The way it used to be...

Aww, chit... And I'd almost got over being sad over losin' Master Gomez, the World's Meanest, Nastiest, most UNREASONABLE Chihuahua. And my Doberberman, Junior, from back in the Eighties. He was a most Undobie-like Doberman, he wouldn't bite a biscuit. I'd be piled up on the floor, leanin' up against the end of my bed, , he'd hop up on it, paddle foot to the end, & either put his big Dobie paw or his muzzle on top of my head, & I was sposed to reach back up & scratch him. I'd go-"Junior ! You wanna maybe , uhh, possibly, uhh, you know, sorta like, uhh, GO FOR A WALK ?!?!?" And, Oh, Boy.....He'd LAUNCH offa the bed, start running around, crying, talking to me-Anyone who say a Dobie can't talk has never, ever had the pleasure of having one. He'd paw at me, ANYTHING to get me to go get his leash & off we'd go. And not a brisk walk around the block, either, Fat Boy-I wanna go for an excursion of at least a mile. He'd wear my @zz out every time. But I figgered it out, He had a 3.73 rear end, & I have a 4.11. He YANKED me around faster than my heinie wanted to go. My friends would see us & say, "There goes Junior, takin' Sandy for a walk again..." I had him from 1981-93, that's a pretty good long life for a Dobie...
 
Junior was technically my sister's dog-She HAD, after all, rescued him from a 55 gallon drum the breeder had put him in, prior to killing him, 'cause the litter he was in had a couple of red Dobies, a Blue one, & a fawn colored one. He was Doberman royalty-He was descended from Borong the Warlock, who was considered one of the finest examples of the breed there was. We never showed him, but, I have no doubt he would have "Cleaned Up" any/all the conformation awards had we ever showed him. Yet despite being a likely candidate for "THIS is what a Dobie is sposed to look like" awards, he was an unusually sweet, & well-mannered dog. If he yawned, however, you could see his VERY impressive hardware, & once a bunch of boys drove up in the driveway, when nobody was home, but Winifred, my Mom. Junior smelled a rat, snapped to attention, a little strip of hair about 1/2" wide stood up, from his head to his stubby tail, my Mom put her hand on his throat & he was growling, SILENTLY. The one kid who got out of the car, got an eyeful of a Doberman at ful attention, turned around, got back in the hooptie, & that bunch of miscreants took their business elsewhere. Winnie was certainly glad she had Junior there to take care of her...
 
What do I miss from my childhood?

Bones that don't creak when I walk or break from a minor fall, more hair - less where I don't want it, 28" waistline, enough energy to take the bike 10miles to work even though I have a car, waiting for summers off, eyes that aren't blurry looking through cataracts, etc etc etc
 
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@Quadman2 Easier said than done, my friend from the North. I think I've always lived my life looking over my shoulder, and while I realize it is futile and robs me of the present, I'm powerless to change it.

I remember reading a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon once. Talk about a fantastic little comic. Calvin states, "I want everything to stay the same, so I can take it for granted."

I feel ya, Calvin.


Hey there Kentucky man...liked that Hobbe quote, but...there's that "but"... change is a part of life, whether we go with it or not. As pointed out some things are in fact, "futile". Like the French guy when asked in front of firing squad in WWII, "What is your last wish?" The resistance guy piped up, "I'd rather be standing on the other side of the wall, if you don't mind". Talk about balls from a guy in a "futile" situation, eh?

But you did mention being "powerless", I'm not quite certain if you meant, powerless to stop looking back, or powerless to change the present situation? If powerless in not being able to having the past colour the present, could it be that emotions are in control? We are more than emotions that trigger our actions/words are we not? I know that it is easy to say this and much more trouble to get a handle on this way of thinking. However, If we don't, then we are not in control of our lives, at present or in the future. Often at this point, we tend to point to others for blame. If the past effects the present, then you have two choices: Take charge as best you can, or don't. Looking back is a waste of time, unless you are learning by it and prepared to do something that you are able to...bearing in mind that some situations/people will not change.

