February 28, 2015- Our Town- Part 1

The Store

 We lived only a couple blocks from the convenience store (the only one in our town) at our old apartment. Our Aunt Joan lived right near it but she would usually ask Mike and me to go there for her. She sometimes would give us a quarter each for doing so.

   We probably got her cigarettes occasionally like we did for Dad. I was doing this even when I was as young as 9 years old. His brand was Kool and hers was Parliament 100s. They sold liquor there too.

   Mike, Cindy, Jessica and I got yelled at by the owner Lou once because we were sitting on the floor counting our money out before buying our candy. What a grouchy guy he was. They had to rebuild the place after a fire but I forget what year that was- early 1980s?

   The owners after him, Dave and Valerie, were very nice. One of mom’s friends, Betty, worked there. They catered our town’s 50^th Anniversary celebration in 1992. By the mid-1990s they sold the business which is a shame. We didn’t go there much after that.

   It went out of business sometime in 2014. A bakery/deli is supposed to open there soon. Mom told Mike and me that our town used to have a small Shop Rite. I should ask her when that closed down.

  

The Carnival

My favorite rides at our town carnival were the Scrambler, The Tilt-A-Whirl and the Octopus. There was one called the Bullet but Mike and I never went on that; it looked too scary to me. They used to have pony rides there when we were kids. I don’t think that we ever went on one though. I’d have to ask mom.

  The money raised at this event helped the fire department and ambulance squad. It was always held around the time of Mom’s birthday, July 30^th. We played the 50/50 sometimes but never won that and we weren’t that lucky at the games either. I did win a unicorn picture once.

   The food there was good.  Mom and Mike love the barbecued ribs. Mike likes the zeppoles also. After the early 90s the variety to choose from was lessened which was disappointing.

1972

Mid-1980s

The Octopus

The Bullet

 

Note- last 4 photos are from the internet

 

February 26- Chris Young and DD

The Chris concert was good. I got close to the stage, like a 3^rd row behind the VIP people who had been let in first. I had stood on the line outside for 2 and a half hours.

   Even though I enjoyed this experience, my mind was wandering during it. I hate that one of the thoughts was that I wish that I could be this close to the stage at a Duran Duran concert again. I was also beating myself up over my DD screw ups of 2015 once more.

   I wish that I had mainly been focusing on Simon at the Terminal 5 show. I will never get to be that near him again. I didn’t need to pay a lot of attention to bassist guy then. I have done so enough before.

   It isn’t good that I couldn’t wait until the show was over so I could go home to bed. I was lucky enough to get to Penn Station in time for the 11:06 train. I was in bed by 12:05. I thought that I might sleep later than usual but my internal alarm got me up by 5 a.m.

   I just wasn’t feeling that enthused about the music as I was at his show in Long Island last summer. Maybe part of the reason was that I was still feeling a little sick. I wasn’t even going gaga over him like I used to either. Maybe I am over that crush by now.

   I feel bad for thinking that I would have rather been at another country artist’s concert, like Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, or Garth Brooks.

   I didn’t lie to my brother about where I was going. I just didn’t feel like inventing a cover story. I will definitely have to come up with a few of those for the DD concerts though. He teased me about Chris, naturally.

   I should have been more into my 3 favorite songs- “Aw Naw”, “You”, and “Who I am With You” but I just wasn’t feeling that excited about them. I couldn’t help thinking that I wish that I had been at that whole DD show in Port Chester to see “Careless Memories”. I certainly would have been very enthused about that.

   Crap- I am sounding super obsessed with that group again, aren’t I? I couldn’t even go a night in which I was supposed to be fully enjoying my country boy’s concert without thinking about them. That is pretty bad.

   My head hurts a lot this morning because of my cold and the loudness of the music last night. Great-my brother just slammed the front door so now it is feeling worse.

   I am glad that I layered up my outfit yesterday; the temps were colder than I expected plus the wind made things worse.

   I was sitting in Penn Station for like an hour and 20 minutes reading my James Patterson book and eating my dinner before heading to the theater. I finished that novel while on line there. I had started it last July. It is pathetic that it took me so long to complete. It is the only book that I have read in this time period.

   The opening act, Cassadee Pope, was okay. She did a cover version of Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out”.   

   Mike is excited that Peter Davison has been added to the guest list at the LI Doctor Who convention. I am happy for him. It would be nice if this event could be in my budget. My funds have been mostly devoted to Duran Duran stuff this past year.

