Back in the ol days

[Muskieman]

In 1988 I'd make 3.60$/hr 20$ would buy me a pack of smokes a 6 pack and a gram of hash... Nowadays(non native)smokes are 10$/pack a six pack is 13$ .. as for the hash I couldn't care less anymore but probably around 25$.

 

Randy

[Roy]

1988....that was the year I built the house I'm still living in today. My son was fresh out of architectural schooling. He designed it, I built it. It cost me a little more than $350K at the time...almost the same as it had cost for his schooling. Architectural schooling wouldn't have cost so much but I drove him to the airport, headed for Europe and noticed that he had packed his skis...that's when I realised that it was gunna be a long, costly haul.

[HTHM]

How about Saturday morning cartoons, Bugs bunny, mighty mouse, all in glorious black and white.

[bigugli]

How about Saturday morning cartoons, Bugs bunny, mighty mouse, all in glorious black and white.

My favorites were the merry melodies set to classical music.

 

How about this old original with Ollie and Stanley? Far better than the disney version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDdhg8CyeUo&feature=related

 

How about silly symphonies? Still fun to watch so many years later.

[OhioFisherman]

I grew up in Cleveland in the 50`s & 60`s back then it had a million people and jobs weren`t had to find. Now it is down to 400,000 and good luck finding a decent job. The grocery store rear parking lot ended across the street from the neighbor`s house. Mom used to drag me and my older brother with her to shop and 35 bucks filled up the shopping cart to over flowing.

 

Our first trip to Ontario in 1957, Beaver Lake, a cabin 50 feet from the water, 60 bucks for the week. Of course it took a lot longer to drive there, the interstate highway system was a plan in progress.

 

3 TV channels, and programs worth watching, now 60 channels you pay to see and still only about 3 channels worth watching.

 

1973, my first new ride, a Dodge tradesman van, 3100 bucks out the door, if only wages had kept up with the price of cars?

 

1975 my first new home, a 3 bedroom split level in the burbs, 28,900, brand new. Your average CEO made 30 times what his workers did, now it`s 300 times or more and they still aren`t happy.

[Raf]

i'm surprised none of y'all had to walk to school, 10 miles in a blizzard, uphill both ways, in your socks.

[mercman]

i'm surprised none of y'all had to walk to school, 10 miles in a blizzard, uphill both ways, in your socks.

 

 

 

My dad said he used to do that. He would have bread and mustard sandwiches for lunch,and when his dad would sell some muskrat pelts, he would get butter on the bread too.

[misfish]

i'm surprised none of y'all had to walk to school, 10 miles in a blizzard, uphill both ways, in your socks.

 

 

TJ did,and he still does,,,,,,,,,,,walk in his socks.LOL

[mercman]

My favorites were the merry melodies set to classical music.

 

How about this old original with Ollie and Stanley? Far better than the disney version.

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

 

How about silly symphonies? Still fun to watch so many years later.

 

What about....I'mmm the sheriff around here babalooey, and doooonnn't you forget it !!!!

and HEY THERE RALPHY BOYY !!! AND LUCY !!!! YOU GOT SOME SPLAININ TO DO.

What a life we had eh ? Nothin like it today.Way back when Cancer was a zodiac sign.

[Spiel]

i'm surprised none of y'all had to walk to school, 10 miles in a blizzard, uphill both ways, in your socks.

 

Socks? I suppose next some of you will tell me you had shoes too.

[Moosebunk]

The old days for a young feller like me...

 

Both parents worked.

 

My mother lived for her boys and her career. An elementary school teacher whom during many (8) of my childhood years studied her nights away in her room while chipping away at her Masters in Education. She rarely missed one of my brother's or my hockey games and after school was first home to pop the Y&R on the TV while cooking us up a healthy meal. She exemplified what it is to be dedicated and giving. She is still revered by many as their favorite school teacher from back in their days. She is the heart of our family. She never skips a beat, never rests.

 

My father lived for us boys, his work and himself. A professional photographer and business owner he put 5-6 days a week into his store from 75-93, later moving on to work with the town Police Department. A perfectionist, he always did things once and did them right. A man who loved and practiced his favorite hobbies as often as he could. He gave Noel and I the longest leash by which to learn yet with a choke chain that reminded us of responsibility first, and he taught many life lessons, and still does...

