Thursday Thirteen 10/26/06

Thirteen Things about Michael Thirteen Random Memories from my Childhood 1. September 1980 - Having moved that summer from Coatesville, PA to Hatfield, PA, my brother Peter and I each worked on a paper route and won a contest for getting new customers. Our prize was 2 tickets to game 2 of the WORLD SERIES! For a 9 and 12 year old to get to see their hometown (Philadelphia) team in a world series was just an awesome Americana moment. Where was Norman Rockwell when we needed him? 2. Summer 1976 - My father was on the city council in Coatesville and eventually becmae a delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention. As a result, I have a clear memory of meeting then Gov. Jimmy Carter just months before he was elected. I also remember about 4 years later my father becoming a Republican after Carter's order to rescue the American hostages in Iran lead to the deaths of many special forces troops who died due to poor intelligence. 3. February 1985 - My first concert, I went with Peter to see Hall & Oates on the Big Bam Boom Tour at the Omni in Atlanta. It was a 14th birthday present for me. 4. December, 1977 - I remember being woken up in the middle of the night and taken to my cousins house because my mother was having a baby, my brother Tim. Peter and I went to school the next day and the principal announced it was now the My Three Sons for the Christopher Family. 5. Summer, 1976 - I have a picture from the Coatesville Record of me watching another student and his mom sweeping up glass that was on our playground. Mom was President of the PTA and organized a clean-up for the beginning of the school year. 6. Summer 1980 to Summer 1982 - Video Games. That's where the money from the paper route went. Some to the PacMan and Asteroids at the 7-11 near the town pool, some to the arcade near the Clemon's Supermarket in Lansdale, and a lot to cartridges for our Atari 2600; Pitfall, Freeway, PacMan, Defender.... 7. 1983-1984 - 7th grade in school. As Dekalb Co. GA then had K-7 and 8-12 for the schools, seventh grade was considerted integral for our social development so much that I got in trouble for bringing a novel with me to the lunch room because I was supposed to be talking with classmates and not developing my intellect by reading. 8. 1976-1980 - Allergy shots. We had a small medical office across the street from our house in Coatesville. I used ot have to go once every two weeks for a shot. it was also convenient because I was able to go for help when I lodged a piece of screen door window in my finger after putting my fist through it because Peter had locked me out of the house. 9. 1976-1980 - Outside play - We had a 2 story brick house and in the side yard it was great for throwing a baseball against the wall to bounce off and catch. We also played baseball with a tennis ball in the grass parking lot behind the funeral home and went sledding in the side yard of Mr. Harley who had some extra land two doors down from us. 10. 1980-1982 - Super Minnow! In Hatfield there was a nearby creek and we would go fishing with friends. We never caught anything big, some perch, some sunfish, the odd eel, but mostly minnows which we would leave on the hook, cast downstream, and reel in as fast as possible so they would speed along skimming the surface of the water. 11. Spring, 1982 - Fire. Our best friend was John Short, who lived across the street from us. His house was hit by lightning and burned badly. We were about to move to Georgia, so the Shorts rented our house while it was on the market to sell and while waiting for thier house to be repaired. They later moved back to Elkton, MD and we lost track of them. It was the second house of theirs to get hit by lightning. 12. 1976 to 1982 - Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts - My father was in the special forces in Vietnam which made for a "different" experience with him as our scout master. While other kids slept in store-bought tents and cooked on Coleman grills, we slept in tents made from two ponchos that snapped together and ate military C-Rations. A LONG cry from today's MREs. 13. 1976 to 1980 - Teti's and Cavuto's, Santi's, Al the Barber, and Drey's. Mr. Teti (tee-tie) had a general store/pharmacy on main street in Coatesville that had an actual penny candy counter with things like tootsie rolls, swedish fish, and other sold by the piece candy. Cavuto's was the town bakery where just about every cake came from and every Saturday after delivering papers Peter or I would bring home donuts (fresh glazed, a Northern Krispy Kreme if you would). Santi's was an actual family-owned pharmacy with general shopping and a soda fountain coupled with a florist. Al was our family barber, a neat Italian guy. I remember once we went in, Dad, Peter, and I and he joked he had to call his wife and tell her to order the roast from the market because the Christopher's had come in for haircuts. Finally, Drey's. The last time I was in Coatesville, October, 2000 it was still there at 8th and Main selling awesome Philly cheesesteaks and Tastykakes. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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