The Over 40s Club meeting

[RJDiogenes]

But RJDiogenes' story about his niece and nephew and that unexplored woods is really sad. At least it is to me. I can say with absolute certainty that there's no way it would have gone unexplored for very long if me and my siblings were around.

Me too. I was never inside unless I had to be.

But if we had the same technology as kids do today, would we have acted the same? Is it a bit of fantasy on our parts to say we would have left the Wii and the Internet alone and gone outside to play?

In my case, I think I would have. I was always obsessed with reading and writing and cartooning and TV shows and comics and so forth, but I also had a strong attraction to nature and the forest-- also, I had to burn off all that imaginative energy somehow.

 

[T'Bonz]

I remember those records on the back of the cereal boxes. How exciting it was to cut 'em out and play them.

As for staying in, I was a reader who would have preferred to be inside. My Mom punted my ass out. So had there been wii or the 'net, if my cheap parents had got them (highly doubtful), they'd have pitched me out anyhow.

It was good. Kids need to be out a lot and burn up energy. It's how most kids in my generation were skinny. You rarely saw fat kids or even fat teens. That came later.

 

[Mistral]

What about single records on the backs of cereal boxes?

YES!!! I particularly recall Bobby Sherman records on the back of Sugar Pops or Sugar Smacks or some sugary concoction.

Corn Pops. And I still have one. Saw it in a photo album the other day. Cracked me up.

 

[trampledamage]

I find it interesting that while in other conversations the subject that parents don't have enough time for their children comes up a lot, here you all are wishing for the days where you were sent out of the house and the beginning of the day and not allowed back until dinner-time.

*shrugs* I don't have a particular point to make, it just struck me as interesting. Since you all weren't sent to reform school, I guess your parents did a damn good job of raising you before kicking you out of the house to play.

On behalf of the Wii-players - we had no such technology in our house, there were plenty of woods to be explored but still, given the choice I'd rather sit and read. My mum was always trying to get me to go outside, but I didn't like it.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Despite being at most of the day I think we spent quite a lot of time with our parents.

For a start, we always sat at the table for dinner and talked about our day etc

I also spoke to my mother when she washed up and the kids dried the dishes.

There were plenty of days when it was too rainy to go outside and we had to stay indoors.

There was the Sunday drive (I wonder how many families did this?).

 

[Star Wolf]

There was the Sunday drive (I wonder how many families did this?).

The only drive was first to church and later to Rams games when they were in town. There was a the problem with first the Arab/OPEC oil embargo then the Iranian hostage/oil crises which started almost the day that I got my drivers license.

 

[Ghost07]

Despite being at most of the day I think we spent quite a lot of time with our parents.

For a start, we always sat at the table for dinner and talked about our day etc

I also spoke to my mother when she washed up and the kids dried the dishes.

There were plenty of days when it was too rainy to go outside and we had to stay indoors.

There was the Sunday drive (I wonder how many families did this?).

We had lots of parent time, too. Dad would be out playing WITH us on the weekends; my sister and I baked cookies with Mom, and many times she'd sit on the front porch and watch us play (she was in a wheelchair most of my life).

They ALways knew where we were at any particular time, and if we were out-of-sight, one of the neighbors would be calling to say...your kids are over here in my backyard.

Sunday drives? Oh, YES indeedy! After Church, we'd go on rambling drives in the country; nowhere in particular, just dirt roads past farms and into forests. Dad usually tried to get lost. Once we went up this dirt road and ended up nearly driving into a lake when the road ended abruptly.

Another time, we ended up at a farm that raised Llamas...that was fun...and you never knew if Dad would take it into his head to go and visit an Aunt or Uncle in another city.

We never got home on Sundays until after eight pm or later.

I still love Sundays, even though I can no longer go anywhere.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Another time, we ended up at a farm that raised Llamas...

Cuidado...LLAMAS!!!!

