The Trailing Spouse Becomes The Pool Boy

Lulu loves to swim. Her dream has always been to live in Florida and have a swimming pool in her back yard. I like to think that she wants to re-create the scene from 1969 when we met . I was the life guard up in the chair and she was the pretty teenager in a bikini. So when I retired and FSU came a courtin' - the first home that the realtor showed us with a pool won Lulu's heart.

I used to like to swim - but after many years of life guarding - I got sick of it. A perfect day to Lulu is lying on a beach - be it Alligator Point or South Beach Miami - all slathered up with lotion and just watching the waves. I can take that for about 20 minutes - then I must find do something - even if it is only installing aluminum siding.

So we bought this house with the dream pool - way to big for the yard. It is 20 x 40 - with an 8 feet diving well - surrounded by a screen enclosure to keep the tons of pine needles and live oak leaves out. The pool has a gas heater - that we seldom use. Lulu had visions of heating the pool all year - after all we were living the high life in Florida now.

We moved into the Florida pool house in March of 2004. The water temperature was 60 degrees. After checking the gas meter - I flipped on the pool heater. A blast of hot air came out of the top of the heater - that smelled like money. So we went to bed with visions of the Australian crawl dancing in Lulu's head. All night long I had nightmares of dollar bills flying out of the pool. In the morning - the pool was a toasty 80 degrees. Lulu was living her dream all the way up to the my screams coming from the side of the house as I read the gas meter. It had cost me $50 for that one little 60 to 80 degree one-day episode. Probably the most expensive swim we ever had. When Lulu tried to get out of the pool - I yelled - get back in there - it is the warmest place in Florida.

Since then the reality of pool ownership has hit me. Just turning 60 - I have a desire to make less work for me - less things to maintain - less fees to pay for upkeep. My new motto is, "Less is more."

I have suffered through 4 years of pool vacuuming - pool chemicals - pool makeup water - pool filter flushing - pool screen pressure washing - pool sidewalk scrubbing - and watching out for the dreaded yellow algae.

If I had my way - I would fill the pool with dirt and plant corn. Maybe I could do like Nixon in the White House and put a bowling alley over the pool.

The liner in our pool is old - the pool was installed in 1991 - and the liner is probably the charter member. Two times we have had leaks in the liner. First time - the pool guy came and used a little electric thing to detect the hole. Last time - he could not find the leak - but was sure a new liner would fix it. So right now the pool is empty. We are deciding its fate.

If it were up to me - the pool would be gone. But Lulu makes more money than I do - so she gets more votes. The Plaza Tower Condos are looking better and better every day - especially the apartment on the 7th floor - southwest corner. But getting that past Lulu seems impossible - that and the terrible status of real estate sales in Florida.

Lulu wants to just get a new liner - and keep all of the same problems. That causes a stiffening in my chest.

On the other hand - I would like to cut down on upkeep. In a perfect world - I would have a concrete gunite pool - about 3.5 feet deep with a flat bottom. It would be easier to clean - use less water - less chemical - less upkeep. The water would warmup quicker due to it being shallower and having less volume. We also could play volleyball and basketball in the pool - rather than just sit there and look at it. But the lowest quote I could get for that solution is $15,000. My laziness for cleaning the pool is only eclipsed by the faces I make when I have to open up the deep pockets of my wallet.

A compromise would be to have the pool filled in part way by sand - and have a new liner made to my shallower specs. Lulu would still have her pool - and I would have less water that would be easier to care for - easier to vacuum - and would stay warmer. And maybe - just maybe - some day I would flip on that switch to the gas pool heater without having an anxiety attack.

What do you think? Any ideas would be appreciated? Can this marriage be saved? Send advice to - harry@everhart.com

Valentine's Day with Ethel and John

Click on Ethel in the title to see more pictures.

Nothing better than a beautiful February Day and having a few snowbirds visit. John and Ethel will spend 6 weeks in Vero Beach - but were kind enough to make the 5 hour drive north to spend some time with us.

We toured the old and new capitols. Then we had lunch at the Wakulla Lodge.

After lunch - we took the river cruise. We saw lots of animals including about a dozen manatee. They seem to enjoy hanging out in the 70 degree spring water - just like our snowbirds enjoy the 70 air temperature and bright sunshine.

After supper we went to the basketball game between Wake Forest and Florida State. Our friends Michelle and Paul gave us their season tickets. The Noles lost but we got the opportunity to see Sam Cassel and watch his jersey be retired and hung in the rafters.