 

I started work at 14 for $4.00hr. I wasn't allowed to miss work for anything; especially self induced weekend illnesses, although I could get away with skipping school. Most of my friends in highschool didn't work as much or hard as I did during evenings, weekends and summers off... they didn't necessarily play as hard either, as my wallet was usually thicker from work. My father was of the mindset that if I wanted something, I'd earn it and not get it before I could afford it... although alot of people late 80's to 90's seemed to sway to the opinion of "why buy it with your own money... credit." When College came I got loans but still had to work quite a bit. I failed first year but during that time learned that I am the son of my parents. Very unhappy with failure and debt, the remaining years ti'll now I've made sure to live with little of either. Goals that more kids coming up would be wise to wanting to achieve.

 

I don't look back at the old days as much as I compare to just 10 years ago... before I left for the north. Up north to me feels like 10-20 years ago, so when I settled here again, with more time to view things, things seem to have jumped ahead quickly. In 10 years it seems as though the "ME" generation has really taken over and like a vaccuum I find myself; and many raised right people too, getting sucked in. But how can we not? It's pretty much mainstream.

 

This person wants this, this person that. This one gets their way, this one does not. This one complains, and in the old days might have been told to suck it up if even being listened to at all, but nowadays... the complainer gets their way. So we do more complaining now too. And... how dare anyone tell us we're wrong to do so, cause we'll complain about them complaining about our complaint. lol

 

One child in school has a peanut allergy, all children will go without peanut butter sandwiches. God help us all with this allergic epidemic.. lol.

 

Hydro prices are to go up; probably in "most" part because everyone wants new and less effective but more expensive green energy... so we start peeing and moaning... (although probably no one will listen on that one)

 

My home in the north was "all inclusive," but now that I pay heat and hydro separately too, not thinking I almost got sucked into "the complainer vaccuum" earlier this week with the hydro business until someone of the "back in the days" era, my father, taught me again...

 

$3000 a year/ $250 a month hydro... I'll guess. $8.21 a day/ $0.35 an hour. So, for $0.35 this hour all my family's food won't spoil, my TV's will work during this day of miserable Hydro line damaging freezing rain, I can type this out on my desktop while my lights are on, laundry is fluffin' and my coffee is brewing. So what should I really be complaining about??? (I just wanted somehow to tie this in, as the original thread was locked and I never got the chance to make a point. lol.)

 

I dunno where to go with the rest of this after reading people's interesting stories of old. We all hold times in our life as great and some other times not so much. Years gone by have their good and bad points I guess, (Bologna, liver and man-eating sabre-tooth tigers being a few of the bad) just like today has the same. The biggest difference nowadays over yester- years though, seems to be this ever increasing complacency that fosters complaint in hopes to adapt. It's all about me, how I can't handle "No" and am entitled to better because my best contributions to society are my hair, Blackberry and couch-potatoing skills. It's a movement towards more pick-pocketing, piddling, piggy-backing, finger pointing and pining that juat reverberates until it becomes todays and everydays noise which is sadly different from yesterdays and hard for some to listen to. Somedays I can't stand the sound of things either and wish all I had to do was ride my skateboard, mind my P's... and Q's, and go out chasing tail with a buzz on.

 

Ahh well, best have that $0.35 cup of java now and wake up... rereading this post, methinks I fell off the sane train after my parents.

[POLLIWOGG]

You ought to hear my bud carry on about his boys living at home playing video games because they wont belittle themselves to work for less than $20 an hour, he was out of the house at 16.

 

The original post mentioned the Cuban missile crisis, My Uncle was serving in Germany and one night they took their riffles and formed the defense line around the base. They told them if a war starts they will never see the enemy and will be dead in less than 15 minutes. That had to have been a long night.

[fishnsled]

Man! You guys are old...

 

yet

 

I remember my Grandparents saying all these things

 

and I remember my parents saying these things and now I am saying the same things were cheaper simpler safer sweeter better and what a world the young ones are growing up in and growing up so fast now.....

 

every generation says it in my opinion

 

 

I think you've nailed it Terry.

