Howdy all you fellow oldsters!

This board is a new version of the old "Ready for the Retirement Home" board from the Jedi's Sink. I believe it was lost in the Great Collapsing Nitcentral Disaster of 2000.

Anyways, we can sit in our rockin' chairs out on the porch, and reminisce about the good ol' days. And if any of you young whippersnappers come over here, we'll chase you off with our canes...

So come on over and ... Hey you kid! Get off of my lawn! ... mumble grumble darned kids! So come on and set a spell!

Oh, if you're not sure if you belong here, you can tell us how old you are... We'll decide

I tend to picture our fellow nitpickers (and my correspondents on other sites) as all being between 20 and 35, unless they say or do something to shatter the illusion. I myself am in that age range (and have been for well over a quarter century, ever since I turned 17), and that way I feel I am talking with my peers.

On the other hand, it gets a little disconcerting when I realize that an example I use goes past someone because they are too young to understand it. So it may be of some comfort to drop in here and chew the fat.

BTW, since you say that this is a revival of a board that was originally in the Jedi Sink, let me just say that my SW claim to (personal) "fame" is that the first time I watched it was at the first public showing in the same NYC theatre where it had premiered the night before. (I'd been following the plot in the Marvel Comics adaptation for five or six months and couldn't wait to see how it all ended.)

Well, I'm all of 31...so I never saw the original Star Wars in-theatre...Return of the Jedi was the first movie I was allowed to go all by myself to see, does that count?

Sure. The original board was made about three years ago when lots of the current posters were in High School...

Originally, the main criterion for membership was that you had to remember where you were when the Shuttle blew, and it couldn't have been elementary school... The population has aged a bit, but still...

[60s]Never Trust Anyone UNDER 30![/60s]

I can remember where I was when Kennedy (Jack- the President) was shot. But I was in elementary school (sixth grade), so does that count?

Superman is solar powered. So am I. That is a solar panel, not a bald spot.

Kerriem,

Since you have youthfull legs, here's a quarter. Get me some Geritol^TM.

I'm so old I still remember the last board crash here. Now the "Last Day" acts strangely again. Oh-oh.

I'm so old, I remember when Pong was incredibly high tech.

>Originally, the main criterion for membership >was that you had to remember where you were when >the Shuttle blew, and it couldn't have been >elementary school...

I was a senior in high school . . . is that old enough?

I can also remember my dad taking me to see Star Wars when I was a kid, all I remember about that was standing in line forever, the turnout was probably larger than it normally would have been because we chanced to see it in Mark Hammil's hometown.

I'm so old, I remember when Pong was incredibly high tech. Butch

Heck, I can remember when Hamurabi played from a TTY terminal was considered a sophisticated strategy game. (Somehow, though, I missed Colossal Cave when it first came out.)

One of my college roommates was watching a shuttle launch. I though that was weird, but had to get to class (Victorian Literature? American Literature I?). After class he was still watching it. Curious as to why a shuttle launch was on TV, I watched. Of course it was the Challenger. Every replay I hoped to see it get out of the cloud and glide back.

I remember being unimpressed when my mother took me to see the original Star Wars movie in 7th grade. Other kids bragged about seeing it multiple times. I took that as proof they were $tupid.

I'm 36. Anyone older?

I was 21 (almost 22) when Star Wars came out.

I'm 36. Anyone older? Berry

36! You're practically as young as Kerriem. I doubt you even remember when ST:TOS was first run. And you almost certainly never owned a "coonskin cap."

Kids today! They just don't appreciate their elders. Never show any respect.

No, TomM.

My generation will not use up all of social insecurity, yours will.

Different disscussion, but what's more important owning the hat or being able to say, "Be sure your right, then go ahead."

My first "political" memory was helicopters being pushed from the deck of a carrier to make room for more helicopters during the evacuation of Saigon.

TOS was that rerun show that my older brother watched.

If we play word association and I say "President" whose name comes to mind first? (Anyone say "Taft"?)

I'm will be 39 in Sept.

_{Truth in posting laws compliance notice.}

(Actually, I didn't own a "coonskin cap." My younger brother did.)

I'm hitting the big 3-0 on August 24th.

Luigi, you're a young'un. I turn 40 this October.

I was at work when the shuttle blew. Someone told me what happened, an my first response was "you're sh**ing me." Needless to say, not much got done.

I was in college during the assassination attempt on Reagan.

Thank you, Scott. And happy birthday in advance.

I was in eighth grade when Challenger blew up. I went to the corner store during lunch period, and reacted pretty much the EXACT same way, Scott. I just couldn't believe that such a thing could happen to our shuttle. (Reacted to the collapse of the WTC Towers the same way.)

I was eight and a half when Reagan was shot. I remember watching the news all day that day, seeing the diagrams of the President's heart that they put up on the screen when discussing the operation, etc.