Today - John and Ethel started their drive to Vero Beach. They also picked up Chelsea - an FSU student - to take her home for the weekend.

Aunt Ethel and Uncle John Are Visiting

Yesterday - Lulu's Aunt and Uncle left Allentown Airport in snow - ice - slush and rain. The ground crew had to wade through 5 inches of water and even had to rock the plane to free the wheels from the ice. It was a Florida plane that shivered through the night at ABE. They were flying Allegiance Airlines - because it has a non-stop flight from Allentown to Sanford - and also it is cheap. They will be wintering in Vero Beach. But they decided to drive their rental car to Tallahassee to see us and see the Noles play Wake Forest.

Lulu loves to have visitors - this is the 33rd set we have had in our short 4 years in Florida. Almost everyone from back North that we know had come to stay a while.

So for the next few days - we will be visiting all the usual highlights that North Florida offers. So welcome to Florida - John and Ethel - even if it is only Tallahassee.

Syracuse to Tallahassee Via Philadelphia and Charlotte

Click Pictures to Enlarge-
1. The town in the gap is Jim Thorpe - once called Mauch Chunk - but renamed when the world's greatest athlete was buried there
2. The area inside the V shape mountains is Panther Valley where I taught middle schoolers for 33 years
3. The Philadelphia Phillies play here
4. The Philadelphia Eagles play here
5. The Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers play here

Click on Syracuse in title for more pictures.

This morning Drew dropped me off at the Syracuse Airport at 8 AM - the temperature was also 8 degrees and the wind was 30 miles per hour. It was so cold that the sun had a rainbow of ice crystals around it. I was flying in a small propeller driven airplane so we flew very low and I got some nice pictures. We flew over the Panther Valley where I taught school for 33 years. We also cruised over Jim Thorpe - Lehighton - Allentown - and downtown Philadelphia.

After a brief stop - I flew from PHL to Charlotte. In Philadelphia it was a balmy 20 degrees and by Charlotte it warmed up to 40. After the final leg of the trip - we landed in warm - sunny - 75 degree - Tallahassee. Lulu picked me up with the top down.

One of the nicest things about being a retired trailing spouse is the travel. You can take your time - select off peak flights - and search for bargains. Also you do not have to hurry home for classes on Monday mornings. By the way - Tamaqua and Panther Valley started school two hours late today - because it was too cold. It makes one appreciate the quiet Monday mornings in Tallahassee.

Plane Crash Near FSU Campus

PLANE CRASHES: Throngs flock to wreck site near FSU campus
DEMOCRAT STAFF REPORTS
A small airplane crash near West Tennessee Street and Ocala Road caused chaos Friday night with widespread power outages and traffic congestion.

The single-engine Cessna crashed about 8:40 p.m. in front of Walgreens and took down several power lines. The pilot, Hal Edward McCord, 50, was the only person on board and was listed in serious condition late Friday at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, said Beth Gabrini, hospital spokeswoman.

McCord's injuries were not expected to be life threatening, and no one on the ground was injured.

"I'm sure he did everything he could to preserve his life and the lives of others," said Tallahassee Police Department spokeswoman Danielle Davis.

The power lines that the plane clipped were yards away from a gas station that was not damaged.

"(The plane) had no fuel leak, which was a major concern," said Lt. Cody Reese, spokesman for the Tallahassee Fire Department.

Sgt. Rob Reisinger, spokesman for the Leon County Sheriff's Office, said McCord was traveling to Tallahassee from Maryland.

The Federal Aviation Administration will inspect the plane on site today, and it likely will be taken to the Tallahassee Regional Airport this afternoon.

Power outages affected the entire Florida State University campus and about 7,200 other customers. Elevators stalled. Traffic lights went out. And even the 24-hour McDonald's at Tennessee and Dewey streets had locked doors because of the power outage.

Hundreds of people gathered near the site. The plane was a single-engine, propeller plane with the tail identification of N52495. It crashed nose first and landed almost vertically into the ground.

"We heard a big boom and then there was a big flash," said Madison Wells, 18, who was visiting Tallahassee from Santa Fe Community College. "We saw people running. It was crazy."

Bobbie Weston, a Tallahassee resident, was eating at Crystal River restaurant with her 16-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son and saw sparks in the air and then saw the plane hit the ground.

"I was thinking I'm glad it didn't happen here," she said. "I got scared. I know I won't be riding on any planes anytime soon."

Power was returned to the FSU campus about 11 p.m., spokeswoman Browning Brooks said.

