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How Memory Lane turned into a Traffic Jam.


Whip

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My grandmother passed away almost two years ago.

 

Some of you may remember this.

 

I had no idea how this trip was gonna make me remember things that I long ago buried in the deepest parts of my mind.

 

My family wanted my bro and I to go through the house before any decisions were made. Bro couldn't get away till just a few weeks ago. He decided to fly into Detroit and I decided to ride my GS the first week of November.

 

 

 

My friend Luis wanted to visit his parents in Wisconsin, so off we went. Luis didn't not have any electric gear, I warned him and even got him to talk with Nando(Mr Gerbings). I told him if he did not get the Gerbing Jacket Liner he would seriouly regret it.

 

I had my own problems, my bike was leaking oil from the cylinders and I was leaving in two days. I needed the blessing from a master. I called Philby and he was there for me. I rode the bike to Kerrville we did a little this and that, he blessed my bike and I felt a lot better. The bike was flawless. (Thanks again Philby)

 

 

Luis warming his hands on the motor and it wasn't even cold yet.

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We made it to the south side of Nashville the first day, 987 miles.

 

The next mornin a cold front started moving through the area. Bob/Killer had warned me that snow flurries were in the weather report.

 

I don't remember I-75 being this busy through Ohio. I will never go that way again.

 

We stopped for gas about 5pm at this SUNOCO station and the memories started. I grew up in a small house on the edge of Detroit, at the end of the street(Roanoke) was a SUNOCO.

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Brother David

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Lots more...

 

 

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It started to snow soon after we got into Ohio and really didn't stop till we got to my Grandmother's house. It was sticking or even melting, just blowing around. temps were below thiry and I was down right warm and toasty. Long sleeve shirt, Gerbing Jacket liner, then a lightly lined jacket over it all wrapped by my one piece Roadcrafter. No other electrics were needed. I had heavy gloves, but nothin special. Regular riding boots and longjohns under jeans and I was very comfortable. I took Luis through the hood on the way to Grandmothers house. I would not let him stop for gas. We went through an intersection that was so dark it was like being in Torrey at the end of Bob's street. All the homes and bidnesses were vacant. It was erie. We got on Woodward and started west. At about 5 mile road we game to an intersection with police everywhere. All the action came to a stand still and everyone just stared as the two idiots dressed in bright colors on BMW motorcycles drove by.

 

My bro was waiting on us when we got to G's house. Luis had blue lips and was shaking....sorry no pix.

 

After warming up we had a nice dinner at a local hangout and went to bed.

 

In the mornin we took Luis on a tour.

 

This is the house we were raised in. It was in forclosure and could now be purchased for $20k...it said so on the side door.

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Our Backyard.

 

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The house my father was born in.

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Across the street from his house...

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Our elementary school....

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I told me bro about a little get together we were invited to. Facebook has brought some the fine folks from Jackson Elementary School together. He liked the idea. We started talking about folks neither of us had thought about in over thirty years.

 

Memory Lane was getting crowded.

 

Luis had to get on his way before it got too late. So off he went to Wisconsin.

 

 

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..more pix from our elementary school.

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I am sure those are the same slide and bars we played on. I bet long after we are gone those things will be there.

 

Some more pix from the hood.

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My uncles first house.

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stay tuned

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It was time to get to work. We had an entire house of stuff to check out, boxes, drawers, closets and cabinets. We were both in a good mood. I was half expecting a vist from "beyond" during the night. My grandmother liked to give a lot of "direction" to her children and grand children. A lot of that counseling came from watching 40 years of Soap Operas, with a little Vanna White mixed in for balance. Sooooo, it would not have surprised me if she had a few more things to say to me.

 

A lady's Schwinn.....prolly from the early 70's or late 60's. Made into a bike to no where.

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I heard that these were from a big News Years Eve party at the family bar and grill....maybe 1950.

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My brother always wanted to be king. I am more Lawerence of Arabia.

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Mr grandmother used to iron the sheets before she would put them on the bed.

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She saved many old newspapers.

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More in a bit

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In many ways my home town never really recovered from the second riots.

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In each closet we found somethin to make us smile.

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The way book keeping is supposed to be done.

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20 grand! If ya had a vision & some big ..... the average guy could make some money in that area.

 

Meant as a complement, I bet you two could pull off a pretty good stand up routine! ;)

 

 

Pat

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A tale of two high chairs.

