Things I miss

[oldnotdead]

I was 18 in the mid 60s. I miss browsing Tower Records on Sunset. Then my GF, my best guy friend and his GF would walk west across the street for a block or two and sit on the sidewalk with our backs against the head shop. Once some guy was running towards us with cops in pursuit with them yelling to stop the guy who assaulted a girl. We simply formed a circle sitting and taking up the entire sidewalk. The guy was forced to run out into Sunset out between parked cars. He got side swiped by a car. The cops had to save him from the occupants of the car. We laughed and one of the Sheriff's deputies yelled thanks and Ron took one last drag before flipping his roach away saying "No problem man". That is why the deputies foot patrolling the strip never hassled kids just hanging out.

It was a completely different time in LA. It all began to change in the mid 70s with the influx of millions from the east coast fleeing the energy shortage and terrible winters. Before that things were "cool", very live and let live. Drove around in my Honda 600 car with a 5 gal gas tank getting 40+ miles per gal. Filled the tank for less than $5. Once I ran out of gas and my friend Ron and I opened the doors and skateboarded the car down Sepulveda into the valley to a gas station a-la Flintstones. LAPD drove past laughing their asses off as we got near the station.

Back then starting in the 70s LAPD was the problem, with their metro squad. Those aholes went looking for trouble. If I remember correctly the metro squad was formed in the late 60s to combat crime, but created more crime then they solved. The biggest theft ring was busted by the FBI included LAPD Metro. They started LAPD's bad rep. Kicked me awake while I slept under a tree waiting for my GF on the UCLA campus. They arrested me for loitering and being a vagrant. It was illegal for them to patrol the campus back then but they did when they were bored. They kept me overnight then simply kicked me out on to the streets of downtown LA at late night while they laughed. Of course, no charges were ever filed. But it was all part of living in LA back then when you were a minority.

Taking my Remington 5mm mag (bolt action) rifle plinking in the hills above the east valley. Blew a locked master lock wide open from 50 yds. Loved that rifle. They quit making the ammo which was the size of a .22 mag cartridge.

Going to Tommies for a chiliburger on Sunday morning at 2 am. Not sure but I think it was on Beverly and Rampart. Bathroom paper towels for napkins with your sloppy burger and fries! Love sushi but not back then! Or Tico's or Lucy's Tacos on the west side. To finish out a night of cruising the streets of LA. Gas was less than $.25 per gal. Damn, those were good times. Me and my bright red '69 Plymouth Road Runner with tri-power carbs, the first new car of my life. Yeah, it has the 440 six pack engine, Edelbrock manifolds, and 3 Holley carbs with 390 HP and 490 pounds torque with a fiberglass hood. Gave the car to my brother who gave it to his son who is giving it to his boy. He let me drive it last year. I worked 3 jobs while carrying 21 units at Valley State (now CSUN) to get that car. Still, my favorite car and a complete girl magnet when cruising. Better than a Harley! Total badass. My nephew was offered $175,000 for it and laughed at the guy. It's a family heirloom. LMAO

CSUN offered to give me a duplicate degree with the updated name for a modest $300. I told them to F themselves. LOL I like having a degree from a school that nobody's every heard of San Fernando Valley State College. I was the first one in my family to ever get a BA degree going directly from high school, to a 4 year college. Now I'm the only one with a degree from a school nobody has heard of. My neice asked me if it was a JC and how could I get a BA degree. More than one employer thought it was fake. Standard and Poors was the only one after I got home from Nam that would hire me and knew the degree wasn't fake. But it all worked out just fine.

I'm glad I was born and raised in LA during those days. It was a different time, a different world and I loved it. Wouldn't trade any of my memories of LA in those days. Damn right I miss it.