By 10:50 p.m. most city customers' power was restored, according to a news release from the city of Tallahassee. Several hundred customers, however, were still without power late Friday night.

Kathy Froom, of Stuart, was concerned for her daughter Kaitlin, who was trapped in an elevator at FSU. About 10 p.m., Froom said her daughter was trapped in the elevator on the seventh floor of Smith Hall. She's a freshman music major. One other student was in the elevator with her.

"She's panicking and has been in there for quite a long time already," Froom said. "I'm concerned about her. She's trying to stay calm. She's getting upset. I'm concerned that there's not more help on campus for them."

Brooks said the students were rescued from the elevator. Students were informed of the crash when dorm lights went out, and text messages via the university's emergency system were sent to all. Extra FSU patrol officers rode around the dark roads.

Leon County Sheriff's Deputy Lee Majors was flying in a helicopter on routine patrol and said he saw the plane go down.

He said he was directly above the plane when it hit the power line. Majors said another officer noticed the plane over the Tallahassee Mall, and it sounded abnormal.

The pilot radioed a distress signal to the control tower three seconds before he crashed, saying he had a "dead stick," meaning his engine had failed, Majors said.

Word of the crash spread throughout the area, leaving most shaken by the news.

Charles Clark, 20, a member of the FSU track team, was in his apartment at Ashley's Place off Tennessee and Basin streets at the time of the crash.

"I thought we didn't pay our electricity bill," Clark said.

He got a phone call from his girlfriend, saying that a plane had crashed.

"I thought something happened with my team," Clark said. The track team was flying to New York for the New Balance Invitational.

Katharyn Van Petton, 21, an FSU student from Tampa who lives at Polo Club Apartments on High Road was in her bedroom when she heard what sounded like a plane overhead. But it sounded close. Then she heard a thud.

"I didn't know what to think," she said. "You never think that stuff like this is going to happen. I had to come down here and see because I wouldn't have believed it. I go grocery shopping all the time at Publix. I go to Walgreens to get my medicine. This is unbelievable."

The following reporters contributed to this story: Julian Pecquet, Nic Corbett, TaMaryn Waters, Angeline J. Taylor and Anthony Anamelechi.

"Lulu The Leading Spouse" Comments on Harry's 60th Birthday

The Trailing Spouse is turning 60 today and it’s a good time to reflect. In pondering a theme for this guest column, I was inspired by a female comic I saw on HBO recently. Her routine had the theme of “Men Don’t Change.” What are the changes (and non-changes) in my trailing spouse over the thirty-eight years since I’ve known him? The first thing that comes to mind is wardrobe. Harry is still wearing short-sleeved button-down oxford shirts that are usually bought in lots of six. One change is that he saves the time spent going to a store and orders from L.L. Bean. There was a period in the seventies when they just could not be found and we spent numerous shopping trips in frustration, having to resign to the polyester blends with long pointed collars that were “in” at that time. That probably won’t happen again in today’s online marketplace where you can find anything. Cars, tools, and electronic gadgets still figure prominently in occupying his time, but the focus isn’t on having the newest first but rather on getting the “best deal.” It’s somewhere between a hobby and an obsession.

Beyond the superficial of toys, clothes, and hair (which also hasn’t changed – luckily for him), there are personality traits that haven’t changed. Probably his best trait is that he is still an independent thinker. In the 80’s the school newspaper did a feature on him “Rebel With a Cause.” I somehow forgot what the cause was, but no matter, it was something he believed in at the time and there have been many causes throughout the years. In his twenties he sued the local school board for violation of the Sunshine Law and won, serving as his own attorney. A few years later he served on the same board and was elected president. I’m probably where I am today due to the fact that he took two sabbaticals for me to get my master’s degree and doctorate while he played “Mr. Mom” never caring what others thought. It was pretty radical in the 80’s.

Our first date might have been going to Woodstock but my parents wouldn’t let me. But in typical Harry fashion, he told me later that Woodstock was a sloppy, muddy, mess and he couldn’t wait to get home. He’s never romanticized it. Nor has he ever romanticized teaching – simply saying it was a way to make a living for our family. But he was probably the best teacher in his district. He’d rather eat a hamburger and shake than go to a gourmet restaurant and attend a Tallahassee Little Theater play rather than a Broadway show. I know I’ll always get a straight answer and an honest opinion.

So, Happy Birthday Harry and don’t change!

