A day with Dad (almost 45 years ago)

Thinking quite a bit about my parents these days following their recent car accident.  Particularly my Dad, who at the moment remains in the hospital for a bit longer notwithstanding good (surprisingly good, I think) overall recovery progress.

Last evening I randomly ran across this diary entry from December 27, 1968.  What a fine day this must have been!

 Observations:

1.  One-on-one time with a parent was a rare treat for any of us, just given the numbers.  Even better - this was on a day where it wasn't possible to work.  So Dad and I were essentially just hanging out, killing time, while Mom did errands.

2.  Dad was still in his 30s - just a week short of his 40th birthday.  He was the father of eight - thus far.  I was a 12-year-old seventh-grader.

3.  "Busher (sic) Bros" was the Minneapolis Moline implement dealer in Algona where Dad shopped for corn shellers and corn sheller parts.  "Free!" coffee and donuts for us (while Mom had to do the grocery-shopping work).

4.  Next up for Mom:  getting her hair done up.  Probably by "Odell" - wife of Jiggs Kollasch - Jiggs operated a tiny gas station and grocery store (probably already closed down by late '68) right along highway 169, and Odell used some of the space for her "salon."  (Hairdressing was in preparation for a big weekend ahead, which my diary indicates included Francis Bormann's wedding on the following day.)

5.   "Me and Dad went to Alfred Reding" during the hairdressing session - A.R. lived less than a mile to the west and was a corn-shelling and trucking customer.  Dad did a fair amount of collection work over the holidays - belated payment for work typically performed months earlier.  Alfred Reding was a great talker (and a great guy) - sometimes the theorizing got overwhelming, but I characterize this day's interaction as "good talk."  My mood probably was enhanced by "candy and bottle of pop."  (Plus I was favorably inclined towards Mr. Reding because he paid me the first dollar I ever earned in my life - had previously given me $2 for helping scoop soybeans out of his overhead bins.)

6.  I claim we almost slipped off the road traveling back to Jiggs's place, which seems unlikely.  But upon returning safely to the store-salon, Dad and I killed time playing ping-pong - I wonder how that went?  Don't remember ever playing ping-pong with him, but there it is in red and white.

7.  Reference to "red and black paints for Model A" - my godfather (Romie) had given me two metal model cars for Christmas, and I was working to make those (and, obviously, needed paint).  Only time we ever worked with not-plastic model cars, these were quite neat.

I started keeping a diary as a child solely to imitate my Dad, who always maintained one.  (Which is one reason I use - and so like - the Montaigne quote atop this website.)  I maintain the diary habit via this website.  If there's a point to all this mundane scribbling, I realize that it's primarily limited to my own benefit and/or amusement - such as jogging memories for me from a wondrous day-with-Dad that I would not otherwise recall.  

So I plan to keep scribbling.

Chicago, 40 years ago

We are back and forth into Chicago fairly regularly what with Nicole and our O'Donnell relatives residing there (among other connections). Paul Jr. and Nedda recently visited, including a trip to Wrigley Field.

That made me remember when my brother Steve and I had our first opportunity to travel to Chicago - this was courtesy of Romie & Joy. It's been basically 40 years to the day since that trip.

It was a pretty stimulating experience for a 13-year-old kid who had about zero travel experience (as you can tell by clicking on the diary excerpt - I was impressed by things like an "underground parking lot").

And there was a lot to absorb. Some thoughts:

1. We traveled to Chicago in Romie's excellent Ford Country Squire station wagon. (Their family was heading back to Glenview after summer vacation, including a stop in Iowa.) I'm thinking the car was pretty full, what with eight of them and two of us. And no doubt some luggage. Don't remember if Tippy was along.

2. These were rather boisterous times in Chicago. This was just a year after the riots at the '68 Democratic convention; just a month before the famous Chicago Seven trial was convened. I had a couple diary references to "hippies."

3. As far as the Cubs - they were in the early stages of the famous 1969 collapse, in which they blew a big lead to the Mets. The linked article provides some details. Including indicating attendance at the game we attended (8/22/69) of 19,897. That number would be remarkably low by today's Wrigley Field standards, especially with a first-place team in a tightening race involving a New York franchise. (Back then, a franchise that drew a million fans in a year would have been considered quite successful.)

4. I mention in my diary entry that Ron Santo gave us autographs; he was a pretty big star back then (even if he can't get into the Hall of Fame now). By pure happenstance a photographer from the Fort Dodge (Iowa) Messenger (daily newspaper) was at the game, and the paper published a photo of Santo signing for some fans. Back home in Iowa a couple days later, Grandma Gales (FDM subscriber) somehow spotted her grandsons in the photo. I think that qualifies as a small world story.

5. I noted that Romie & Joy went out for dinner one evening to celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary. That sounds like "long ago."

