What was your average day (probably) like on....

[scotchandcigar]

That was a surprisingly touching story, Koop.

It's a new day!

11.29.04

Now we're getting into the early days of our digital picture archives, so it's a little easier for me to access reference pics. Earlier in this year, we did a trip to Key West with our cousins. And a few months after this date, we did a weekend in Bermuda, where the Pope died while we were in-flight.

But the closest thing to this date was the gutting and remodeling of our kitchen and living room at our Atkinson, NH house. We were supposed to be without a sink for a week; it was 5 weeks. The contractor was some veteran with PTSD. He'd randomly take-off for days. We had a guy ready to put the new pre-finished floor down, but the ceiling had to be redone first. And Mr. PTSD wasn't getting to it. So we had a friend who specializes in drywall to do the ceiling. The floor also replaced the carpet in the living room.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

2004/11/29

I have no photos to refer back to although I am also within this range.

I have no specific memories of this year. The closest event was my wife's 43rd birthday. We would have gone to either Tucker's Marketplace or Imperial Buffet. Both were all you can eat buffet style restaurants. Tuckers was generally American style food while Imperial was a chinese buffet. Around 2019 Imperial experienced a sewer backup in their kitchen. This was a fatal blow to a restaurant. They closed. COVID took out Tuckers. Tuckers would give anyone whose birthday falls on that day a free meal (no conditions). You had to show valid government id. You needed to pay for your drinks. Imperial offered a steep discount off the whole bill if someone had a birthday. My wife preferred Imperial so eventually we went there for here birthday each year. What I don't know is what year that started. My birthday (and my son's -- same day) were always at Tuckers.

 

[JHDK]

I missed a couple days so I'll post now and if I'm still up and 12 I'll post another and we'll have 2 to talk about.



2.3.78

 

[JHDK]

I of course have no memories cause I wasn't alive but I know off the top of my head the 78 season was when Herm Edwards recovered the fumble and ran it back to win the game...

AKA:

THE MIRACLE IN THE MEADOWLANDS!!!!!!

 

[scotchandcigar]

2.3.78

Not sure if I've calculated the date correctly, but let's say I did. I bought my first car for $225. It was an 8 year old Chrysler company product, a 2 door coupe. It was red, and it wasn't running, so I had to have it towed to the house.

It had rust on the lower panel behind the rear wheels, which I patched with fiberglass. I had to bleed the brakes and replace the drums. And I had to get the engine running, which required a new distributor, and have the points set. It also needed a starter.

I did all this 6 months before I got my learners permit. The car had a 3 speed stick in an H pattern. Up and left, which is 1st in a 4 speed, was reverse. Down and left was first. It had a shitty AM radio, so I put a boom box with cassette in the back seat.

I had the car for a year, until the leaking oil became critical, and the engine blew on the way to get to a garage. During that year, I had to get all sorts of stuff fixed. But I shined-up the red paint, and put a nice set of alloy wheels on it. And even with a blown engine, I got more for it than I paid.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Knowing you are American, I assume that is 1978/02/03 rather than 1978/03/02. I never write the date any way but YYYY/MM/DD as the other forms are ambiguous. Americans and Brits write the date differently and here in Canada half of us adopt the British way and half the American so its confusing as hell.

That being said, I don't have distinct memories of either February or March so I will make some general opinions about early 1978 (and yes I could have done this without the lecture on date formats but where would have been the fun at that).

I was in Grade 10. High school was hell. I hated every moment of it. Even thinking back to this time is painful so I won't.

I was however starting to appreciate music. I think I had started listening to the radio a bit in 1977. The first song I remember actually hearing was "Da Do Run Run" which would have been summer of 1977. I got myself a Lloyds stereo for Christmas in 1977 and in early 1978 I headed to the record store. I bought my first single "Desiree" by Neil Diamond. It didn't take long to buy more. I had shoeboxes full of them. I eventually had my room covered in posters all of which I got free inside records.

 

[JHDK]

and yes I could have done this without the lecture on date formats but where would have been the fun at that

It's February 3rd, 1978. The correct way to write and say it.