Lulu

NFL To Reconsider Pottsville Maroons Fate - Movie Script is Complete

BY BEN WOLFGANG
STAFF WRITER
bwolfgang@republicanherald.com
02/02/2008

An unprecedented week of publicity for the Pottsville Maroons came to a close Friday with a conversation between “Breaker Boys” author David Fleming and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about opening a new line of dialogue within the NFL about the legendary football team.

Fleming said he briefly spoke to Goodell in Phoenix, Ariz., site of Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Fleming said. “I told him the town (Pottsville) just wants to tell their story.”

On Wednesday night, HBO’s “Inside the NFL” ran a segment about the Maroons and the curse on the Arizona Cardinals franchise, which lays controversial claim to the 1925 NFL title.

On Thursday, a new issue of ESPN the Magazine hit shelves, featuring a new Fleming article detailing the woes of the Cardinals, who have won only one playoff game since 1947.

Fleming said Goodell planned to read “Breaker Boys” during the offseason and Goodell told him the NFL is “always open” to hearing the discussion.

“In four months, the book (“Breaker Boys”) has reached the commissioner of the NFL, the president of the United States, Hollywood and London,” Fleming said.

In December, Fleming received a letter from President George W. Bush, who called the book “illuminating.”

In October, Patrick Rizzotti, who is a partner of Fortress Features, Los Angeles, said a script about the team was finished and could go before the cameras as early as spring.

Samuel Munson, who runs footballdiner.com in the UK, said international support for the Maroons is growing.

“Anyone who tends to be into their NFL history tends to be a fan of them,” Munson said in an e-mail to the REPUBLICAN & Herald. “I’ve yet to encounter somebody who’s heard the story and doesn’t have some kind of goodwill towards them.”

“Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship” was released Oct. 9 and renewed public interest in the famous football team.

The Maroons defeated the Chicago Cardinals 21-7 in what was widely considered the NFL title game in 1925.

Six days later, the Maroons played an exhibition game against the famed Notre Dame four horsemen squad, a non-NFL team, and were stripped of the title shortly after.

The Cardinals, who have since moved to Arizona, claimed the title in 1933 when the Bidwill family bought the franchise.

At an October NFL owners meeting in Philadelphia, Goodell told the REPUBLICAN & Herald he hadn’t thought much about the Maroons since a 2003 vote closed the possibility of new discussions on the 1925 title.

Fleming said Goodell told him he was “caught off guard” by questions about the Maroons at that time.

During Friday’s conversation, Fleming said Goodell was “incredibly friendly and informed” about the topic.

Ian Lipton, a member of Lasting Legacy of Pottsville, said there will be a push aimed at NFL owners this spring.

“We’re hoping to get that (Maroons discussion) on the agenda for the owners meeting in May,” Lipton said.

Lipton also said a debate between Fleming and a representative of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Maroons’ adversary Joe Horrigan, is still very possible.

“We have to wait until after the Super Bowl and after the Pro Bowl,” Lipton said.

©The REPUBLICAN & Herald 2008

Trailing Spouse Gets a Good Look at "Mrs. Robinson" - And So Does George

Last night - ZONTA (the women's service club) - was sponsoring a night at The Little Theatre on Thomasville Road to see The Graduate. The show will be playing quite a bit in the next 2 weeks - but it is always great to see opening night.

Lulu and I saw The Graduate on Broadway about 5 years ago - but that time our seats were in the balcony - almost the last row. Lorraine Bracco was Mrs. Robinson and my 55 year old eyes did not see much of the "action" in that dark theatre. This time I was determined to see it all - as I made a beeline to the front row center - saving seats for Lulu - George - and Joel.

George had hurt his back yesterday doing some heavy lifting. I saw him about noon as he was writhing in pain on his sofa. I thought that he was not going anywhere for a couple weeks - but a strong painkiller and his desire to see the show - had him gabbing away as my front row accomplice.

If you are too young to remember the movie from the 60s - Dustin Hoffman was Benjamin - a kid fresh out of college that got caught up in a love triangle with a mother and daughter. The movie was earth shaking even during the Swinging Sixties.

Last year - ZONTA had sponsored The Full Monty - a show that included full frontal nudity of several men - although they were obscured by some excellent lighting. Having that show in mind - I wanted to make sure they didn't trick me again - and they didn't.

The comedy included Mrs. Robinson in the "all together" and with my nearsightedness I was happy I insisted on the front row. For my wife's sake - that is the closest I have been to another person in that state of clothing - ever. But the hilarity of the situation had the Tallahassee Bible Belt crowd enjoying every minute of it - and also feeling pretty smug that they were able to enjoy it in mixed company with the darkness of the theatre hiding their blushing faces.

