You Might Be A Geezer If

[fasteddy]

Thanks Mike,many of my friends are from Newfi and a better bunch I never met. That film shows life as they discribed it.
Noticed the boys were showing off for the girls and the girls were all watching.

Did you hear the accents. It's an interesting mix of english mixed in with a very healthy dose of Irish. Heard my friend now gone when they spoke.
When I first meet my best friend he had the Newfoundland talk. Took a while to get used to being across the street and Dave would yell " Stay where your to and I'll come where your at".

Steve.

 

[Michigan Mike]

Looks like a great place Steve ... even though it probably has an even shorter MB season than Michigan!
.

 

[Papa Tac]

..If you check the Obituaries before meeting with friends...

Can a Newfie chime in?
I.Am.Not.A.Geezer.
Yeah, right.
Just trollin' for fellow Newfs - new to the site and planning my mountain bike build. I am so-o-o newbie, it hurts.
Never saw the Fogo Island film, but NFB has another great one on life in Newfoundland, Quote"As the sub-title suggests, this is a quirky and whimsical perspective of Canada's oldest city. The video begins with a view of the city shrouded in mist while a forecast of rain, drizzle and fog (affectionately known as RDF) is heard. Director Rosemary House walks around downtown St. John's with six well-known artists who share their reminiscences of growing up in the city. We sit in a tower of the Basilica, with a splendid view of old St. John's that few residents have ever seen, and converse with Andy Jones (of Codco fame) about his Catholic upbringing. Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) shows us her old neighborhood and recalls some of the odd street characters that inhabited it. Folksinger Anita Best describes moving to St. John's from the outports and the discrimination she faced, while writers Ed Riche and Des Walsh focus on St. John's residents as survivors of the harsh economic and marine environments. All the artists feel the living history of the city, especially actor Bryan Hennessey who perceives the cobblestones beneath the pavement, and all of them have been moved creatively by its enduring spirit. Thus, rather than taking a linear historical approach, Ms House meanders through the memories of those who have developed careers portraying Newfoundland culture.
Interspersed throughout are weather forecasts, ethereal cityscapes, sunny street scenes, and tidbits of history. For instance, we learn that, in 1497, it was a criminal offense to settle in St. John's, and that, in 1700, there were more taverns than houses! In all, these anecdotal memoirs help to explain the mystery of why St. John's residents love the city, despite its weather."

sorry for the threadjack, back to your regular programming

 

[Dan]

Howdy Papa, welcome.

It is many yrs later but I still tell storys of visiting your home land and "Newfi-screetch" Over proofed Jamaican rum that was sold there in the 80s and 90s. (I once had no problem getting up the hill with the giant cross on the hill over looking the harbor at Comebychance but pretty much fell down the entire moutain walking back down, snork)

Man! The local folks were great fun. The world could take a lesson on how to be kind and welcoming from you folks. People would walk up and say hello because they didn't know us.

Now I got about 12 stories going threw my head and am wondering where the pictures are. Was such great times!

 

[fasteddy]

Papa,
As I said so many of my friends from my boyhood are Newfi . They are from Harbour Grace and Carbonear. The Nichol and Noel families if you have any connection to the area.
One couple have moved back to Newfoundland to retire and I plan to go to see them next summer. Some are still in Toronto.

I used to hear thier parents talk about Joey Smallwood and not always in a nice way.

Steve.

 

[Allen_Wrench]

While my daughters were sledding last winter at Garfield Park, I was at the bottom of the hill keeping an eye on them. At the time I still needed a cane to walk, and I was wearing my fedora and a baggy coat. My oldest daughter was having trouble with the pull-cord on her sled getting tangled. Once she got to the top of the hill she, in her own innocent and fearless way, asked a nearby teenage boy to help.

He said he didn't know what to do with it, but maybe her Granddad down there could help. I heard that word all the way down at the bottom of the hill.

GRANDDAD!?!? WTF!?!?!? I stalked back up that hill faster than that kid probably expected me to. I said "Her grandfather couldn't make it out today but maybe I can help. I'm her FATHER."