I was in Grade 10

Mixed up again, it's 10th Grade.

Why are all Canadians dyslexic?

I was however starting to appreciate music. I think I had started listening to the radio a bit in 1977. The first song I remember actually hearing was "Da Do Run Run" which would have been summer of 1977. I got myself a Lloyds stereo for Christmas in 1977 and in early 1978 I headed to the record store. I bought my first single "Desiree" by Neil Diamond.

You're right here. 10th Grade is when I started getting into good music too. Dave, Phish, Dead and everything I still listen to today. Before that I was all Grunge which I still love but it's not my real jam.

Then getting into those jam bands got me to appreciate the stuff my mom liked, such as Beatles, Mamas and Papas, John Denver, Jannis etc. That in turn led me down the path to Bob Dylan and Hendrix and Talking Heads.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Sometimes a date brings back stuff. 1978/Grade 10 is that date. I have sat on this stuff for most of my life. The only person who knows what I am about to write about was my wife. I have decided that dumping on the anonymous internet may be therapeutic since I no longer have that one person I could talk to about it. If any of this is going to make you uncomfortable, move on to the next post.

I was always into drama at least in high school. I sucked at it but I was into it. I had bit parts because well I sucked at it. In grade 8 I was stage manager since I sucked that bad. In grade 9 I got a bit part. The teacher/director doing the play was Mr. D (I don't know why I feel the need to protect his name). He was partially disabled. He got around in a wheelchair but could walk short distances with a cane. I was always a bit shy and didn't really fit in much and I guess add a love of drama to that mix, I was perfect. Mr. D asked if I would accompany him to watch plays at the Globe Theatre. He had season tickets and needed someone to help him with his wheelchair. I believe he actually talked to my parents and got permission. I would get free plays and intermission snacks and drinks (soft). Seemed like a good deal. I think I wound up doing it for 2-3 years. The problem was that once the lights went down, Mr. D kind of felt me up. Mostly my legs and lower body. His specialty was squeezing my knee. I really didn't know how to handle this so I didn't. My parents were thrilled that I was getting free plays and they liked Mr. D. So I sat there and tried to focus on the plays. This was the late 1970s. There didn't seem to be a reasonable option to report him or a way out.

In grade 10 I got Mr D for both of my English classes. He actually was a good teacher but I was the only grade 10 student to get him for both halves of the course. They did semesters and they split the English somehow. At the time I really didn't give that particular co-incidence much thought. It's amazing what becomes into focus when you are no longer young and stupid and can look back on things objectively.

Those are the clear memories I have. I do have broken memories of going to his house for at least one party. I haven't really tried to look deeper at those because frankly I don't want to know.

In Grade 11 I was in a play again. Mr. D was the teacher/director. This was his last year. A female cast member made a formal complaint against him for sexual harassment (I don't think that was the term used but that is what it was). The result of this was that Mr. D was no longer allowed to direct school plays. Gotta love how things resolved themselves back then! The part that still kicks me is I was at a post-play party with the cast. We stayed up all night and watched Monty Pythons Holy Grail. It was my first time seeing Monty Python. But I digress. Of course the big topic of discussion was the accusations against Mr. D. Nobody believed her. And I piled on even though I knew they were almost certainly true. This is the part of the whole mess that I feel most crappy about. In order to hide my embarrassment I made it harder for someone else abused by him.

My wife was always a good researcher. Some time in the 2010s she took his full name and researched him. She found his daughter. She e-mailed her about her dad (without sharing why she was asking). It turns out he died in prison. He was not in prison for diddling but for tax fraud or something like that. It is comforting to know he is dead and his last day of life were likely not pleasant. His daughter also was not mourning his loss.

 

[JHDK]

First off, thanks for letting us know. I hope airing it helped. That was truly awful and I'm sorry.

I was the only grade 10 student to get him for both halves of the course.

It's amazing what becomes into focus when you are no longer young and stupid and can look back on things objectively.

Yea wow, dude pulled strings to get you cause he knew he knew he had you in a position from the former shit where he could try to continue to take advantage. Did he try again? You clearly don't need to answer that.

