I miss book, music and movie stores

This is an old a picture of the now defunct Hastings store in Greeley Colorado. Things being how they are today with technology and whatnot, forced this store to close a couple of years ago around 2012.  Hastings was one of my favorite stores to frequent. They sold new and used books, music, and movies, as well as a hodgepodge of other items appealing to musicians, skaters, geeks, gamers, and pop culture fanatics. I can honestly say that there was something for everyone in this store.

My world was truly shaken when I learned the news that Hastings Greeley was closing. From the sound of it, employees were just as shocked by the news as I was. They were told of the bad news just two days prior to when the general public was notified. Apparently their lease was up, and the landlord found another tenant that wanted to take over the retail space. Rather than move to a new location, folks at corporate decided to cut their losses and close the store.

Conventional wisdom dictates that this is another classic case of how technology is changing the landscape of the retail market, in regards to virtually every type of media. Like everyone else, Hastings has seen their video rental business steadily decrease thanks to Red Box, Netflix, and on demand programming. Retail publication and music sales also continue to falter because of digital downloads. I guess stores like Hastings, Borders, and Barnes and Noble are becoming dinosaurs in this day and age.  It's a simple fact that can't be denied, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I'm old school. I love to spend hours browsing through music, book, magazine, and movie sections in stores. However, being able to do so is becoming harder and harder to do. An e-book just doesn't do it for me, nor does an electronic copy of an album, or streaming movies from my phone. Mind you, I'm not opposed to technology, I just don't believe that we need to replace all media with convenient streamlined digital alternatives. Everything we need is now becoming immediately available. I can already see myself and many others close to me becoming inpatient and anxious, all for the sake of immediate gratification. 

I could go on and on forever about digital vs. traditional media, but I think I'll cool it for now. Instead, let's take a look at a few things that made stores like Hastings so great..

What's better than browsing through a book store, knowing that there are all kinds of hidden treasures you never knew existed just waiting to be found?

I loved taking my kids to book stores like this and letting them pick out books that we could read together.  Sadly, the feel of many book stores these days are less than inviting.

These boxes contain something called 'Board Games'.  It's a strange concept, but these are non electronic games of strategy and chance, played by following a set of pre determined rules. It's what folks used to do for fun before Angry Birds and X-Box.

A cornucopia of music that you can pick up, see, and feel.  There's something to be said for an LP or  CD with its dust jacket that can include lyrics, stories and insight from the artist's themselves, and of course, the cover art.

I'm thinking Red Box doesn't have quite as extensive of a movie selection as this store had.

 

A lot of new artists are getting their new albums pressed to vinyl these days in addition to digital and compact disc.  When Hastings closed, the places to find new vinyl in these parts are far and few between.

I am a child of the 70s and 80s, and therefore appreciate a good comic book. Hastings had a large section of floor space dedicated to new and old comics, as well as other comic related merchandise like action figures, collectibles, and apparel. At the time of Hastings closing, the town of Greeley Colorado was left without a single comic book store, which had me going through some serious withdrawals. 

I can't tell you how many oddball and wacky pop culture items I bought from Hastings over the years. Great items like these pictured below were always readily available for purchase.. 

Cover up that nasty new car scent with bacon air freshener

Zombie Brain and Heart gelatin molds will ensure that your next dinner party will be a hit!

A Lucha Libre wrestling mask 

should be a staple in every man's wardrobe

Nunzilla.. a fire breathing, spark spitting wind up toy.
I ended up buying this

One of the coolest retro action figures I've ever seen

 

Twilight Zone 'Mystic Seer'

This is just like the little fortune telling machine that William Shatner got addicted to using in the 1960 Twilight Zone episode "Nick of Time". I almost bought this cool little unit, but couldn't pull the trigger because he still kinda freaks me out after all of these years.

Wicked cool tees and geek-wear were always abundant

Assortment of headwear for the discerning geek 

Yes.. Hastings was way more than just a video and music store.  It felt as if they went out of their way to appeal to the masses, and it truly was an end of an era when they closed. They are still sorely missed by many Greeley residents, and surely will be for a long time to come.

Update 10/10/2023 

Hastings filed for bankruptcy somewhere around 2016 sealing their fate and in a sense, ending an era for many. I read this article now that I penned almost a decade ago and can't believe how much things have changed since then.

While I originally had a bit of an aversion to the shift in how we were starting to consume media, I must admit I do not purchase as much these days apart from retro video games, books and the occasional LP. I am indeed much less patient than I used to be, and it has everything to do with how I consume my information, entertainment and news. It's for this reason that I force myself to grab the occasional newspaper, crossword puzzle book, play vintage games, and shoot analog photos.

