Two-Time Traveler

In June of 1958 we again ventured back to the land of my birth! There were three of us again this time ... mom, my little brother Robert, and myself. Dad stayed home to work while we played in Pittsburgh for six weeks! Six weeks ... poor dad!
This time instead of lumbering across country on a train, we flew! In a Super G Constellation like the one pictured below flying over New York City.

The very first thing I noticed after we took off was Robert going to sleep. He was only about two years old and apparently the sound of the engines put him fast to sleep! When we arrived at the Greater Pittsburgh Airport, mom's brother Bill picked us up and took us to his home in burbs. It was a beautiful brick house and Uncle Bill had built much of it himself. He and Aunt Gene had four children, 2-boys and 2-girls as I remember. The boys were Paul and Tommy ... uh, sorry I don't remember the girls names. Typical you say ... you're right!
While there we visited with all the aunt's, uncle's, and cousins all over town. One night, we went to the stock car races with Aunt Jeanie and Uncle Hank. This was dirt track stock car racing just outside of Pittsburgh. After the race we went to get something to eat. I had this huge fish sandwich and an equally large serving french fries. All of the sudden, the lights go out and Uncle Hank says "we'd better get out of here!" We hustled out the back door and returned to their place. I don't know if we paid for the meal or not ...
A few days later I attended my first Major League Ballgame at Forbes Field in downtown Pittsburgh. What a thrill to be there to see my beloved Pirates play!

Vern Law and Bob Friend were my favorite pitchers and Elroy Face was what in today's game would be called the closer. He was only 5'8" but a year later, in 1959, he had a record of 18-1! In the infield we had big Ted Kluszewski at first, Bill Mazeroski at second, Dick Groat at short, and Gene Freeze at third. The outfield was Bob Skinner in left, Billy Virdon in center, and the greatest Pirate of all time and my favorite player, Roberto Clemente in right field. I was in heaven watching these guys play! Honestly, I do not remember much except we were playing the Cubs and their manager was ejected from the game, much to the delight of the Pirate faithful!
Next we stayed with Aunt Sis and Uncle Bud and their seven children. They lived on Adon Street in the house where my mom and all her brothers and sisters grew up. Curiously, I noticed another interesting thing with Robert. It was hot and muggy in Pittsburgh so a fan of some kind was always on. On day, while sitting in a high chair, Robert fell asleep to the sound of the fan! Do we see a pattern here?
In addition to sleeping, Bobby had some high adventures too! This house on Adon street was high above Chartiers Avenue. I'd say maybe 75-100 steps down to the street. One day, Bobby noticed a hole in the screen door and immediately crawled through it onto the front porch. Within minutes he took off down the stairs and before anyone realized he was gone he'd made his way down to the raised sidewalk and was running to the next set of stairs that would take him all the way down to this busy boulevard! Finally, we spotted him and I was dispatched to fetch this wayward boy. By the time I made it down to Chartiers Avenue, a policeman walking the beat had grabbed Bobby just before he made an attempt to cross the street. I believe Bobby thought it was pretty funny!
While there I bunked with my cousins Jimmy and Bobby. One night, I had a huge wad of baseball card bubble gum in my mouth. We were all goofing off and finally Uncle Bud told us quiet down and go to sleep. Usually, I get rid of the gum but for some reason I didn't that night. Can you imagine my surprise the next morning when I woke up to find the gum still in my mouth! Of course I just started chewing it again ... ugh ... and did so until we had breakfast!
The last thing I remember about our big summer vacation was going out to a farm for a big BBQ. It was a lazy Sunday afternoon so after eating, we all sat around this big old radio and listened to the game of the week. The Detroit Tigers were in Boston to play the Red Sox. Jim Bunning was pitching for the Tigers and what a day he had. He pitched a no-hitter! Later in his career, he pitched a perfect game for the Phillies in 1964.

Yes, that was some vacation! I remember mom saying it was time to go home, even though I don't think she wanted to, because dad was putting the milk in the cupboard and the salt and pepper in the refrigerator! I'm confused ... time to say goodbye for now!

Sandy and Juan (not)!

On August 31, 1959 I was lucky enough to go to the Dodger-Giant game in Los Angeles at the Coliseum. The photo below was actually taken on March 29, 2008 when the Dodgers played the Boston Red Sox in front of MLB record 115,000 fans! The game this blog is featuring had 60,194 in attendance ... still a great crowd for a ball game.

These two teams had a fierce rivalry and with the Giants in first place by a scant two games, the Dodgers needed a win. Fortunately, they had their ace, Sandy Koufax, on the mound. For years I was certain the Giants countered with their top gun, Juan Marichal! But after doing some research, it turned out that Jack Sanford was pitching for the boys from the bay that night! It was still a fantastic time to be at the ball game with my dad and grandfather!

