Loved Woolworth. I remember those giant bubbly machines on the counters containing orange or grape soda. Pop a balloon to reveal what you'd pay for a Sundae. Fantastic Lime Rickies. The counter workers were always bitchy. My friends and I would chip in to buy a plate of French fries for .25 cents..

Baby turtles for .29 cents. Parakeets for $5. Barbie doll clothes for $1. Our Woolworth's in Nashua, NH had a talking Minah bird who would either whistle or curse whenever someone walked by. Such innocent fun times. '50s and '60s.

On 6/22/2014 12:38 PM, wrote:
>
> Baby turtles for .29 cents. Parakeets for $5.

I forgot they sold pets! Didn't they also sell (pet) fish?

Funny, most of those sort of all-purpose "five & dime" type stores sold
small pets. I'd forgotten all about that.

Jill

On 2014-06-22 1:00 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> On 6/22/2014 12:38 PM, wrote:
>>
>> Baby turtles for .29 cents. Parakeets for $5.
>
> I forgot they sold pets! Didn't they also sell (pet) fish?
>
> Funny, most of those sort of all-purpose "five & dime" type stores sold
> small pets. I'd forgotten all about that.
>
>

Mostly budgies, turtles and goldfish.

On 6/22/2014 11:38 AM, wrote:
> Loved Woolworth. I remember those giant bubbly machines on the counters containing orange or grape soda. Pop a balloon to reveal what you'd pay for a Sundae. Fantastic Lime Rickies. The counter workers were always bitchy. My friends and I would chip in to buy a plate of French fries for .25 cents.
>
> Baby turtles for .29 cents. Parakeets for $5. Barbie doll clothes for $1. Our Woolworth's in Nashua, NH had a talking Minah bird who would either whistle or curse whenever someone walked by. Such innocent fun times. '50s and '60s.
>


In the mid 80's I worked at a law firm in downtown Newark, NJ. The
Woolworth was right across the street.

Being a poor, single working mom with three children, I could not afford
fancy lunches out, but once a week, I'd treat myself to a Woolworth
chili dog with mustard and onions. They were awesome.

If I ate one now, it would probably kill me. :-)


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

On 6/22/2014 2:53 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>
> In the mid 80's I worked at a law firm in downtown Newark, NJ. The
> Woolworth was right across the street.
>
> Being a poor, single working mom with three children, I could not afford
> fancy lunches out, but once a week, I'd treat myself to a Woolworth
> chili dog with mustard and onions. They were awesome.
>
> If I ate one now, it would probably kill me. :-)
>
>
Hindsight is 20/20. Most of the time if I try something I fondly
remember from years ago I'm sorely disappointed.

Jill

On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 14:58:22 -0400, jmcquown >
wrote:
>
> >
> >
> Hindsight is 20/20. Most of the time if I try something I fondly
> remember from years ago I'm sorely disappointed.
>

Me too. Then I wonder if I've changed or it has... which really
doesn't matter because the dynamic isn't the same. Case in point: I
moved from Michigan to California when I was a teenager and madly in
love with a boy. I returned two years later to visit my grandparents
and he dropped by. He was everything I remembered. So cute, so
romantic (making up short poems on the spur of the moment) - but
nothing resonated. He hadn't changed. Poor thing was in a catch 22.
If he *had* changed I would have faulted him for that. He just
couldn't win.


--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

On 6/22/2014 4:46 PM, sf wrote:
> On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 14:58:22 -0400, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>> Hindsight is 20/20. Most of the time if I try something I fondly
>> remember from years ago I'm sorely disappointed.
>>
>
> Me too. Then I wonder if I've changed or it has... which really
> doesn't matter because the dynamic isn't the same. Case in point: I
> moved from Michigan to California when I was a teenager and madly in
> love with a boy. I returned two years later to visit my grandparents
> and he dropped by. He was everything I remembered. So cute, so
> romantic (making up short poems on the spur of the moment) - but
> nothing resonated. He hadn't changed. Poor thing was in a catch 22.
> If he *had* changed I would have faulted him for that. He just
> couldn't win.
>
>
LOL I saw my high school boyfriend again (once) when I was in my 30's.
I grew up, he didn't. We went out for a friendly dinner. (OB Food:
Art Pieroni's Restaurant. Great Italian food. Didn't last more than a
couple of years.) All he could talk about was how we never should have
broken up. Dude, it was high school. (Fact is I was pretty well bored
with listening to him play the piano - he figured he'd be the next big
rock star). He called me the day after we had dinner. I was sick in
bed with a miserable cold. I really did feel horrible. When I told him
I didn't feel like talking (sound familiar? but I really was sick) and
I'd call him back he got all huffy. He drove home the reminder of what
a selfish guy he really was. Nope, you can't go back.

