The Old Man on May 27th, 2008
Things that go bump in the night. I know she will remember this story. I have always told my kids to turn on a light when walking around at night, so they don’t run into something and get hurt. Well Late one night I got up to go get a drink. I didn’t turn on any lights. 
After getting my drink I headed back down the hall way, suddenly I bumped into something. With arms swinging and making those loud noises you make when you are scared, I found out right away what it was! I had run into my daughter, and it scared the heck out of me! To top it off, she was screaming at the top of her lungs! I backed up but I wasn’t fast enough, she reached up and hit me a couples of times before I could tell her it was me! I raised my voice a little and asked her “why didn’t you turn on the light?”. With a squeaky voice she said “why didn’t you dad!”?
A good question she asked. The old man says some times you learn from your own mistakes.
The Old Man on May 20th, 2008
Some of us Boys made a skate board back in the fifties, believe it or not, using old skate wheels. The old type that were adjustable, to fit your shoes. They would come apart. We took a piece of wood cut it, then we took one skate apart, and mounted one set in front ,and one set in back. What we called it then I have no Idea, but it worked. Using a rope tied to the 
bicycle a buddy of mine would pull you down the road wild standing on the board. Going as fast as he could you would turn loose of the rope and away you go. You could turn the skate board the same way you do today. We had a lot of fun with our invention, if only we had known then, what we know today, do you suppose we would have made a lot of money.
It very well could have been me in Tony Hawks sneakers! Imagine the change of income with Rockstar Games padding the old mans wallet!
One of my friends was cripple. His Father being a mechanic builds him a go cart, with all the trimmings. The go cart had leavers for giving it gas, and one for the brakes. To make it go. The motor was hinged on one side when he pushed down on the leaver it would tighten the belt on the pulley, and lock down. He could now go see all his friends around the neighborhood.
You go into a store and the casher tells you I will be with you in a second. That second was gone when her lips closed. “So much” for the second thing.
The Old Man on May 14th, 2008
We lived in Orlando Florida when Dad enlisted in the navy. I was four years old when we moved to Adel, Georgia. We stayed with my grandparents. My mother’s sisters and one brother also stayed at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.
They had a two story house close to town. When dad enlisted in the navy he was on the USS Abbot Destroyer 629. I was only four years old. I do not remember much during 
that time. I started going to school in Adel at five years old.
I remember when dad came home after the war. We met him at the train station, he picked my brother and I up, and gave us a big hug. I was very happy! I know my mom was glad that he was home.
As the years went by and I was older I would ask dad about the war. He told me some stories about the things they had to do during the war. For example, he remembered that some of the bread they had to eat was molded. I asked “did you eat it?”, he replied “yes after you tear off the molded part!”, and he left it at that. I asked mom if dad ever talked to her about the war and she said not really, that he always said “I just want to forget about it.” I guess some stories are never told.
During the time dad was at war my grandmother ran the Phil Cook Restaurant that was located in downtown Adel. My mom and her sisters also worked there. We were so lucky, it helped the family get through the hard times. I was also told that my brother James was responsible for the coke machine, he sold the cokes and collected the money. “No money no coke!” that was his saying. And he was so proud! Me, I don’t know what I was doing just staying out of trouble I suppose.
