people the same. Man, you must be at least as old as me...

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I remember going to the 'Casino' at Lake Worth Beach in Florida, not to swim in the ocean, but to swim all day in the municipal pool.

 

[brspiritus]

ok bear in mind I was born in '74 and grew up outside Baltimore, Md.

I remember when...

The Woolworth's had a lunch counter, hechts had a tea room, the merchandise was made in the USA and noone ever heard of Wal-Mart

Our color tv dad bought in '76, RCA with tubes, I still had that tv in '98

We had a drive in until the 90's, now it's a home depot

The Westview theatres had 3 screens and ushers, the first movie I saw there was Star Wars and the last movie was Glory right before it closed down and was turned into a Compusa

Mom and Dad both had Pontiac Asters, Dad's was red and mom's was avocado green

the pharmacy and grocer were local mom and pop operations. The pharmacy is now a rite-aid and the grocer closed down and was reinvented into a liquor store that gets robbed with frightening regularity

When people wore hats and my grandfather put on a tie and sportcoat just to go to the A&P

My grandfather wore vince Lombardi glasses and my granmother Cat's Eye glasses... now they are retro and back in style

Memorial day family picnics with the entire family at my grandparents house. After dinner the men played pinochle, the women bridge and spades and the kids all played whiffle ball in the street whilst under the watchful eye of my granfather's dog

Waiting excitedly for christmas when I would get that years' Hess truck to add to my collection, I was so excited when they came out with the one where the headlights worked.

The TV had 2 VHF channels, 2 UHF channels and an antenna. There was a remote control but it was useless more than 2 feet away from the tv.

Watching the muppet show, Nova with Carl Sagan and Star Blazers

Going on family trips to Ocean City and staying in the Mayflower Hotel, no airconditioning and the hotel had been open since the turn of the century and the staff was original

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I remember when it was fairly common to see a fella walking (or driving, usually in a big Cadillac Fleetwood or Buick Electra or Chevy Caprice, or Olds Ninety-Eight) with a fedora and a cigar or pipe. And Dad's better customer's smoking in the gun shop.

 

[brspiritus]

Ah yes how could I forget, smoking everywhere and anywhere you wanted to. I remember flying to Sarasota with mom and dad when I was a kid (around 1982) and when the plane landed there was a fog of smoke in the cabin.

 

[MikeBravo]

Ah yes how could I forget, smoking everywhere and anywhere you wanted to. I remember flying to Sarasota with mom and dad when I was a kid (around 1982) and when the plane landed there was a fog of smoke in the cabin.

I remember that too. Thank God that's all over

 

[dnjan]

I grew up on a farm, and I remember my dad making butter in the churn in the basement (sometimes I was allowed to turn the crank as well!). The churn was a small wooden barrel mounted in a stand. The crank turned the barrel over, end-for-end. The butter would then be put into wooden bowls, and into the refrigerator.
The cream for the butter came from the two cows that dad milked by hand twice a day. He would bring the fresh milk in, and it would be put into a "separator". He would turn a crank, and the inside of the separator would start spinning. Cream would slowly come out one spout, and milk (with much of the cream removed) would come out another. That milk would be put into wide-mouth quart jars, and put in the refrigerator. As it cooled, an additional layer of cream would form on the surface. This would either get stirred back in, or carefully scooped off for mom's coffee.

Funny thing is, when we started buying margarine at the grocery store, I liked that better. I think it had more salt.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

When I was young, my father started his gun shop out of our barn. We also were farming at that time yet. When the guy from the ATF came out to inspect the place, he noticed we had chickens and came out again to help us butcher and pluck them when they were ready in return for a couple of chickens.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Ice Cream at Thrifty's; Single 5 cents, double 10 cents and triple 15 cents.

Oh, yeah... and the Thrifty's I went to was where Pong first appeared in my life!

For those not in the know, these weren't "scoops" of ice cream, they were more like cylinders of ice cream. Thrifty's had a device that was cylindrical, made to fit the top of an ice cream cone (not the actual cone shaped ones, the type with the flat bottom) and had a handle with a trigger on it. The cylinder was pushed down into the ice cream and pulled back out filled with ice cream. It was applied to the top of the cone and the trigger squeezed, operating a mechanism that pushed the cylinder of ice cream out of the device and onto the cone (or the preceding cylinder.) The Thrifty's in South Gate was on Otis, a couple of blocks down from the Junior High School. They did a booming business after 3PM!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Tango Yankee]

I remember when it was fairly common to see a fella walking (or driving, usually in a big Cadillac Fleetwood or Buick Electra or Chevy Caprice, or Olds Ninety-Eight) with a fedora and a cigar or pipe.

Wow, where did you grow up? I'm 51, and I have no memories of seeing any man wearing a hat (apart from uniform caps) when I was a kid. Of course, I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles which may have something to do with that.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I grew up in York Township outside of Columbus, Wi. Very small town, mostly old farmers. I blame it much for my love of vintage. It was like growing up in the 40s or 50s there. Our only claims to fame, really, are the State's largest antique mall, and they filmed some of Public Enemies there.

