When I was very young (5-7?) my dad’s dad died. I think natural causes although it was never discussed. He lived in MD and we in Upper Darby, PA at 292 Kent Road, so he and my mom drove there for the funeral. They were gone a few days so we had a family friend come stay with us. When they returned, my dad was upset about something. We soon found out what that was. As usual, we were all lined up in the living room at somewhat attention. We found out that his driver’s license was missing. He wasn’t pulled over but what if he had needed it? One of us must have taken it. I think he surmised this after he tried to find it. When no one claimed to be the thief after about 5 minutes of standing there, and I didn’t believe any of us did it, I said that I took it. Why did I do this? I figured they would be let go, I would find it and all would be well again. I might even get a pat on the back for helping out my dad and everyone else. Boy was I mistaken. He dismissed everyone and took me up to my room (which I shared with my two other brothers). He told me to pull down my pants, bend over the bed and proceeded to whip my behind with his belt. I don’t know how many times he struck me but I sure hurt, I screamed and was just one big tear drop. I thought, “Now why did I admit to this again?” But I thought I couldn’t fess up now as I would be a liar one way or the other and everyone would have to visit the living room again. He wanted me to get the license immediately! I started looking for it. He felt I was stalling so we visited the bedroom again for another round. I think we did that 1/2 dozen times in all, never finding the license. I think the only place I didn’t look was their room as I figured he had done this already. After he died in ‘65, I heard that he did find it in his jewelry box a few days later. Why it was ever put there at all I don’t know. Did he ever apologize to me? No but I would like to think he was just too embarrassed and didn’t know what to say or maybe how to say it. I don’t remember sitting down for quite a while without being in some pain. It sure taught me a lesson! If that were to happen today, no belt would be involved and we would find the license. Amazingly, I have the jewelry box the license was in (unless my wife got rid of it with the rest of my stuff). I did love my dad too even after this. After all, I was born on his birthday and shared his middle name. I miss him and wish I would have gotten to know him better.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
School Daze Aug ‘67 – June ‘71
We actually did dip someone’s fingertips in water at my school. Just use some warmed water. It works but please be kind,,,
Getting Someone To Pee While They Are Sleeping
Something else that was crazy. We were exploring one day and found a shelter in the basement. Crackers, water, first aid kits and what we thought were hard candies. They were in a large tin (like Charles Chips or caramel popcorn) and shaped like little footballs. They were different colors and sugar-coated. We tried them and they were great! We ate them like them seemed: candy. We found out over the next few days what they truly were: (wait for it!!) they were laxatives! We were all using the bathroom endlessly for days. It weren’t pretty.
The Cow - She Walks; She Talks; She’s Full Of Chalk; The Latical Fluid Is Extracted From The Female Of The Bovine Species And Is Highly Polithical To The Enth Degree! Sir! After reciting that, freshman could get a glass of milk.
If there was anything I was ever proud of in my life it has to be the end of hazing at Patton. Hazing was rampant and life could be unpleasant if you were a freshman. As we were hazed as other classmates had been before us, we did the best we could to not complain, cry or just give the upper classman any satisfaction from the experience. It just wasn’t as much fun for them any longer. When we became upper classmen, we would intervene if we ever saw this. Some examples we endured include eating food that was “enhanced” (milkshakes – strawberry (milk+ketchup), butterscotch (milk+mustard), vanilla (milk+salt)); instead of using sugar in cereal, for example, load up on salt. Forfeiting deserts at meals. Doing unsupervised chores assigned to others. Chores included sweeping, cleaning windows, grounds work and basically whatever needed to be done that many hands could do. We basically lived across the road from a huge farm so a lot of things needed done often.
My early diet that lasted from almost Day 1 through Thanksgiving break (first time I ever wrote this down) – I didn’t break 100 lbs until I was 13. This was my first year at Patton. The first year I truly enjoyed milk. I ate like this:
Breakfast – M-F - 6 bowls of cold cereal and/or 3-4 bowls of cream of wheat (my fav) or oatmeal; 6 glasses milk; 1-2 glasses juice; 6+ scrambled eggs; 6+ pieces of bacon; 1/2 loaf of buttered bread;; Sat same except replace eggs with waffles or pancakes; Sun same except replace waffles or pancakes with 6-12 sunny side up eggs (but they could be hard). Of course there were 6-8 other students at the table and sometimes a teacher or other adult and we all had about 20 mins to eat. I didn’t talk much :)
Lunch – M-Sat we usually had spaghetti or some casserole; easy to eat/make stuff like that. We would have it served in a big bowl and I would eat about half a bowl; 1/2 bowl of vegetables, if available; 6+ glasses milk; 1/2 loaf of buttered bread; Sun Sandwiches 6+ of assortment – either ham or turkey or chicken with various cheeses. 6+ glasses milk; desert of various kinds – tapioca; pie (first and last time I tried rhubarb) jello – I would eat as many as I could as they were limited. Again the 6-8 other students at the table and sometimes a teacher or other adult. Had about 40 minutes to eat. I didn’t talk much here either.