 

[snackdaddy]

I miss walking barefoot with my friends to the San Joaquin river and swimming all day. Swinging and doing flips into the water from a big rope tied to a tree. Hunting golf balls around Riverside golf course and selling them to the pro shop for soda and candy money. Fishing for catfish using clams that were in the river for bait. Frog hunting. This was in the 60's and early 70's when it wasn't all private property around the river. Didn't have to worry about trespassing back then.

 

[RamFanWA]

I was 18 in the mid 60s. I miss browsing Tower Records on Sunset. Then my GF, my best guy friend and his GF would walk west across the street for a block or two and sit on the sidewalk with our backs against the head shop. Once some guy was running towards us with cops in pursuit with them yelling to stop the guy who assaulted a girl. We simply formed a circle sitting and taking up the entire sidewalk. The guy was forced to run out into Sunset out between parked cars. He got side swiped by a car. The cops had to save him from the occupants of the car. We laughed and one of the Sheriff's deputies yelled thanks and Ron took one last drag before flipping his roach away saying "No problem man". That is why the deputies foot patrolling the strip never hassled kids just hanging out.

It was a completely different time in LA. It all began to change in the mid 70s with the influx of millions from the east coast fleeing the energy shortage and terrible winters. Before that things were "cool", very live and let live. Drove around in my Honda 600 car with a 5 gal gas tank getting 40+ miles per gal. Filled the tank for less than $5. Once I ran out of gas and my friend Ron and I opened the doors and skateboarded the car down Sepulveda into the valley to a gas station a-la Flintstones. LAPD drove past laughing their asses off as we got near the station.

Back then starting in the 70s LAPD was the problem, with their metro squad. Those aholes went looking for trouble. If I remember correctly the metro squad was formed in the late 60s to combat crime, but created more crime then they solved. The biggest theft ring was busted by the FBI included LAPD Metro. They started LAPD's bad rep. Kicked me awake while I slept under a tree waiting for my GF on the UCLA campus. They arrested me for loitering and being a vagrant. It was illegal for them to patrol the campus back then but they did when they were bored. They kept me overnight then simply kicked me out on to the streets of downtown LA at late night while they laughed. Of course, no charges were ever filed. But it was all part of living in LA back then when you were a minority.

Taking my Remington 5mm mag (bolt action) rifle plinking in the hills above the east valley. Blew a locked master lock wide open from 50 yds. Loved that rifle. They quit making the ammo which was the size of a .22 mag cartridge.

Going to Tommies for a chiliburger on Sunday morning at 2 am. Not sure but I think it was on Beverly and Rampart. Bathroom paper towels for napkins with your sloppy burger and fries! Love sushi but not back then! Or Tico's or Lucy's Tacos on the west side. To finish out a night of cruising the streets of LA. Gas was less than $.25 per gal. Damn, those were good times. Me and my bright red '69 Plymouth Road Runner with tri-power carbs, the first new car of my life. Yeah, it has the 440 six pack engine, Edelbrock manifolds, and 3 Holley carbs with 390 HP and 490 pounds torque with a fiberglass hood. Gave the car to my brother who gave it to his son who is giving it to his boy. He let me drive it last year. I worked 3 jobs while carrying 21 units at Valley State (now CSUN) to get that car. Still, my favorite car and a complete girl magnet when cruising. Better than a Harley! Total badass. My nephew was offered $175,000 for it and laughed at the guy. It's a family heirloom. LMAO

CSUN offered to give me a duplicate degree with the updated name for a modest $300. I told them to F themselves. LOL I like having a degree from a school that nobody's every heard of San Fernando Valley State College. I was the first one in my family to ever get a BA degree going directly from high school, to a 4 year college. Now I'm the only one with a degree from a school nobody has heard of. My neice asked me if it was a JC and how could I get a BA degree. More than one employer thought it was fake. Standard and Poors was the only one after I got home from Nam that would hire me and knew the degree wasn't fake. But it all worked out just fine.

I'm glad I was born and raised in LA during those days. It was a different time, a different world and I loved it. Wouldn't trade any of my memories of LA in those days. Damn right I miss it.