   I probably will be going to the Chiller Theatre show with him and Tony in April. The 3 main stars of “CHiPs” are going to be there. They probably will be in a separate room like the “Batman” ones were last time which sucks.

   That would mean that I would have to get an autograph in order to see them. I wouldn’t mind getting that of Robert Pine, but do I really need this? I will think about it.

  I didn’t really journal much about Chris, did I? I just don’t feel like it. Gosh, this makes it seem like I wasn’t even that glad that I went to this concert. Wasn’t I wishing that I could be closer to him when I was at the LI show?

   Well, I got my wish yet part of me isn’t even that overjoyed about it. Maybe tomorrow I will be feeling this positive emotion. I am just in a very bad place emotionally today.

 

Dreamtime-

November 16, 2014- Strange Building                                                                                                       

Mom and I were visiting Aunt Ann for a couple of days. We had taken the train to get there. She had picked us up from Trenton station. We went to Columbus Flea Market, a couple of thrift shops and a few other stores. She took us out for lunch a couple of times. We looked as we did in the mid-1990s.

   It was odd that Dad was taking us home. My parents were divorced in this reality too but got along okay. He had been to Columbus Market and picked us up afterwards. His car was the 1976 Chevy Malibu station wagon. He had that until about 1990.

   I was feeling so tired that I had to take a nap during the ride home. When I woke up, I saw that we were close to NYC. Why were we going there? I found out that Mom had a dentist appointment in the city. This was bizarre because she really goes to a dental clinic in New Brunswick.

   I was feeling even more exhausted when sitting in the waiting area with them. I had a feeling that the mean aliens were somehow causing me to feel this way. I fell asleep and when I woke up saw that the setting had entirely changed.

    I was in a waiting area but in a nightclub. I saw lots of posters of music stars from the 1980s on the wall, including The Thompson Twins, Depeche Mode, Howard Jones, Duran Duran and a few of just John Taylor. I also heard “Our House” by Madness playing on a stereo system.

    There were 8 other people here. Two of them were sitting behind a reception type desk. Was I in the same building as before?  I did try leaving it only I wound up right back inside which made me feel like I was trapped here.

   I went back to my seat. Sitting nearby was a guy who resembled John Taylor, circa 1983. He was dressed in a red top, black leather pants, and a black jacket. He saw that I looked anxious and told me not to worry and to just enjoy myself.

   We started talking. His name was Joe. I saw a guy who looked like Howard Jones and then heard Joe saying “He’s cute” about him which made me smile.

   A girl in an outfit like Pat Benatar wore in her “Love is a Battlefield” video approached Joe. She seemed really interested in him. He told her that he has a boyfriend.

   She was disappointed but then moved onto another John Taylor double, circa 1981. He was wearing a white puffy shirt and black leather pants and had the burgundy hair. Joe said “not bad” about his outfit.

   I was feeling a little less anxious now. Joe said that it was time to go inside. I don’t normally like nightclubs and have only been to one ever (in NYC for a 2009 DD Megabash event). Luckily, the music wasn’t so loud as it had been there.

   This place had video screens. “The Reflex’ had just started. Joe said that this is one of his favorite Duran Duran songs. He asked me to come out onto the dance floor with him. I was hesitant but he convinced me to do so. I wasn’t even feeling that embarrassed unlike in the real world.

   After that, I told Joe that I had to go to the restroom and that I would meet him at one of the tables when I got back. Unfortunately, the scene faded and I was now in my actual bedroom. I wished that I could have been at that club for a little longer.

Columbus Flea Market

 

Note- Columbus Flea Market and Pat Benatar photos are from the internet

December 22, 2015- Dad

Dad was the tire guy on the assembly line then the forklift driver at the Linden plant of General Motors. We went to the 75^th Anniversary of GM event there in 1983. There were tours of it which I think that we had been on one other time before.

   They had vintage cars in the parking lot and an air show.  He left that job after 23 years with only 7 to go before retirement which was pretty foolish. I wonder if he ever regrets doing this. He worked at a freight airliner at Newark airport after this, also as a forklift driver.

   He has an interest in the Civil War. He likes the movie Gone with the Wind and has the collectible dolls Rhett and Scarlett. He also has a book about that film. He got the Civil War chess set from either the Franklin or Danbury Mint. Mom bought him a nice book set for Christmas of 1986. 

