Tag Archives: My Real Memoir

An Ode to Hamburgers and Dads

The oldest surviving McDonald’s, in Downey, California My Real Memoir: An Ode to Hamburgers and Dads Until I was seven, the longest walks I ever took were to a unique little burger joint called “McDonald’s.” Mommandad counted every penny in … Continue reading

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I Was a Daredevil Paperboy!

Left to right: Schwinn Wasp “Newsboy Special” bicycle; 1950s Japanese transistor radio; Los Angeles Herald Express; authentic(ish) illustration of my paper route My Real Memoir: I Was a Daredevil Paperboy! As a result of my reckless adventuring and frequent self-disfigurements, … Continue reading

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The Year I Became “The Clever Kid”

Left to right: My 3rd grade photo; Columbus Day art and (on the back) my rendering of a Viking ship, inspired by The Vikings, my favorite movie that year; doodles and bad spelling. My Real Memoir: The Year I Became … Continue reading

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Of Newspapers and Talking Birds

Left: ‘Welcome Dodgers’ headline, Los Angeles Evening Herald Express, 1958. Right: My 2nd Grade class photo My Real Memoir: Newspapers and Talking Birds Dad Was Ambitious to a Fault But he’d dropped out high school to shoot bad guys who … Continue reading

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Confessions of an Eight-Year-Old Prankster

Photo credit: The Lady My Real Memoir: Confessions of an Eight-Year-Old Prankster One of the advantages of living on a busy street (ours was the main route through the neighborhood) is that there’s a never-ending supply of drivers in need … Continue reading

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Embarrassing Side Effects

Image by NickRebmann My Real Memoir I’ve been unable to work on my normal memoir post for today due the embarrassing side effects of a recent medical procedure. Seriously, gag photo aside, I really did have a supposedly “simple” procedure, … Continue reading

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My Early Brushes With Mortality

Photo source: Richard Ratay My Real Memoir My Early Brushes with Mortality. I’d spent just four months in my new home. Still, everything had changed. I’d gained two new best friends and emerged from my shy-shell. “Emerged?” Heck, I was … Continue reading

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The Day I Ran Away

Photo source: Michal Bres My Real Memoir The day I ran away didn’t arrive unbidden. After all, I’d threatened before to leave once I’d had all I could take of unreasonable adult demands (brain-numbing homework and soul-sucking chores). But leave … Continue reading

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The Day We Entered the Tunnel of Doom

Source: urbexiam.com My Real Memoir The Day We Entered the Tunnel of Doom: There are severe limits to how far you’re allowed to wander at age 7. Hence, to legendary adventurers like Rory, Jeff and me, “Don’t cross [insert name … Continue reading

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Where No Kid Had Gone Before!

Photo courtesy of riotdaily.com My Real Memoir It Wasn’t Just the Forbidden… …that fed my hunger for stimulation. It was the unknown. I think, at age seven, my real, underlying desire was “to go where no kid had gone before!” … Continue reading

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