Wow, where did you grow up? I'm 51, and I have no memories of seeing any man wearing a hat (apart from uniform caps) when I was a kid. Of course, I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles which may have something to do with that.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

When I was young, my father started his gun shop out of our barn. We also were farming at that time yet. When the guy from the ATF came out to inspect the place, he noticed we had chickens and came out again to help us butcher and pluck them when they were ready in return for a couple of chickens.

At one time I wanted to get a Federal Firearms Dealer's License but now it's more trouble than it's worth. The days of being able to operate a gun shop out of your garage or barn are gone. Many places now require that you have a brick and mortar business premises.

 

[Tango Yankee]

Disneyland rides

Over the years there have been a number of rides at Disneyland that went away. When I was growing up we went to Disneyland every summer. I remember riding on the "speed boats" for example, and of course the Skyway and the canoes. If you'd like a bit of a nostalgic look at some of the long-gone rides you may want to check out Yesterland.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Lincsong]

I can verify that, and I have often told people the same. Man, you must be at least as old as me...

That was in 1974-1980 up here in the Bay Area. I really don't remember the infant years '69-74

 

[Lincsong]

I remember when there were after market air conditioners for cars that were installed on the hump under the dash. If the car was a V-8 it wasn't too much of a problem. My Dad had a '65 Country Squire and the next door neighbor had a '66 and he had the aftermarket a/c. I remember he let my Dad borrow it when we drove down to Ensenada in July 1974. I even remember him and my Dad taking it out of his wagon and installing it in my Dad's.

My Grandpa had a 1973 Datsun 510. His first car with an air conditioner (his last car too since he owned it when he died), that little four cylinder was so overworked whenever that a/c was turned out it wasn't even worth the bother to flick the switch on.

I also remember those room coolers where ice cubes where placed in the bin and the fan would blow the cold out into the room.

 

[Widebrim]

Oh, yeah... and the Thrifty's I went to was where Pong first appeared in my life!
For those not in the know, these weren't "scoops" of ice cream, they were more like cylinders of ice cream. Thrifty's had a device that was cylindrical, made to fit the top of an ice cream cone (not the actual cone shaped ones, the type with the flat bottom) and had a handle with a trigger on it. The cylinder was pushed down into the ice cream and pulled back out filled with ice cream. It was applied to the top of the cone and the trigger squeezed, operating a mechanism that pushed the cylinder of ice cream out of the device and onto the cone (or the preceding cylinder.)

They still serve Thrifty ice cream that way, Tom; it just costs more per cylinder...

 

[Widebrim]

Wow, where did you grow up? I'm 51, and I have no memories of seeing any man wearing a hat (apart from uniform caps) when I was a kid. Of course, I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles which may have something to do with that.

Cheers,
Tom

I grew up in Glendale, Tom, and I do remember some old men walking around downtown, wearing fedoras.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That should be on the I remember list as well. Station Wagons! Ahh, those big wood-paneled behemoths that were in every driveway when I was a kid, until the Mini-Van and SUV wiped them out. Dad had a 66 Caprice Wagon, then a 77 Ford LTD later on. I was very close to a 77 Squire and currently have an 87 Caprice Estate. Cannot beat the ride, power, and room of that 8 Cylinder, Automatic, land yacht!

I remember when there were after market air conditioners for cars that were installed on the hump under the dash. If the car was a V-8 it wasn't too much of a problem. My Dad had a '65 Country Squire and the next door neighbor had a '66 and he had the aftermarket a/c. I remember he let my Dad borrow it when we drove down to Ensenada in July 1974. I even remember him and my Dad taking it out of his wagon and installing it in my Dad's.

My Grandpa had a 1973 Datsun 510. His first car with an air conditioner (his last car too since he owned it when he died), that little four cylinder was so overworked whenever that a/c was turned out it wasn't even worth the bother to flick the switch on.

I also remember those room coolers where ice cubes where placed in the bin and the fan would blow the cold out into the room.

Ours was a brick and mortar business, we went through a lot of hassle with zoning to do it there. We also did small engine repair, but slowly phased it out as the guns took off. We've relocated and expanded, 3 times since the barn. Now pa has his class 3 (full-auto) license as well.

At one time I wanted to get a Federal Firearms Dealer's License but now it's more trouble than it's worth. The days of being able to operate a gun shop out of your garage or barn are gone. Many places now require that you have a brick and mortar business premises.

 

[Phineas Lamour]

I used to have a 77 Country Squire. I paid $300 for it. My second favorite car I ever owned. 88 Lincoln Towncar was my most favorite.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Ain't they somethin'? I looked at one a year ago, for 900 bucks. All original in great shape. 460, C-6, 8-track, hideaway lights, all the goodies. Had the original window sticker (EPA Gas Milage was 8 City, 12 Highway!