   He started smoking when he was 13 or 14 years old and did so up until he had bypass surgery in the mid-1990s. A lot of mom’s stuffed animals got ruined because of the smoke/nicotine stains. This was so upsetting.

   We really should have tried to clean them somehow but we weren’t thinking clearly and just threw them out. My Finnegan seal that I got in PA then gave to mom a few years later was one of them as were 2 poodles. Mom loves poodles; her Dad had 2 of them – Shu Shu and Prince.

   Dad sure did like electronics. He had 3 stereos at once throughout our house – living room, parent’s room and basement. The older one with the 8 track player was down there. This was after we got rid of our big stereo which was lastly in my room.

   He had a radio that he could listen to broadcasts from other countries on it too. He had a Sony Watchman and 2 other portable TVs. I lost track of the number of digital watches that he owned – it might have been 4.

   He bought us our first VCR, a Panasonic, in Macy’s in 1983. I think that it cost $350.00 on sale. We had it for many years before it broke down – 1996? I paid a lot to have it repaired. It probably would have cost the same or even less to get a new one which we eventually had to do in 1999. That one only lasted about 5 years. They certainly don’t make things as good as they used to, from electronics to toys.

   Dad’s favorite shows included “Leave It to Beaver”, “The Munsters”,” The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Andy Griffith”. We would sometimes watch these with him. He also liked “Sanford and Son” which Grandma Next-Door would sometimes watch with us.

    God must be so displeased with me for having some unkind thoughts about my father. I have just a few good memories of him, like watching Dracula (Legosi) and other monster movies from the 30s-50s and also the wrestling matches with him and Mike. Mike used to frequently do his impersonations of some of them like Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

   He once took me to a small wrestling event at Roselle Catholic High School; Sgt. Slaughter was scheduled to be there but I have this vague memory that he didn’t show up. I can’t believe that we used to be so into this sport. Well, some people wouldn’t consider the then WWF as that.

    He probably would’ve been mad at us if he found out that we played with his 3 Hess trucks, the Goodyear Blimp and the 3 Beatles figures. I always wondered whatever happened to the 4^th one but was afraid to ask. I can’t even remember which guy was missing; I think that either Paul or John. I wasn’t really that familiar with their names back then but did like some of their songs.

1970s

1985

1988

1985

 

General Motors- Linden 1983

Rhett and Scarlett

 

Mom's Stuffed Animals

Shu Shu and Prince

 

 

1970s

1978

1980 Hess Camper

 

Sgt. Slaughter

Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Hulk Hogan

 

Note- the photos of the Hess Trucks, Beatles figures, Goodyear Blimp, and the wrestlers are from the internet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 16, 2015- Movie Memories

 It was great that we got to see a lot of movies for free thanks to Aunt Joan and her friend Ed who always seemed like an uncle to us. She worked at the Elmora Theatre. I think that 1984 was the last year of this- Amadeus. That film was kind of boring to me but Dad seemed to like it; he’s into classical music.  

   Ed used to work as a projectionist at movie theaters and a drive-in was one of them. I think that was in Union; we saw Jaws there.

   He showed us some movies at our house too – Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Willie Wonka. I think that one or maybe even both were at my birthday parties. One summer night in the mid-70s we watched Young Frankenstein in our yard. These were all such good times.

   Mike and I are still wondering why our parents never took us to see Star Wars which would have been for free also. We did see The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi at our Aunt’s theater.

   We saw the re-releases of all 3 films in 1997 but that’s just not the same esp. because of the digital enhancements and added scenes. I’ve seen old footage of people waiting in long lines to see Star Wars and wish that we had seen it back then too.

  In the summer of 1979, Cousin Fran took Mike, her sister Missy, and me to a drive-in to see Roller Boogie. I also saw The Black Stallion and The Black Hole there with those 2 cousins. I had thought that Mike was with us too but he said that he wasn’t.

1985-Tacony-Palmyra Drive In

1973-Elmora Theatre

 

Note- the first 3 photos are mine, the others are from the internet. Elmora Theatre- from American Classic Images

 

Dreamtime

January 5, 2012- A Nightmare Vacation                                                                                             

 I was sitting on a lounge chair by a pool at a hotel. I looked over at the one next to me and saw John Taylor there. He was in the middle of talking about Donna Summer’s song “I Feel Love” with me. I had been in my living room watching TV just seconds before being teleported to this setting.

   I could hear “Escape- The Pina Colada Song” on the stereo system. I mentioned to John that this song was on one of my K-Tel compilation albums. It was nice but also odd that the two of us were having such a conversation in this environment. I discovered that we were in Panama City Beach, Florida.