 

My father's and his brothers on the left, mine and my bros on the right.

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Do you have a union card?

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4th of July

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You could use a little churchin...

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Glenn Miller anyone???

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Looks good to me.

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A little Armenian soul music..

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20 grand! If ya had a vision & some big ..... the average guy could make some money in that area.

 

Meant as a complement, I bet you two could pull off a pretty good stand up routine! ;)

 

 

Pat

 

For the price of new RT we could have a nice little house.

 

Don't think I wasn't thinkin about it.

 

:thumbsup:

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Whats with all the abondened decaying homes? I know Detroit has been on a decline but is this a normal site?

 

 

My man...you have no idea.

 

You go block after block and see nothin but burned out empty house.

 

The average value of a house in Detroit is around $8k.

 

They are talking about tearin houses down and planting farms.

 

 

 

 

 

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Whats with all the abondened decaying homes? I know Detroit has been on a decline but is this a normal site?

 

 

My man...you have no idea.

 

You go block after block and see nothin but burned out empty house.

 

The average value of a house in Detroit is around $8k.

 

They are talking about tearin houses down and planting farms.

 

 

 

 

 

8k for a house....damn....I would think I know where all the poeple leaving california are going. Sell your house and buy a whole block.

 

BTW, some of those newspapers might be worth some moeny. For your next ride, you should go to the, "Pawn Stars" shop in Las Vegas...LOL

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That was fantastic! Love the pics. That brick is a dead ringer for the one where a friend lived in Norman OK. Who'd a think it was a national blueprint. The last picture with the Lute is a gem.

 

I was lucky to get a bit of family stuff out of Grand Pa's house and out buildings. It's good to save the past.

 

 

Again, thanks.

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"Whats with all the abondened decaying homes? I know Detroit has been on a decline but is this a normal site?"

 

Apparently you've never seen urban decay. Leaving out of JFK airport on the way to Danbury Cn. we passed scads of what looked like war zone ruin. And that was in the early 80's.

A lot of America looks like that.

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Joe Frickin' Friday

Cool pics, thanks for sharing. I've gone back to see the houses I grew up in before; it's been interesting to see how the neighborhood has changed around them. Looks like things are still good in your old neighborhood, but it's sad to see your dad's and uncle's houses decaying like that. :(

 

Your high chair, the one on the right:

 

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Looks exactly like the one I had when I was a kid. It was a hand-me-down from my brother and sister, and knowing my parents, it probably wasn't new when they got it,either.

 

And then there's pics like this:

 

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Same equipment existed at my elementary school. Funny, isn't it, how things that seemed GIGANTIC back then now seem tiny. When I was a little kid it was impossible for me to jump up and reach that middle bar, but now I can stand up and grab it without even stretching my arms straight. :grin:

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Wait...it ain't over.

 

On Sunday we decided to take a tour of the big city.

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The world famous... RoosterTail

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I can almost see Diana Ross and Barry White getting out of the car and signing autographs.

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...from days gone by.

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A reminder of the Boat Races along the Detroit River.

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It was Sunday and the Lions were playing...

 

Boys will be boys.

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Hockey Town...USA

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Still more....

 

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Wow. I haven't been back to my old neighborhood in Detroit, MI since 1992. But I can look it up on Google Maps, and zoom in to a street level view, so that's nice. My old house is doing relatively well, though a few homes in the neighborhood are destroyed.

 

My old address is: 18451 Ohio Street in Detroit, MI. I see that my old house now has very tall shrubs lining the front porch. My bedroom window is upstairs on the left side of the house -- from the vantage point of the street looking at the house.

 

Whip, how about you add some addresses to these locations? I would like to see the street views via Google Maps -- assuming the mapping car dared to chart the neighborhood :grin:

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Wow. I haven't been back to my old neighborhood in Detroit, MI since 1992. But I can look it up on Google Maps, and zoom in to a street level view, so that's nice. My old house is doing relatively well, though a few homes in the neighborhood are destroyed.

 

My old address is: 18451 Ohio Street in Detroit, MI. I see that my old house now has very tall shrubs lining the front porch. My bedroom window is upstairs on the left side of the house -- from the vantage point of the street looking at the house.

 

Whip, how about you add some addresses to these locations? I would like to see the street views via Google Maps -- assuming the mapping car dared to chart the neighborhood :grin:

 

 

 

Dad's house is 147 Ford avenue. Highland Park.