I am sorry to dwell upon the nudity but - "no Buck Rogers - no bucks." The play moved very fast - the actors superb. The costumes and sets could get any baby boomer into the mood - for a trip into the past.

Lulu could have played a perfect Elaine when we married back in 1971. Today - she would be a better Mrs. Robinson. Of course - then and now - I would have given Dustin Hoffman a run for his money - insert little typo smiley here.

I am sorry that I did not get a playbill last night to mention the leading actors today - but this does not detract from the fine job they did and the mood they set - telling us how it might have been in the 60s.

I give two thumbs up and hope you get out to see the show. You will not be bored. I wonder how George's back is today.

Trailing Spouse Gets to Talk to Senator John McCain

Lulu is at a conference near Busch Gardens and for some unknown reason I decided to tour downtown Tampa on our last day of a 6 day road trip. My GPS led me to 200 North Tampa Street to see a photography exhibit. After a quick sandwich for lunch as I walked down the street this bus with "Small Talk" written on the side pulled up next to me. 3 or 4 folks with video cameras were waiting around - and I put 2 and 2 together - someone important must be in that bus.

So I stood around for a minute with my camera ready and out pops Senator John McCain and his wife. I was amazed at how informal it was and the lack of security save one giant football player size guy in a dark suit. As the two cub reporters went up to the Senator and asked him some lowball questions I figured quickly that I had an "Artie Bremmer" moment. I said, "Howdy Senator my name is Harry." He joked for a moment and I figured I had my chance to tell him my view on things.

After taking a few pictures for proof - I told him I respected him but I did not like his stand on the Iraq War and how he backed Bush so much. I told him I did not like Bush running up all this debt on my kids' credit card. He was heading for lunch with his pretty wife and I did not want to hold him up. I was looking for someone dependable to get a picture of us together - but the crowd was very small.

As a kid - I got to touch John Kennedy as he passed through my hometown of Tamaqua, PA. In my town at the time - you were either Catholic or you didn't want a Catholic to be president. I remember Principal Curt Steigerwalt - holding the school doors closed when the kids tried to re-enter the school after taking a long lunch hour to see Kennedy - so much for a positive history lesson.

A few years later - I was enamored by Richard Nixon as he popped up out of his limo on the way through the campus at Kutztown State Teachers College in 1968 as he asked for my voted even though at that time I was 20 and still not old enough at the time. I liked him because he claimed to have a "secret plan" to end the Vietnam War.

A few years later, Lulu and I slept in our car in Washington and withstood 10 degree temperatures to see Nixon be sworn in as Pat held the Bible for him. A year later he would resign in disgrace for cheating in that election.

Then in 1980 - my Dad and I caught a Ronald Reagan appearance at Sea World although I think I voted for John Anderson that time.

So chalk this up as another adventure in the life of a trailing spouse. I do not plan to vote for a Republican because of the job they have done in the last 8 year - but if a Republican wins - this guy seems to be the smart kid in the dumb section.

I do not pretend to be an impartial reporter.

See more pictures at - www.harry.everhart.com

Beach House at St Petes Beach

CLICK ON WORD HOUSE IN TITLE FOR MORE PICTURES

This weekend we visited our friends Wayne and Shirley at their beach house in Gulfport FL. Gulfport is just west of Saint Petersburg between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. St. Pete's is considered the sunniest city in the USA - receiving 335 days of sunshine a year. At one time - the St. Petersburg Sun newspaper used to give away the paper on days when the sun did not appear. So you got the Sun - one way or the other.

Shirley teaches at the Stetson Law School - the oldest law school in the state. They gave her this beach house to use while she teaches there.

FSU Comes From Behind to Beat Virginia 69-67

Tonight Lulu and I went to see FSU play Virginia. With a record of 1-3 in the ACC - it was not a very big crowd at the game. About 15 minutes before the game - I held up two fingers - and a nice fellow handed me two free tickets - not a bad start.

We got inside with about 5 minutes until game time. The announced attendance was 7400 - but there were plenty of empty season ticket holder seats.

Florida State started out in the hole as UVA went ahead 12-2. It looked like a very bad night. Our team looked tired and lethargic. We managed to inch ahead by 1 point at the half.

As the second half started - we again fell behind by 9. It looked like the season was ending early for the Noles. With about 6 minutes to go - the breaks starting going for the boys - and we won by 2.