Awesome, ride!! One of my friends had a '72 Barricuda... another magnet!
OTOH, my first ride was a '65 Mustang. It was respectable, anyway!
The 2nd car, we don''t mention much. '73 Vega. LOL!!!!

 

[thirteen28]

I definitely miss record stores. I could go into one and be there for hours.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Better than a Harley!

Nice post, ... you had me until the wishful thinking above.

 

[Loyal]

I remember the good old days when I watched OJ Simpson run for USC and was so proud of him. He won the Heisman and I wanted him so badly on the Rams, it hurt.

I remember getting forced to get a crew cut until age 12 in SoCal (1975) when hippies were still wandering around and our school would make tie dye tshirts in a summer program. I remember playing with intricate carom boards during the same summer program (remember those?)

I remember when dune buggies were cool to have (made from VW's, I believe) and when Der Weinerschnitzel were still good and you drove through the small red roofed hut to get them.

At least in Whittier, it was cool to have these black rubber gaskets on your wrist as bracelets. Sometimes 20 of them. It seemed to be widespread as a SoCal fad, but am not sure now.

Yes, I remember Vin Scully and Farmer Johns bacon, ad reads during a summer time Dodger's game.

 

[oldnotdead]

I miss walking barefoot with my friends to the San Joaquin river and swimming all day. Swinging and doing flips into the water from a big rope tied to a tree. Hunting golf balls around Riverside golf course and selling them to the pro shop for soda and candy money. Fishing for catfish using clams that were in the river for bait. Frog hunting. This was in the 60's and early 70's when it wasn't all private property around the river. Didn't have to worry about trespassing back then.

Too cool my uncle used to have a raisin vinyard in Reedley, so my dad would take us there to spend a month with them. We'd work the vinyards for half the day then he would drive us up to Piedras below Pine Flat Dam on the Kings River. We would inner tube our way back to Reedley and get out of the river at the park. The river ran right through the town. They would have a picnic set up with dogs and burgers. We would hand line fish from the tubes and sometimes caught some really nice trout washed down from the dam. God I loved those summers. So damn right I know what you are talking about along the San Joaquin River. Good times bro!

 

[ozarkram]

I miss my friends. The tightness, the feeling of someone always having your back. I miss the ones that didn't make it. I miss the girls of the 70s they were magnificent.
I miss the the blood burning in my veins.
I miss Jack Buck, Paul Harvey,and the top 40.
I miss people talking, making plans, doing things even if 95% was all BS it was better than staring at a screen.
They say youth is wasted on the young. And there is an awful lot of truth to that. Looking back there isn't much I would change and so much I miss. As the song says "I'm old enough to know these memories cant hurt a thing."

 

[IowaRam]

bench seats

 

[Loyal]

bench seats

I still have one! *flexes

 

[IowaRam]

I still have one! *flexes

seriously ? , what do ya got ?

 

[Loyal]

seriously ? , what do ya got ?

2006 GMC Sierra 4x4!

 

[RhodyRams]

Saturday morning Looney Tunes with a tupperware bowl of Fruit Loops, then heading outside to play ball ( depending on what sports season it was).


Going to my Italian grandparents house every Sunday for family dinner, then watching Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom then the Sunday Night Movie of the week

 

[RamFan503]

Going to Tommies for a chiliburger on Sunday morning at 2 am.

What? No Cupid's? Hell. You went to college right down the street.

I remember the good old days when I watched OJ Simpson run for USC and was so proud of him. He won the Heisman and I wanted him so badly on the Rams, it hurt.

Well you finally got your wish so...