 

I will get my uncle's addie. (Don't know where to look?)

 

 

It is on the corner of Buena Vista and Second, North East corner.

 

 

 

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I had to negotiate with my bro, but I finally got the deer.

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Now that's a hole punch....

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My Uncle had polio as a youth and these belong to him.

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I ain't sure any of these are legal. Kinda looks like props from Friday the 13th.

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This will soon be in Texas.

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Still more...

 

 

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Whip, did your family hang out at Palmer Park back in the day? I noticed that the park sits between my old address and your father's. I have countless fond memories of playing in that park. Great times.

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Whip, did your family hang out at Palmer Park back in the day? I noticed that the park sits between my old address and your father's. I have countless fond memories of playing in that park. Great times.

 

My only memmories of Palmer Park are running a Cross Country race through the woods. My father always talked about it, but I would have to ask him more about it. In the late 80's a group of Piston's(NBA) bought homes there, including John Sally and Rodman. For a brief few years the area was given a second chance. Now .... it is all a mess. The homes were very beautiful at one time. Only about 10, homes in Palmer Park.

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I think you're referring to the neighborhood called "Palmer Woods" that bordered Palmer Park. Yes, Palmer Woods is (was) a very upscale neighborhood and I do remember driving through there on occasion and marveling at the big, elaborate homes and manicured lawns. Wow, even that area has been blighted now? Amazing.

 

But I am speaking of the actual public recreation park. I grew up playing with my friends in that park, learning how to ice skate on the pond, learning how to play tennis -- all manner of activities.

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James

 

I always thought of it as the same area. I know my father has mentioned it, but only when they found a body.:( Don't think he ever spent any time there in the 40's and 50's.

 

Which side of Woodward did you live on. I have an aunt that has lived right across Woodward from Palmer Woods for 40 years. Last time I was there the house across the street was being broke into while we were getting in the car to leave.

 

 

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I was west of Woodward, not far from Marygrove College, and very close to Mumford High School, made noteworthy via Eddie Murphy's "Beverly Hills Cop" movie. If I recall he wore a tee-shirt with Mumford High on it or something like that.

 

Tell you what, those were the best years of my life, my youth in that vibrant, bustling, and energetic city of Detroit, MI. What a great city it once was.

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Time to wrap this up.

 

On Monday my bro and I went to lunch at a place we had not been in 30 years.

 

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We did some more work around the house and then got ready to go out.

 

Facebook has been fun for me. I have made contact with many folks I thought I would never see or hear from again. I moved away from the Detroit area in 1978. I kinda reinvented myself and along the way. I put my entire youth away in some deep closet in the back of my head. With each new contact on FB the door to the closet was slowly opening. Now with this trip to Detroit and reliving so many events of my past it was almost making me dizzy. :dopeslap:

 

On this last night in town I was gonna go meet some of my classmates from Andrew Jackson Elementary school. I felt no apprehension on the way over, or even walking into the bar to meet them. I thought I would...

 

It was a fun evening.

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These two have not changed one bit.

 

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Just remember who your messin with....

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I used to love the Big Boy restaurant! That Place, and when we dressed up we went to Howard Johnson's :grin:

 

Absolutely, James!

 

Whip, this has been FUN!

Cobwebs in my mind are wiggling

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What a wonderful story, Whip. I have been traveling (a lot) internationally, and recently had the opportunity to return to the town where I was born (Helmstedt, Germany).

 

You are absolutely spot on... The things buried in our memories quickly resurfaced with each step through that little town. Reconnected with a cousin I had not seen in 40 years.

 

Very good story!

 

Mike O

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wHIPdON :

thank you so much for "taking us along for the ride"

 

what a great trip and pictures and memories for you to share with all of us.

 

Memorable for you and us.! Thanks, Brutha

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wHIPdON :

thank you so much for "taking us along for the ride"

 

what a great trip and pictures and memories for you to share with all of us.

 

Memorable for you and us.! Thanks, Brutha

 

What he said!!!

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Always enjoy your tales Whip, and this one just raises the bar.

 

I'd like to see pic's of the dogs when you carry that deer head into the living room... :grin:

 

MB>

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Outstanding Sir!

 

Lots of good stuff there and I can actually feel how much fun Y'all had in the house. Glad the reunion went well!

 

I had a mini version (FB reunion) after the Un in 2009 on the way through Ga. Got to see some great friends from High School as we wound our way home to Ca.

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