I'm 47; will be 48 in November 2002. I beat you by a nose, Butch. TomM is older, as I was only in fourth grade when JFK was assinated. I watched TOS in its original run, begging my parents to stay up late Friday nights during its third season.
"40 is the new 30."-Sheryl Crow.

Now, if we can only keep the young'uns (like Luigi ) away, we can talk about the good ol' days, and ... what was I sayin' ag'in?

Sigh! It's lonely at the top (of the age ladder). No one to point to and say "at least I'm not as decrepit as him." I'm the one everyone else points to.

points at TomM

At least I'm not as decrepit as him!

Yea, Adam you nip me by about 10 months. I turn 47 in September. I didn't get to see TOS on network for 2 reasons. 1: Our NBC affiliate was on UHF and our set was VHF only. 2: My father was in the USAF at the time and was transferred to W. Germany at the end of October in '66. Armed Forces TV Network didn't carry Star Trek, we got Lost in Space instead. We didn't return until mid-September '69 after TOS's run was finished. However I began catching afternoon reruns shortly after.

What is our cut-off date? If it is 30, then we make Kerriem get the Geritol^TM or find TomM's teeth.

You know you are getting old when they get a small cake at work and can't fit all the candles on it. (Each candle represents 2.3764 years.)

Kerriem, you get to look forward to the 33rd birthday. After that everyday is that much closer to mandatory retirement than the day you were born. If the average life span is 77 then at 39 you are probably closer to the grave than the womb.

Kerriem, (sorry, but as the baby of the group maybe you don't know this yet.) I'm sure you’ve noticed things take longer to heal, you can't run as fast or jump as high, etc. Your overbearing Mother is probably bothering you about grandchildren. Of course you can consider cryogenics, but what fun is that?

Instead, sit down in your rocker, turn off your hearing aid, and take a nap. Don't worry; the nurse will wipe up the drool.

Good day.

What is our cut-off date? If it is 30, then we make Kerriem get the GeritolTM or find TomM's teeth.

Oh, joy. Do I get a nice cooky when I get back? And maybe some milk?

Actually, what I'm finding is that people keep telling me things like 'Ooh, this is the best time of your life' and 'People really hit their stride when they turn thirty'.
Quite frankly I'd be more inclined to believe them if these weren't also all people well out of their thirties, which despite my deep respect for my elders' wisdom really does make me suspect nostalgia-clouded imaginations.

All I know is, I found a couple gray hairs last week, my teens-and-twenties habit of hiking ten miles at a stretch now actually hurts my legs (and hips! Aagghh! Metal just around the corner!) and I've been reading the ingredients label on the Twinkies etc. a lot more closely lately. (But luckily my mom has two grandkids and another sister's relationship to occupy her on that front.)

I'm reaching the point where if I want to read a label I have to get my reading glasses unless the light is quite bright.

BTW, I was in seventh-grade geography class when the Challenger went down.
I can still see my teacher - one of those eccentric-academic types - giving us a funny, bemused look as we sat down, and then announcing that 'The shuttle just blew up, in case you're wondering what everyone will be talking about in the halls later...'

Excited buzz while we tried to make out what he meant...then horrified gasps as the few in-the-know students filled the rest of us in...then outright anguish when I got home and saw the pictures on TV.

I'm reaching the point where if I want to read a label I have to get my reading glasses unless the light is quite bright. Butch

That lasted about two years. Now if I set down my "specs" it doesn't matter how bright the light. I can't read it if the letters are less than 3/4 inch high. Your milage may vary.

William-I think you've watched "Star Trek Generations" one too many times, especially Picard's conversation to Troi after learning of Robert's and Rene's death. ("There are fewer days ahead than behind." Miles Drentell had a similar conversation with Rick in "Once And Again.")
I still have all my own teeth, and I found out the other day that I still have my (apologies to Austin Powers) "Mojo." DO BEHAVE! On the down side, I am approaching the fourth anniversary of my being fitted for bifocals. And, for crying out loud, I still get acne occasionally, just like when I was a teenager.

I still get pimples too, just not on my face much.

Blue, you're only a couple years older than me? I thought you were a decade or so beyond that!

I was in high school when the Challeger exploded; a friend and I were walking to the school library when the principal made a sudden and brief announcement about the disaster. I said to my friend "That'll kill the space program."

As for the original StarWars, my parents took me to see it at the cinema, and we all liked it enough to make my mom asked if I wanted to see it again. Back then, that was unheard of, since movies were SO expensive (at, what, $3.00 per ticket? Sheesh, am I gettin' old!)

I was a senior in high school when the original
Star Wars came out.

What makes me feel old is that my oldest nephew
is now a FRESHMAN in college!

btw:Raise your hand if you remember watching any
of the following:Sky King,Doby Gillis,Make Room
For Daddy,It's About Time,My Mother The Car,
My Favorite Martian,BEFORE cable.

toys: water weenie, verti bird, superelastic bubble plastic, play doh fun factory, e z bake oven...