As the game progressed it became apparent that we were witnessing history! My grandfather always took a "transistor radio" to the games so we could listen to Vin Scully, the Dodgers announcer. With each inning Vinny was getting more and more excited as Koufax continued to mow down the Giant batters. At the end of eight innings the score was tied 2-2 and he had fifteen strikeouts! In the top of the ninth he struck out the first batter and the fans were screaming. When he stuck out the second batter everyone jumped to their feet to watch Sandy pitch to the third batter. "Strike Three" was called by umpire Tom Gorman as Sandy Koufax struck out the sides for a total of eighteen for the game! Wow!

So, in the bottom of the ninth, with one out Manager Walter Alston gave Koufax the nod to go to the plate. One would have expected a pinch hitter for him since he was just about the worst hitting pitcher in all baseball. Holy cow, Sandy got a base hit and was standing on first base as Jim "Junior" Gilliam stepped into the batters box. He squared up to bunt and laid it down perfectly for a base hit. Now, with two on and one out Wally Moon came to the plate for the Dodgers. He had come over from St. Louis and as a left handed batter developed an "inside out" swing so he could loft fly balls toward the 42' high screen in left field. It was only about 251' down the left field line in the Coliseum so a routine fly ball often times became a home run. Al Worthington now pitching in relief and "bam" Wally hit what Dodger fans called a "moon shot" by sending a high fly into the night and over the screen! Dodgers win 5-2!

I've been to many games in my life but this one sticks out as the best ever! The game itself was great ... being their with my father and grandfather made it even more memorable!

America by Train

In 1955, after being in California for five years, my mother was missing her sisters in Pittsburgh. So she, dad, and I embarked on a journey across the country on a train! After boarding in Los Angeles, I quickly discovered the "dome car" and spent the vast majority of my time up there watching the vast expanses of the west pass before my eyes!

This is similar to the "dome car" in which I travelled.

On the second day of the journey I met a kid about my age. Can't remember his name but we had a great time running up and down the stairs and sitting up in the "dome car" as we moved eastward on the tracks. He was going to North Platte, Nebraska to spend the summer with his grandparents. Upon arrival there we were both sad that our adventure had ended and just said "good-bye" and he jumped off the train on the to the platform and the conductor yelled "all aboard" and away we went!

The next stop I remember was Chicago and the station was so busy! We had to grab our luggage and catch a cab to another station and once there we boarded the Pennsylvania Railroad for the remainder of the trip to Pittsburgh. The new train didn't have a "dome car" but it did have a dining car. At dinner time, we walked down to the dining car and sat down. Our table had a linen table cloth and what I remember as really nice dishes and silverware! Our waiter was dressed in a fancy suit and had a white cloth draped over his arm as he took our order. I elected to have a ham sandwich with french fries. Now this was not a deli sandwich by any means. When he delivered the food, I was amazed to see a thick piece of grilled ham between to slices of white bread! Why, it was like someone had sliced the Christmas ham, grilled it, and made this magnificent sandwich for me! And, it was so very delicious!

This is what I remember most about that first visit home. Next post I'll share significantly more detail about the second trip that mom and I took a scant three years later!

Are We There Yet?

As parents we've all heard that impassioned plea from the back seat "...are we there yet?" After traveling across the country by car as a child there never seemed to be any trip that caused me to utter those words. On many occasions, like after church on Sunday morning, we'd embark on a trip somewhere. Perhaps dad would drive us down the coast to Doheny Beach or up to Hollywood to look at all the fancy homes where the "stars" of the day lived.
While living at our first apartment at 4457 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach I became acquainted with our next door neighbors. Bob and Minnie were a retired couple and he would sit on the porch with me and tell me the names of all the cars going by on Atlantic. Then he would quiz me later to see if I'd remembered them. My favorite was the Crosley. It was a small car that was introduced way before anyone had a concern about miles per gallon.
This 1952 Station Wagon was my favorite of the Crosley's!

At that time, I was unaware that Bob had a really cool truck in the garage behind our apartment building. One day, my dad told me that he, Uncle Ben, and I were taking a road trip. We would be delivering something to Uncle Ben's in-laws in Ontario. We needed a truck for this detail and our neighbor Bob had offered to let my dad borrow his truck.
Bob's truck looked something like this one!

So, we loaded the truck and climbed in. I was about five years old and sat in the middle of the front seat between dad and Uncle Ben and we headed out Willow Street. We actually drove by the farm lands in east Long Beach where homes were under construction. About a year later we'd be living in one of them!
Once we crossed the Los Angeles-Orange County line, there was nothing but orange groves for as far as the eye could see. Willow Street was now Katella Avenue and we continued for what seemed like the longest time. Upon arrival at the intersection of Katella and Harbor we didn't see Disneyland, just more orange trees and some other crops as well.
I really believed we were headed back to Pennsylvania and I was getting tired of sitting in the truck so I let it out "...are we there yet?" Dad and Uncle Ben laughed and assured me that we were almost there.
Finally we arrived in Ontario and Uncle Ben's mother-in-law had some lemonade and cookies for us. I don't remember much about the return trip to Long Beach ... maybe I just fell asleep!