That guy turned five shades of white.

 

[camlifter]

when the favorite songs from your youth are now playing in the elevator.

 

[fasteddy]

Allen,
Had the same basic thing happen when I lived in upstate New York. I used to go into a wood workers store that was managed by a young lady half my age. We used to sit and talk and one day out of the blue she asked when we were going out.
There was an Applebys on the parking lot where her store was and we would go over to have dinner on the weekends and one time one of the guys who was a waiter kind of hovered around then asked her if he could take her out if her Dad (me) didn't mind.

She told him she would have to ask her husband and then looked over at me and said "Is it OK with you".

The look on that poor kids face was a had to see moment but just imagine the worst and you probably have it.

Steve.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

Yeah, I'm a geezer who remembers:

dial telephones with the cord screwed, not plugged into the phone outlet...on a party line.

teletype machines that only worked from point A to point B, and was the size of a mail drop box at the post office.

Beaver Cleaver is my age.

we had three TV channels, and I memorized the weekly TV program schedule.

old cars that did not come with turn signals or reverse lights.

Saturday matinees that cost 9 cents.

manual typewriters, of course. I have a 1957 Hermes portable one that I use at my State job every day.

when you could drive 36 miles on a buck's worth of gas (at 12mpg).

when women's jeans had their zipper on the side, not the front.

 

[Buzzard]

After I got stopped for speeding by the young officer and I told him I had to get there before I forgot where I was going. I remembered I was headed for the Taco Inn, pulled into the parking lot walked in and ordered 2 tacos from the stud muffin at the counter he said i gave you the sr discount and I thought to myself has it been that long since they quit asking for my ID at the liquor store? Walking back to the truck I couldn't find my keys back to the store and the kid had them twirling in his fingers and said you can't get far without these dude. Being mad at myself I walked back out to my truck but the keys wouldn't work in the ignition I looked around and there was a McDonald's toy hanging from the rear view mirror and fries all over the front seat-- Osh*t I'm in the wrong truck!
Scrambled out and found my own truck Shouldn't have been hard to do It's the oldest dam truck in the parking lot, looked down on the seat at my thermos bottle and lunch box then thought dam they're older than most people. Then a little kid started tapping on my door standing there with him was a lady and she said you left these in our truck and handed me my taco bag I said I was so sorry and she said My granddad does this sort of thing all the time. I thanked her and headed back home greatful that I made it back. When I walked in the door my wife asked what the **** is the gallon of bleach doing in the refrigerator? By this time I was ready for a nap stretched out in the old recliner and wondered if the rest of my days were going to be like this. Dam getting old is hard.
buzzard

 

[fasteddy]

Remember test patterns on the tv before the programing started.

If you lived in our rust belt area a used car was $50 and if it had a floor in it it was $100.

You can remember your phone number at home and it had letters and numbers in it.

You had to call central and ask for the number you were calling.

Your number was just a series of rings, long and short and you had to turn the phones crank handle to do it.

Your grand parents taught you how to trim the wick on the oil lamps because that was your job when you came to visit.

You went to the hardware store with your Granddad and since you were ten he let you drive and the car had three pedals on the floor and they did the shifting.

When you got to the store the owner said he had fresh coal oil for the lamps but it went up to 20 cents a gallon and Grandad was upset at the price increase. It was up from 18 cents a gallon as I remember.
I heard about the worlds economics all the way home driving a 1926 Model T.

Your parents farm that was way out in the country now has 6 lane highways running through it.

You got stopped for drunk driving and fell out of the car when the cop opened the car door and he put you in the cruiser and drove you home and left you on the porch after he knocked on the door.

He knew where you lived without looking at your drivers license.

You would go back right now to those kinder and better days if you could.

Steve.

 

[NEAT TIMES]

Steve

The brakes on my first car had linkage rods going to levers on the drum backing plates. One wheel always had better lock up capabilities than the other three!! Made for interesting stopping on icy roads! Or should it be, trying to stop !! Now we have juice brakes. Have had a lot of problems with the great anti lock systems.