Make Room For Daddy
It's about Time
My Favorite Martian

Hey, Scott, remember the kiddie version of the It's About Time theme?

It's about time
It's about space
It's about time
To slap your face!

OK, so it was hysterical when I was about six or so...

I remember superelastic bubble plastic. It drove me nuts because I could never get the bubble to stay together (always blew a hole through the side) Used Play-Doh, but never had the fun factory. Mom took the Play-Doh away after about the zillionth time she had to get it out of the carpet.

It's back in some other name. The modern equivalent is marketed on cable (Nick and Cartoon Network, I think).

Up from the depths
40 stories tall
GODZILLA! GODZILLA! GODZILLA!
and Godzuki

Yes, I was in high school. We had fun making fun of that song, but that cartoon idea was not the worst. That is reserved for Scrappy Doo.

Gee, there were no cool cartoons when I was a kid. I remember the Super Friends (with Marvin and what's-her-name and the dog) but didn't think it was cool. I remember Space Ghost and the Herculoids, but those were repeats from an earlier era.

Good cartoons are another thing you #$%&@ Baby boomers used up before I had a chance. (Don't get me started on Social Insecurity.)

I remember the Super Friends (with Marvin and what's-her-name and the dog)

What's-her-name was Wendy.

Hey, even though we had good stuff like Gigantor and Speed Racer, we also had cr*p like Kimba.

I loved Super Friends - just the early ones with Marvin and Wendy, though. Those Wonder Twins drove me nuts.
Here up North it reruns on YTV (Youth Television) early mornings; I caught an ep recently and was pleasantly surprised. The animation is stiff but decent and the voices and stories hold up OK, too.

I was also a devoted Scooby Doo fan...but Scrappy Doo, arrrghhh! Never had a more satisfying feeling online than discovering that everybody else hated that furry little freakazoid, too.

Let's see, what else did this child of the 80's never miss...oh, yeah, Smurfs of course. Loved Clumsy (I could relate ) and one whose name I forget but was good at building - Handy, that was it. And Papa, naturally.
Then after school came the Toy Commercial-a-Thon - remember? GI Joe and Transformers and...OK, getting embarrassed now...He-Man and She-Ra, Masters of the Universe.

They're remaking He-Man. The Cartoon Network is advertising it!

They are remaking transformers too. My son thinks Optimus Prime is cool.

One of my favorite comic strips was a one paneler of Rose is Rose. Jimbo is stand next to Pasquale and they are looking at an old VW beetle. The doors are open and the hood and trunk are up. Jimbo says, "The doors, hood, and trunk open but our car does not turn into a robot named Mobutuatron." (I forget the robot name but I know it ended in -tron.)

Cereals I can remember are:
"Quisp", "Quake", "Pink Panther Flakes", "Kaboom", "Wafflos", "Corny Snaps", "Fruit Brute" NONE of these are in existence anymore. (As far as I know, that is)

Someday I'll get the blue flying saucer with the Quisp^TM alien. (Does this exclamation of faith belong on RM?)

Hey, even though we had good stuff like Gigantor and Speed Racer, we also had cr*p like Kimba.
What? Like Speed Racer wasn't cr*p? I thought it was great at the time, being a young'un who didn't know any better, but seeing it again in the 80s when MTV repeated all the eps made me realize how awful it was, although I've always loved the Mach 5, which Target sells a 1/18 scale model of, Chim Chim included. Ok, I admit as a kid I had a bit of a crush on Trixie, but again I didn't know any better. BTW, did anyone who's old enough to remember Kimba get a very strong sense of deja vu when Disney's The Lion King came out? The similarities were way too numerous to be mere coincidences.

John, I remember "Quisp" and "Kaboom", and even the Quisp alien ship! Not only that but also when "Cocoa" and "Fruity Pebbles" were new and had a plastic Fred Flintstone car that you put together, but it had tires, not cylindrical wheels like the cartoon. Now, if the rest of you old farts want to feel really old then travel down memory lane while you check out the Cereal Box Archive, or Topher's Breakfast Cereal Character Guide.

Turned 31 in April. Over the last year got married, bought a house in the burbs and we're expecting our first one in November. I don't think I'm old yet, but I guess I'm a grown up.

Loved the Superfriends and Spiderman on the Electric Company. In terms of not knowing better because you're a kid, I thought the movie Footloose was really cool when it first came out.

I remember going to see Star Wars and being afraid during the cantina scene (the aliens scared me).

School House Rock on DVD!!!! http://www.theonionavclub.com/avclub3833/video3833.html#review1

I'm just a bill, an ordinary bill, and I'm sittin' here on Capitol Hill.....

No way! Conjunction Jununction!

What's your function?

I heard three teenage girls singing that in the store yesterday!

"Once upon a time there was an engineer,
Choo Choo Charlie was his name, we hear,
He had an engine, and he sure had fun,
He used Good and Plenty™ candy to make his train run."