6. We went to the top of the tallest building in Chicago - but it was only 39(?) stories, the once-famous Prudential Building.

7. Had my first plane flight on the way back to Iowa. In hindsight, what an unusual flight - this was pre-deregulation. A tiny plane that stopped in Iowa City, Clinton and Des Moines before landing at Fort Dodge. Four stops in less than 400 miles.

8. The very next day was my first day in eighth grade, with a new teacher - one Sister Consilia.

Super Bowl I - musings of a 10-year-old

This being Super Bowl day here in Arizona, I was thinking back to Super Bowl I (ok, it didn't have a roman numeral then). I remember that I was pretty interested in the game, and very much hoping the underdog (Kansas City Chiefs) would beat Green Bay. Probably because I was sick of Green Bay beating up on the Minnesota Vikings.

So I consulted my diary for specifics (click to enlarge).

We watched during Steve's birthday party held at "Uncle Casper's". I do remember going back and forth from the pool table in the basement of Raymond's house across the road, keeping an eye on the game, etc.

Other points of interest (at least interesting to me) from the diary:

On Sunday (1/15/67), the kids were sent to school while the pastor lectured the adults. That's the only time I remember that happening. I wonder what they talked about, maybe the Super Bowl?

On Friday (1/13/67), we "played with the electric train a lot" and "shot with the BB gun downstairs a bit." (We were shooting at a target drawn on the bottom of a cardboard box; the box was placed on its side and filled with newspapers. Thinking back, this does seem a bit dangerous. I recall some interesting ricochets in the shower area. But no injuries.)

On Thursday (1/12/67), I was parroting some criticism I must have heard about Lyndon Johnson ("Well he's a Texan. I do not agree with his policy - "The Great Society . . . But speaking as a loyal American I still don't care for him.") Not sure what triggered this unhappiness with government policy from a thoroughly uninformed 10 year old.

On Monday (1/16/67), I felt cheated out of a snow day - after all, it was very windy in North Dakota.

Father's Day pattern . . .

"Back when I was a kid," our Father's Days had a pretty well established pattern. Go to Mass at St. Joe church. (I don't remember when they started the Saturday evening stuff but I'm sure in these days it was all Sunday, all the time). I'm guessing now, but think we probably ate the noon meal (aka dinner) at our house.

Then it was onto Algona and a gathering of the relatives in honor of Grandpa (Mike) Bormann. This involved lots of yakking among the adults. As little kids, we amused ourselves down in the basement playing cards or board games and somehow shooting baskets at a hoop hung from the basement rafters. I'm remembering that line drive shots were rewarded and any shot having anything resembling a normal arc was a failure. There always was some good food involved. Sometimes we'd go for a walk around the block, or play catch on the south side of the house.

Then back to St. Joe (farm on the hill) for a gathering of the relatives in honor of Grandpa (Ernest J.) Gales. Lots of daylight hours that time of year. Lots of talking among the group (normally at a bit higher intensity level than the earlier party). Cards. Food. Kids played outside and then moved it inside. No school the next day, so no particular curfew issues.

The scan from my 1969 diary summarizes a pretty typical Father's Day from that era. These were pretty excellent days. And the two grandpas and one father were pretty excellent father-role-model types. But I'll have more to say about that.

I'm sure we must have paid some attention to our own dad, but the day definitely was focused on Grandpas Gales and Bormann. (Photos are from 1970, I believe. Grandpa Bormann (top) turned 80 that year, and Grandpa Gales turned 70.)

(The diary entry ends with some whining about one of my front teeth, which had been busted up the previous day when I carelessly looked over the back of a truck box just when Francis Kenne lifted the endgate. That led to one of those now-obsolete and then-unattractive metal caps for a few years.)

I fell for it

I noticed that today was the date on which man first set foot on the moon, back in 1969. So I checked my trusty diary. I wrote: “Great Day for history – Apollo XI landed on moon!!!!!!! Neil Armstrong was first man to set foot on moon. Watched it live on TV. Pictures were real clear. We could see everything. Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin (2nd on moon) did [sic]. Historic day.”

Of course, we’ve since learned that this whole performance was faked. (Even though none of the actual conspirators have been identified in 37 years, and it must have taken quite a few to pull off the deception.) As a 13-year-old, I clearly fell for the whole thing, and it was great Sunday-evening TV fare. I was pretty much into understatement in my diary entries, and still gave this event seven exclamation points.

The next days we were back to events of a more earth-bound nature, including separating 12 and 18 chickens, respectively, from their heads on Monday and Tuesday. Not to mention hauling corn for Barney Thilges and his brothers and some bean-walking.

You can click here for a video clip of Armstrong making his not-so-spontaneous quote about the giant leap for mankind.