 

I remember when I was very young my Dad delivered milk (yes they used trucks for home delivery, my grandfather delivered milk and bread via horse and wagon in Timmins and Toronto) for Rutherford's Dairy which was on Kennedy Rd in Scarborough. They also had the best ice cream that I can remember.

 

I remember as a kid wanting to go with my grandfather (Mom's Dad) up north (Owen Sound area) to visit with family. I'd pack my tackle and clothes and be all set. We'd visit his brothers and sisters over the course of a couple of weeks touring around Bruce County. Whenever the opportunity was there I'd be gone fishing. Have breakfast in the morning, have a lunch packed, and be gone all day by myself, sometimes with my brother. No one was ever concerned, that I know of, and the only questions were if I had a good time and are we having fish for dinner. Caught plenty of bass, pike, and speckled trout over the years. Great times and GREAT memories. I miss my grandfather a lot.

 

First job I had was delivering the Toronto Star. Second job I had I worked in my grandfather's office(Dad's Dad and he's still with us at 90 this year) making $5.00 an hour, I think minimum was $2.85 at the time. Worked in the mail room sorting mail and delivering it around the office. Also ran the photocopy machine, Ditto machine and the Gestetner machine and paper shredder. I won't get into all the part-time and summer jobs that I had but the diversity certainly gave me lots of great experiences looking back.

 

With the jobs came some money. I had enough to buy the things I needed or wanted, sometimes even saved a bit. Remember when the metric system came in and my elders complaining about it. I remember gas being 30 something cents a litre and the big jump to 40 cents, doesn't seem too bad now. Penny candy, Lolas, pop in glass bottles, water from a tap, buying smokes for my parents with a note. Driving for the first time in my grandfather's 1969 Dodge Polara with a 318 in her, did my road test with that boat. 10 bucks in gas and you could drive her all week!

 

Looking back, maybe the costs and such are all relative to our incomes as Terry had said. What has changed perhaps is the family core for so many. Technology certainly has played a huge roll in that. I wonder how many kids that would give up the computers/ipods/gaming devices to spend a couple of weeks with family and fishing? Mind you if all the technology was around when I was a kid, I wonder if I would have. Looking back I'm glad it wasn't around. Great thread Brian.

[Guest gbfisher]

Yas gots to pay to play Brian.

 

I remember when you could buy 5 mojo's for a penny.

Edited November 26, 2010 by gbfisher

[mercman]

Hey !!! Who remebers pinky stamps???I think Steinbergs grocery gave them out when you bought groceries

This is an incedible thread Brian. Through sharing on it, i made contact with a member whose father and mine were in the same military unit in Gagetown, at the same time as mine. We lived in all the same places while being transfered from base to base.His dad and mine were in Korea together and worked out of the same workshop !!! I am speecless. Thanks a billion Brian.

 

Paul

[HTHM]

i'm surprised none of y'all had to walk to school, 10 miles in a blizzard, uphill both ways, in your socks.

How it was:

[JohnF]

Back in the day

 

With all the talk about the rising costs of gas and hydro, food and what ever,this year 2010,I would like to hear from the ones that are from back in the years. 50,s,60,s or even earllier,even those that were a youngn back then. Back in the day. What was it like for you?

 

What was it like? Same as today? Rising balloon pricing. I know back in the day, times were tough,but are we in tougher times in your opinion?

 

 

Back in 1963 when I was still in high school I bought my first car. Actually it was a share of a car. Four of us anteed up and bought a '53 Dodge/Plymouth (I forget) with a Red Ram hemi in it. Not quite the same hemi the new Chrysler cars used but we thought it sounded cool. As I recollect we paid $25 for this thing running with plates on it. I don't think we ever transferred the registration because we figgered we'd bust it before we got a month or so out of it. Of course we had no insurance. It was missing a front seat so we fastened wooden coke cases to the floor boards somehow. The muffler was totally shot so we just punched a bunch of holes in a quart oil can and wired it to the pipe where the muffler should have been. As long as you were light on the gas the noise was manageable when the cops were nearby. We lost a lot of cans but they were easy to replace.