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbwkkXGmFrI[/yt]

 

[Ghost07]

It was unusual to see a Llama farm in NY state, at least, back in the sixties, it was.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

"Be careful of the llamas! They bite your fingers off!" - Corner Gas

 

[Miss Chicken]

On Sunday drives we used to play the game 'Spot It". Which ever child saw a white horse or a black sheep etc she got a point. For a kangaroo we got 2 points (most of them were dead on the side of the road).

I remember when we went via Elephant Pass on one trip we were told we would get 20 points for an elephant which none of us managed to see.

Dad also used to say he would give us points if we saw a zebra crossing (and we actually thought he meant the animal).

We also got a point if we managed to see the Vanishing House. Because of the rise and fall in what seemed a straight road this house actually did seem to vanish and reappear.

When touring on the Mainland with my son I played this game with him. Because days before we had seen a "Camel Crossing' sign I had offered him a whole dollar if he saw a camel. Then we past a safari park and there were about a dozen camels looking over the fence at us.

 

[Ghost07]

Ha! easiest money he ever made...

We called that game "I Spy"...when you spotted something, you described it as in...I spy something round and green...or...white and alive. Then the person who correctly identified it got the points

 

[KimMH]

"Be careful of the llamas! They bite your fingers off!" - Corner Gas

Thanks for the clip - that's not the funniest one I've ever seen but it's on the short list!

 

[Yeoman Randi]

I know you can still buy Good n Plenty, but how many of you remember the commercial jingle for it? I can still sing it like it was yesterday!

choo choo charlie was an engineer,
choo choo charlie had a train we hear,
he had an engine and it sure was fun,
he used good n plenty candy to make the train run.

Charlie says...'Love my good n plenty'!
charlie says...'really rings my bell'!
Charlie says...'love my good n plenty'
It is good n plenty candy that I love so well

I even found the commercial on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExSlyoVTX3I

 

[Captain Ice]

But if we had the same technology as kids do today, would we have acted the same? Is it a bit of fantasy on our parts to say we would have left the Wii and the Internet alone and gone outside to play?

It probably is. How much time did you WANT to spend playing your Atari or Intellivision. I know I sure as hell wanted to spend a lot more time doing so than I was allowed.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

What about single records on the backs of cereal boxes?

YES!!! I particularly recall Bobby Sherman records on the back of Sugar Pops or Sugar Smacks or some sugary concoction.

Corn Pops. And I still have one. Saw it in a photo album the other day. Cracked me up.

Thank you! I knew it was something like that.

I know you can still buy Good n Plenty, but how many of you remember the commercial jingle for it? I can still sing it like it was yesterday!

choo choo charlie was an engineer,
choo choo charlie had a train we hear,
he had an engine and it sure was fun,
he used good n plenty candy to make the train run.

Charlie says...'Love my good n plenty'!
charlie says...'really rings my bell'!
Charlie says...'love my good n plenty'
It is good n plenty candy that I love so well

I even found the commercial on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExSlyoVTX3I

Remember the commercial, and still like the candy, though I rarely see them these days. Good-n-fruity just doesn't cut it.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

TREKKIEMONSTER: They are readily available here. I could always pick some up for ya if you get the hankerin! Just LMK!

As opposed to when i was a kid and ate them for the candy coating, nowadays i eat them for the wonderful licorace centers!

 

[RJDiogenes]

I remember the Good-n-Plenty song. Who remembers the Armour Hot Dog song or The Oscar Meyer Weiner song?

 

[Yeoman Randi]

I remember the Good-n-Plenty song. Who remembers the Armour Hot Dog song or The Oscar Meyer Weiner song?

Good lord yes! I can sing them both for ya. Too bad i don't know how to attach an audio file.

oh hell, i don't even know how to MAKE an audio file...

 

[RJDiogenes]

Here we go:

The Armour Hot Dog commercial.

And the Oscar Meyer Weiner commercial:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNddW2xmZp8[/yt]