I know it was only Virginia - but a 2-3 ACC record looks so much better than 1-4. On Saturday - NSCU is here for a 1:30 game. With a little luck - the Noles could be 3-3 in the league.

FSU must at least play .500 ball in the league to go to the NCAA playoffs.

Down 17 - Went Ahead - then Lost to Duke

Last night Lulu and I enjoyed the annual Sellout against Duke. The last two times they came to town - FSU won. FSU played well but lost a hard fought game. Duke ended up winning by 12 points - but that score does not tell the story.

FSU fell behind by 17 in the first half due to key 3 point shots by Duke. but FSU got it back to 10 behind at the half.

With the anticipated sellout crowd - they had scheduled a great halftime show. The arena was sold out - but about 3000 season ticket holders chose to stay at home either to watch the game on ESPN or avoid the pouring rain. Almost the entire row next to us was empty for the whole game.

One of the highlights of the game for me was watching the couple in front of us consuming so much beer. The 16 ounce cups were lined up - she had 3 and he had 6 - if you count the one he spilled all over. I doubt that they will remember much of the game.

In the second half - FSU put on a strong push tying it at 48 with 8 minutes to go. FSU did pull ahead for a second - then the roof caved in. Duke scored a pile - Echufu - a key player fouled out - and Duke won by 12.

By the time the gave was over - the rain stopped outside. We beat most of the people to our car - and were home in 10 minutes.

FSU showed some bright spots. They are leading the nation with 80% foul shooting - they are great ball handlers. They lack size in the middle - but they do not quit.

I am guessing that this game will be the only game with a crowd over 8000. We are 1-2 in the ACC now - and wonder if we will make the first division - and the NCAA tournament.

After One Week in Pennsylvania

.....safe at home at midnight. All is well.

New Apple Laptop Introduced Today

Apple demonstrated the new Mac Book Air today - the next generation of laptop computers from the most innovative company in the field. It weighs 3 pounds. It is super thin - less than 1/4 inch on one end and less than 3/4 inches on the other. It has an aluminum case and it is so thin you can put it in an envelope.

It comes standard with 2 GB of RAM and an 80 GB hard drive. The screen is a very bright LED 13 inch display - conserving on battery life. It will function 5 hours on a charge. It features a magnetic clasp to close it and a magnetic power cord. The keyboard is of standard size but the track pad is much larger.

The list price is $1700. This computer did not replace the standard Mac Book - which is still available for $1200.

Little Cars - Now and Then

There was much fanfare when India introduced its new $2500 car - the Tata Nano. It is a very small car that has a 2 cylinder engine and can hold 5 people tightly. It gets 50 miles per gallon - has no air conditioning - and a miniature wheel and tire on each corner.

It reminds me of a car that Lulu and I bought back in 1972 - a car that was ahead of its time. It was the Honda 600 Sedan.

In 1972 - I had just finished my second year of teaching - and Lulu was entering college. We needed a small car for her 80-mile round trip commute to Kutztown State College.

When I started teaching - I was making about $6000 a year. That June - my school district paid me all my summer salary at once - $1500. We were in hog heaven - we never had that much money before.

Lulu and I went to Philadelphia with the intention of buying a new car. Believe it or not - the first car that Honda marketed in America cost only $1525 - this was even before the Civic.

You guessed it - we plopped down our cash and bought a brand new yellow 1972 Honda 600 Sedan. It was really ahead of its time. It had a 2 cylinder air-cooled engine with 4 speed on the dashboard. It held 5 people and had 10 inch wheels and tires - one pushed all the way to each corner. It only held 6 gallons of gasoline - but one could easily go 300 miles on a tank. At the time you could fill the tank with $1.50.

After getting home from purchasing the first new car we bought together - we realized we were going to have to earn some money to live on for the rest of the summer.

We decided to drive our new car to Miami, Florida - a mere 1300 miles away. We had honeymooned in Miami the year before and planned to re-live that wonderful summer.

It was a hot June day - as we cruised south without air conditioning - but that didn't bother two kids in the spring of their lives - Lulu in March - Me in May.

South Beach was different then - the hotels were run down and occupied by senior citizens paying rents that ranged from $50 to $60 a month. When we tried to get a room there - even though we had newspaper ads in hand - the rooms were not available to newlyweds. We ended up in a small apartment in a home in downtown Miami just off Biscayne Avenue. The landlord wanted $125 but settled for $70 a month. We were Miami residents at least for a month.

