Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Random Rumblings of a Middle Aged White Guy: That's Home......
Random Rumblings of a Middle Aged White Guy: That's Home......: I was thinking recently that I have lived nearly my entire life within about 20 minutes of the same place. Although I was born in the state...
That's Home......
I was thinking recently that I have lived nearly my entire life within about 20 minutes of the same place. Although I was born in the state of Washington, I have always lived here in the Milwaukee area, and for a good portion of it no more than 10 minutes from one place to the next. So I decided to take a little trip down memory lane.....
This is 2115 S. 68th street in West Allis. Mom says I lived here. I have no memory of the place. None.
My first memories of my entire life are from here, 3270 S.98th Street, in Milwaukee. This is where I had my growin' up years. We had great neighbors--Tony and Isabelle, The Bauers, the Thomasers, all my childhood friends, like Henry and Barry and David. My grandparents lived about 10 minutes away. I walked to grade school, rode my bike all over town. It was a great place and time to live in this neighborhood. Everyone seemed to watch out for everyone. I lived here until about 1973, when I was in 7th grade, and we moved to....
3660 W. Loomis. Don't remember too much about this place except that I could walk to the golf course for a little pitch and putt, and that it was close to the freeway. Never knew any of the other tenants there. I was on the second floor. First and only time I ever lived alone. Oh, and I got engaged...which led to.....
The first placed I lived with the Misses. American Colony (this is the back door, the one we used most of the time). Not even 5 minutes from my place on Loomis. Big apartment complex, 2 bedroom and 2 bathrooms. It had a big pool. I was in it once I think Not a bad place to start out, but after a year they wanted to raise the rent. Didn't sit well with us, so for the first time in my memory I moved north of Oklahoma to....
1631 N. 57th Street. We had the lower, with the landlords--the Coopers---living upstairs. That is, when they were around, which really wasn't that often. The Jahn's were the neighbors to the south, and they were great. We enjoyed living there, were close to things, it was a nice situation. This is where the Misses and I really started getting on our feet. So much so, that it was time to buy our own place. Since Cath was teaching in Milwaukee, we had to live ....so back to the south side and our first house, at
2911 S. 45th street. This was a real nice starter home for us. I was basically back in my "neighborhood". It was easy to get to places. We put a lot of work into the place, and I truly enjoyed our time there. My children were born here. We didn't really know a lot of the neighbors--except for George and Isabelle (again!) and the Ciganceks, but everyone was friendly. Soon Cath had left MPS, and although the kids were less than 2 yrs old, we were already thinking about their schooling. I really didn't want to be moving them once they started school, so we decided to start looking for a different place. One day in the mail came 3 different ads from realtors, so after one told us the price she could get for our place, I told her if she could get that for this house to sell it. Thee days later it was gone. After a lot of looking and a couple of months of our buyers not being able to sell their place, we got lucky and moved to....
...Rolling Ridge in Menomonee Falls. When I think of all the places we looked and all the places we could have ended up I am amazed this is where we landed. It was a brand new subdivision with lots of young families, plenty of kids to play with and neighbors to hang out with. The schools were great for the kids in every way. It's typical suburban living, and I feel fortunate to have had it. The neighborhood has started to change over again, and we are seeing a lot of kids around here again. Kind of makes me nostalgic. I've been here almost twenty years now, the longest I've ever been in one house.
My first memories of my entire life are from here, 3270 S.98th Street, in Milwaukee. This is where I had my growin' up years. We had great neighbors--Tony and Isabelle, The Bauers, the Thomasers, all my childhood friends, like Henry and Barry and David. My grandparents lived about 10 minutes away. I walked to grade school, rode my bike all over town. It was a great place and time to live in this neighborhood. Everyone seemed to watch out for everyone. I lived here until about 1973, when I was in 7th grade, and we moved to....
 7000 W Plainfield, in Greenfield. It's hard moving when you're in your middle school/high school years, and I was no different. But we made new friends like the Champagnes and the Wehrs and things weren't bad. So this is where I spent my high school days and was the mailing address of record when I was away to college in Oshkosh. I also lived here after graduation for awhile. This is about 10 or 12 minutes from the house on 98th. Must have lived here until '84, when I moved about 5 minutes away to.... |
3660 W. Loomis. Don't remember too much about this place except that I could walk to the golf course for a little pitch and putt, and that it was close to the freeway. Never knew any of the other tenants there. I was on the second floor. First and only time I ever lived alone. Oh, and I got engaged...which led to.....
The first placed I lived with the Misses. American Colony (this is the back door, the one we used most of the time). Not even 5 minutes from my place on Loomis. Big apartment complex, 2 bedroom and 2 bathrooms. It had a big pool. I was in it once I think Not a bad place to start out, but after a year they wanted to raise the rent. Didn't sit well with us, so for the first time in my memory I moved north of Oklahoma to....