In my humble opinion, we must occasionally force ourselves to slow down and take pause. Our brains need the occasional break from the constant bombardment of information we are exposed to. Retro media formats and using antiquated tech is a great way to accomplish this. I really want to cover some of the ways I do this personally, so keep an eye out.

The Casa Bonita Experience.. in under 60 seconds

Casa Bonita! A Colorado institution since 1974. Well.. it was, until 2020 when they closed down and filed for bankruptcy. Soon after, South Park creators and Casa Bonita enthusiasts Trey Parker and Matt Stone purchased it and started restoring it to its former glory. I for one can't wait to see the finished product soon.

Here's a blast from the recent past ( circa 2014-ish ) during one of our many family outings to Casa Bonita..

 

I visited this themed restaurant through my entire childhood, as did my kids. I took my bride there for our first date, and dined there countless times over the last four decades. I hope to visit Casa Bonita in the fall, and if I do I will be sure to document what has changed, and what has hopefully remained the same. Stay tuned!

I'm so ready to watch some Baseball - Lockdown Day 45

I'm not the biggest baseball fan, and haven't been an avid watcher since the 80s and early 90s.  Similar to pro wrestling and NBA basketball, there was just something more exciting and fun to me about watching it back in the day.  I can count on one hand how many times I actually played baseball in my life, but I still admired the sport.

I had a Dusty Baker baseball mitt that my Dad bought me when I was about seven years old that I still own .  Having a Mitt was something just about every boy was expected to own back in the day.  I never used it much, just to play catch with my Dad and Brother occasionally.  I was proud to own that mitt however, and it made me feel like I was part of something bigger.

With talk of Baseball coming back soon, I'm all about watching some games as soon as they start up.  I am a man without a team though.  I do watch Dodger games, because I lived in Southern California until I was about 8 years old.  It was my Brother's favorite team, and I was very familiar with the team history and players from a very young age.  We had our favorite players like 'El Toro'.. Fernando Valenzuela, Davey Lopes, Dusty Baker, Steve Garvey, and who didn't love watching Tommy Lasorda marching out on the field to argue with the Umps?  We loved it when he did that.  Here's one of the many shows he put on back in the day..

Those were the days.  Tommy was just as entertaining as watching the game sometimes.

While the Dodgers hold a special place in my heart, I followed many teams over the years like the Oakland A's, Anaheim Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and a few others.  I credit this to my Brother.  He would buy baseball cards and give me any doubles he'd get, which got me into the hobby of baseball card collecting.  He taught me what the stats meant on the back of the cards, and I became enthralled with how better some players were than others. 

It was because of reading facts and stats about players from their respective cards, that I started following players rather than teams.  Eddie Murray from the Baltimore Orioles was my favorite childhood player, and in most recent years David Ortiz aka 'Big Papi' from the Boston Red Sox.  In fact, the only Baseball Jersey I currently wear is a Big Papi jersey.

I don't even care who is going to be playing, I'm going to be watching games as soon as baseball starts up.  I had every intention of catching a spring training game locally this year, but those plans were obviously derailed.  While I can watch games on TV, there's just something so great about watching them live.  I'm not sure when we will be able to take in games like that once again, but I'm for sure going to enjoy them all that much more when they do return.  Baseball.. one more thing on a list of many, that I sorely miss now that it's not there.

Memories of Mountain Cafe in Fort Collins, Colorado

 Mountain Cafe

226 West Mountain Avenue

Fort Collins, CO 80521-2711

(970) 493-9576

I grew up eating at Mountain Cafe located in Fort Collins Colorado.  This was largely in part, because my old man's barber shop was located directly next door.   Look closely at the right side of the photo, and you will see an outline of where his old barber pole used to be.  My old man is now retired, and his barber shop long gone, but Mountain Cafe is still thriving.

Looking at this picture is like peering through a time portal back to my youth.  This counter has remained virtually unchanged since the 1970's.  The only noticeable difference as far as I can see, is an absent rotating cake and pie display that used to sit behind the left side of the counter. I used to beg my old man to sit at the counter when he'd take me there for breakfast or lunch.  Sometimes he'd reluctantly give in, and I'd be the happiest kid alive, dining with the working men of the world while feasting on my pigs in a blanket and chocolate milk, or patty melt and Coca-Cola.

The rest of the diner also remains largely unchanged.  However.. if you look to the left side of this picture, you will see a section of the wall that has been cut out.  The section to the left of that wall used be my old mans barber shop.  The owner took over the space and expanded after my Dad retired.  Every time I dine at Mountain Cafe, I can't help but sit and stare across the other side of the wall, in awe of how familiar yet how different it looks.

