Remembering old stuff

[SheltieMom]

'Chinese jump rope' - kinda like cat's cradle for the feet.

Mix tapes.

Jello molds.

My cousins and I were experts at Chinese jump rope.

For those who remember treadle sewing machines, I saw several in use in a video last week at a friend's funeral. She spent most of her life as a missionary in Africa, mostly in Kenya. She and her husband started a school for young women, most of them orphans living "on the streets", teaching them ways to support themselves. Since they have no electricity in the village where she lived, they use the treadle machines to teach the women tailoring. It's an incredible place.

[kherbert05]

My Aunt having a party line - early - 80's Lower Montague, PEI


Getting cable for the first time and them hooking up the TV in my room that was for the Atari. My parents were so mad, because they had told them repeatedly not to hook it up. We were never charged for the outlet. When we added on and my parents and I switched rooms, they decided to keep the outlet for their new room - the contractor moved an outlet into my new room. We were never charged for that one either. My parents called them every few months for years about those outlets and not being charged for them.


The day HBO went 24 hours. Before that it was evening only. Mom and Dad had watched something on it the night before. I thought the cable box (had a dial not remote) was on 13 but it was on 14. I turned it on and started breakfast for sis and I, while the tv warmed up. Then Sis screamed bloody murder. I looked up to see almost the last scene of Friday the 13 - were the girl kills Jason's Mother and the head - sis had nightmares for weeks. At first I was in trouble - but then Mom and Dad realized it was their fault. New family rule if you watch HBO, you changed the channel before you turn off the TV.


Having to take water to the farm to prime the well.


Dad packing 3 - 4 gallons of water per person to take to the beach. He would sit the gallon jugs in the sand so they would be warm. Then before we got in the car, you would stand by your door and he would pour the water over you to get the sand/salt off. Then you would sit on a fresh towel and stick your feet out the door and he would wash them off and check the bottoms for tar - lighter fluid to get that off then more water from the jugs.


Being horrified at the idea of going to sleep away camp without AC I was from the humid gulf coast and had thought it would stay hot at night in the Hill Country like it did in Houston. My Dad kept reminding me I survived Galveston and Surf Side summers without ac. I was sure I was going to die from ripping my skin open in my sleep. Actually it gets quiet cool. I got special permission to not have an activity after horseback riding so I could go shower and apply medication to my skin.

[oz diva]

Now this may shock you, but the telecommunications industry used to publish books containing all the telephone numbers - yes really. If you wanted to ring someone but you didn't know their number you could look them up.

Oh, you knew that already? Well it appears around here that people are rapidly forgetting about telephone books.  I had a call at work from someone looking for the number of my previous boss. I wouldn't have given it to her, even if I'd had it, but I did remind her that the number would probably be in the book. She admitted that looking it up simply didn't occur to her.

[PeterM]

Now this may shock you, but the telecommunications industry used to publish books containing all the telephone numbers - yes really. If you wanted to ring someone but you didn't know their number you could look them up.

Oh, you knew that already? Well it appears around here that people are rapidly forgetting about telephone books. 

How is that even possible? Around here we get a new edition of the phone book delivered every fifteen minutes. The stupid things show up more often than the Oriental Trading or Victoria's Secret catalogs!

[PeterM]

The day HBO went 24 hours.

My favorite HBO memory is sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night to watch the Bo Derek "Tarzan The Ape Man" movie after I was expressly forbidden from seeing it. Got caught after it was over and there was hell to pay, but it was totally worth it.

Heck, there's a "remembering old stuff" entry right there - the old days when you had to go out of your way to see nekkid women, rather than just set up a free email account and wait for it to show up whether you want it or not.

[oz diva]

Now this may shock you, but the telecommunications industry used to publish books containing all the telephone numbers - yes really. If you wanted to ring someone but you didn't know their number you could look them up.

Oh, you knew that already? Well it appears around here that people are rapidly forgetting about telephone books. 

How is that even possible? Around here we get a new edition of the phone book delivered every fifteen minutes. The stupid things show up more often than the Oriental Trading or Victoria's Secret catalogs!

Most people don't get them delivered anymore.

[PeterM]

How is that even possible? Around here we get a new edition of the phone book delivered every fifteen minutes. The stupid things show up more often than the Oriental Trading or Victoria's Secret catalogs!

Most people don't get them delivered anymore.

A lot of folks I know have had more than a bit of trouble getting delivery stopped, probably because the company bases their ad fees off of how many people they deliver to.

[iridaceae]

Phone books just show up outside the doors at my apartment complex.  I think I get three a year, all different.

[JonGirl]

Do any Australians remember the old Holly's restaurants at the back of the Kmart?
I used to get the bus there with Nanny and Mum when I was a kid.  Good times.

[oz diva]

No but I was taken to George's for sandwiches as a special treat. We was posh.

[JonGirl]

No but I was taken to George's for sandwiches as a special treat. We was posh.

The old George's in Collins Street? Well La De Da.
  

[rose red]

The day HBO went 24 hours.

My favorite HBO memory is sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night to watch the Bo Derek "Tarzan The Ape Man" movie after I was expressly forbidden from seeing it. Got caught after it was over and there was hell to pay, but it was totally worth it.

Heck, there's a "remembering old stuff" entry right there - the old days when you had to go out of your way to see nekkid women, rather than just set up a free email account and wait for it to show up whether you want it or not.

I remember when most people don't have cable (What?!  Pay for TV?!), you can dial to the channel, contort the antenna, and watch a fuzzy grainy distorted movie with sound that go in-and-out.  Good times.

[scotcat60]

In the UK:

Red telephone boxes with dial handsets, where you put in 4 old penniesand pushed Button A when you were connected, and button B if you needed to get your money refunded.
Red Routemaster buses with conductors. (Although a few survive in in London as Heritage Routes e.g the number 15 from Paddington to Tower Hill)
Cash reigsters in shops that were not digital. Also scales which were not digital
Mobile phones the size of house bricks
Manual typewriters and not word processors
I still have the old Singer treadle machine which was my grandmother's. she bought it second hand in 1909, when my father was born, and made his Christening gown on it.
Black and white TV that had only one channel, the BBC, and when things went wrong they put up a notice saying"Do not adjust your set" and there were short films called "Interval" in which you saw a potter making a pot or Kittens playing, in between programmes.

[happygrrl]

The day HBO went 24 hours.

My favorite HBO memory is sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night to watch the Bo Derek "Tarzan The Ape Man" movie after I was expressly forbidden from seeing it. Got caught after it was over and there was hell to pay, but it was totally worth it.

Heck, there's a "remembering old stuff" entry right there - the old days when you had to go out of your way to see nekkid women, rather than just set up a free email account and wait for it to show up whether you want it or not.

LOL at Peter--ain't that the truth? And please don't forget the ED emails.

I remember when MTV come on for the first time, and HBO was a vague name for something we couldn't get (cable).

And thanks for the website Siamesecat2965--I checked out a Christmas catalogue, and it featured a palm sized calculator for $98usd. lol!!

[rose red]

I just remembered my watch which you have to wind.  I loved that watch and I took it off during school for some reason, and it got stolen.  .  But yeah, I loved the act of winding up the watch.