22 thoughts on “How old are you?

  1. All of those things. Still have a rotary dial wall phone in the hallway at the house. None of the AT&T “techs” who have seen it can figure out how to disconnect it w/o cancelling the other wall jacks. On the plus side if the power goes out, it still works.

    Now….. Who remembers phone numbers that started with an alphabetical prefix or having to call the operator to make a long distance call?

    • I do, we had a three party phone line for about two years when I was young and then the local phone company strung new lines.

    • Long distance calls were either announcing a death or announcing a birth, and even telegrams were momentous events. Everything else came in a letter.

      • I remember calling my Grandma in Maine from London when I was a kid and you had to wait for the operator to put the call through.

    • i remember having to remember phone numbers, having to get up to change TV channels for dad. i was the original remote control!
      staying outside all day, climbing trees, catching things in the creek, mom and the Mercurochrome,( that will teach you a lesson), drinking from every garden hose in the neighborhood. BB guns bicycles and leather belts. every kid then had a pocket knife and it was a contest as to who had the sharpest. the Barlow’s were the best back then., it was just a tool that every boy and many girls carried. how would a kid cut a piece of rope or stick with a cell phone now? one, they don’t go outside anymore, it’s sad.
      good times. it made us the men today.
      P.S. WDS -those rotary phones had a clarity of sound that sounded like you were in the same room with them. i wish i could find one.

      • I got a bunch of ’em in the garage including a baby blue princess phone.w/rotary dial and 4 prong plug. I think they’re all 4 prong IIRC, Grandfather worked for Ma Bell.

  2. You had to call the phone company to move a phone from one room to another. You could also pull the tubes out of your TV, take them down to Radio Shack and test them. Also, hardware stores would sell individual shotgun shells. One shotgun shell could help you avoid starvation if needed. My grandfather made his spending money as a kid bounty hunting various critters and could never afford a whole box of shells.

    • when I was a kid, long time ago. the “local” general store sold shotgun shells that was too. used to get 3 or 5 rounds of 22lr for a nickel
      to back then. a glass bottle coke was a dime too in the machine.
      I also remember driving the tractor down to get 5 gallons of gas
      for a dollar too back then.

    • i remember when they had a box with a tester just inside of the doors of the grocery stores. you could plug the tubes in and test em, if they were bad, there was a shelf on the back where they had new ones.
      long time ago.
      anyone remember S@H green stamps at the stores?

      • yup ! grandmom on mom side was a bingo junkie.
        she won a shit load of them once or twice. I got something
        I sure, but I forget what it was now.
        and dad was always testing old tubes. he had boxes of them ‘ in the basement. learned how to drive on a ford tractor
        and then a 1951 chevy 2 door, 1st gear was crap same as 3rd. but 2nd gear, stand on the gas and pop it. it was made for the back roads of eastern KY. no guard rails back then either. and most roads where gravel too.

  3. We old guys should all get together and have a PBR and remember. When we are gone so much of what made this country will be gone. And maybe most importantly how to grow and preserve our own food and live in a community. When we are gone it will be over.—ken

    • Don’t lose faith. There are plenty out there that want the knowledge and have the “I want to know” gene.
      Nurture them.

  4. First TV I remember had at least 12 channels. I don’t remember whether it had UHF. I still remember a couple of those phone numbers my mom drilled into my head for emergencies – the prefixes were Olive-4 and Olive-6.

    I haven’t ever counted steps, except when pacing a distance, nor have I ever photographed a meal.

    I don’t drink PBR. I’ll have a good pilsener, or scotch.

    • yes to the scotch as well. Mac Callen ? I like the 18 year old stuff
      but it is too pricey for me as a rule, so I get the 12 year old.

      • Oh, I have many favorites. Can’t justify spending the money. A short list:
        Dalwhinnie 25 yr old
        Glenmorangie Sherry Wood or Port Wood
        Balvenie Double Wood
        Highland Park
        Lagavulin
        Laphroaig – the 15 year old is much better than the 10

  5. We had a TECO cattle squeeze. Beeves were immobilized for shots, branding etc. Replaced a couple of cowboys. Central CA ranches.

  6. I still have an old coke machine that takes a dime. It was in my aunt’s beauty shop and works great. Takes 8 oz. bottles and freezes the coke right at the top. Has storage in the bottom fitted for a wooden case of cokes.

  7. Stayed gone til the street lights come on. Traveled a storm sewer over a mile and pop the hatch in my buddy’s back yard. Acted as the tv remote for my Dad, Cried when the president came on every tv channel.(4 channels)

Comments are closed.