It never ceased to amaze me how Dad was treated like royalty in that place.  He'd get his coffee topped off at what seemed like every fourth or fifth sip, would often get free pieces of freshly made pie, and sometimes.. a free meal all together.  One time when my mother dropped me off at my Dad's shop for the afternoon, he was sitting in one of his barber chairs just finishing up a plate of food from the cafe.  A few minutes after he finished eating, one of the waitresses came in through the back door of his shop, picked up his plate, silverware and cup, and took it back to the restaurant. I remember thinking "Wow.. eating lunch in a comfortable barber chair, with people coming to serve you.  Now this is the life!"

 Pigs in a blanket and Hashbrowns

Dig that serving size!

On many an occasion, I order the pigs in a blanket and hash browns just as I did for so many years a kid, and they are always every bit as good as I remember them being when I was a young boy.  Mountain Cafe is everything I remember it to be and more, and dining there always brings back many fond memories from my youth.  

Things change, but in the case of this great diner, very little has (which is a good thing).  I see the same great value, quality, service, and quaintness that's been ever present.  If you're ever in Fort Collins Colorado and have the inkling for a great breakfast in an old school diner, I highly recommend hitting up Mountain Cafe.

NEW COKE Returns! An 80's flop.. or perfectly executed conspiracy?

Yes I get excited about stuff like this happening, and yes.. I will be buying NEW COKE once again, some 30 years later!  As part of a tie in with the show 'Stranger Things' Season Three, it looks like NEW COKE will once again be released sometime this summer.  Details are sketchy at this point, but it's coming!

NEW COKE has largely been considered a PR nightmare and failure of the Coca-Cola Company. The company unsuccessfully tried to roll out a new hipper version of Coca Cola, only for it to be hated by the masses.  Or was it a failure?

Conspiracy?

Maybe I watched too conspiracy movies as a kid, but I stand by what my 15 year old self immediately thought back in 1985, and that is.. Coca-Cola knew exactly what they were doing.  It would actually be a perfectly executed ruse if this were the case.  I mean really.. let's think about this for a minute..

• 1. Release a sub par version of a classic product.

• 2. One month later respond to the public outcry and announce the return of the original product named "Coca-Cola Classic".

• 3. Release re-branded product to market in record time.

• 4. Watch their stocks soar as everyone is drunk with nostalgia, as they are reunited with a classic piece of American history and Americana.  Not to mention recapturing the market lead against Pepsi in the brutal Soda wars of the 80s!

My friends and I performed our very own taste tests and decided we liked Old Coke better than its new counterpart.  Later that week, we all went out across town buying up cases of the old formula to stash in our bedrooms.  We knew it wouldn't last forever, so we cautiously consumed it to make it last as long as we could.  In the end.. we still had much of our stash left by the time 'Coca-Cola Classic' was hitting shelves.  Once again all was right with the world.

From what I remember, I preferred old Coke to the new formula.. but didn't hate NEW COKE by any means.  I was raised on RC Cola but would also drink Coke about 30% of the time.  I'm a sucker for nostalgia and most anything retro, so I am pretty excited about this promotion, and will be scampering to buy some new.. old.. NEW COKE this summer! 

Old Restaurant Logos

I'm a sucker for ingenious marketing and branding. I especially appreciate the talent and ingenuity it takes to create a good looking corporate logo that can withstand the test of time.  Therefore, here are a few retro restaurant logos I sorely miss seeing..

 Shakey's Pizza Retro Logo

New Shakey's Logo..

Shakey's Pizza was my family's favorite pizza chain when I was a a boy.  Most of the old signs in front of the restaurants also read "& Ye public House" at the very bottom of the sign.  The logo just had a classic feel to it, that just screamed good old fashioned pizza.  While the newer logo doesn't exude the retro goodness that the old one does, it definitely does scream FUN!

That being said, if you're a big fan of the old logo like I am, many of the Shakey's restaurants in the United States still utilize the old logo throughout the restaurants, and some even still use the classic signs out in front of the stores.  

Pizza Inn Retro Logo..

New Pizza Inn Logo..

Pizza Inn was a restaurant chain I remember seeing a lot when I was a kid.  I always loved the old logo featuring that Italian cat hand tossing a pizza.  In fact.. if I could buy a shirt featuring this retro logo I most certainly would!