"I want my Maypo™!"

Oh, man! Choo-choo Charlie... That's a good one!

How about:
"I can't believe I ate the whooooole thing!"


Or,
"Got any 3's?"
"Go fish!"

Whenever someone would buy theater sized boxes of Good N Plenty at work I'd do the old GnP Choo Choo song and shake the boxes, just to see if the person remembers that old b&w cartoon for the candy. Hasn't happened lately.

Offcamera man: Hello, there. What's your name?
Rodney: Rodney.
Man: Rodney what?
Rodney: Rodney Alan Rippey!
Man: What do you have there?
Rodney: A Jumbo Jack.
Man: A Jumbo Jack! Where'd you get it?
Rodney At Jack In The Box.

Remember the antismoking ad from about 1970 with the dad and his little boy who imitates everything Dad does, and the end of the ad is them both in a convertible and the boy picks up Dad's cigarattes. Then there's the old classic Crying Indian ad, and Coke's "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" ad.

Remember this Slinky jingle?
It's Slinky, it's Slinky, for fun it's a wonderful toy.
It's Slinky, it's Slinky. It's fun for a girl and a boy.

Remember it? Now I can't get it out of my head!

The anti-smoking commercial was themed "Like father--like son". They need to show that commerical TODAY!

Toys I owned at one time: Lincoln Logs, Girder & Panel building set (Skyscraper, bridge & airport versions) I had more fun with the last one than the first.

Yeah, the WOODEN Lincoln Logs, not the cheap plastic ones you get today.

The airport Girder & Panel was a late addition to the collection. The bridge-building set, though clearly part of the same series, did not carry the Girder and Panel name, since it didn't have panels. There were thin plastic braces, instead. It has been too long to be sure, but I believe they were put out by Kenner

My favorite Public Service Announcement was the one that warned us "VD is for everybody". It had a pleasing little tune and lyrics. We were shown a variety of average people who might get VD.
"Yes, anyone can give VD to someone nice as you", it warned in a warm comforting voice.

"Excuse me. Can I talk to you for a moment about...diarrhea?" (This inspired one of Johnny Carson's funniest pie-in-the-face parodies.)

"Go ahead. Knock it off. I dare ya." (So did this.)

Well, it happened! Today at Target I sold two theater sized boxes of Good N Plenty to a couple and did the choo choo song and they remembered it and laughted.

GAME SHOWS & GAME SHOW HOSTS

Hollywood Squares W/ Peter Marshall, Wally Cox, Charlie Weaver & Paul Lynde

The Match Game w/ Gene Rayburn & Charles Nelson Reilly

Password w/ Allen Ludden & his wife Betty White

The ORIGINAL Concentation (can't remember host)

Jeopardy w/ Art Flemming

The Magnificent Marble Machine (Can't remember host)

High Rollers (Can't remember host)

Whew! (Can't remember host)

The Money Maze (Can't remember host)

The ORIGINAL Family Feud w/ Richard Dawson

The Joker's Wild w/ Jack Berry (sp?)

Anyone remember Bill Cullen?

I remember Bill Cullen before he was the host of the original version of The Price Is Right, when he was a panelist on the first season of To Tell the Truth.

Hugh Downs was the host of the original Concentration.

Alex Trebec was the host of High Rollers. It was his first appearance on "American" television. (He'd hosted a few shows in Canada before emigrating.)

Before Paul Lynde became the regular center square, that spot was mot often filled by Gypsy Rose Lee, Jan Murray, or Maury Amsterdam.

Before he moved on to television, Gene Rayburn was a DJ for WNEW 1130 AM in New York. He cohosted a morning program Rayburn and Finch. When he left, many listeners, including my mother, never even realized it for months. The station hired someone who sounded a lot like him and had a similar sense of humor. His name was Gene Klavin. Without any fanfare whatsoever, Rayburn and Finch became Klavin and Finch. Many years later, when Finch retired, the program was re-named Klavin In the Morning.

Other game shows.....

"Press Your Luck"
"Beat the Clock"
"Name That Tune"
"It's Academic" (anyone remember THAT one?)
"Treasure Hunt"
"Let's Make A Deal" (w/ Monty Hall)
"Anything For Money" (A late night game show)
"The Gong Show" (W/ Chuck Barris)

It's Academic was a national high-school version of the GE College Bowl. I would watch both faithfully every weekend (or as faithfully as possible when a large family with diverse tastes had to share one TV and VCRs would not be invented for many years).

I wish my new cable company (digital cable, mind you; I got it with analog) carried Game Show Network. Ahh, I loved it.

Anyone else remember one of GSN's originals a few years back, Throut and Neck?

"Bozo the Clown"!

Bozo, Bozo!
Always laughs, never frowns!
Bozo, Bozo!
Bozo the Clown!

No whammy, no whammy..... STOP!!!

I used to love that show, with those cute little whammy guys.

