Susans world: When I was a kid

Saturday, October 18, 2008

When I was a kid

So today was a very boring Saturday. The third Saturday is clean the house really good day. I limit this to once a month - no I clean other days but this is the big clean day. And really with only two people in the house things stay cleaner. Anyway this is not what I was going to write about today. Today after we got the brakes fixed on the Park Avenue and Pick-up , we went to Costco to get Matt some glasses. Our big date. We ran into Mandy, Grayam and George squared. Surprise!!! That was fun but then again - this is still not what I was going to talk about. Anyway while Matt was gazing into this machine and that, I walked around Costco. All their Christmas stuff is out now. And that is when I got to thinking about when I was a kid. (finally - this is what I want to talk about)

I always thought that my Grandfather Hank saw allot of change. I mean he was born when people where still using horses to get around. I thought that was amazing! But I got to thinking and well, I was here before computers in every household. My TV was the three major networks - ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS. We never watched public TV - too boring. Our telephones had rotary dials on them and when push buttons came out it was a big thing. Our idea of a Mobile phone was one with a eight foot cord. You could get around a kitchen with that. As a kid we could stretch that cord to the basement door, close the door and sit on the top step so we could talk with no one listening. I bet Mom and Dad listened on the other side of that door.

We only had one color TV. The other TV in the house was in mom and dads room and it was black and white. I would lay down on the floor in the hallway and peek through the crack in the door to watch whatever Mom and Dad was watching. I would try to slowly open the door more to get a better view. Like my folks never noticed the door slowly opening on its own. I was such a dweeb. Thought I was so sneaky. My folks where mostly nice and let me watch for awhile but then would shoe me off to bed. A couple of times - on a Friday night - they would fall asleep and I would get to watch TV till the station went off the air - they always played the national anthem to sign off - anyway I would wait for Mom or Dad to get up to shut the TV off and nothing - so I walked in and shut the TV off and then went to bed. For a nine year old that was way cool to stay up to 1 or 2 in the morning. Now I wonder if TV channels even sign off - do they all stay on all night long?

Now I have a satellite on the side of my house to bring me over a hundred channels. I have to pay for this. I remember when there was a big push to stop pay TV. TV was free and should remain that way. I believed that when I was young. When VCR's came out - I remember saying - "who would want to watch the same movie over and over?" What a dweeb!! I own over a hundred movies. Guess I would!! - I also remember the kids asking me - how did I watch movies when I was a kid? - when they learned I didn't have such machines when I was young. Now TV is changing again in February - what is in store for us next?

Anyway thanks for letting me remember - when I was a kid.

3 comments:

Unknown said...: I remember those days too. Sometimes I wonder if we weren't better off then.; October 19, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Darren and Laura said...: you are forgetting so much stuff. you saw video games( like cards on the computer)come to be, power everything in cars, i bet there is even a lot of kitchen stuff like powered breadmakers or ice cream makers.
my point is, you have seen more change than you think, i think :); October 20, 2008 at 9:41 AM
Mandy said...: 50 years from now, Georgey will be leaving a post that goes something like this...
"When I was little we had ground vehicles and had to fly all day on an airplane to go across the country. We all thought hovercars and teleports were just for movies..."; October 20, 2008 at 12:03 PM

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Did you know?

Matt was leaving Portland and came up on a motorcycle accident. It had just happened and people were flagging him to stop. His phone was the only one that had service so he called 911. It took awhile for the police to figure out where they were located exactly. Then when the closest volunteer department dispatched their ambulance - it broke down and another one had to be sent from a town a little farther away. Meanwhile Matt, along with two other people are doing CPR on a woman from the accident - for 40 minutes. Unfortunately the woman didn't make it. The man was alive when he was helicoptered out. Now the women was most likely dead on impact - Matt said blood came out her mouth with every chest compression. I can only imagine how scarey it all was. I am proud of Matt for what he did. Way to be the one that made a difference.

I learned how to play Chinese checkers this summer. Darren taught Cristy and I how to play. The correct way. A fun game and I actually won once. I enjoy the nights of games with the kids. I had a few this summer. Thanks Grant, Cristy and Darren.

So we are at Cristy's house - Grant, Liz, Cristy, Matt and I are playing Monopoly deal. A new favorite of us all. Thanks Liz for remembering to pack it. It is getting late and I am loosing as usual. But with any great card game you must have great snacks. Cristy has made a pan of brownies. Yum, but because it is Cristy's house she has also put out a bowl of carrots. We all grab a few and then about 10 minutes later Matt says -"I just ate a carrot for a SNACK" I totally enjoyed the next 5 minutes of laughter. Good old, roll on the floor and cheeks hurt laughter. I know you had to be there to enjoy this story but as Matt said after the laughter started - "Did I say that out loud?" Yes, carrots are for snacks too!

So I am over at Mandy's because I needed a grandkid fix. I am in the bed room with the boys and they are showing me everything they own. Why do kids do that? Anyway - I have always called Grayam - Gray - because that is what we were suppose to call him - I mean before he was born that was the plan but I am the only one who has ever called him that. Well, there I am with the boys and Grayam taps me on the shoulder and leans into me and says "Nana - my name is Grayam not Gray" - what was I to do? I tried to explain why I have always called him Gray but he didn't by it - when you get that 2 year old stare that just says - "your crazy Nana" you just quit and say OK I'll call you Grayam from now on - but it's hard!!!

The boys where over to the house the other day - Mandy was helping me with this computer. Being in the office Georgey started putting the train set together - he did a better job than me - anyway I was on the floor and Grayam was in front of me, he was bending over and his pants were falling down. I grabbed his pants and asked "what's this?" Shaking his pants and trying to get them up past his diaper. Grayam simply answers my question - "my bum" with a look that says "Don't you know this Nana?"

Georgey made me a beautiful picture the other day - he wrote on it - to Nana Shoe - am I a sunday shoe or a running shoe?

A couple of weeks ago, Mandy and the boys joined me again at church. This time we sat across the aisle from the Aspers. Anyone who knows Shirley - we have the same hair. Anyway Grayam noticed her and said "Nana" then looked at me and said "Nana?" Poor little guy - I think we confused him.

So Mandy and her family came to church with me today. I never get to hear what is said over the pulpit but I don't care. Once in awhile won't hurt me. But anyway, Georgey tell me today in Church that I am as old as Yoda! Wow - if I only had his wisdom!!

I was thinking this little section should be little family facts. Things we should all know about - like did you know that my father was born on Easter sunday? Not very interesting but a fact that he shares with Darren. Family facts!!

So remember how I, along with your help, was going to solve every free cell game? Well, I am on game number 2264 -got a way to go.