birdguy

I grew up in the Russian Hill district Charlie. Walking distance from Fisherman's Wharf and Aquatic Park and North Beach and China Town. I fished with a hand line from both Muni Pier at Aquatic Park and Fisherman's Wharf. Sometimes my brother and I walk all the way to Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower. A friend of my Dad's ran the small printshop at the Fairmont Hotel and he would let us in to swim in the hotel swimming pool. I had a paper route. I delivered the Shopping News down Lombard Street from Hyde...the crookedest street in the world...on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday morning. I like to watch movies filmed in San Francisco like Steve McQueen in Bullit and Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry and see all the familiar places. It's sad to see the things you loved torn down and replaced by modern glitz. Noel

It was mean to be called 'San Francisco'. That's what it was originally named, after St Francis. But it is no longer the San Francisco I grew up in. I haven't lived there since 1951. I have been back to see my family and when I was a weather forecaster in the Colorado Air National Guard I made quarterly trips to the 6th US Army HQ at the Presidio. I've noticed the decline. For we older San Franciscans (not Friscoans) it started when the TransAmerica building destroyed the old skyline. Then the tourist traps across the street from the old Fisherman's Wharf with the fishing boats and the the restaurants like Scomas and Aliotos and the crab pots boiling on the sidewalk in front of the fish shops. The spirit of old Italian fisherman who docked their boats at the pier and delivered their catches is gone. After I had gotten out of the Marine Corps I got a job with the Southern Pacific Rail Road at their headquarters at the foot of Market Street. Friday afternoons it was customary for a group of us to go to Fisherman's Wharf and buy a couple of fresh boiled crabs and a six pack or beer and take a two hour lunch on the Marina Greens, There was an old Fisherman's Wharf song that used to be played down there sung with an Italian accent: Allo, I am a Joe, I a work at Fisherman's Wharf you know, A Halibut, a Tuna Fish, A barracuda, she delish, We catch em fresh at the crack of dawn, So ow about a shrimp, a prawn. Toot, toot (a boat whistle) Ah here she come, my heart's delight, She come to see me every night, The finest ship that sail the sea, My darling Rosalie, A Halibut, a tuna fish, a barracuda she delish...... Please excuse this old man's lament. Like Thomas Wolff wrote, "You can't go home again". Are the slick new fast food eateries and gift shops and even a 'Ripley's Believe It or Not' a proper substitute for it it was...a real fisherman's wharf? I think not. Noel

Herb Cain had a column for 40 years titled, 'Don't Call It Frisco'. My Mom would go ballistic if she heard anyone call it 'Frisco'. I would admonish anybody who called the city I was born and raised in 'Frisco.' Now I don't care anymore. Call it whatever the hell you want. https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/sf-fishermans-wharf-food-scene-22257991.php Noel

Their Hangar Talk was where I cut my teeth on no holds barred conversations. I posted some old building block scenery of the time years ago. I remember it with fondness. It was the no holds barred conversations I was used to in Hangar Talk that got me in trouble here. Noel

They're hungry and waiting to be fed. Noel

Not a problem for me. I've been to the top of either the CN tower in Toronto or that tower in Seattle (or maybe both) that have a glass section on the floor. Many people would not walk out on it. Some would stick a toe out onto it and pull it back. I had no problem walking out on it. I'd like to cross that bridge. Noel

Our last house was a 90 year old stone house on a double lot. The roof was tiles. The plumbing had been replaced and had no central heating. There was a floor furnace in the living room and a gas wall heater in the master bedroom. In the summer we had window air conditioners. We lived in it for 30 years and except for occasional leaks in the plumbing never had to have any work on it. It was the oldest house in the neighborhood. Noel

I remember those sounds as a boy growing up in San Francisco. We lived in the Russian Hill district; Larkin Street between Jackson and Broadway. Good Lord! That was 80 years ago! Noel

Well, here in Roswell the temperature is 95F and the RH is 22%. Very comfortable. But I'm a desert rat. I keep my room temp at 80F. I like the outdoor temps to range from 100F to about 115F. Just drink lots of water. Noel

When I was stationed at Yokota AFB in Japan we had a group of Japanese laborers working for us. During lunch we would sometimes play chess in the break room. They would watch us. One of them asked us to teach him how to play. He then taught the other laborers how to play. They became fascinated with the game and we would start playing with them. In a few months non of we round eyes could beat them. Noel

Wow! That's much better! Noel

l learned how to play GO when I lived in Japan. Interesting game and quite challenging. Noel

Martin, if we delve too far into this we might discover that some of the lower life forms are actually smarter than we are. I've suspected this for a long time. So have you when it comes to cats. Noel

Me too Paul. But a couple decades earlier. I never got to Singapore though. Noel

Hearts, Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Free Cell, Scrabble and Chess. Noel