Official Old Fart Thread!

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A real old fart also remembers the time he could change a spark plug without removing many other things before he could even see them!

I also remember when the family car had a crank. One used that to start the engine. Many folks also learned new words as engine was being started.

I learned a few bad words on our old ford tractor growing up.

Pete
 
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I used to marvel at the new inventions that my Great Aunt had seen in her lifetime (born in 1900, died in 1982). I guess my life to this point has seen lots of changes too (52) It's been fun reading through all the pages of memories... I learned to drive a standard with a 1963 Rambler - 3 on the tree ... a complete stop to shift into first;lol Folks had a 67 Rambler wagon too and loved the "way back". Dad had a 57 Ford convertible - he added the seatbelts when he refurbished it. I remember those steel dashboards well - too up close and personal:(

I saw the mention of Sputnik but I recall the TV being brought into the class for Apollo missions.... Remember the first color TV in our house and watching the Wizard of OZ - the switch from black and white to color was pretty impressive. It was weird watching Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" in black and white on a color TV too! I got to be in the studio audience for a Bozo the clown show - big deal when your in elementary school;)

8 Tracks were easy compared to the reel-to-reel my Dad had. He was pretty into his stereo equipment (receiver, turntable and reel-to-reel) and wired the house for sound in several rooms with switching to control the speaker output. Come to think of it, the 8 tracks were a pain when they broke or jammed. I can remember hand reeling 8 tracks with my brother after they were spliced;lol

While the Draft never touched our family personally (brother had a medical condition), I remember Mom and I gave a lift to a hitch-hiker that she recognized. A week later he was on the Grand Island Bridge (NY) shooting at cars. No one hurt but I'm sure he didn't get the help he needed for PTSD.

For the ladies of the forum of a certain age, do you remember Chrissy dolls? Her hair could be wound and un-wound to go from shoulder length to waist length:cool: How about the Francie doll - one of the first Barbie's that had bendable legs!

No one mentioned Polaroid cameras:)

A personal favorite was my 10 speed bike....
 
Holy Mackeral der Andy!
 
N'yuk n'yuk, n'yuk. To the moon Alice!
 
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For the ladies of the forum of a certain age, do you remember Chrissy dolls? Her hair could be wound and un-wound to go from shoulder length to waist length:cool: How about the Francie doll - one of the first Barbie's that had bendable legs!

Just turning 40 they are a bit before my time but know what your talking about, doll collectors go nuts for them. I remember the Ginny doll re-released in the 80's for Sasson jeans and getting this "Kimberly" doll for my birthday. My sister had one too but hers was a cheerleader.

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Gas station gift! Hah! My mom still has and uses the "jelly jar" glasses from Esso, later Mobil/Exxon. There was a Hess station too my Dad liked, not only did he buy my little brother the Hess trucks, at xmas time, free rolls of wrapping paper with fill ups. I swear, my parents were still using that wrapping paper a decade later we had so much of it.

Being July 4th season, I grew up near Aberdeen Proving Grounds (MD) and we'd see the fireworks from our farm. My dad didn't smoke but on July 4th he'd by a pack to smoke to light the fireworks, usually roman candles off the deck as my mother screamed he was going to burn the house down. Oh, the childhood memories...and many years of therapy ;)
 
Free road maps at the gas station. Hand towels in boxes of laundry soap. Air and water at the gas station without putting quarters in slots.

Trading stamps everywhere. People bagging your groceries and carrying them to the car.
 
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When I managed a truck leasing company branch I was reviewing fuel tickets. I caught where some drivers were leaving the Interstate in Arizona, driving a hundred miles South, filling up the three hundred gallons and driving a hundred miles back to the Interstate. To get double S&H Green Stamps for the fill-ups. We were charging their company by the mile for the trucks and trailers.
 

That is my other most favorite one.
Funny story....my daughter in law called the other day to ask me a question. She said "Dad, you wouldn't know anything about this would you? I was putting Chloe (my 6 year old granddaughter) to bed and she says to me "Good night Mrs. Calabash wherever you are." ;)
 
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When I managed a truck leasing company branch I was reviewing fuel tickets. I caught where some drivers were leaving the Interstate in Arizona, driving a hundred miles South, filling up the three hundred gallons and driving a hundred miles back to the Interstate. To get double S&H Green Stamps for the fill-ups. We were charging their company by the mile for the trucks and trailers.
Hey, I still have a bunch of S&H Green stamps....are they worth anything?
 
That is my other most favorite one.
Funny story....my daughter in law called the other day to ask me a question. She said "Dad, you wouldn't know anything about this would you? I was putting Chloe (my 6 year old granddaughter) to bed and she says to me "Good night Mrs. Calabash wherever you are." ;)


In 1966 he finally confessed what it meant. Him and his wife stopped in a town name Calabash and his wife loved the name of the town and he started calling her Mrs. Calabash from then on. After she died he added "Wherever you are." People had been trying to guess for decades.
 
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Hey, I still have a bunch of S&H Green stamps....are they worth anything?
I had about 15 books in the attic that my mother had saved, I've looked around "not lately" But there pretty much worthless unless you collect S&H memoribelia. The only thing I can say is put them on E-bay and see who bites. I chucked mine years ago.
 
Free road maps at the gas station. Hand towels in boxes of laundry soap. Air and water at the gas station without putting quarters in slots.

Trading stamps everywhere. People bagging your groceries and carrying them to the car.


I was the kid who carried the groceries to the car.....really!
 
Does anybody remember the flour sacks? Cotton with a print. All farmers saved them and they made many dresses, aprons, shirts, pillow covers, etc. Yes, I also wore shirts that my mother made with flour sacks and she sewed on a treadle sewing machine. I also remember how happy she was when her sewing maching was converted to electric.
 
Air and water at the gas station without putting quarters in slots.

Still have that around here. Has to be a Stewarts tho. (Big chain in the area).

I'm following this thread wishing for a time machine. I know, I know, "the good old days, weren't" and all that but did we have to get rid of everything? Would do a lot of these kids good to carry groceries to the car and use the phrases "Thank You", "Have a nice day", and "You're welcome sir/ma'am."
 
This guy - Elmer - who was a friend of ours in WV, was 88 years old when we hung out with him. He remembered when the first car was in Parkersburg, some 200 miles away from where he lived.

He also remembered when ONE black dude came to the area. That was 50 years ago (1920, approx) , and he told us the guy was quickly run out of town.

He'd be long gone now.....he built that fine house you see in the background and still chopped all his own wood - no fancy splitter like you, Back......:cool:
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