I remember skateboarding and bike riding in the washes; putting coins on the railroad tracks and then going under the trussle to eat our Whoppers while waiting for the trains to squash them; Catamaraning skateboards down the streets with my buddies. (Anyone know what that means?); Watching the Northridge Mall being built; motocross riding through the barley fields behind the Dale's Market on Parthenia; my sister working at the pony rides off Roscoe; setting up bicycle jumps inside a strip mall that ran out of money to complete the project - so we broke in the back door, used their lumber and stacks of plywood and made big ass jumps and landing ramps and dressed like like Evil Kenievel (sp?) as best we could.

Fun times!

 

[rdlkgliders]

I was 18 in the mid 60s. I miss browsing Tower Records on Sunset. Then my GF, my best guy friend and his GF would walk west across the street for a block or two and sit on the sidewalk with our backs against the head shop. Once some guy was running towards us with cops in pursuit with them yelling to stop the guy who assaulted a girl. We simply formed a circle sitting and taking up the entire sidewalk. The guy was forced to run out into Sunset out between parked cars. He got side swiped by a car. The cops had to save him from the occupants of the car. We laughed and one of the Sheriff's deputies yelled thanks and Ron took one last drag before flipping his roach away saying "No problem man". That is why the deputies foot patrolling the strip never hassled kids just hanging out.

It was a completely different time in LA. It all began to change in the mid 70s with the influx of millions from the east coast fleeing the energy shortage and terrible winters. Before that things were "cool", very live and let live. Drove around in my Honda 600 car with a 5 gal gas tank getting 40+ miles per gal. Filled the tank for less than $5. Once I ran out of gas and my friend Ron and I opened the doors and skateboarded the car down Sepulveda into the valley to a gas station a-la Flintstones. LAPD drove past laughing their asses off as we got near the station.

Back then starting in the 70s LAPD was the problem, with their metro squad. Those aholes went looking for trouble. If I remember correctly the metro squad was formed in the late 60s to combat crime, but created more crime then they solved. The biggest theft ring was busted by the FBI included LAPD Metro. They started LAPD's bad rep. Kicked me awake while I slept under a tree waiting for my GF on the UCLA campus. They arrested me for loitering and being a vagrant. It was illegal for them to patrol the campus back then but they did when they were bored. They kept me overnight then simply kicked me out on to the streets of downtown LA at late night while they laughed. Of course, no charges were ever filed. But it was all part of living in LA back then when you were a minority.

Taking my Remington 5mm mag (bolt action) rifle plinking in the hills above the east valley. Blew a locked master lock wide open from 50 yds. Loved that rifle. They quit making the ammo which was the size of a .22 mag cartridge.

Going to Tommies for a chiliburger on Sunday morning at 2 am. Not sure but I think it was on Beverly and Rampart. Bathroom paper towels for napkins with your sloppy burger and fries! Love sushi but not back then! Or Tico's or Lucy's Tacos on the west side. To finish out a night of cruising the streets of LA. Gas was less than $.25 per gal. Damn, those were good times. Me and my bright red '69 Plymouth Road Runner with tri-power carbs, the first new car of my life. Yeah, it has the 440 six pack engine, Edelbrock manifolds, and 3 Holley carbs with 390 HP and 490 pounds torque with a fiberglass hood. Gave the car to my brother who gave it to his son who is giving it to his boy. He let me drive it last year. I worked 3 jobs while carrying 21 units at Valley State (now CSUN) to get that car. Still, my favorite car and a complete girl magnet when cruising. Better than a Harley! Total badass. My nephew was offered $175,000 for it and laughed at the guy. It's a family heirloom. LMAO

CSUN offered to give me a duplicate degree with the updated name for a modest $300. I told them to F themselves. LOL I like having a degree from a school that nobody's every heard of San Fernando Valley State College. I was the first one in my family to ever get a BA degree going directly from high school, to a 4 year college. Now I'm the only one with a degree from a school nobody has heard of. My neice asked me if it was a JC and how could I get a BA degree. More than one employer thought it was fake. Standard and Poors was the only one after I got home from Nam that would hire me and knew the degree wasn't fake. But it all worked out just fine.

