Happy Thought

There was a tree in the front yard of our old house where two sets of branches naturally made a "table" and a place for me to sit at it. I would take a handkerchief and tie to the table branch so my G.I. Joe action figures could camp between missions.

Stay Weird

I was a weird kid, I knew this as early as kindergarten. I remember we would draw pictures to take home. When my Mom would ask ‘What is it?’ I’d tell her ‘It’s a vacuum cleaner.’

I drew a few vacuum cleaner pictures before I got into cars and LEGO. I would build one out of red slope pieces, which might have been influenced by race cars and the Munster Mobile.

Sadly my kindergarten classmates were already into cliques and even then I wasn't cool enough for them. Wish I could go back and tell my younger self to stay weird and not concern myself with the popular kids.

Happy Thought

Going to the newspaper/stationary store in Valhalla where the owner would let me come behind the counter, put me sit on a stool and look through a big box of Matchbox cars.

He'd take them out of the box for me so I could hold it and see if I liked it. Doesn't matter how many I asked to look at, he always took the time for me.