A female cast member made a formal complaint against him for sexual harassment (I don't think that was the term used but that is what it was). The result of this was that Mr. D was no longer allowed to direct school plays.

Good for her, that shit is crazy hard to confront now....it was way harder back then.

But she was a girl so it was way different for her to come forward......even now, but especially then.

We stayed up all night and watched Monty Pythons Holy Grail. It was my first time seeing Monty Python. But I digress.

At least there is one good thing in this harrowing story.

Of course the big topic of discussion was the accusations against Mr. D. Nobody believed her. And I piled on even though I knew they were almost certainly true. This is the part of the whole mess that I feel most crappy about. In order to hide my embarrassment I made it harder for someone else abused by him.

I would have done the same man. And as an adult I'd feel the same way you described.

But think about it.....what good would it have really done? They would have likely just pushed him aside a little more. It's not like he'd have been arrested or whatever. And guess what, people who have shit like that happen are allowed to deal with it however they want. You did nothing wrong and I get how you feel but you really have no reason to be ashamed. You were a kid.

My mom hammered into me to tell her or my dad if anything like that happened. I probably would have as a little kid, but at 15 or 16 I really think I'd have done the exact same thing you describe........

Except for being a theater nerd (heheheheheh sorry, you know I'm being dumb cause this is so serious I hope).

I do have broken memories of going to his house for at least one party. I haven't really tried to look deeper at those

That really sucks man. Again, I'd likely do the exact same thing. I saw what my mom went through when she decided to work at clearly remembering everything her brother did to her and I really don't think it helped her one bit. It led to a whole bunch of my dad telling me, "mom's sad right now, we need to leave her alone for a bit". And once she was done crying, "We need to be really tender/sweet/kind with mom for the rest of the night, she is having a really hard time".

It turns out he died in prison. He was not in prison for diddling but for tax fraud or something like that. It is comforting to know he is dead and his last day of life were likely not pleasant. His daughter also was not mourning his loss.

Good. People like that usually wind up being fuck ups in more than one way.

 

[JHDK]

Also guys, I have a nail in my right front tire and I need to get it patched.

So, IdRather clearly doesn't have a monopoly on hardship.

 

[Jon]

I was 2 years old February 3rd, 1978. Two days away from my third birthday. This was later in the year, but we were to move from Virginia Beach, VA to Colorado after my dad retired from the Navy. Where I would be for the rest of my life.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Yea wow, dude pulled strings to get you cause he knew he knew he had you in a position from the former shit where he could try to continue to take advantage. Did he try again? You clearly don't need to answer that.

No it didn't stop until after Grade 11. Either the girls report caused him to be more cautious or I aged out of his taste range. I suspect he chose Grade 10 English for a reason.

 

[Aaron]

Sorry you went through that IRBS

 

[kingchuck69]

I agree. I grew up in a small town in northern Michigan and my school superintendent hired a teacher who worked in the Detroit area and was fired for inappropriately groping female students. When news broke regarding his past, the superintendent simply swept the issue under the rug.

Unfortunately, he retired the same year i graduated high school. Not only that, but my father worked for him and neither had respect for each other. Ditto with a lot of people who worked for him. He died recently and when I posted his obituary on Facebook, many gave it a thumbs up.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Getting this thread back on track, I am picking a date that I feel like posting something about.

2023/05/21

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

2023/05/21

This was originally posted on Facebook. I am posting it here as well a bit edited.

In 2023 May 21st fell on a Sunday. We started out with a simple trip to Walmart for Mrs. IRBS and me. It was 4 days before we were to leave for our Bermuda trip and we needed to get stuff for the boy and for us. We got in the van and had not gone 2 blocks before we realized something was seriously wrong with the van. It was stalling and RPMs were fluctuating violently. We coaxed it into the Canadian Tire about 10 blocks north of us.

They of course could not look at it immediately but they said they would have an answer on Monday. As we were hoping to drive it to New York to board the boat on Thursday we were concerned.