On another note, my uncle was on the Gong Show. He wore a Santa hat, roller skated and sang "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." Needless to say, he was gonged very, very quickly.

I liked Split Second, hosted by Tom Kennedy. I think 2 or 3 contestants answered questions and the winner won one or more chances to get a key that started up one of 4 or 5 cars and of course picking the right car for the key won them that car. All I really remember of it is Kennedy, the contestants, and the dais they were on splitting in two to reveal the cars.

I remember the original Jeopardy from when I was a kid. Art Fleming was the host, and Don Pardo was the announcer. I also think the questions were more difficult than on the current version.
I preferred the original Match Game from the '60's. It was taped in New York, with Rayburn as host. Lauren Bacall and Joanne Carson (Johnny's then-wife) were regular guests.
BTW, Tom Kennedy and Jack Narz (another '60's game show host, e.g. Beat The Clock) were brothers.

A.A.A.D.D. (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder).

This is how it goes: I decide to wash my car, I start towards the garage and notice the mail on the table. OK, I'm going to wash the car but first I'll go through the mail. I lay the car keys down on the desk, discard the junk mail and notice that the trashcan is full. OK, I'll put the bills on my desk and take the trash out but, since I'm going to be near the mailbox anyway, I'll pay these few bills first. Now, where is my checkbook? Oops, there's only one check left. My extra checks are in the desk. Oh, there's the Coke I was drinking! I'm going to look for those checks but first I have to move the Coke further away from the computer. Oh, maybe I'll pop it in the fridge to keep it cold for awhile. I head towards the kitchen when the flowers catch my eye, they need some water. I set the Coke on the counter and, uh oh! There are my glasses! I was looking for them all morning, I better put them away first. I fill a container with water and head for the flower pots.....aaaaaaah!!!! Someone left the TV remote in the kitchen! We'll never think to look in the kitchen when we want to watch television so I better put it back in the family room where it belongs. I splash some water into the pots and onto the floor, I throw the remote onto some soft pillows on the couch and head back down the hall trying to figure out what I was going to do. End of the Day: the car isn't washed, the bills are unpaid, the Coke is sitting on the kitchen counter, the flowers are half-watered, the checkbook still has only one check in it and I can't seem to find my car keys! When I try to figure out how come nothing got done today I'm baffled because I know I was BUSY ALL DAY LONG!!!

Of course the funny thing is with cable and everything I find myself STILL watching shows from 20,30,40 years ago.Shows like:Gilligan's Island,Happy Days,Maverick,Combat!etc.
In fact I believe about a good deal of the shows I watch now are the SAME shows I watched as a kid.

There was a PSA in the 1960's, promoting seat belt use, with Jack Webb doing the v/o. I remember the last scene in it. A guy blows off using his seat belt, saying "I like to relax when I drive." The next shot features a man in a wheelchair, covered head to toe with casts and bandages. Since I learned to drive 30 years ago, I always wear my seat belt.

How about the "Like Father, Like Son?" anti-smoking PSAs, also from the late '60s/early '70s.

I've been a believer in seatbelts ever since my mom flipped the car while towing the trailer (not her fault).

BTW, that seatbelt PSA sounds like the current anti-smoking ads running in CA.

Adam, what's the big deal about bifocals? I've been wearing them for going on 35 years. No, I'm not that old (exactly), I got them when I was four.
I didn't get to see Star Trek first run (there IS only one) because 1) I was out of the country when it started, and 2) I wasn't quite old enough when we got back. But I watched it faithfully the second time 'round. I'm very proud to be a Trekkie!
I'm older than Doctor Who!
Sometimes I can't believe I'm as old as I am. I'm too young to be this old!

Mei, just wait till the next birthay! Us 40 year olds have got to stick together!

NEVER TRUST ANYONE UNDER 40!

my landlord came outside one night, holding some small device he was messing around with and obviously exasperated with; turns out he had been trying to make a phone call...on his tv remote! (no wonder he couldn't get a signal)

mei,

You are only as old as the calendar says you are.

OK, who can operate my remote/phone?

I turn 19 this year. Am I in your ranks?


*giggles and runs away*

Yeah, right.

Hey, that's my line!

Hanna,

You will be.

Oh I hope you are saving up to pay the social security when I retire; I want the good dog food.

That there CynicalChick... rassum-fassum mumble-grumble young'uns. Go figger!

Man, sliding into home Sunday hurt my... umm... errr.. behinder parts. That wouldn't have happened, but them youngsters on the other team managed to get the ball back in time...

What year was your first car? Mine was either a 1975 Chevy Nova that ran only sometimes, or a 1975 Olds Cutlass Supreme with the wrong engine. (GM contirbuted to the deliquency of many.)

If you can't remember driving a boat with a big engine then you are too young.

Mine was my dad's old 1989 Isuzu trooper. I would like to say that the trooper is the most top heavy car I've ever driven, felt like it was going to tip over every time I took a corner fast.

