Memory Lane with Gene

 

Memory Lane:  After I got out of the Navy, over 50 years ago, I worked at Sinclair Refining Warehouse in Atlanta for about 3 years.  I was a desk man.  I kept up with what we had in the warehouse and took calls from Sinclair Service Station dealers in and around Atlanta.  Through the phone I got to know some of the dealers well enough to be considered friends. 

One dealer was Gene.  Gene owned and operated a Sinclair Station on Peachtree Street, near Buckhead.  On the phone we were always kidding with each other when he called.

One day Anna and I  were near Gene’s station so I thought I would dop by and meet him in person, fill up the tank, josh a while, and leave.

I picked the wrong day.  While his help was filling up my tank Gene came out and chewed out the teenager about something he had just done.  Gen was in a rage.  The teenager felt the a good positive image was important.  Gene would have none of that.

Phone friends can be misleading.

Mary Jane Pannell Prance 1853-1927), wife of James Marian Prance

 Mary Jane Pannell Prance (1853-1927), wife of James Marian Prance)

All reactions:

Harvey Kurtzman near quote and Will Elder near art

 The artwork looks a lo like MAD artist Will Elder. When people copied MAD with their own funny magazine people would asked editor Harvey Kurtzman was he teed off and he would say almost every time "Imitation is the SINCEREST FORM OF Flattery.”

Petty Sisters & Grandson/Nephew

 c1949-50. Petty Sisters. Left to right: Janie Petty Hunter, Opal Petty holding her son Anthony, and Georgette Petty Grant. The picture was taken in Opal's and Grandma's front yard, Varnell, Georgia.

All reaction

Roswell Rd & The 4-Lane, up in the air and down to Earth

Roswell Road & Street % 4'Lane up in the air and down to Earth.

Top of Kennesaw Mounrtain

The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn and Appear Not Doing So

I abhor braggarts Now, Ahem!, after saying that, let me tell you who called me tonight. A New York Times writer wanting to know my take on a reopening of Chumley's Restaurant in New York City that my buddies and I frequented when I was stationed nearby. I mentioned Chumley's in several blog posts so I think he was out for inside information. Actually, when he told me he was with the New York Times and asked me about Chumley's I mistakenly thought he was talking about the infamous Carey's Restaurant on the 41. After we talked a while about this and that, mostly about Asheville, North Carolina, I think he finally correctly concluded he was wasting his time, and politely wished me a good night.

USS ANDERSON & USS NEWPORT NEWS and small talk

 Marie's Postcard Collection. This is a postcard of the Naval Destroyer U.S.S. ANDERSON commissioned in 1939. On the reverse side the card is written to Marie's mother, it starts off, "Dear Mrs Foster".. apparently it is from an neighbor's son who joined the Navy. It said he will probably be transferred out very soon and says he "likes the Navy very much". I know how he felt, I do too.

HOWEVER! The only bad memory I have of Naval living is when I was aboard the destroyer U. S. S. NEWPORT NEWS. No bathroom privacy. No matter what time you choose to go to the head, in the middle of the day or middle of the night the head had limited numbers of toilets so usually there was a line, then when you did get to sit down, you would almost be touching knees when a swabby sitting right in front of you, and if he was long legged, well.... To me, it wasn't not a time to make small talk.

All reactions:

Nancy Petty & Winfred Scott Murray

 Nancy Petty Murray (1841-1917) and her husband Winfred Scot Murray (1820-bef 1880). Nancy was the daughter of my progenitors Elijah Pettry and Letty Lewis. Nancy was born in North Carolina, spent her formative years in Fannin County, Georgia. They had 11 children and apparently followed some of their children out west.

All reactions:

upper View of Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta

 A few years ago we carried son Adam to the airport. On the way back home we went a- round-about way to get some sight seeing in. We saw the restaurant Six Feet Under that we heard a lot about. It was on Memorial Drive. Across the street is the famous Oakland Cemetery.

I think we instantly decided to eat at 6’ Under. We did and the food was delicious. I still remember I had some kind of fish soup which was in a class by itself. After we ate and paid we saw a set of stairs going up to the rooftop The décor was so outstanding on ground level I was curious what would be on top.

We walked the stairs up and went out. There were plenty of tables and chairs. But décor wise, the ground floor wins. The best thing about being on top of the Sic Feet Under Restaurant, which I suppose was the Twenty-fove Feet Up, was the panoramic view of Oakland Cemetery.

We saw it and now it was time to leave.

I opened the door the door we came through. It was locked..

We banged and banged on the door and got no response. We could not get them on the phone, I forgot why. I forgot if they couldn’t hear the phone ring or we couldn’t find their number.

We called our other son, Rocky who lived around the corner with his wife, and he saved the day.

I forgot how he saved the day. Did he rush over there or called them and got them where we couldn’t?

Picture of Oakland Cemetery from the top of Six Feet Under Restaurant.

All reactions