Jill

On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 17:32:52 -0400, jmcquown >
wrote:

>On 6/22/2014 4:46 PM, sf wrote:
>> On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 14:58:22 -0400, jmcquown >
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Hindsight is 20/20. Most of the time if I try something I fondly
>>> remember from years ago I'm sorely disappointed.
>>>
>>
>> Me too. Then I wonder if I've changed or it has... which really
>> doesn't matter because the dynamic isn't the same. Case in point: I
>> moved from Michigan to California when I was a teenager and madly in
>> love with a boy. I returned two years later to visit my grandparents
>> and he dropped by. He was everything I remembered. So cute, so
>> romantic (making up short poems on the spur of the moment) - but
>> nothing resonated. He hadn't changed. Poor thing was in a catch 22.
>> If he *had* changed I would have faulted him for that. He just
>> couldn't win.
>>
>>
>LOL I saw my high school boyfriend again (once) when I was in my 30's.
> I grew up, he didn't. We went out for a friendly dinner. (OB Food:
>Art Pieroni's Restaurant. Great Italian food. Didn't last more than a
>couple of years.) All he could talk about was how we never should have
>broken up. Dude, it was high school. (Fact is I was pretty well bored
>with listening to him play the piano - he figured he'd be the next big
>rock star). He called me the day after we had dinner. I was sick in
>bed with a miserable cold. I really did feel horrible. When I told him
>I didn't feel like talking (sound familiar? but I really was sick) and
>I'd call him back he got all huffy. He drove home the reminder of what
>a selfish guy he really was. Nope, you can't go back.
>
>Jill

My brother worked at a McCrory's. We used to pick him up, my dad and
me.

On 6/22/2014 1:58 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> On 6/22/2014 2:53 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>
>> In the mid 80's I worked at a law firm in downtown Newark, NJ. The
>> Woolworth was right across the street.
>>
>> Being a poor, single working mom with three children, I could not afford
>> fancy lunches out, but once a week, I'd treat myself to a Woolworth
>> chili dog with mustard and onions. They were awesome.
>>
>> If I ate one now, it would probably kill me. :-)
>>
>>
> Hindsight is 20/20. Most of the time if I try something I fondly
> remember from years ago I'm sorely disappointed.
>
> Jill

I would have terminal heartburn, I'm certain :-)


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

> wrote in message
...
Loved Woolworth. I remember those giant bubbly machines on the counters
containing orange or grape soda. Pop a balloon to reveal what you'd pay for
a Sundae. Fantastic Lime Rickies. The counter workers were always bitchy.
My friends and I would chip in to buy a plate of French fries for .25 cents.

Baby turtles for .29 cents. Parakeets for $5. Barbie doll clothes for $1.
Our Woolworth's in Nashua, NH had a talking Minah bird who would either
whistle or curse whenever someone walked by. Such innocent fun times. '50s
and '60s.

Those turtles were my favorite. I really wanted one but my dad said they
bred disease.

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> On 6/22/2014 4:46 PM, sf wrote:
>> On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 14:58:22 -0400, jmcquown >
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Hindsight is 20/20. Most of the time if I try something I fondly
>>> remember from years ago I'm sorely disappointed.
>>>
>>
>> Me too. Then I wonder if I've changed or it has... which really
>> doesn't matter because the dynamic isn't the same. Case in point: I
>> moved from Michigan to California when I was a teenager and madly in
>> love with a boy. I returned two years later to visit my grandparents
>> and he dropped by. He was everything I remembered. So cute, so
>> romantic (making up short poems on the spur of the moment) - but
>> nothing resonated. He hadn't changed. Poor thing was in a catch 22.
>> If he *had* changed I would have faulted him for that. He just
>> couldn't win.
>>
>>
> LOL I saw my high school boyfriend again (once) when I was in my 30's. I
> grew up, he didn't. We went out for a friendly dinner. (OB Food: Art
> Pieroni's Restaurant. Great Italian food. Didn't last more than a couple
> of years.) All he could talk about was how we never should have broken
> up. Dude, it was high school. (Fact is I was pretty well bored with
> listening to him play the piano - he figured he'd be the next big rock
> star). He called me the day after we had dinner. I was sick in bed with
> a miserable cold. I really did feel horrible. When I told him I didn't
> feel like talking (sound familiar? but I really was sick) and I'd call him
> back he got all huffy. He drove home the reminder of what a selfish guy
> he really was. Nope, you can't go back.