At one time, it seemed as if Pizza Inn streamlined their logo to the umpteenth degree, leaving it devoid of any character or uniqueness.  To me, it looked like a piece of clip art pulled from a desktop publishing program.  Fortunately, Pizza Inn has since went back to using a new retro looking logo that incorporates their beloved mascot.  Huzzah!

Retro International House of Pancakes Logo

New IHOP Logo..

I wonder.. how many kids these days know that IHOP stands for International House of Pancakes? I could go on a rant about the trend of shortening words and phrases for no other reason than sheer laziness, but I'll save that for another post.  

I absolutely loved The International House of Pancakes as a kid.  As a small boy, I thought the buildings were huge, and was always in awe of the 1960's style A-Frame peaks stretching high into the sky.  I also recall the interior of the restaurants having a very homelike feel, maybe like a bohemian cottage.  Unfortunately nowadays, the restaurants architecture and ambiance, much like their food.. sorely misses the mark.

White Castle Retro Logo

New White Castle Logo

While I do miss the simple and clean design of the vintage White Castle logo, this is one exception where I'm also a fan of the newer one as well.  I like how the new logo now incorporates perspective on the castle, has just the right amount of color, and still utilizes the old White Castle font.  It's fun and classy at the same time.

When I think of just how much restaurants have changed over the last two decades, I've noticed something.  It seems to me that when restaurants don't drastically change their branding, they continue to keep loyal patrons for decades.  I believe it's because the folks at the helm of these establishments know what works, and therefore will not deviate drastically from what has contributed to their success over the years.

I didn't mean to start delving into the intricacies of the restaurant and fast food industry, so maybe I should wrap it up here and continue the topic in another post.  Until then.. I will continue reminiscing about the excitement and sense of escape I used to enjoy in regards to going out to eat.  Old logos always stir up all kinds of great memories, so I very well may showcase more of them soon.

Dad's Retro phrase of the week

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall"

Isn't this the absolute truth?  From bullies to corporations, the more prominent or powerful they are..  the more difficult it is for them when they lose their power!

Dad's Retro phrase of the week..

"Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea"

-unknown 

Dad's retro phrase of the week..

"Crap or get off the pot"

Meaning.. hurry up!  

A saying that I don't often hear too much these days (at least from folks under the age of forty).

Crap that's stuck in my head. The retro pop culture phrase.. "How do you Dooooooo?"

As a young boy, my friends and I would greet each other on occasion with an exuberant "How do you doooooooo?"  What's more, we always did so in our best fake foreign accents.  We had all heard our older siblings, uncles, fathers, actors, comedians, and cartoon characters utter this very phrase.  However, none of us knew where said phrase came from.  Heck..  I've wondered where the phrase originated from for most of my life.  Now.. thirty some odd years later, I finally put two and two together and figured out the mystery.


One of my favorite XM Satellite radio stations is Radio Classics, which plays old time radio shows non stop.   While listening to one of my favorite shows called Duffy's Tavern.. a character whom bar patrons referred to as The Mad Russian, uttered "How do you Dooooooooo?" as he entered the bar, bring an instantaneous roar of laughter from the audience.  It was during the shows closing credits, that I learned the part of The Mad Russian was played by actor Bert Gordon.

Gordon broke onto the Vaudeville scene in 1914, and got into performing in radio during the 1930's.  He appeared throughout the early 40's in both films and radio as his character "The Mad Russian." The actor's character was known for his "steel wool" haircut, ears that wiggled, and of course his famous catch phrases, "How do you do" and "Do you mean it?".  Gordon's tag lines and likeness even appeared in several Warner Bros. cartoons of the period such as the Bugs Bunny cartoon Hare Ribbin'.  Gordon's career was all but over by 1950, and his last filmed appearance was in a 1964 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show in which he played himself.

So there you have it my friends.. a brief insight into the phrase "How Do you Dooooo?"  Next time you hear this obscure phrase (and believe me.. someday you will) you can share some insight on the matter with anyone that happens to be within earshot!

6 retro phrases that I miss hearing..

I'm old school. I know know it, I'm fine with it, and I own it. This old school attitude also carries over into my linguistics, and I occasionally catch young punks people off guard with older sayings I utter. It didn't dawn on me until recently, that many of the phrases I use are quite old. I guess it should come as no surprise, because my parents and grand parents are where I learned most of them.

In no particular order, here are some old sayings I truly miss hearing but still use on a regular basis.

Fair to Middlin'
My grandfather used to love this one.  When I'm asked how I'm doing by an older person, or a Good Ol' Boy from down south or back east, I respond with "Fair to Middlin'". They get a kick out of it, and they totally recognize the old saying. Apparently the word Middling had to do with the best grade of cotton in the old days. Therefore, Fair to middlin' means you're somewhere between fair and very good. 