Ron PS Heard a rumor that your buddy got hitched! lol

 

[fasteddy]

Ron,
I had a 1951 Austin that had Juice brakes in the front and mechanical brakes in the rear which was a good thing or it would never have had brakes at all.
As you said interesting driving in the winter. At the best of times you had to plan your stops well in advance.

Now that old clam is an $8,000 "classic". Last thing I would have called it.

If the rumor is true I'll hold the wake.

Steve.

 

[buba]

geezers

you might be a geezer if you wake up in the morning look in the mirror and do not recognize the person looking back at you

or
you might be a geezer if you do not wake up

yesterday i came upon this thread at the archive for old buildings and permits in antwerp belgium

i was laughing so hysterically hard the tears were running down my face
the other gray beards at their copmputer stations were looking at me with that special twinkle in their eyes
you may be a geezer if you remember laughing so hard and not at yourself

please keep this thread alive it is anti geezer making

 

[Dan]

Great thought Buba!

 

[Nashville Kat]

Your first 35mm camera Argus C5 looked like this
and your first car looked like this- '49 Willys wagon
Hey at least I'm not as old as television, but I do remember Howdy Doody

 

[2door]

Ever go to the mall and see pretty girls walk by and realize that in your closet at home you have flannel shirts older than the girls you just saw? (and you still wear them?)
Tom

 

[CTripps]

Me at the music store in the mall...

"Cool vintage concert T-Shirt, dude, where'd ya get it?"

"At the concert. It wasn't as good as the one in (city) in (year), but better than...."

Call me what you want for it, but I enjoy it when I break thier brain and it takes them 10 or 12 blinks to reboot.

 

[5-7HEAVEN]

My stuff's getting old, even what I use on a regular basis. The last time I put on my Viet Nam jungle fatigue shirt, it literally fell apart at the seams. It's "extra small-short", and it REALLY shrank, or I gained 65lbs. lol.

I bang away on a 1957 Hermes portable typewriter, while others in my office use their electronic typewriter or Word and printer.

My ice jug (McDonald's colors) is dated July 1991. I used it on the job I retired from in 2002. It's still in exc shape, 'cause only ice and water go in there.

I WAS gonna buy $200 motorcycle boots to ride my MB. That'd go well with my dirtbike armor, helmet and knee/shinguards. Then I realized the new shinguards slip perfectly into the top of my old Redwings pole climbing boots. I'd bought them in year 1999 for my job as a lineman with the phone company. It had been sitting idle for almost 10 years. Now I wear them every workday, and whenever I ride my MB. Great protection. I'm surprised the boots still fit, because my feet got fat, lol. When I get to work, sometimes I change to slip-on shoes, sometimes I wear my boots all day long.

My co-workers must think "Geez, lookit that ole geezer in the boots in a white-collar job. He must think he's still a blue-collar worker with the phone company". One of them asked me "Going hiking?" "Nah, these are my motorcycle boots, lol".

And then there's my newly-painted 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air sport coupe, but that's another story, lol.

The weird part is that I like my motorized bike more than my Chevy.

 

[cosmickid]

Geezer???

remembering:
NBC Red & Blue stations
AM radio, rock & roll from little rock & wolfman jack from mexico.
Dick Clark /American Bandstand in Philadelphia
$5.00 would get you gas, a burger,fries & a shake for 2 & into the drive in movie
Red Ball Jets & P.F. Flyers
the Dodgers were in Brooklyn
Black & white TV only
the Berlin Airlift
Paul Winchell & Jerry Mahony
Business coupe's-no back seat, just a platform
Civil War & WWI vets at the Memorial Day Parades
the US Navy's Blimp/Dirigible fleet
Motorcycles didn't require head or tail lights & helmets
only one brake light on cars & no turn signals
traveling before the interstate highway system
steam locomotives & steam ships
the Empire State Building was the tallest building in NYC
Alaska & Hawaii were territories
dime cokes & nickle candy bars