Brian Fitzgerald,

How fast was "fast"? I could not expect to keep control of the Olds if turning at over 30 mph (on a highway exit with smooth, gradual turns -- city streets were about 5 mph.) I spun out in the Olds but never rolled her.

(The Nova depended on how much gas was in the tank. If centrifugal force starved the engine of fuel it would stall. Of course if you were going fast enough on a turn to not be able to slow down when the sputtering started, you deserved to die.)

Oh, how old is "old"? Was this 1995 or 1990? (Hey, there is old and "old".)

No matter how much the car really created a vacuum, it was probably the best car you ever had. Or has nostalgia not kicked into your head yet, young 'un?

'75 Chevy Monza. I learned to drive in a '74 Chevy Impala and a '70 Buick Electra 225. The Buick got 8MPG Highway... on its better days.

It was 1996 (the year I turned 16.)

Actually I liked the Escort ZX 2 I got when I was 19 (a car I totaled last year) because it had a 4 cil engine that felt like a 6 cil when you stepped on the gas. I do miss the whole driving a big SUV thing and being seated above all the regular cars on the highway, kind of felt like the T1000 in T2 with he steals the big rig tow truck.

Brian Fitzgerald,

It was only 7 years old? What did your parents love you or something? And an SUV thing, other than the roll over possibility you were kinda safe from other drivers not getting out of your way fast enough. (Hey, you were a teenager.) Escort ZX 2 sounds kinda sporty. Could it handle well? (Accident avoidance is as good a theory as heavy armor with a good driver.)

It was only 7 years old? What did your parents love you or something?

It had about a million miles on it from dad driving to Conyers GA to work for many years and at that age he would have traded it in toward something else anyway if I hadn't been old enough to need a car. Besides they wanted me to have something we were relitivly sure wasn't going to leave me stranded on the side of the road comming home from work at 10:30 PM.

The ZX2 was about as sporty as an escort could get. It had a spoiler on the back, which probably added about a grand to the price and did nothing but look cool. It handled very nicely and had good pickup, better than my current car. They helped me with the down payment (along with whatever we could get for the trooper after it died on us) and I took care of of monthly payments. I had paid it off 4 months before I totaled it on the highway, ain't life grand. LOL

Better to total the car than to total yourself!

CR,

Depends on the car.

My first car, in 1973, was a 1965 Chevy Bel-Air four-door sedan, with a white body and a green roof. Horrible colors. Also underpowered, as it had a straight six instead of a V-8. That thing was a tank, however. And, parts were everywhere, as junkyards were full of mid-60's Chevies.
The car had constant transmission troubles. The 2-speed Powerglide was connected to the radiator with rubber hoses. So, naturally, they failed, spewing fluid all over the place and bringing the car to a dead halt. Luckily, that was near an auto-parts store. So, in my first roadside repair, I got the car out of traffic, replaced the hoses and added fluid. Dirt cheap, and I was on my merry way.

Has any other older person noticed an increase in litter? I think some of it is tied to an increase in drive through fast food. That explains the McDonalds and competitors wrappers, but not the scratch tickets and such. Maybe as you get older you just notice litter more.

My baby sister is three years younger than me.

In my mind, my baby sister is still 16, not even old enough to have children of her own, let alone have a 9 year old daughter.

My baby sister will always be 16 to me.

My baby sister turned 40 today.

I coped fairly well when I turned 40, but today I feel very old and gloomy. :0(

TrekGrrl graduated from Junior High today. I'm not ready to be the parent of a kid in high school!!!

So, Callie, how old are you then? ( Just kidding, and sorry!) Anyway, if it's any consolation, I always thought you were several years younger than you are. (It's all about attitude, which comes across in the way one posts...)
ScottN, I wonder once in a while whatever happened to TrekGrrl. I figured I'm just not hitting the same boards, or she doesn't post anymore. (I suspect the former; this place has gotten huge, and I don't frequent as many boards as I used to. You know, hard to get the bones moving and all...)

She's lost interest, CR. After all, as a teenager, she wouldn't want to be caught doing embarrassingly geeky stuff with her DAD!!! (horror of horrors!)

This seems like the place for a "You know your old when"...

You know you are old when you listen to two girls on the subway talk. (I was not eaves dropping, most of the platform heard them.) I know I am old because I have no idea what they were talking about. One sample: “What’s wrong with going crazy and seeing the pope?”

Blue, it's possible to be 22 years old and not know what two girls on public transportation are talking about.

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! TrekGrrl started driving lessons this week!!!!!!

Why, yes, I was quoting lyrics to "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" to a friend at work when I realized I was quoting a song that was featured in a movie that played 4 years before she was born! Where's my cane, er, scepter?

May the force be with you ScottN. I believe they sell reinforced floorplates for your side of the car at most part stores. Tell them you need the learning to drive daughter package.

Mark, Heavy Metal rocks!!!