Neither of us had brought our Presto cards and I did not have proper change for the bus. Mrs. IRBS suggested we walk back. It was a nice and reasonably warm day and it was sunny. So we headed back. The street we were going down had a huge valley which you need to go down and back up to get from Canadian Tire to our home. We were not entirely sure how her electric wheelchair would handle that. But I went behind her and added extra force against the gravity and it worked out just fine.

That walk was very nice. We talked, laughed, and were blessed by a passing pedestrian. It was one of my most pleasant memories of Mrs IRBS. I thought it was worth a share.

 

[JHDK]

Getting this thread back on track, I am picking a date that I feel like posting something about.

2023/05/21

CHEATER!!!!!

Just cause you posted that harrowing shit doesn't mean you get to pick a non-random happy day to counter it. HAHAHAHA.

2023/05/21

This was originally posted on Facebook. I am posting it here as well a bit edited.

In 2023 May 21st fell on a Sunday. We started out with a simple trip to Walmart for Mrs. IRBS and me. It was 4 days before we were to leave for our Bermuda trip and we needed to get stuff for the boy and for us. We got in the van and had not gone 2 blocks before we realized something was seriously wrong with the van. It was stalling and RPMs were fluctuating violently. We coaxed it into the Canadian Tire about 10 blocks north of us.

They of course could not look at it immediately but they said they would have an answer on Monday. As we were hoping to drive it to New York to board the boat on Thursday we were concerned.

Neither of us had brought our Presto cards and I did not have proper change for the bus. Mrs. IRBS suggested we walk back. It was a nice and reasonably warm day and it was sunny. So we headed back. The street we were going down had a huge valley which you need to go down and back up to get from Canadian Tire to our home. We were not entirely sure how her electric wheelchair would handle that. But I went behind her and added extra force against the gravity and it worked out just fine.

That walk was very nice. We talked, laughed, and were blessed by a passing pedestrian. It was one of my most pleasant memories of Mrs IRBS. I thought it was worth a share.

That's an awesome memory man. Really cool memory.

The valley talk reminds me of when my mom was first in a 3 wheel, wheelchair. Before she owned her own she rented a couple to see which to go with. Anyway we went down the shore to Wildwood like normal her first year in it. The boardwalks have these steep ramps to get up to them. The rented chair didn't have the HP to get her up. I remember my dad and I having to push her. I was in like 1st grade (grade 1, do you can understand Idrather) so I didn't really help much bnunt it's a fun family memory.

 

[JHDK]

Getting back to non-cheating dates:



Well shit, we're back to around 1988.

8.18.90

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

1990/08/19

1990/08/07

These dates are rather close. However, sometime in the summer of 1990 a friend of mine and I did a trip to NYC. We were there an extended week (1 week + 2 weekends) So I will pretend it was the above date.

We did all the usual sites. We saw a Yankees game and a Mets game. We saw an Eric Clapton concert in Long Island. We endured the Statue of Liberty. We tried to see Letterman. We didn't get reservations but they take overflow. We got number 51 and 52 by lining up at 8AM. When we came back at 4PM they took 10.

On the day we did the statue of liberty, it was really really hot and humid. And we were trying to navigate the subway and on the map it looks like 2 lines intersected at a certain station. In fact the lines cross but they do not connect. Eventually we planned a different route. It was late we found a nice italian restaurant. It was late after 8PM (it was a long day). We placed our order and brought out the maps and started to plan our next day. At some time later the waiter came back and says how was everything. We look at each other and say we didn't know we hadn't got anything yet. I guess he had forgotten to either get the order or place the order. We got it some time later and it was delicious. When we got the bill he had already added 15% gratuity. There was a spot to add more and I wrote "included" on it. I got the biggest glare I got the whole week. I think it was one of the famous New York glares.

It was a great trip. My friend got a steady girlfriend the next year so our yearly vacations stopped. I have lost touch with him over time. He did not move with the times. He does/did not own a home computer. He felt that since he worked with them during the day he didn't need one at night. He also does not believe in social media. He still lives in Regina, SK as far as I know.

 

[JHDK]

No takers for summer 1990?

Maybe today's random date will do better:



5.16.95