Individual Time Trial (ITT)

In all the years I've been riding bicycles, this past week was the very first time to compete in an ITT! After years of watching the pros on television it was time for Papa to give it a try. The purpose of an ITT is to go as fast as possible for a designated distance. In this case the distance is 10-miles, five out and five back.
Luckily, a new local bike shop is sponsoring a time trial every Tuesday evening on the Folsom South Canal. This is basically a service road adjacent to the canal. There are no motor vehicles on the course so it is a great setting.

Folsom South Canal

After spending all day Tuesday in class at the Marriott on Sunrise and 50 it was just a couple of miles south on Sunrise to the canal. At the end of our training, I grabbed a couple bottles of cold water. Opps! While unloading my bike it was obvious that something was missing! That's right, forgot the water bottle! "Doggone it", my friend William heard that and when told of my situation offered me one of his extra bottles. Okay, now we're in business.
Being unfamiliar with the course, I took a few minutes to ride down a couple of miles and realized that there were three (3) ramps on the course. Each one was about fifty yards in length and the steepest one was about 12% gradient. That will certainly slow one down!
As the riders arrived there were a few things very apparent: a)the guys all had really cool time trial bikes; b) all but a couple were either 1/2 or 1/3 my age (is that really an advantage?); c) they'd all done this before.

Now that is one cool bike!

When the sign in clipboard was passed to me I was lucky number 13 to start. Since this is a grass roots fun time trial, there is no fancy ramp to roll down and no electronic timing device. Nope, you just roll up to the line and a guy holds you and your bike up so you can get clipped on to the pedals. Erin (volunteer) gives the countdown from five as each rider leaves 30-seconds after the last one.
"Five, four, three, two, one, GO!" And I am off. The adrenaline is pumping as I settle in and get comfortable on the bike. My breathing is a bit erratic because I am not used to hammering this hard non-stop for ten miles! The first ramp seems to get here really fast, up and over ... not too bad. Not as fast over the next two but now it is flat until the turn around.
After turning around, I see one rider still coming down the canal behind me. Did I mention that the other four that started after me had passed me long ago! No worries. The final rider goes by about 1/4 mile after turning around. There is a nice headwind so I get down and just keep pedaling! Oh boy! These ramps are a bit tougher on the way back. Though I am feeling tired, I reach down for what's left in the tank, I see the finish line ahead and cross it knowing that I've given my best out here tonight!
Erin shows me the clipboard and I tell her "number thirteen" and she points to my time. Actually, it made me happy as my goal was 32-minutes and my time was 31:24 with an average speed of 19.11 MPH. Guess how fast the fastest guy went ... 29-MPH! Can you believe it?
What a fun evening! Next Tuesday the goal will be to go faster!

Adventures on a Bike 1950's Style

One day, it just happened to be mom's birthday, big Reg took mom and I to Jones Schwinn Bike Center on Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach. I was confused about why we were going there on mom's birthday (September 25) but was soon elated as they informed me I was getting a brand new two-wheeler! Wow! A bike of my own. It was almost exactly like the one in the picture.



Here are some of the adventures I remember:
The father of one of my little league teammates was a policeman. Officer Walsh was in charge of the new radar unit. In the late 1950's the radar equipment took up the entire trunk of the police car. One day while riding as fast as I could on Los Coyotes Diagonal I spotted his car on a side street. As I passed he waved and then on his speaker announced "there goes a fast bike at 18 miles an hour!" Yeah, I was really flying that day! His car looked like the one below except it was Long Beach Police.



On several occasions my friend Michael and I rode our bikes to Shady Acres, a miniature golf course way over in North Long Beach. Don't really know how far it was but it sure seemed like a long way on bicycle back then. While we enjoyed the miniature golf, the real reason we went was for the Frosty Mug Root Beer in the cafe next door. That sure tasted good after a eighteen holes!

Growing older I felt the bike looked dorky so one day I went over to Sav-On Drug store and bought a can of black spray paint. I took the rack, fenders, and horn off the bike. After removing the wheels, I wiped it down and then sprayed that rig gloss black. I thought it looked really great ... really cool! Dad did not agree. He couldn't understand why I done it. "Dad, the bike wasn't cool - now it is!" He was speechless and went in the house. He never said another word about it!