Mark, Blue Öyster Cult rocks!

Mark, rocks rock!!!

ScottN,

TrekGrrl started driving lessons this week!!!!!!

Huh? In your post from 2004, you said that TrekGrrl had just finished Junior High, and starting High School therefore, so she's now in 9th grade and about 15 years, and she already gets driving lessons???

Kids can get their learner's permit and driving lessons at 15, Constanze. How long do they wait in Germany?

Wow. For a car, you need to be 18 to get the license. A similar thing to a learner's permit was only introduced recently, where the kid is 17, and has to drive for one year with a parent or similar in the car.
It's possible to get the license for Mofas (small Motor bikes, not faster then 25 kmh) at 16, but from what I know the kid needs to be quite close to his/her 16th birthday to start the lessons.

But then, driving lessons aren't given at high school, either, only at private driving schools, which are quite expensive. (Currently, the estimate for a driver's license for a car is about 3000 Euros, I think, which is at least about 3000 Dollars.)

But then, I still haven't got any driver's license ... does that make me older or younger than usual?

Well here in Ohio you can drive farm equipment including pickup trucks with farm plates at age 10 with no liscence. The catch being it is only while in the pursuit of agricultural prodcution/processes. This isnt to say taht a few 13 year olds havent taken their dad's pickup to town, usually with the sheriff having the parents come get them. I've been driving since I was 12.

Around here most high schools don't give driver's lessons either due to insurance/liability but there are quite a few schools including AAA that cost between 60 and a 150 for lessons.

Not really either direction.

In New Jersey, the minimum age to apply for a basic license is 17, although you can obtain a learner's permit six months before your birthday.

It is possible to obtain a farm license at 16, but you can only drive on farm property, not on public roads, except that you can cross a public road which crosses the property in order to reach the other fields.

A moped (low-powered motorized bicycle) license is available at 15; ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles -- Dune Buggies and thier ilk)) do not require a license, but without one they cannot be driven on public roads. The minimum age to drive an ATV is 14, but there are restrictions on the size and power if they are operated by someone 16 or under.

Fully powered motorcycles need either a special license or a rider to the basic license, neither of which is available before age 17.

TrekGrrl is in 10th grade. She's 15 1/2.

Just for fun, in Louisiana, there are *three* levels of graduated licensing (plus more for driving special vehicles -- motorcycles, limousines, commercial trucks, et al). One can have a learner's permit at age 15, provided that one has passed driver's ed with a qualified agency *and* passes the written portion of the state driver's test. After three months or the 16th birthday, whichever comes last, one takes a road test, and upon passing, receives a class E restricted license, which forbids one to be on the road without a parent during certain hours. Upon reaching the 17th birthday, the restriction disappears (even if one still holds the restricted license -- I still have one and I'm nearly 21, but the restriction is just words on plastic right now. Actually, my license will be good until I'm 24, though the picture stopped looking like me some time ago.)

Though if one simply waits until age 18, one can dispense with all of this except for the three month learner's permit requirement. No need for formal driver's ed or an intermediate license for a year.

Well, from what I've heard, kids can drive farm equipment like tractors from 13 onward, too, with a special license, but I don't know much about that. Since only 5-10% of the population are farmers (and I've grown up in a city), this is more of an exception than important for many kids.

ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles -- Dune Buggies and thier ilk)) do not require a license, but without one they cannot be driven on public roads. The minimum age to drive an ATV is 14, but there are restrictions on the size and power if they are operated by someone 16 or under.

ATVs have only recently appeared in Germany, and so the law is currently trying to catch up to them. AFAIK, at the moment, they're classified similarly to Mopeds, but experts want to change that, because some ATVs can get very high speeds over 25 kmh.

Similarly, "scooters" (the ones that look like skateboards with a handle) become popular about 5 to 10 years ago, and along came several motorized variants (with and without seats), which at first didn't require a license. Therefore, the motor-scooters themselves didn't have to fulfill any requirements, the lawmaker didn't watch them, and cheaply-made, high-speed versions appeared, so now there's discussion whether to regulate them.

Fully powered motorcycles need either a special license or a rider to the basic license, neither of which is available before age 17.

Motor cycles are grouped into several distinct classes, depending on horse power and speed (and the smaller ones, Vespas, Mofas are artifically blocked to not go above 25 kmh). The idea was for kids to start with small things like Mofas at 16, move up to higher-powered motor bikes at 17, and get a license for a car at 18, when they already have some experience in traffic. But not everybody does that, many just apply for the license at age 18.

Matt, CA is similar.

At 15 1/2, one can get a learners permit, providing one has passed a certified drivers education class.

At 16 (or after 6 months, whichever is later), providing the person has passed a drivers training class, one can get a restricted licence.
At this point, one can drive without a parent. However, you cannot drive with another person in the vehicle (except for a family member), unless one of them is over 25. I believe there are also curfew restrictions on the license (with exceptions for school and work).