That really gets my goat!
For some reason, horses can act calmer and be less stressed with goats in their company. Race horses are no exception, and were often boarded with goats for this reason. A horse can get irritated or upset if their goat companion is taken away from them, which is supposedly how this saying came to life.

Blow your cap
Not sure of the origin on this one, but my friends and I always used to say it when we were referring to getting angry, or losing ones cool.

Judas Priest!!
Used in place of taking Jesus Christ's name in vain when angry. A lot of my childhood friends fathers and grandfathers used this one quite regularly.

They're 100 pounds soaking wet with 10 pound boots on.
Used in reference to scrawny, skinny, or petite folks.

Son of a biscuit!
Used in place of the uncouth alternative. Mind you.. this is a widely used saying in my workplace. One of my workmates who is a bit older, uses this very phrase along with "Shucks" as alternatives to foul language. Others at our company found it so amusing, that everyone who knows him has started repeating the phrases in lieu of using profanity!

I've got tons more, but I'm really dying to learn what old sayings and phrases you personally love, miss, and still use to this day. Let's hear them!

Another edition of.. Holy crap I AM turning into my parents!

No need for deep philosophical discussion on this topic, but here's a few things I've noticed about myself lately..



New music sounds like crap to me
I kid you not, even the so called good music doesn't sound good to me at all.  I hear maybe half a dozen songs a year from new artists that I like.  I find myself ever more listening to older music from the 50's through the 80's and sorely missing the good old days. 

I have more coupons in my wallet than money
I may not be loaded with scrilla, but by god.. I can get a heck of a good deal on two pizzas with garlic bread, or a four wheel tire rotation and alignment!
 
I get irritated with cheaply made products
My regular readers know what I'm talking about.  I sometimes get on rants for days about cheap plastic crap that Wal-Mart sells.  Whether it's a cheap sprinkler, a spatula, or hair dryer, I'm steadily buying more and more vintage items for everyday use, and laughing all the way to the bank.

Fast food doesn't taste as good as it used to
Two years ago I was the king of fast food, and even had a web-site dedicated to artery pounding monstrosities that I had conquered.  Due to a health scare, I've greatly changed my eating habits since that time.  When I do dine on fast food..  it really doesn't do anything for me.  Well.. except for maybe giving me an upset stomach, and feelings of guilt for treating my body like a tent rather than a temple. 

I'm more at peace with the way I look
Everyone has things about their appearance that they don't like.  Suddenly this year, none of my old personal hang ups seem to matter as much as they used to.  Life is too short to sweat superficial things, and it will just take away from a whole lot of living I need to do.

I guess these things aren't necessarily bad, just a wake up call that I've really changed, and will probably continue to do so as I get older.  The thought of becoming more like my parents used to horrify me, but now I don't view it as a bad thing.  If I ever start mowing the lawn in slippers and black socks however, someone will need to slap me.

The retro phrase.. "Light a match"

Light a Match
 
[ lyght - a - mach ]

retro phrase

1. The act of striking a match and letting it burn after one is finished expelling bodily waste. A means of bathroom etiquette used to eradicate unpleasant lingering odors produced by ones own excrement.

I'll let you in on a little secret.  I sometimes challenge myself to use various retro phrases in my daily context five times during a day.  Surprisingly, I found that the phrase "Light a match" wasn't too hard to work into conversation.  Living in a house with a family of five, and given some of the guys I work with..  the task was indeed all too easy.


I remember this phrase being used quite a bit when I was a young boy.  I also recall lots of people practicing this nearly extinct form of bathroom etiquette.  As memories go, family gatherings and parties stand out the most, in regards to this.  When my family used to get together, the house would literally be bursting at the seams.  We'd have spreads of food big enough to feed a small army, and everyone always ate their fill.  Shortly after dessert was when foot traffic to the bathroom steadily began increasing.  In fact, it's probably safe to say that the commode was pretty much occupied for the rest of the evening.

I remember some of my aunts telling their husbands discreetly to "light a match" after they were finished.  My uncles on the other hand, would not so discreetly say things to the kids like..  "Geezaloo! Get back in this bathroom and light a match!".  That type of bathroom humor always got everyone in earshot laughing their heads off.


Mind you, the smell of sulfur dioxide burning from the tip of a match isn't the most pleasant odor.  However, it sure beats what lingers in the air after a person is done making a deposit, or.. taking a load off of their mind.  The sulfur overpowers and even knocks out the toughest of stench.  Although.. I've known a few folks who could stand to light an extra match after they're done vacating the premises.



