So if anybody is reading you may want to skip today and go ride bike or some other healthy exercise.
The top picture is of Reed-Johnson halls. Reed is on the left. Larry F and I decided to room together and we got a 3rd floor room on the north side, left, of Reed. Back in those days the rooms were pretty spartan as no fridge, no phone etc. There was a phone on the 3rd floor in the hallway! We had a short walk to the cafeteria which for the first half of the year was NOT a good thing. What do you think may happen to a farm boy who was used to having mush, boiled eggs, potatoes and etc? Here there was an unlimited supply of difference kinds of food and of course all the juice and milk one wanted. Dad dropped me off at Reed in the fall and I was a slim, trim and fit 180. I went home for Christmas and I was a pudgy, overweight 195! By the end of the year I was down to 180 again.
One of the funny things that happened. We had a maid come in once a week and kind of clean. Gail had given me a wrap around towel thing to wear after a bath or shower. Mind you she had NEVER seen me in it! I came into my room after the maid had been there and it was missing. I hurried down the hall to comfort her. She, in a kind of soft voice, said she had taken it because she thought it was so cute and she wanted it for a pattern as she sewed. She promised she would bring it back shortly. Funny!
In the fall my classes consisted of chemistry, advance algebra, English and ROTC. I was misplaced in chemistry and algebra and barely squeaked by with passing grades. ROTC was a breeze and that "A" helped a bit. English was from a dreaded teacher where just a passing grade was a victory. I survived but not by much.
Dad had paid me $500 for the summer so that was my $$ for the year. Even in those days one could not get by for a year on that so I signed up for "Work Study". The second picture is where I worked as a janitor for the year at $1.00 an hour and twenty hours was the max. I worked the max. The entire school year came in at a cost of somewhat between $1000-$1200.
Of course I had no car so I purchased:
It was not as nice as this but for $10 it was good transportation that year. It was with the bike that I crashed head first into a car and did not get hurt. It was with my bike that I rode to Joan/Ron, Janets and Marlys/Daves. I loved my wheels
My grades were pretty "not good" but I did get by. The big thing of the year was when sister Janet died in February. I could not concentrate and where I thought my grades were on the UP from that time to the end of the quarter they were on the down. I contemplated dropping out but what would I do?
I had reconnected with Gail in late summer after she came home from working as a housekeeper in the Twin Cities. So there we were doing a long distance kind of thing as she had transferred to Minot College.
In terms of school the BIG event was the snow in early March of 1966. It started March 2nd and pretty much went through the 5th. Larry and I looked out our dorm window and watched as cars on the street slowly got covered with snow. I went to work and actually walked over the tops of cars on my way. Work was VERY busy as classes were cancelled, final tests were cancelled and it was party time for many. One can image what party time is like in college. I was busy mopping floors, cleaning toilets etc etc. I think the storm actually saved my grades a bit!
Spring quarter came and school had not changed a whole lot. I still had not declared a major so I was just taking general classes to fill in my records. One of my favorite classes took place acoss the street and it was labeled "Comparative Religion". I had never thought about religion in terms other than Lutheran or Catholic so to study religions from around the world was interesting. I still have the bible from the class.
Well into the spring quarter Easter came on April 10th. I should not even admit this but I did not want to go home as I knew Mom and Dad would be so so sad and it would be difficult to be around them. After all could anyone be in a mood to celebrate when your two oldest offspring had died in the last 19 months? Well just before I was to go back to school Mom talked to me and said I really should come home for the summer for Dad. Well that was about the very last thing I wanted to do! The story goes that when I told Dad I would come home but I had to have wheels he said we could go to Aberdeen SD to look at cycles!!! Done deal and the rest is history.
I have noted this before but in my mixed up mind I had no idea what I should major in. I took that darn test and the #1 trade that came up was undertaker. Really in my mind I wanted to be a radio announcer as I felt I had the voice for it. Well after 38 years in education I realized neither would have been a good choice.
So I ended my freshman year in May and headed home. I kind of felt good as I had passed all my classes amid many distractions. Some were not my making like Janet's death and some were like my mixed up "girl friend" thing. I hate to admit it but there again my immaturity came into play. Anywas as I headed home for the summer I felt pretty good. I had lost the weight I had put on. I had wheels and they were fun. I was well into my sophomore year of college as I had gotten 10 credits before I started as a result of my entrance examines the fall before. AND I did not know what I wanted to do as an adult but I was dead sure I did not want to be an undertaker!
I think it was that summer that friend Larry purchased his cycle. I had my Harley Sprint and he had his Honda Scrambler, I think.
Enough for now.
Terry called this morning and she sounded somewhat better. She still has not been out of bed for some time but her voice was better. She said she wants to come home and take a nap in her own bed and I said I am all for that. I hope and pray that my test results come back soon.
I have some thoughts, not good ones, about some neighbors here but will hold back on writing them for now.
The eggs, bacon and hash browns were good and the Kona FP hit the spot so NOW maybe it is time to tackle some of those piles of papers that seem to constantly pop up right in front of me.
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