At 18 or after one year (whichever comes first), the restrictions are lifted.

Oh, this will make you all chortle. Second row, last photo:

http://www.capitalreunions.com/Yearbook.asp?ClassID=14&LastLetter=p

Chortle, chortle, guffaw!

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

TrekGrrl is getting pre-acceptance letters from colleges!

She's pre-approved at both UCSB and UCDavis. All she needs to do is apply (she's a HS senior this year, had her first semiformal dance last Saturday).

Her little sister is a freshman in HS (9th grade).

Will one of you youngun's go fetch me my ... what was I sayin' again?

Big bad barry Blew it, Bonds is never gonna play
again, or get his ws ring, it seems no team wants him and his
garbage! (yet).


btw isnt today his birthday?

lolololololololol.

TrekGrrl has finished her first year at college.

I'm feeling really ancient.

Looks around for TomM and points at him
At least I'm not as decrepit as him!

Anyone remember Bill Cullen?

I remember Bill Cullen. I'd watch any show he hosted when I was a kid; he seemed so down to earth. He was probably the most prolific game show host ever. One thing I didn't know about Cullen until his death was that he was disabled, due to a bout with polio and a severe car accident. More on Bill Cullen here.
My sister is about to become a grandmother, the first of me and my five siblings to become a grandparent. I hoped my parents would have lived to see a great grandchild, but it was not to be. My mom died in October, 2010, and my dad passed away in April 2013. My dad died never knowing his first great grandchild was on the way.

Scott wrote, way back when:

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ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! TrekGrrl started driving lessons this week!!!!!!

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TrekGrrl, having graduated college last year, is now moving away to begin her career...

Good luck to her, Scott. Meanwhile, John wrote, ages ago:

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Cereals I can remember are:
"Quisp", "Quake", "Pink Panther Flakes", "Kaboom", "Wafflos", "Corny Snaps", "Fruit Brute" NONE of these are in existence anymore. (As far as I know, that is)

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Uh, Adam, I wrote that.

Anyway, "Quisp" is available these day. There's a store in a (sorta, kinda) nearby town that sells it. You can also buy it online. Fruit Brute, as well as Yummy Mummys, Count Chocula, Franken-Berry and Boo-Berry are all currently available as seasonal products. Both Walmart and Target have them for sale. (They are nowhere near as sweet as I remember them being, either.)

Oops. I'm wrong. John, did write that. I thought I saw my name there instead of John's when I looked for the original quote. My bad.

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"Quisp" is available these days. There's a store in a (sorta, kinda) nearby town that sells it. You can also buy it online.

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In the one store I found Quisp in, the price wasn't cheap either. About $5 a box, iirc. About a dollar more than any other cereals on the shelves.

And a final update on TrekGrrl...

She finally got the job she really wanted, is living a block and a half from the beach, and turns 25(!) this summer!

When did I get so fracking OLD?????

My son turned 26 last month, and still shows no interest in driving. At 26, I was on my fourth car. It was also my first (and so far only) new car - a 1981 Dodge Aries. My son and I will be flying to L.A. in April, for the TCM Classic Film Festival. It would be nice to have someone to share the driving out there. I highly doubt he'll learn to drive by then.

Hey, Adam! Drop me a line [sconeu at yahoo dot com]
and let me know when you're going to be in LA!!

Two things happened recently that make me feel a bit old(er). (I'm eight weeks shy of 62 as I write this.) I got into see Star Trek Beyond for the senior price. OK, it was about three bucks cheaper than the regular price, but the money's better in my pocket than theirs. Two, a young woman offered me her seat on the subway yesterday. Very magnanimous of her. As I had a long ride, I took it.

Do I have to get off your lawn, Adam?

For those of you who really wan to feel old...

TrekGrrl is now 26. Her younger sister is 23.

Man. And I just turned 61.
Oh, Scott! GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!

Stupid punk kids.

Do I have to get off your lawn, Adam?
You would if I still had a lawn, Scott. I had to sell the lawn, along with the rest of the house, back in 2003, as a consequence of my divorce.
And, I was offered seats on public transit twice more. And took them. Maybe I'm mastering a look of pain.

Rassum fassum mumble grumble darned old folks!!!

Rassum fassum

Hi, Yosemite Sam!

Well, I just took the main step to old fart land - I applied for Social Security a few days ago. I retired last spring, due to a two hour, three step (one way) commute; I'm too old for that. Now, watch that prune faced goon in the White House cut Social Security. Just to give himself and his cronies another tax cut.

And now I fit a Beatles' song, "When I'm 64". Sigh.

Do they still need you? Do they still feed you?

And NitCentral is now fully legal... The discussion boards are 21!

(The earliest posts I could find were from late 1998).

There are Internet posters younger than this site.

And they can get off my lawn!

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Tim: I'm perfectly capable of getting dinner on the table.
Tim: Hello, Papa John's? Do you deliver?

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