I can only relate the decline in this practice to a matchbook shortage.  Back in the day, virtually every business gave away free matchbooks.  My old man always had matchbook's in his cars, the garage, the junk drawer, the medicine cabinet, and he didn't even smoke.

I've got to say, this is one of my old man's habits that has indeed rubbed off on me, and yes.. I keep a matchbook in my bathroom at all times.  On occasion, the kids walk into the bathroom, hold their nose, and complain about the smell of a struck match.  I just laugh and kindly remind them that they should be thanking me for doing this.

Older is better! Example #126.. Lawn sprinklers

I've lived in my home for about a decade and a half now, and this afternoon I realized something. I have a pile of sprinklers and none of them work efficiently. That is.. if they still work at all. What's worse, is that I can't even begin to count the ones that I've thrown away over the years!

Over the last nine years I've bought oscillating sprinklers, stationary sprinklers, pulsating sprinklers, adjustable sprinklers, misting sprinklers, rain wave sprinklers, traveling tractor sprinklers, spinning sprinklers, rotary sprinklers, impulse sprinklers, and fun sprinklers for the kids to play in.

Heck, it feels like I could have gotten a sprinkler system installed for all of the money I've wasted on the garbage I've bought at Home Depot, Lowes, and Wal Mart over the last fifteen summers! I'm embarrassed to say I spent $60.00 on a sprinkler I bought last year which is now broken this season.

Do you know how many sprinklers my parents owned while I was growing up? One. That's right.. ONE metal sprinkler. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times.. things are simply not built to last anymore. I've had sprinklers break simply from one summer of sitting in the sun, or even by just pulling them from the ground. I'm SO sick of buying inferior, cheaply made products made half way around the world!

I almost went to Home Depot to buy yet another disposable sprinkler, but when I realized what I was doing, I slapped myself upside the head. Instead, I'm going to follow suit once again with something I've been doing more as of late, and that is buying vintage. I'm going to visit a few thrift stores to try and find an old school sprinkler. You know.. the ones from the 50's, 60's, or 70's that you might still see in your parents or grandparents garage. They're made out of aluminum or steel, have no cheap plastic parts, and were constructed in the good old U.S.A. If I can't find them in the second hand stores, then I will buy one off of eBay where they're more than abundant.

Depending on the item, buying retro is definitely the way to go if you want true staying power. Our society used to have a much different view of consumerism several decades ago. Things used to be made to last, so you could spend your hard earned money on more important things. Even when things did break, you could easily obtain replacement parts to fix them. If it were a bit out of your grasp to do a repair on something like an appliance, you could then take the item to a fix-it shop, or somewhere else to get it repaired. Throwing things away was a last resort when I was a kid. It always makes me feel a bit better about myself when I can reduce unnecessary waste going into landfills. Who'd of thought going retro could be a form of sustainability in itself!?!

How about you? Are there vintage items you personally prefer to use over new ones?  Are you fed up with the state of consumerism in regards to cheap and inferior products?  If so, feel free to chime in.

Endangered retro terminology and words..

I love uttering words and phrases that I grew up hearing my folks and Grandparents use. I always get a kick out of blank stares I get from youngin's that aren't familiar with said expressions. However, I'm equally as pleased with the looks of amusement I get from those who are acquainted with such sayings and terms. Here's a few that have been running through my mind lately..


Ragamuffin
In my experiences as a boy, older folks would often refer to us kids as "Ragamuffin's" when we were dirty, messy, or shabbily dressed. We usually heard this term after a long hard day of playing outside when an adult would say something like.. "Judas Priest! Look at the state of you little Ragamuffin's!


Kismet
Basically another word for fate or destiny.


Tappets
Slang for the lifters inside of an engine that open the valves. Eventually, the camshaft that moves the lifters or the valve stem can eventually wear down enough to make the lifters click. On more than one occasion, I remember pulling up somewhere in my old jalopy, only to have an old timer tell me: "Sounds like you need to adjust yer tappets son".


Beer Nuts
These are still around, but a lot of younger folks I've talked to had no clue what they were. For my old man, Beer Nuts were the quintessential snack to eat with beer. He used to stock pile cans of these things in the cupboard for football games and boxing matches. I remember my Dad happily sharing his cans of Beer Nuts with me when I was a wee lad, and thinking I was getting away with something. I simply equated that the peanuts had beer in them because of the product name.


Dungarees
Many folks used to call jeans Dungarees. I remember getting perturbed at this when I was a kid thinking.. how dare they call my Levis 501's Dungarees?!?