   Only 15 minutes later, however, some strange and scary things began happening. I saw a man turn into a cartoon character, The Pink Panther. He was still drinking a beer afterwards. He must have also lost his human personality because he didn’t seem to be upset about this.

    A woman changed into The Creature from the Black Lagoon. She chased after a few people but then just sat down on a chair. A girl screamed out that her boyfriend Bob had transformed into a Smurf. I saw him hiding behind a potted plant.

    Everyone was very frightened that something horrible would eventually happen to them too. John was worried about Simon who was at the nearby beach. I went with him to see if Simon was alright.

   We saw that he had just turned into the early 20s version of himself both in appearance and personality. He wasn’t aware that he was married. He was checking out the 2 beautiful girls who were playing Frisbee.

   A man had transformed into a 6 foot Godzilla. He was chasing after people and breathing fire. People were freaking out and running. John tried getting Simon to come with him but he would not leave the beach.

   We ran back to the hotel. I saw a teenage girl in the lobby change into a 65 year old woman. She was crying. Her mother was trying to comfort her. I also noticed a few more Smurfs running around.

   I was feeling so upset that this program had turned into such a nightmare. The mean aliens must have hacked into it. I saw a big foot type monster coming towards us. John grabbed my hand- this sort of surprised me- and we escaped to an area near the restaurant.

   He was no longer holding my hand now. In fact, when I looked next to me, he wasn’t even there. I heard a faint voice saying “I am down here”.  I looked down and saw that John had become Papa Smurf.

   About 7 Smurfs came over to him. They were fully the cartoon characters by now. One of them asked Papa Smurf what they should do. He said “I don’t fucking know!” That sounded so wrong. But then approximately 12 seconds later, he told them that they should all run away from the humans and creatures.

   I watched them following him. I felt even more frightened and alone. The situation got worse when I suddenly felt a strong craving to eat lots of sweets. I went into the restaurant’s kitchen where a few other people were pigging out on all sorts of foods. I could not control myself either.

   I was so relieved that I wasn’t in this frightening storyline for much longer. Is it weird that I was thinking that I would have rather been turned into Smurfette and escaped with Papa John Smurf?

 

 

Note- Godzilla photo is from the internet

 

December 23, 2015- Florida Vacations

I am watching a show on ID Network tonight. The setting for this is in Florida which made me think of our 2 trips there- 1976 and 1983. Disney World was fun; our favorite ride was The Pirates of the Caribbean.

   Some other cool things in Disney World were 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room, GE Carousel of Progress, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Country Bear Jamboree, the Monorail and the Main Street Electrical Parade.

   We never did go on Space Mountain; even Grandma next door did so when she was in Disneyland; she said that her wig nearly fell off.

   We also went to Sea World, Circus World, and a Hollywood Wax Museum in 1976. I did get sick and throw up in Sea World though, but I loved seeing the dolphins there. Dad got stung by a bee during the train ride in the Magic Kingdom. As always, those 2 bad things are much clearer in my memory. We stayed in the same motel both times.

   We liked EPCOT Center which I think had only been open for about a year when we went there in 1983. I hadn’t realized until then that the Magic Kingdom only opened in the early 70s so the park was still relatively young when we first went there.

   We enjoyed the Land, GM- World of Motion, Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy and the countries in the World Showcase, esp. Italy, Germany and England. It rained a little that day; we have a nice picture of us with a rainbow in the background afterwards. We both got piñatas in Mexico.

  I’m remembering vividly something upsetting about that 2^nd vacation. Dad did spoil it at one point when he got mad at Mom for wanting to go back for some more souvenirs in the Magic Kingdom. I can’t remember if he got his way or not- probably. In fact, I’m almost sure that he did.

   That year we went to Silver Springs (Glass bottom boat ride) and the Gatorland Zoo before visiting our Aunt Pauline and family in Panama City. I’ve only ever seen her 3 times. I almost stepped on a crab on the beach. We have a jar of white sand from there.

   At the Jersey shore, I nearly stepped on a horseshoe crab. There was one of these in our yard when we were kids. Mom’s friend Helen J painted flowers and Happy Mother’s Day on its shell. Mike and I were so frightened by it. Dad took it to the river near our town.

 

1976

Sea World

Wax Museum- Doctor Zhivago

 

1983

Horseshoe crab

 

Note- last photo is from the internet