Dinner – 1/2 plate of some meat; 1/2 bowl mashed potatoes; 1/2 bowl vegetables; 6+ glasses milk; 1/2 loaf of buttered bread; desert of various kinds as before with same limits. Again the 6-8 others at the table had to eat too. Had about 50 minutes to eat.
All the food, unless out of season, was raised or grown across the road at the farm. Trust me when I say this, when the wind blew at us we would know about the chickens, pigs and cows. We even knew when the feed was changed for the cows as the milk would taste sour. The milk was only pasteurized but I’m sure the cream was at least scraped off the top for butter, pies, etc. A glass of milk still looked full for a few minutes after being drained. Probably why it tasted so good. Whole milk at home tasted like water!
I could eat more than the biggest kid in school, who was part Indian, played football and weighed about 240. After the holidays my appetite slowly returned to normal. I also grew almost 6 inches during this time. I was in such pain when I laid in bed at night waiting to go to sleep. I thought I had a disease and was dying. I didn’t share this with anyone at the time but did confide it eventually to my roommate (Steve Bauman?).
Confronting Dr. Kopp – I had the unfortunate pleasure of going head to head with the superintendent of our school Dr. Kopp. I didn’t ask for it but I felt compelled to step up to the challenge once it got started. I also felt like I was observing myself as well as participating. It sure felt weird. It went down like this. We were driving back to school on a bus from some event. I was a few seats from the back and Dr. K was up front behind the driver where he usually sat. Most of us were singing something (yes, including me) to pass the time and were getting louder and louder (was it bottles of beer on the wall?). This didn’t sit well with Dr. K so he lumbered back to quiet us down. I didn’t care for this and told him so. He told the boy sitting with me to move up front to his seat. I told him to stay put. Dr. K insisted and took the seat next to me. After a moment, I went on a verbal tirade. I got a lot off my chest in front of everyone. I don’t remember all I said but it sure felt good during and after. One surprise to me and everyone was Dr. K said nothing the whole time. He didn’t even punish me with hours or detention or even speak to me about it. Ever!
There was one time that I was in electronics class (like everyone, took a few shop classes at Patton). Our teacher was not in class and a radio was on playing Time of the Season by The Zombies and for some reason, I started to twirl (dance or whatever you call it) around the entire room til the song had finished. I don’t know what came over me but it felt good while I was doing it. I don’t remember asking any of my classmates what they were thinking. Maybe I should’ve! I remembering thinking I could be like Eric in The Fastest Gun Alive. He was good.
I remember once when I was a waiter (we all had to do that as a “chore” and it was either for a week or month) and I was serving desert at lunch and one of my tables had the superintendent in attendance. I would either serve a senior or him if he was there. It looked something like this
except it was a bowl of peaches in his lap! I had one bowl in each hand and poured one in his lap as I set the other one in front of him. Funny, sort of, at the time. Funnier later.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Daily habits
I usually have a couple yogurts in the morning along with a cup of coffee. If I'm out and no one makes coffee, I will have some crackers throughout the day with either bottled water or Hawaiian punch or tea (again if any made). I usually can't prepare much these days so if it's not ready made, I can't do much about it. I'm not usually asked things like "can I get you anything? You all right? Good morning/night" This all seems to be reserved for everyone else, including the dogs and cats.
Sunday mornings everyone who is available goes to Denny's for breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and English muffin - that's been my staple for 2+ years. The past three weeks I've had nothing and the reasons have been "I completely spaced it" or "I had errands to run." Nothing was offered as a substitute except today some two-day old coffee cake was nuked. I guess I'm just expected to fend for myself or accept whatever's lying around. When I wanted to find out why (don't I deserve breakfast too?) the room became vacant quickly with nothing more said. I wonder if it's felt I would do the same if our roles were reversed...
