Category Archives: Chapter 1 – Childhood

That Guy’s Famous! He’s a Crazy SOB…

In my teens, when my family was spending our summers in Ocean Beach at the Jersey shore I hung out with a bunch of kids whose families also had summer houses in the same small town. One of my friends was a young guy named Bob McGonagall. Bob was a stocky athletic kid with aContinue reading “That Guy’s Famous! He’s a Crazy SOB…”

Lunch Money – The Protection Racket Shakedown

I can’t remember his actual first name, but “Baby” Wade was a small cocky little bastard with a huge attitude. His buddy, Roy Woodton, was a physically big more mature guy built like a fireplug. Between them they devised a scheme to intimidate usually the smaller shy white kids to hand over their lunch moneyContinue reading “Lunch Money – The Protection Racket Shakedown”

Desegregation In Union

Junior High School – Seventh Grade – A unique mostly toxic experience NOTE – from Jill Gunardson-Johnston: Please note that after a lot of consideration, I have decided to post several blog posts with regards to my dad’s writings regarding race. From my perspective, his views were that of his experience and took a pragmaticContinue reading “Desegregation In Union”

1953 Fire Engine Red Harley Hardtail, “Suicide” Shift

At seventeen I had a part time job after school at the local A&P supermarket collecting shopping carts and pushing them back to the storefront. Sounded like an easy job. However, the site was on a hill that sloped from the front to the rear of the store. Collecting the carts, which always seemed toContinue reading “1953 Fire Engine Red Harley Hardtail, “Suicide” Shift”

Trash Stash and the Motor Bike

As I said before, my father accumulated a lot of miscellaneous stuff in the basement. Tools, woodworking and metal working machinery, an industrial air compressor, bits and pieces of wood and metal, old car parts and what not were all part of the trash stash. When I was about fourteen, my Dad and I participatedContinue reading “Trash Stash and the Motor Bike”

Outdoor Fun and Mischief – The Bow and Arrow

For some mysterious reason, my folks bought me a bow and arrows when I was about twelve years old. For all their concern about my safety it was a rather odd gift. Nevertheless, I loved the bow and eventually became a reasonably good shot. A few years later they bought me second more powerful bow,Continue reading “Outdoor Fun and Mischief – The Bow and Arrow”

On Art and the Art of Building Stuff in the Basement

The chemistry set, no matches allowed (how I devised a way around that problem) I received a favorite Christmas gift when I was about ten years old. It was a Gilbert Chemistry set. It was the biggest most complete set available at the time. It came with a wide variety of chemicals as well asContinue reading “On Art and the Art of Building Stuff in the Basement”

That Old Time Religion is Good Enough for Me

My parents were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Union New Jersey. Every Sunday my Mom and Dad would attend services there and drag me along. Twain summed up the experience well with his description of Presbyterianism. I do not take any credit to my better-balanced head because I never went crazy on Presbyterianism.Continue reading “That Old Time Religion is Good Enough for Me”

Mark Twain on Billiards

Another pastime I fall far short on that also requires good hand eye coordination is pool, or billiards as it is also sometimes called. With an engineering background, I understand very well the physics behind the game, angles, velocity, spin (“English” as it’s called) but there is a huge gap between my tacit understanding andContinue reading “Mark Twain on Billiards”