Lulu got a job at KMart announcing the Blue Light Specials. I went to the Honda dealer to buy an oil filter - and they offered me a job - selling Hondas. After a month that included attending both the Democratic and Republican Conventions - we got homesick and returned to the Hills. We returned to the Valley richer than we departed. Lulu became a freshman at Kutztown State and I returned to teaching at Panther Valley.

Pictures - the red car is the Tata Nano - the yellow car is the 1972 Honda 600.

Honda stopped selling the Honda 600 the next year - federal safety standards prevented it - so they introduced the Civic.

The Tata was designed to be a car for the masses in India similar to the Model T in America. It is a bare bones car hoping to get people off their bikes and into cars. For that wonderful summer - our Honda 600 got us to Miami on $8.00 of gasoline - 1300 miles away.

Harry Visits His Field of Dreams

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE










The last time I saw Connie Mack Stadium was 1956. I was 8 years old and had just finished my first year of organized baseball, if you can call biddy league organized anything. Tamaqua had a well-organized baseball system - that included biddy league, minor league, little league, junior league, teener league, and legion league. At the end of the season, they took all the players on a 100 mile train ride to Philadelphia to see a major league game.

The train left my hometown at about 8 AM for the 3 hour ride to Philadelphia,, which at the time was the third biggest city in the country. The Reading Railroad of Monopoly fame followed the Schuylkill River from its source at Tamaqua, through Reading, Pottstown, Valley Forge to our final destination, the North Broad Street Station, and then a couple miles to its mouth on the Delaware. I thought to myself, we left the station on Broad Street in Tamaqua and arrived at the North Broad Street Station in Philly, why didn't we just walk down Broad Street to the game?

When we arrived in Philadelphia, one of my coaches unwound a long rope with the command, "Grab onto the rope and do not let go for anything." So I grabbed on with the several hundred other kids and off we marched to the ball park. It seemed like miles through the busy crowded neighborhoods of the big city.

Several blocks away you could see this giant building. It looked alot like a cathedral, getting bigger and bigger as we walked. Someone said that this was Connie Mack Stadium. I thought, "Why would they name a baseball park after a girl?"

My dad told me that I was going to see the New York Giants and Willie Mays. He was half right. When we got inside the stadium, I didn't see any giants, but I got a good view of Willie Mays's butt because we sat in the sun drenched wooden bleachers in center field after paying 25 cents admission, right behind Willie. Being a bit near-sighted and refusing to wear my glasses because ball players never wore glasses, I couldn't see much of anything else. Every now and then Willie would catch a fly ball with his classic basket style but I could not see the batter swinging about 475 feet away.

I looked forward to the long August train ride home because at least we would be in the shade. Best of all, the train stopped in Valley Forge where they loaded cases and cases of little glass bottles of chocolate milk, my favorite.

Not much of a memory of my first visit to a major league sporting event.

Now 50 years later, I have a chance to spend a week in downtown Philadelphia as the Trailing Spouse. It reminds me of the joke - first prize a one week visit to Philadelphia - second prize a two week visit to Philadelphia. I would have lots of time to see new things, but the more I looked the more I wanted to trace my old footsteps.

A Google search on the Internet said I should go to 21st and Lehigh Street. This would be north and west of city hall, not far from Temple University. So I hopped on the subway to the North Broad Street Station. The weather was gray and overcast when I got on the subway, but was pounding rain and wind when I came out of the tunnel. The neighborhood looked pretty sad, I was tempted to just snap a few pictures, say I was there, and return to the tunnel like the Punxetawney Phil groundhog after he sees his shadow.

Instead, I pulled my jacket over my head and walked west. Little did I realize that I was walking past the site of the Baker Bowl - the first home of the Philadelphia Phillies on the corner of Broad and Lehigh Street. Ironically, my favorite hangout back in my old hometown was Broad and Lehigh along the railroad tracks in Tamaqua at the foot of Lehigh Street - the street where I lived my early years.

It was hard watching my back as I trudged forward into the wind with my coat over my head. Every few steps I was spin around to watch my six. The street signs passed quickly, 15th, 16th.....19th, 20th. This must be it.

The neighborhood is really run down. The once proud row homes were in disrepair, many empty with condemned signs on them. The giant factories had thousands of broken window panes.

On the entire city block between 20th and 21st Streets was a giant new church. It was raining hard as I snapped some pictures of the red brick landmark. Then I found the historic maker, Shibe Park - Connie Mack Stadium.

In 1908, Shibe was the owner of the Philadelphia Athletics. He built the first ever all concrete and steel stadium for his team and named it after himself. A few years later the Philadelphia Phillies moved into the park to share time, American League and National League. For almost 50 years, there was a major league game there every day from April to October, one league or the other.