Yeah. I can't get hung up in the past like that. The guy who kept
pestering me to go to the informal reunion was never a friend of mine. In
fact I always thought that he didn't like me! Although really we didn't
have much interaction at all in elementary school and our paths never
crossed once in Jr. High or High school.

There was all this build up about the reunion and he was talking about other
people's wives as if I knew them. I'd be like... Wha? Who? And then he
would give me the guy's name. I would remember the name but not much else.
None of these people were really my friends. I didn't hang out with them at
all. So it was all just very weird.

He was going through a divorce at the time and also recovering from a stroke
so that may have had something to do with it. I dunno. And then after the
reunion, he only ever contacted me once. Weird.

"Gus" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 17:32:52 -0400, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>>On 6/22/2014 4:46 PM, sf wrote:
>>> On Sun, 22 Jun 2014 14:58:22 -0400, jmcquown >
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Hindsight is 20/20. Most of the time if I try something I fondly
>>>> remember from years ago I'm sorely disappointed.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Me too. Then I wonder if I've changed or it has... which really
>>> doesn't matter because the dynamic isn't the same. Case in point: I
>>> moved from Michigan to California when I was a teenager and madly in
>>> love with a boy. I returned two years later to visit my grandparents
>>> and he dropped by. He was everything I remembered. So cute, so
>>> romantic (making up short poems on the spur of the moment) - but
>>> nothing resonated. He hadn't changed. Poor thing was in a catch 22.
>>> If he *had* changed I would have faulted him for that. He just
>>> couldn't win.
>>>
>>>
>>LOL I saw my high school boyfriend again (once) when I was in my 30's.
>> I grew up, he didn't. We went out for a friendly dinner. (OB Food:
>>Art Pieroni's Restaurant. Great Italian food. Didn't last more than a
>>couple of years.) All he could talk about was how we never should have
>>broken up. Dude, it was high school. (Fact is I was pretty well bored
>>with listening to him play the piano - he figured he'd be the next big
>>rock star). He called me the day after we had dinner. I was sick in
>>bed with a miserable cold. I really did feel horrible. When I told him
>>I didn't feel like talking (sound familiar? but I really was sick) and
>>I'd call him back he got all huffy. He drove home the reminder of what
>>a selfish guy he really was. Nope, you can't go back.
>>
>>Jill
>
> My brother worked at a McCrory's. We used to pick him up, my dad and
> me.

We have one here but I don't know if they are related. Probably not.

On Monday, June 23, 2014 12:58:08 AM UTC-7, Julie Bove wrote:

> > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> Loved Woolworth. I remember those giant bubbly machines on the counters
> containing orange or grape soda. Pop a balloon to reveal what you'd pay for
> a Sundae. Fantastic Lime Rickies. The counter workers were always bitchy.

Sure, they were on their feet all day and got practically nothing in tips.

> My friends and I would chip in to buy a plate of French fries for .25 cents.
>

Tuna melts on Fridays. Shooting the paper tube covering the straw across the
work area when no one was looking. Eventually the straw manufacturers put
holes in the ends of the covers, but twisting the end solved that.

>
> Baby turtles for .29 cents. Parakeets for $5. Barbie doll clothes for $1.
>
> Our Woolworth's in Nashua, NH had a talking Minah bird who would either
> whistle or curse whenever someone walked by. Such innocent fun times. '50s
> and '60s.
>

I have no idea where you could go in any more, and come out with bobby
pins, a desk lamp, yarn, a hammer, and a parakeet with cage.

> Those turtles were my favorite. I really wanted one but my dad said they
> bred disease.

Your dad was right. Salmonella.

On Monday, June 23, 2014 1:03:10 AM UTC-7, Julie Bove wrote:


> Yeah. I can't get hung up in the past like that. The guy who kept
> pestering me to go to the informal reunion was never a friend of mine.
>
> There was all this build up about the reunion
....
> None of these people were really my friends. I didn't hang out with them at
> all. So it was all just very weird.
>

> He was going through a divorce at the time and also recovering from a stroke
> so that may have had something to do with it. I dunno. And then after the
> reunion, he only ever contacted me once. Weird.

The reunion organizers just wanted as many people to come as possible. For
whatever reason, you seemed like a likely prospect. Once the reunion had
been held, no need to contact you.