Castor Oil
Ugh.. when I was a kid, many households had a bottle of castor oil on the closet or medicine shelf.  I'd go as far to say that almost every household had a bottle at the ready when my parents were kids. Castor Oil is a vegetable oil made from the castor bean, and is primarily used as a laxative. While my parents never made me consume the stuff.. my brother once offered me 50 cents to swallow a spoonful. I accepted his offer, and choked down the thick yellowish oil which about made me gag. Heaven only knows how I kept the stuff down.   Later on during the night, the results were dare I say.. explosive.


Ambrosia
I've eaten countless variations of this fruit salad at get-togethers and church gatherings throughout the 70's and 80's. My favorite salads were the ones with little marshmallows, and plenty of shredded coconut. Oh yeah.. if you're an old cat like me and were around in the 70's, you might remember a progressive American rock band by the same name. Big hits for the group Ambrosia were "Biggest Part of Me", "How Much I feel", and "You're the Only Woman".


Courting
Now widely referred to by most as dating. Kids back in my day however, understood that courting was a serious thing rather than recreational. Courtship was the period in a relationship where both people are trying their best to get to know each other better, so as to decide if a progression toward marriage is in their future.


I could literally go on all day popping off endangered and extinct sayings and phrases. I believe the topic warrants some more posts in the near future. Stay tuned..

1970s and 80s thrift store flashbacks

During my retro treasure hunts, I often come across all manner of items that bring me right back to my youth.  Check out the abundance of groovy 70's, and awesome 80's goodness I came across in the recent past..

Westclox alarm clock made in the good ol' USA.  This technological wonder features a dimly back lit orange face for easy nighttime viewing, snooze button, and second hand.  I couldn't resist, and had to buy it.

 Cool ceramic bank. (perfect for my kiddo's)

Coffee mugs that reminded me of ones my grandma had

Wild Mushroom mugs that many folks owned in the 70's

 Old wooden sign circa 1975. It reminded me of signs

my old man decorated his barber shop with.

I remember tons of folks owning souvenir wooden clogs from Holland in the 70's and 80's.  Interestingly enough, this pair has some considerable wear on the soles!

An old filmstrip projector like the ones used in schools during the 70's and 80's.  I remember some teachers letting their favorite student's operate the machines for them, while they would grade papers, read, or sometimes nap.

It's not every day you run across a Rick Springfield 8-Track!

5 Things a 20th Century Retro Dad misses seeing..

Breakfast Cereal commercials.

Most of the breakfast cereal commercials today are ridiculous. On Saturday mornings, I used to look forward to watching Monster Cereal, Cap'n Crunch, and Fruity Pebbles commercials just as much as the cartoons! I even used to record them with my cassette recorder, so I could listen to them again after the kids programming had finished for the day. They were incredibly fun and entertaining to watch, and I haven't seen any that are nearly as good in decades.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis

These three icons always seemed to be everywhere when I was a kid! I'd always see them on movies and TV, even when they got up there in years. I always wanted to be like Frank as a kid, because I saw him as a tough guy and gentlemen. As these three members of The Rat Pack passed away one by one, they took with them a bit of magic that the entertainment world would never get back.

The Old School Jack in the Box restaurants

The food, the characters promoting the products, and who can forget that awesome clown that you had to talk into to order your food! Some of my earliest memories were of me and my old man going to Jack in the Box for an afternoon snack. I'd giggle with delight as he pulled up to the clown head and start talking to it. Marketing just seemed so much more creative back in the day.

Real Cars

A dying breed. The shiny chrome, the elegant curves, and those fancy emblems written in cursive. I appreciated a well built piece of Detroit steel from a very early age. Remember when a 5 MPH fender bender was just that, and not a $3,000.00 repair? I still plan on tracking down an old Ford Falcon like the one above to restore someday. This beauty can easily seat six people, and with a finely tuned six cylinder, can be a pretty economical car. Yes kids.. they just don't make them like they used to.

Good old fashioned diners

I practically grew up in my old man's barber shop, and right next door was a real down home, honest to goodness diner. To this day, I can still vividly recall how the strong smell of the freshly brewed coffee would fill my nostrils the second I walked into the diner. As we took our seats, the jumbled aroma of eggs, Tabasco, hash browns, sausage, pancakes and toast would circle around my head making me hungrier by the minute.