Imagine, this field was the center of the sports universe. The Negro Baseball League had several World Series games here. The Philadelphia Eagles won the National Football League Championship here in 1948. Babe Ruth hit two home runs that traveled over 500 feet here, landing two streets away. Lou Gehrig hit four homers here, two over left field and two over right - during his fifth at bat he send one straight away in center field that was caught 470 feet from home plate. Rookie of the Year Richie Allen hit two giant homers that left the park and Richie Ashburn was Rookie of the Year and National League Batting Champion as he fouled off 16 pitches before finally delivering one of his patented singles.

The 1925 NFL Champion Pottsville Maroons beat the Notre Dame Four Horsemen here in front of a sellout crowd forcing the commissioner to take away their crown for barnstorming. Thousands of Coal Cracker fans took the matinee train south for the 3 hour trip along the Schuylkill to see this game heard round the world that gave the fledgling NFL respect in the college dominated football universe.

Any kid that lived within walking distance could see 16 major league clubs play there, 8 National League and 8 American League, for loose change if they had it, or by simply retrieving a home run ball and handing it over at the turnstile. Until 1939, all games were played in daytime until this stadium was one of the first to have lights that helped prevent kids playing "hookie" to see their heroes.

Connie Mack coached here for 50 years. Imagine that, 50 years in the same job. It makes teaching 33 years in the same classroom seem like child's play.

I am typing this on the night train as I am returning to Philly after a visit to see my sister in Wilmington, Delaware. The trains are smoother now, cleaner too, but they still have that romantic exotic feeling of a magic carpet ride that takes you from reality into a new an exciting fantasy world somewhere in time. You also have a chance to think back, to an earlier, simpler civilization. A time when an 8 year old kid could hop onto a train just down the street from his home, go 100 miles down the Schuylkill River, step off on the other end, and walk onto his Field of Dreams.

It is nice to have a chance to re-live those times, even if only for a few hours in our minds. Things were different then, the good old days were not always so good. Our selective memories have a way of choosing the good times, and burning them into our souls.

Before There Was "MTV" There Was "American Bandstand"

Every January Lulu goes to the mid-winter convention of the American Library Association. This year the Trailing Spouse gets to visit his old haunts in Philadelphia - the "big city" to his hometown in the hills.

One of the biggest influences on me during my "wonder years" was American Bandstand. It all started at a little TV station - WFIL-TV in Philladelphia. Dick Clark was the emcee - and rock and roll and the kids of West Philadelphia were the stars. It was eventually shown all over the country. From 1956 to 1964 - the Sounds of Philadelphia invaded almost every American home as kids rushed home from school to see what the Philly kids were wearing, how they combed their hair, what dance steps they were doing, and of course the music.

While roaming around town on foot - I started walking west on Market Street from city hall. I knew roughly where the studio was so I walked and walked - 46 blocks. I was hoping something was left from that golden era of rock and roll. At the corner of 46th and Market - sits a lonely little TV studio. By today's standard - it is miniature. It was designed from the ground up for television. A state historical marker is the only thing left that tells the story.

About a block away is West Philadelphia Catholic High School - at dismissal the kids would rush down the sidewalk and into the studio to get ready to be on national TV. A few years back a television show called "American Dreams" followed the adventures of a young lady that went to West Philly High in her plaid skirt and became a regular on the show. Just the sight of this old building brings back things like - Carmen with the streak in her hair, what a scandel - and the music judging contest, "I liked the beat I gave it an 80."

Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Ricky Nelson, Elvis, The Shirelles, The Chiffons, Lesley Gore, Brenda Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Rydell, Billy Cannon - "She's my Tallahassee lassie......down in F-L-A."

Being here reminds me of the words of a song, "I've looked at life from both sides now." I am having a parallax moment.
When I was a kid - Philadelphia seemed such a big, sophisticated, and faraway city. Now - almost 60 years old - as I return from my new home in Florida - it is an old and familiar face. It has a homey feeling. Has Philly changed or have I? Is Philadelphia the same or am I? Maybe its all in your perspective.

It is quiet in this neighborhood now. They are rebuilding the "El" station next door - so the construction site keeps traffic from passing by the front door. The air was still and I was alone with my thoughts. Mom used to say my hearing would go bad because I listened to all that loud music. She was right. But I leaned my ear against that yellow brick building and just for a moment I could hear all the music of the 50s and 60s still vibrating in the walls.