After picking my daughter up from school this afternoon she noticed the ‘book on tape‘ on the passengers seat.
She has to read a book for a book report due later in the month so we figured since she spends a lot of time in my car or my wife’s, we’d have a go at the ‘book on tape’ thing. (Even though she loves to read).
As I begin to drive, Taylor picks up the case, opens it and looks at the three cassettes.
I glance at her while we’re stopped at a red light.
She has a puzzled look on her face.
“I thought you could listen to Tale of Despereaux on tape with mommy’s Walkman.” I said to her.
Taylor looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, what’s a walkman’?
-SF
Hoops135@hotmail.com
Heres one for you. While raoming the aisles of a giant flea market ( wher I found the Cards Coach) with my 2 brother in laws and my 18 year old Penn State senior Nephew. I spy something and I blurt out “check it out a victrola” and my brother in law says “and check out the 78’s”
Needless to say my nephew looks at us like were nuts and says what the heck are you two talking about.
Needless to say after a long winded disintation on the workings of a victrola and 78’s,45’s etc. We both realized just how freakin old we are getting.
Tony– Santa gave us our first portable “victrola” ( it looked like a big suitcase ) on Christmas day in ‘60 or ‘61. First 45 on it was Jingle Bell Rock (Bobbie Helms). It probably got played 50 times that day, being it was the first and only 45 in the house. It lasted until at least “69-”70, because i remember playing Abbey Road on it. One night in August of ‘71, I asked Oakey if i could borrow his stereo for a couple of days and he said sure. Can you picture us walking up Windsor place at about 11:30 pm, Oakey carrying both speakers and me carrying the turntable and the plastic cover !!!! I’m surprised we didn’t get stopped by Tommy Doyle !!!
I still have my portable phonograph /radio that I bought in 1972. A bunch of us went to Manhattan Beach and I lugged along some records and the phonograph. It was so hot hot the records began to melt.. I switched to the radio and we moved under the boardwalk. Steve Smokin Weed was on the radio and he yelled,” Hide the joints, the fuzz is here!!”I heard a couple of kids jump !!
It’s funny how a generation of singers/artists are receiving gold records without ever using a record player….
Hey Jimmy,
A little off the topic but did you know Vince Lombardi attended Cathedral before he went to St. Francis Prep? I just started reading ‘When Pride Still Mattered’ A Life of Vince Lombardi.
Harry remember my boom box, I used to lug that thing all over the place.
And knowing you and Oakey, Mr. Doyle probably should have stopped you.
I wonder if he’s still alive? I’d love to sit around and talk about the good ole days. He was some peice of work but you have to admit he was truly a guys guy a real straight shooter. No one commanded respect /fear like that guy. We didnt know it then, but he was truly looking out for us when really know one else was.
We had the same gym teacher, John ” Jocko” Crane. He also coached Lomabrdi for whatever teams he played for..Crane was with Cathedral for over 50 years and coached over 40. He said that Lombardi was an excellent student, good thlete, devout Catholic, and had a viscivious temper. One of my claims to fame At Cathedral was knocking Crane down to one knee in gym class after popping him with a basketball thrown the full length of the court. He himself had a bad temper and asked who threw it .. I confessed and all he said was,” Good arm!”
Interesting note from the book. Lombardi went four years to Cathedral (it was a 6 year program) and he decided to leave. Somehow he ended up at the Prep and played one year of football. Wonder if that would be allowed today? The author makes a good point on recruiting on page 28…
Back then , it was a high school and college. The college part then was if you were going on to the priesthood. Now you attend Cathedral Collge in Douglaston. I think he got a free or partial to Fordham.
I still have an old stereo in the Poconos with a turntable and an eight track tape player. I still listen to a lot of music on the eight tracks when I am up there. We do have a CD player and upgraded stuff. I listen to Jethro tull, Frampton Comes alive, and even Don McLean and Miss American Pie!
Ya gotta take a picture of those items and send them to me…they need to go on the blog. (BTW, wipe off the dust before you take the picture!)
I still have 8 tracks floating around my basement. I do not have the heart to get rid of them. Just think when we moved to cassette tapes from 8 tracks we thought it was better than sliced bread. Least I did anyway
Diane,
Keep them all! Don’t you dare get rid of them. Pick them up, look at them, read the song titles, cherish the memories!
Some people do those books on tape especially when they are travelling for reading gets people sick with motion sickness. I have never done a book on tape for I never wanted to for I enjoy reading.