The last experience for today is a ride Andy Z. and I took from Long Beach down to sunset Beach to visit our friend Mike. After arriving at Mike's house, he lived right on Pacific Coast Highway behind his parents antique shop, we went down to the beach to hang out. Later that afternoon Andy and began our trek home. At some point, we got mixed up and turned the wrong way. We didn't realize that we were going east instead of west. Finally, we stopped looked around and recognized our error and began to hustle home. It was beginning to get dark now and we were tired of pedaling. All of the sudden "bam" Andy's tire popped. There we were adjacent to the Naval Weapons Depot (didn't know that back then) in the dark and there were no lights or cars in sight! What to do? Cell phones hadn't been invented and we didn't have any money even if we could find a pay phone. So, I took off as fast as I could go totally worried about Andy. At one point, I wondered how fast Officer Walsh would catch me today! Finally I arrived at Andy's house told his parents what happened and called my mom. They went to get Andy and found him just fine. I do not think the two of us ever mentioned that experience again!

My adventures, and my speed, have changed over the years but one thing is for sure ... nothing can compare to the joy of riding a bike in the 50's or in 2010!

Transitions

Today is the beginning of a new blog adventure! My family history/experience blog was inactive for quite a while and when attempting to refurbish it last week I discovered it was gone! Bummer! The goal was to transition both blogs into one and move forward with a more balanced approach to recording current as well as past experiences.

Since this is more or less a new beginning where better to start than Pittsburgh! Yes, my hometown in western Pennsylvania. The photo above depicts the downtown area the way it looked when I was born at Mercy Hospital. Looks like a pretty typical Pittsburgh night to me!

The photo was selected because at the time of my birth, my father was the pilot of the type of streetcar in that downtown scene. It was just a couple of years since he'd returned from WWII and he went to work for the transportation department. Honestly, I don't have great recollection of these times (I was an infant after all) but I do remember he quit that job and we moved to California after he was robbed and mugged one night while stopping to let passengers off the streetcar!

While only my early years were spent there, Pittsburgh has always been and will always be home!

Good-bye 2009 - Hello Twenty-ten!

The past year was pretty good for the old bike rider! A wide variety of rides, sites, and experiences. Thought I share a highlight from each month on the blog. So here we go:

January

• With the dawn of the new year it is always fun to take that first ride. In this case it was on January 15 on the bike trail down to Pond Park. It was a beautiful day and as always invigorating to get out and ride.

February

• With the Tour of California in town and me working, I was unable to attend the stage in Sacramento. Instead, on February 17, I drove down to Modesto to be at the finish line. While there, in the rain most of the day, I reconnected with an old riding buddy from Orange County. Christopher Clinton now lives in Wisconsin and works for one of the Trek Companies. The finishing laps were eliminated due to weather but seeing the pros fly to the line was really exciting!

March

• On March 19 I completed my longest road ride of the year: forty-miles! Yippee!

April

• This is the month of the annual Party Pardee ride down in Ione. This year I signed up for the 65-mile option but realized that grandson Tanner had his first soccer game so I opted for the short route and hightailed it back to Roseville to see the match. Awesome!

May

• Some days you just feel so good on the bike and May 5 was one of those days. Everything was going perfectly. Yes, a great ride today ... until my chain broke! Luckily, one of my work mates drove down to rescue me and I got the chain replaced just before the bike shop closed.

June

• Most of the time when the really fast riders pass me I just let them go. On June 11 I was passed by a guy on a time trial bike and just couldn't resist. I was about half way back from Sac State and when he flew by and I just had to chase! Unbelievably, with an all out effort I caught him and held on at 28-MPH for a few seconds! Way to go dude!

July

• We had a fantastic family outing to a really cool cabin in Truckee. While I had a couple of great rides the most fun was riding with Mark and Tanner on the bike trail from Squaw Valley down towards Lake Tahoe. Upon our return Keri, Parker, and Carson greeted us and we had a nice break and enjoyed some refreshment. Days like this are unforgettable!

August

• The evening of August 16 I took off for a ride up to Beal's Point and then over the new Folsom Lake Crossing bridge. Great panoramic view of the lake.

September

• Meet a retired physician on the 8th while riding down to Watt Avenue. It gave me great hopes to continue riding as he just turned seventy and was in great shape.

October

• The end of last month I had some minor surgery so my cycling was limited in October. On the 22nd, I did surpass 3,000 miles for the year. This was the first time since about 1994 that I'd done so!

November

• On November 10 I took a ride after work down to Pond Park. My headlight/taillight set were installed and riding back on the bike trail in the dark of night was awesome. All I could see was the white spot on the pavement from my headlight.

December

• This was the first time I rode when the temperature was below forty! The good news is the water in my bottles stayed nice and cold!

Well, there are a few of my cycling adventures for 2009. Perhaps twenty-ten will provide some real excitement in the world of cycling!