Does Your Plan Include Dental
I had some weird experiences with my teeth, starting in the 2nd (or was it 3rd) grade. I was in a fight during recess. What was it about? Who can remember and who cares? It continued back in the classroom while the teacher was still absent. An area was cleared of desks but he had help too. One person put out their foot and someone else pushed me from behind. The first thing that hit the floor was my mouth. Crunch! My front, top two teeth now had a space that looked like an upside down V. It really hurt for a few moments too. I first went to the Principal's office where I waited for my mom and then went to the dentist to assess the damage. I was OK as it was a clean break but probably did more damage to my psyche than anything. I slowly came to hate smiling as I felt like a freak with the laughing, finger pointing and it didn't help with the ladies (well, girls at that point). Eventually I stopped brushing just them.
The fourth grade brought further changes. I was an all star baseball player (no brag - just fact. I had a few trophies to prove it.). I missed a ball coming at me and instead it hit me in the chin. My teeth clenched and now another tooth gone at the gumline next to the other two. I can't imagine what everyone thought looking at THAT toothless grin. Needless to say I didn't smile much and hoped I could somehow get this fixed.
When I was 11, the dentist said the teeth had become abscessed and needed to come out. A set of false teeth were in my future but they sure cost a lot. I contributed what I could from my paper route and lawn mowing jobs. I even sold raffle tickets at my dad's bowling alley but that was short lived. The three front teeth were then pulled and two weeks later I had falsies.
The teeth felt like I had a whole pack of double bubble in my mouth. I had to learn how to talk and eat all over again. My Sssss sounded like Shhhh and it took a little practice but I got it. I still didn't smile much and now didn't talk much. My psyche was going into underload.
I also learned later that with my mouth changing (I was 11 after all), the plate would need adjustment every few months. I went to the first one or two adjustments, but with the cost considerations I blew off going more than once a year and then just once every few years. I started taking out my dentures at meals. I was pretty slick and could put them in my napkin with a simple motion and back again when I needed to speak. Speaking became a challenge too as they would pop out unexpectedly so I tried to limit any in public. I also gave up eating things like apples unless I had a knife handy. I never thought if others considered me weird. I was just adjusting the best I knew how.
My next adjustment (just painful really) came after I enlisted in the Air Force. My wisdom teeth were impacted (3) and they wanted to remove them. They removed two, then waited two weeks and removed the other two. For about 3-4 weeks I felt like that cartoon character with the kerchief tied around the head and jaw just waiting for the pain to subside and go away. 
Needless to say, not a fun time. Also, when the Colonel was removing the scalpel from my mouth (I did say impacted) he cut the side of my mouth! I didn't find out for several hours as the Novocain wore off. Quite the paper cut! In those days, they only gave you a couple of pain pills and there was no such thing as Advil or Ibuprofin. Thanks Doc you @#$#@!!!
My next leap forward was getting a permanent bridge which involved removing two more teeth and applying braces to bring my protruding upper teeth back into my head and straightening my lower teeth. Two more teeth needed to come out and after 2 1/2 years my mouth was ready for the bridge.
Finally, after 25 years, I was able to bite into an apple and didn't have to use no sticken' knife! I could also speak with confidence to my friends and started leading training groups on what I had been learning about computers. It really started opening up new worlds for me! It was AWESOME!!!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas Present
I didn’t expect to get any gifts from the farm but got some PJ pants and some hot chocolate w/peppermint mix in a tin. Will probably have to wait for someone else to want some as I have a hard time with preparation. Sounds tasty! I haven’t heard from anyone there in more than a year. I didn’t even get the usual $5 birthday card. I can only imagine that this chapter has been closed as well.
We usually visited the farm 3 times/year. Thanksgiving day, Saturday before Christmas and Easter Sunday. I’ve now missed the past three.
And now a present for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXjbMIZzAgs
I got some clothes from Stephanie’s mom and some Fritos.
Friday, December 18, 2009
I may do a Diary too
Go here http://www.my-diary.org/read/?read=430918 but I like this format so far.
I will certainly post here too.
2009-12-10 23:07:37 - Day 1 _ I sleep on the couch. Have for over a year. I used to take ambien to sleep but found it might be dehydrating me as I had very bad constipation. I wasn't eating much either. Mostly crackers and Hawaiin punch. Eating more/better now that step-daughter and son-in-law are here. They are at least more helpful and considerate of my needs as a disabled person. I realize they are busy too. I don't want to be a burden. Slippery slope here.
Day 2 _ Getting cold here. 16 degrees and boiler is giving it up. In a few weeks will be getting a new one with in-line water heater. What to do with old 80 gal one? Museum?
Some of this
is being written down for the first time. I figure "Who would want to read this drivel?"