showing your age...

[Willow Oak]

I remember the gas station glasses too. We had a set of really tall green glass ones, and Dad made rootbeer floats in them! That was always a big Saturday afternoon treat.

Shut up! Root beer floats! I believe they were called "black cows."

I always have a Texas gallon of ice cream in the fridge and a six pack of coke (in bottles only) so that I can make a coke float about every other day.

[Medusa]

Root beer floats make me think of my ex-husband. He LOVED those things!

[pomtzu]

Back in the early 60's when my ex and I were first married, we rented a place that had a kerosene furnace, and paid 18 cents per gallon for the fuel. We were appalled when it climbed to 43 cents.

[Medusa]

I can see this thread lasting forever. LOL

When my first husband and I were married in the mid-60's, we had a Renault Dauphin and seeing that we were living on an airman's pay, we put $.50 into that thing and drove for what seemed like weeks. Our rent was a whopping $75 a month for off base housing and people thought we were uppity! LOL

[pomtzu]

Shut up! Root beer floats! I believe they were called "black cows."

I was born and raised in New England, and they were just "floats" up there. I think you native southerners called them "cows".

[Kfamr]

Oh man, it scares me to think if prices have inflated this high since you lot were my age, how high will they be another 20-30 years from now? Scary.

My parents were telling me when they went to buy their first home (some 25+ years ago) it cost them $27,000ish. They were freaking out wondering how they were to afford it. Now, all the houses I look at under $100,000 are run down and need a ton of work, can't get a loan on them, etc.

[Willow Oak]

Oh man, it scares me to think if prices have inflated this high since you lot were my age, how high will they be another 20-30 years from now? Scary.

My parents were telling me when they went to buy their first home (some 25+ years ago) it cost them $27,000ish. They were freaking out wondering how they were to afford it. Now, all the houses I look at under $100,000 are run down and need a ton of work, can't get a loan on them, etc.

The first new house we loved in -- brand new in a brand new subdivision: $14,000.

[Willow Oak]

Root beer floats make me think of my ex-husband.

Good thoughts?

[Willow Oak]

And at the gas station you had two choices: regular or ethyl. All the poor ladies whose names were "Ethyl" really took a beating back then.

[pomtzu]

I remember the first house I lived in as a kid - it was a bungalow style - 2 bedroom with a full basement - nothing fancy, yet nice - and my parents bought it in the 30's for around $3,000. They sold that and bought a brand new 3 bedroom rancher in the mid 50's, and paid around $11,000 for it. Today, you can't even buy a little travel trailer to take camping for that price.

[kokopup]

I'm a sheltered southerner and I don't remember the Black Cow. We had A&W as a chain that was popular back then. They had a great Root Beer float. Maybe it was called a "Black Cow" I can't remember.

Pomtzu, I do have a few fond memories of New England. I loved the grilled Hot Dog that had the flat buns and the "Awful Awful" sold at Newport Creamery.

[Randi]

OK, when I was a child, I could make a local phonecall for 0,018 USD - that is if there was a telephone at all!

And when I was an au-pair in England, I could get a chocolade bar from a machine for 6 pence.

[Willow Oak]

OK, when I was a child, I could make a local phonecall for 0,018 USD - that is if there was a telephone at all!

And when I was an au-pair in England, I could get a chocolade bar from a machine for 6 pence.

We used to have something called a telephone. Now everyone uses a cell phone. I don't even have a land line.

Also, I have noticed that phone booths seemed to have disappeared.

And ..., phones used to ring. You know: Rrrriiiiiiinnnnnggggg!

Oh yeah -- we had party lines. I used to sit and listen to the old ladies gossip about their neighbors.

Okay. I'm done.

[pomtzu]

Pomtzu, I do have a few fond memories of New England. I loved the grilled Hot Dog that had the flat buns and the "Awful Awful" sold at Newport Creamery.

Ah yes - Newport Creamery - the hangout after the Friday or Saturday night date!
I miss Rocky Point and the clam cakes and chowder at the shore dinner hall. I have the original recipe for their clam cakes, and I've made them a few times. They're awesome.

[kokopup]

Randi I remember a phone call at a public booth costing 10 cent. You would be hard pressed to find a phone booth today. The Hersey chocolate bar cost 5 cents when I was young.

For those discussing Gas stations, do you remember that they used to pump your gas ,clean the windshield, and checked you oil as a part of the service? Then they went to full service at a premium ,or self service if you wanted the best price. I don't recall seeing a full/self in years. They are all self only now.