It was a fairly small diner with about eight tables, four booths, and a counter with four bar stools. On the rare occasion.. me and the old man would sit at the bar to eat. To me, this was always a special treat. I loved sitting next to the enclosed rotating cake and pie display that always housed freshly made pecan, apple, cherry, and lemon meringue pies. The waitresses would step behind the bar to make a fuss over me, and made sure I always had plenty of chocolate milk. I never understood why the old man preferred to sit in a booth rather than a way cool bar stool until recently. These days, it's my little one who begs for us to sit on those types of bar stools. The first thing I start thinking about is how my back is going to feel afterward, but like the old man.. I occasionally give in.

It never ceased to amaze me how Dad was treated like royalty in that place. He'd get his coffee topped off at what seemed like every fourth or fifth sip, would get free pieces of fresh made pie, and sometimes.. a free meal all together! One time when my mother dropped me off at my Dad's shop for the afternoon, he was sitting in one of his barber chairs just finishing up a plate of food from the diner. A few minutes after he finished eating, the owner came in the back door of his shop, picked up the plate, silverware and cup, and took it back to the restaurant. I remember thinking "Wow! Eating in a barber chair.. people coming to serve you.. this is the life!"

It wasn't just the regulars that were treated good though. That busy little diner had a warm and friendly atmosphere, and you could practically "feel the love" a midst all of the hustle and bustle. My old man is now retired, and his barber shop long gone, but that little diner is still in business. The next time I have a day off all to myself, I just may have to take a drive three towns over. After writing this post, I've got a real inkling to see if the magic is still alive at that little diner.

10 retro advertising jingles permanently seared into my brain.

Like many others of my generation, there are a multitude of advertising slogans and jingles permanently burned into my 20th century brain.  I could go on for days about jingles I love, hate, or often recite.  However, I've decided to limit the list to my top ten favorites.  For better or worse.. here's a list of jingles that are floating around my brain, always ready to surface at any given moment.

• FOLGERS -The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup
  
  
• BRILL CREAM - A little Dab'll Do Ya!
  
  
• ROTO-ROOTER - Roto-Rooter, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain.
  
  
• STATE FARM - Like a good neighbor.. State Farm is there.
  
  
• ALKA SELTZER - Plop Plop.. Fizz Fizz.. oh what a relief it is!
  
  
• McDONALD'S BIG MAC -
  Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.
  
  
• SLINKY -
  
  What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, and makes a slinkity sound?
  A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing.. Everyone knows it's Slinky.
  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 or a boy.
  It's fun for a girl or a boy.
  
  
• CHICKEN OF THE SEA - What's the best tuna? Chicken of the Sea!

• LUCKY CHARMS - Frosted Lucky Charms.. They're magically delicious!

• OSCAR MAYER -
  
  Oh I wish I were Oscar Mayer Wiener.
  That is what I'd truly like to be.
  'Cause if I were Oscar Mayer Wiener,
  Everyone would be in love with me.
  
  

Looking over this list has impressed upon me just how deeply these jingles have ingrained themselves into pop culture!  I can't even count how many times over the years that friends and I have used these jingles (or altered versions of them) as hilarious puns and punchlines.

It truly takes an extraordinary talent to come up with such catchy jingles.  In fact, many recording artists were jingle writers at one time. A lot of people have no clue that Barry Manilow had a very successful career writing jingles before hitting it big in the music industry.  What's more.. he's the one who wrote the jingle for State Farm which is still used to this very day!

I can't think of many jingles from the last decade that I have a fondness for.  Sure.. there are a lot of annoying  jingles, as well as rehashed 60's, 70's, and 80's music which have been used for branding popular products, but no real jingles that are as unique unto themselves like the ones listed above (In my humble opinion).

Hee Haw Valley in Vista California

While converting some of my folks old slides to digital format recently, I stumbled upon these gems.  My brother and I were huge western enthusiasts as kids, so my old man got a kick out of taking us to anything western themed in California.  These were taken, at Hee Haw Valley in Vista California when I was about three years old.

My brother and I excited for our train ride (I'm the one in the cowboy hat)  Dig the cat with the way cool beard!  Are the Amish allowed to drive trains?

Look close and you'll see the cowboy engineer with his hand over his forehead, possibly nursing his headache from the screaming three year old sitting right behind him. Yes.. the darkness and noise was a little bit too much for me to handle at the age of three. Below you can see my loving brother comforting me as we exit the tunnel.

Hee Haw Valley was great.  It was a nice little attraction that featured all kinds of animals you could pet and feed, and they even had a talking crow!  If you want to learn more about this long lost place of fun, or simply reminisce, make sure to visit the Hee Haw Valley web-site.   There you will find wonderful history, memories, and background info that you can't find anywhere else on the internet!