1631 N. 57th Street. We had the lower, with the landlords--the Coopers---living upstairs. That is, when they were around, which really wasn't that often. The Jahn's were the neighbors to the south, and they were great. We enjoyed living there, were close to things, it was a nice situation. This is where the Misses and I really started getting on our feet. So much so, that it was time to buy our own place. Since Cath was teaching in Milwaukee, we had to live ....so back to the south side and our first house, at
2911 S. 45th street. This was a real nice starter home for us. I was basically back in my "neighborhood". It was easy to get to places. We put a lot of work into the place, and I truly enjoyed our time there. My children were born here. We didn't really know a lot of the neighbors--except for George and Isabelle (again!) and the Ciganceks, but everyone was friendly. Soon Cath had left MPS, and although the kids were less than 2 yrs old, we were already thinking about their schooling. I really didn't want to be moving them once they started school, so we decided to start looking for a different place. One day in the mail came 3 different ads from realtors, so after one told us the price she could get for our place, I told her if she could get that for this house to sell it. Thee days later it was gone. After a lot of looking and a couple of months of our buyers not being able to sell their place, we got lucky and moved to....
...Rolling Ridge in Menomonee Falls. When I think of all the places we looked and all the places we could have ended up I am amazed this is where we landed. It was a brand new subdivision with lots of young families, plenty of kids to play with and neighbors to hang out with. The schools were great for the kids in every way. It's typical suburban living, and I feel fortunate to have had it. The neighborhood has started to change over again, and we are seeing a lot of kids around here again. Kind of makes me nostalgic. I've been here almost twenty years now, the longest I've ever been in one house.
So these have been "my home". I have really been very lucky to have nice, safe places to live. I have memories from most all of them, some better than others. I said when I moved into the present place that I'd be moving out feet first. When the kids went off to college, I told the Misses we had to "lighten the load" for our next move. Is there going to be another? You never can tell.....
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Things I'm Missin'
Was thinking about things that have changed over my 50 some odd years here....
I miss Popeye and Road Runner cartoons. Somebody must have decided they are too violent. A lot of the old cartoons are gone. Guess they weren't politically correct.
I miss pre free agent baseball. Andy Messerschmidt and Dave McNally are not friends of mine. Players stayed pretty much with the same team their entire career if they were any good. Al Kaline was a Tiger. Willie Mays was a Giant. Mickey Mantle was a Yankee. You knew who was playing on every team. Owners got rich. Players still made more money than most everyone else. Games were more affordable for folks to attend. Things were simpler......
I miss the days before the proliferation of cell phones. Who the hell are we talking to all the time? What is so important? What did we do before we had them? We can carry around the knowledge of the world in our pockets. We IM and text and snapchat and what not. Not near as much face to face conversations as there used to be, I notice....
I miss the little mom and pop stores and restaurants and what not. Economy of scale I suppose. Trying to be everything to everyone, make more money for the shareholders. The big got bigger, the little went away. Oh well...
I miss Michelob Classic Dark. Really enjoyed that.
I miss my grandparents. Never really knew them on my mom's side, but I miss them from my dad's side. Gramma's baked potatoes, quarter for a lost tooth, playing cards, all kinds of good memories. Miss them.
I miss all the friends that have come and gone over the years. People from childhood and college and old neighbors and the workplace who have passed through my life. Once in awhile they show up again. Suppose I could make an effort to track them down, probably should. We'll see.....
I miss my Dad.
I miss my kids from when they were kids. Boy I had some fun. I got to be a kid again. What a wonderful time I had. Now I get to miss them when they are gone.
There are plenty of other things that I miss, but time moves on. There is also plenty that I don't miss, so I suppose things have a way of evening out. Enjoy the people and things you enjoy while you can, because you never know when they will be gone.....
I miss Popeye and Road Runner cartoons. Somebody must have decided they are too violent. A lot of the old cartoons are gone. Guess they weren't politically correct.
I miss pre free agent baseball. Andy Messerschmidt and Dave McNally are not friends of mine. Players stayed pretty much with the same team their entire career if they were any good. Al Kaline was a Tiger. Willie Mays was a Giant. Mickey Mantle was a Yankee. You knew who was playing on every team. Owners got rich. Players still made more money than most everyone else. Games were more affordable for folks to attend. Things were simpler......
I miss the days before the proliferation of cell phones. Who the hell are we talking to all the time? What is so important? What did we do before we had them? We can carry around the knowledge of the world in our pockets. We IM and text and snapchat and what not. Not near as much face to face conversations as there used to be, I notice....
I miss the little mom and pop stores and restaurants and what not. Economy of scale I suppose. Trying to be everything to everyone, make more money for the shareholders. The big got bigger, the little went away. Oh well...
I miss Michelob Classic Dark. Really enjoyed that.
I miss my grandparents. Never really knew them on my mom's side, but I miss them from my dad's side. Gramma's baked potatoes, quarter for a lost tooth, playing cards, all kinds of good memories. Miss them.
I miss all the friends that have come and gone over the years. People from childhood and college and old neighbors and the workplace who have passed through my life. Once in awhile they show up again. Suppose I could make an effort to track them down, probably should. We'll see.....
I miss my Dad.
I miss my kids from when they were kids. Boy I had some fun. I got to be a kid again. What a wonderful time I had. Now I get to miss them when they are gone.
There are plenty of other things that I miss, but time moves on. There is also plenty that I don't miss, so I suppose things have a way of evening out. Enjoy the people and things you enjoy while you can, because you never know when they will be gone.....
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