I remember thinking Evel Knievel was the coolest dude ever. I'd jump my Big Wheel ramp to ramp. Seemed like a long ways but probably only a couple of feet. I also remember going to the World's Fair in Spokane. Rolling in a 69 Plymouth across the state. That's the same car my would take to the full service gas station and tell the guy "fill er up with ethyl." Funniest $hi+ ever!
Reminds me of a concert back in '77 or '78...15 minutes until the gates open and 25 miles away. Made it with time to spare - in a Datsun 510 wagon Never had a Big Wheel, but did all sorts of stupid things on bikes...and lived!
I went to the Snake River in Twin Falls ID and got my picture taken in front of the dirt ramp that was left from Evil trying to rocket across the river. It was the coolest thing. I swear there was more spirit back then. Evil Knievel, the Olympics and the bi-centennial celebrations of 1976. Gee You Hair Smells Terrific and Body on Tap. The 70's were great.
Yep - after HS graduation in '71, I was home free. What a blast! Rented an apartment with a girlfriend. Made less than $200 every two weeks take home which was enough to cover a new car payment ($75 a month), half the rent, some savings, a case of beer (back then you had to buy 4 six packs if you wanted a case) and / or a bottle of Smirnoff for the weekends. Oh yeah, and it bought groceries too. But only because orange juice was needed to mix with the Smirnoff. Since I was already at the grocery store, it was convenient to buy food also. Led Zepplin and Jethro Tull were favorite tunages. Also like J. Giles Band.
Yep I did the cycle thing, down the hill straight at a 2X6 on about 2' of block, I remember hitting the ramp, I don't know how I got back up the hill to the kitchen door, Mom took me in to get my ear stitched back on. I bought a 240Z in '71 after graduation so car payments were pretty steep, so no apartment for this Monkey, it was nice back then because at 19 you could drink in AZ. Rancher
In '71 I was living in the Northern Cascades, with my partner, and was about to move back to civilization, in a Commune, In Washington State... Hippy Phase of my life.... for the Second time...
Ahhhhh... the 1970s! Let's see, I remember 1968, the Summer of Love, clearly... um... er... 1983 seems clear enough, as does the rest of the 1980s, 90s, 2000s....
Learned to pick strawberries to make money Learned to reload ammo Learned to fly a plane Learned that if I was tall enough to see over the counter at Henry Endres Winery I could buy rhubarb wine Learned to drive a car Learned to lose my virginity Graduated High School All in that order I miss G.I. Joes where you could buy everything you needed for the outdoors and your car I miss Larry's Sporting Goods (of Larry Schoenborn Fishing the West fame) I miss not having a phone everywhere I go and the expectation that I am always immediately available I miss not having so many distractions I miss not having everything I have ever done recorded in a database I miss the open fields that now raise developments instead of crops I miss not being able to shake off just about anything with a good night's sleep I miss people being polite because everything was done face to face and we all pretty much knew each other or knew of each other
1971.... No speed limit in Nevada outside of the cities. A Dodge Polara with a 361 Hemi and a big Holley 4 barrel, a transmission that shifted by pushing buttons that looked like the ones on the radio. The year I met the woman I would be married to for 39 years. I wish I could go back and do it all over again!
'71 got out of the army. Got a little gas dock, snack bar/grill and beer stop on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River for the Spring/Summer. Then went up to Lake Havasu and worked construction on the London Bridge, built the Crazy Horse Campground on the island across said bridge and then got a job managing Crazy Ed's Waterhole restaurant and bar where I met my first wife. After that it was back to school for 6 years, most of it working as a night time DJ on the regional FM Rock station, a couple of short term jobs and then I joined the cops and met my real wife.
Walk into the bowling alley, walk out with some smokes. Just needed to get all the quarters in before the owner spotted ya.
When I visited my grandparents for the summer in CA, Grandpa would send me down to the corner market to grab him a pack of smokes and a bottle of wine. I was about 10 then, never an issue to get what he sent me for. Of course my favorite time was sitting on the front porch with him, and he would fire up his pipe with some cherry tobacco.
^The best I could do was buy the cigarette gum. Remember those? Once my mom saw me puff one that was the end. Idiot!
Smoked a pipe when I was younger, rule of thumb, if the tobacco smell good it tastes real bad.... think my favorites were Borkum Riff. Rancher
Disliked that, sorta liked a Cavendish blend, the name of which has long ago escaped me. Also liked plug cut in preference to shag.
Hill climbing motorcycles was big in the 70's too. My Pop had a brand new Maico 400 in 1973. Pretty cool to hear your dad's name from the announcer then see him roar up the hill and fly off the top. He'd test ride it up the alley during the week and once my mom called the cops on him. He ditched them but kept her. Lol.