If as just mentioned events/people in your life will not change, then it may futile to deal with this. If such is the case, then be prepared for you to change...and move on. Life is too short for regrets, oj. Instead it shortens our live

Q
 
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About every 2-3 blocks there'd be a classic "corner store"...we'd stock up on those strips of paper w/candy dots on them, licorice "records' and licorice pipes...and plenty of "Lik-M-Aid". The "supermarket" would be dwarfed by one of today's ALDI stores...tiny carts, narrow aisles and every price marked by hand. We thought we were very daring when the milkman would stop and, when he went up to a house, we'd hop into the back of his truck and swipe some pieces of ice to suck on. Neighbors across the alley had a coal furnace, and periodically it had to be cleaned. A big truck with a huge vacuum would pull up to their house and they'd snake a big hose through the basement window to do the job. The vacuum truck had a monster bag on it that would swell up when things got going. That was our cue to go hide under the porch...since we figured the thing was going to blow up and level the whole block. Our favorite place was the park down 2 blocks and a block over...great playground. Unfortunately, the park was also where the air raid siren was located...and the first Wednesday of the month was "test time". Scared the living crap out of us and we'd hightail it for home.

Two-stick Popsicles. NO MORE! The "pop bottle economy" we relied on...3 cents for a regular bottle...a nickel for the big ones. 12 OZ beer bottles were 2 cents...but you had to collect a WHOLE case to get your 48 cents:( Dad buying gas at the "discount" station...complete with glass cases between the pumps full of cups, glasses and dishes. All you had to do was save up books of "Jet" stamps and you were in business. Sitting the back yard and watching the NSP (now Xcel energy) guys climbing power poles. No bucket trucks then...just spikes and a belt and up you went. Watching "Andy's Gang" on the B&W Motorola ("Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!") Tarzan movies every Saturday morning...not to mention "Mighty Mouse" and the "Little Rascals." Stoogewatching was discouraged due to our desire to emulate the boys right down to the double eye poke.
 
Saturday morning adventure serials (mostly from the `30s and `40s) on TV.... "Flash Gordon", "Buck Rogers", "Tim Tyler`s Luck", "Zorro", and several others provided our entertainment. Great memories ! :)
 
Saturday morning adventure serials (mostly from the `30s and `40s) on TV.... "Flash Gordon", "Buck Rogers", "Tim Tyler`s Luck", "Zorro", and several others provided our entertainment. Great memories ! :)
I think I saw a good deal of the pre-WW-2 talkies, musicals, serials and cartoons on our BW RCA console during the early 1950s. Lots of Hal Roach studios fare on Saturdays. Afaik, tv networks and studios were somehow linked so that the film archives could be used to fill time slots at the low cost of productions already made and paid.
 
@Quadman2 Thank you for those poetically uplifting words. I meant to say that I have always looked over my shoulder. That's what I cannot seem to help.
However, I'll give it yet another go. As you say, I'm still on the right side of the grass.


I was watching a short Youtube video about the world's largest metal presses. FASCINATING stuff. However, we no longer lead the world in that arena, and countless others. We do lead the world in the percentage of incarcerated citizens, currently 2.2 million I believe. South Africa is in second place. Not getting political, just a fact.

Just look at this big bitch - Here's the link for the Heavy Press Program.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Press_Program


50kT-101s.jpg


I guess that is something else I miss.
 
@Quadman2 Thank you for those poetically uplifting words. I meant to say that I have always looked over my shoulder. That's what I cannot seem to help.
However, I'll give it yet another go. As you say, I'm still on the right side of the grass.

I was watching a short Youtube video about the world's largest metal presses. FASCINATING stuff. However, we no longer lead the world in that arena, and countless others. We do lead the world in the percentage of incarcerated citizens, currently 2.2 million I believe. South Africa is in second place. Not getting political, just a fact.

Just look at this big bitch - Here's the link for the Heavy Press Program.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Press_Program


50kT-101s.jpg


I guess that is something else I miss.
Impressive press!
 
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