 

The car was a 4 door model and the centre pillars were rusted out at the bottom so that when we cornered it looked like it was sprouting a wing on the out side as the doors did the centrifugal force thing. We got used to it but it concerned those who weren't expecting it.

 

We didn't want our parents to know about it so we just kept it parked in an alleyway and someone picked it up each morning and got the rest of the guys on the way to school. We always went to a local drivein for lunch together in it. We'd put a gallon or two of gas in it as required but any more than that and the tank leaked. I recollect that the oil it burned cost about as much as the gas did. Seems to me gas was 25 or 35 cents/gallon (not liter) then but I may have that confused with a year or two later.

 

Imagine getting away with that today. Oh, and we were right about the expected life. I think it ran for about 6 weeks before it totally died and nothing we could do short of spending money could revive it. We towed it to the dump one day and dropped it.

 

A few years later I bought a very clean and good running Ford Vic for $60. I don't think I had to spend a penny on it to make it a driver. I forget why but i didn't keep it long. Shame really. I'd sure like to be able to have it today for the same price.

 

Then in 1965 I turned down a one owner '57 V8 Chevy 4 door that was immaculate. It had belonged to some old guy who garaged it every night and babied it. After he died his wife advertised it for sale for $750. I was tempted but I really wanted a 2 door. She offered to drop the price but I wasn't buying. Another missed opportunity.

 

Times sure are different today, huh? Imagine what that Vic or the Chevy would sell for today? And imagine trying to run that Dodge today.

 

JF

Edited November 26, 2010 by JohnF

[bigugli]

Hey !!! Who remebers pinky stamps???I think Steinbergs grocery gave them out when you bought groceries

 

 

Paul

 

Steinbergs was more of a Quebec chain. Lasted less than 10 years in North York at the Jane/Wilson mall. I do remember my Gram always collecting green stamps and the monthly expedition down to Honest Ed's. It was quite the trip from North York. From Jane st, you ran down and picked up the Rogers rd, which got you to the Bloor Danforth subway. Or you took the jane bus to the Trethewey loop which took you to the Yonge line at Eglinton with a transfer onto the BDL. Back then Toronto was still divided into zones so you had to pay a double fare each way, and you could only use a transfer once.

Once in a while we could cheat by catching the bus the stepfather was driving.

Let me tell you, going from rural Muskoka to TO was absolutely mind boggling and scary. Especially the suburbs; an endless sea of houses and buildings with not a real tree in sight.

Edited November 26, 2010 by bigugli

[irishfield]

Hey John.. if you can find the car I have a Red Ram Hemi in the hangar that we can put back in it!! 2 barrel carb on the spider web intake... I've been carting that engine around since I found it in the bone yard when I was 17 years old.

[bigugli]

Want a really big difference from yesteryear? Only the wealthy and well to do flew from place to place.

Regular folk hopped on a bus or a train. Made many a trip back and forth to Halifax on the Ocean. Riding coach at Christmas was a party in itself. Back then the conductor had a supply of free crayons and colouring books.

[JohnF]

Hey John.. if you can find the car I have a Red Ram Hemi in the hangar that we can put back in it!! 2 barrel carb on the spider web intake... I've been carting that engine around since I found it in the bone yard when I was 17 years old.

 

You sound like a friend of mine who's been babysitting a Ford flathead with a bunch of trick heads and pistons stuff done plus a 3 deuce setup on top. He's had it since he was a teen and is still hoping to find a vintage rod for it. He had the right rod but the big ole Olds engine was too cool to change.

 

JF

[misfish]

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[irishfield]

You sound like a friend of mine who's been babysitting a Ford flathead with a bunch of trick heads and pistons stuff done plus a 3 deuce setup on top. He's had it since he was a teen and is still hoping to find a vintage rod for it. He had the right rod but the big ole Olds engine was too cool to change.

 

JF

 

 

I always thought it would look neat in an open bonnet rod.. never got around to it, but the engine is still here!!

[bigugli]

Hey guys! Anyone wanna go halfsies on a wad of ton o gum and shoot some cards down at the tree fort?

[misfish]

Hey guys! Anyone wanna go halfsies on a wad of ton o gum and shoot some cards down at the tree fort?

 

Shoot the leaners. LMAO

Half corners dont count....