I'm glad I was born and raised in LA during those days. It was a different time, a different world and I loved it. Wouldn't trade any of my memories of LA in those days. Damn right I miss it.

Great story, we could have kept almost any car, toy, or other semi-collectible and made a ton of money. I used to love walking around Hollywood, Pinks, Tower, Tommy's, Guitar Center the studio lots. Made a day out of it more than once then at night catch a show on the strip.

 

[AvengerRam]

Summer.

Yeah, I know…it still exists, but it’s different once you finish school.

I miss that feeling of freedom, the anticipation as it starts of three months to be someplace different, reinvent yourself, and experience new things and people. And those warm Summer nights when the possibilities seemed endless.

Now, Summer is just another season, only hotter.

Maybe when I retire I’ll get a little taste of that Summer feeling again.

I sure hope so.

 

[Loyal]

Summer.

Yeah, I know…it still exists, but it’s different once you finish school.

I miss that feeling of freedom, the anticipation as it starts of three months to be someplace different, reinvent yourself, and experience new things and people. And those warm Summer nights when the possibilities seemed endless.

Now, Summer is just another season, only hotter.

Maybe when I retire I’ll get a little taste of that Summer feeling again.

I sure hope so.

It is nice sleeping in whenever I want...but then I need help getting out of bed...

"I never have to brush anymore with my new set of choppers!" ~ @Merlin
"A fresh pair of DEPENDS helps me in LA traffic now...." ~ @OldSchool
"Now I just look at pictures of submarines to get excited with the help of my little blue pill." ~ @thirteen28
"Senior Night at Tim Hortons? I'm in! Dilly, Dilly! ~ @CGI_Ram

 

[oldnotdead]

What? No Cupid's? Hell. You went to college right down the street.

LOL Yeah but the one in Van Nuys, I used to work near it. When I was at school I went to classes and left the area ASAP except when I went to visit my friend Kristin who worked at a Japanese fish shop next to the market on Nordoff and Reseda. Tempura shrimp and fries LOL. They also used to smoke my trout which IMO is the best way to eat them.

My very first business was a hotdog stand right across street from the Schlitz brewery down the street from the Kaiser Hospital. Me and my friend Bob ran it. We made the best fries in the Valley. The brewery employees used to order fries by the box for their lunch breaks. Cops from W. Valley and Devonshire Div use to come for dogs and fries. So i sorta had my fill of dogs during the week.

 

[Memento]

I miss the days at my old house, where all of my friends - all of whom either were next door neighbors or lived very close by - went to my house to play baseball (my house had a huge backyard that functioned as an outfield, including a hill in "left field" with a lot of plants and trees; I remember all sorts of animals stayed in that hill, including a family of foxes at one point.) or tackle football or any sport, really.

I miss the times where I went to my grandparents' house even weekend, where I learned how to cook, spent time with my dog, Granger (who lived with my grandparents, even though he was my dog , because my dad was allergic to dogs), and watched sports.

I miss the times where I'd be downstairs in the basement, either watching the Rams, Cardinals, or Blues on the small television/listening to them on the radio or playing with all sorts of stuff downstairs.

I miss the times where I went to summer camp. I did a lot of awesome things there, things that kids these days couldn't dream about.

Ultimately, though, I know I can't go back to those days, but I have the memories, and that's good enough for me.

 

[norcalramfan]

I miss the fruit trees in my old neighborhood (‘61 to ‘65). There was an apricot tree right across the street. Down the street was a cherry tree and across the street from it a Honeysuckle plant (Mmmm). Then further down the street and up a court were pomegranates. On the way home from school was a kumquat tree with a branch hanging over the fence and I would have to jump for the fruit. In my back yard we had some version of blackberries.
Of course it was seasonal and you had to find a piece that the birds hadn’t gotten to first. I remember being dive bombed by black birds, but I think that was getting too close to their nest, not over fruit.