OLDER AND LESS IS ALWAYS BETTER

WITH PROGRESS COMES CHANGES IN ALL THINGS. BUT NOT ALL PROGRESS IS GOOD. HERE ARE THREE POINTS TO THAT FACT:

MA BELL

 WITH JUST LANDLINE PHONES AND RATES FOR LOCAL AND FOREIGN CALLS WAS JUST FINE. THAT WAS UNTIL AT & T TOOK IT OVER

AND RATES INCREASED AND THEN CAMES CELL PHONES

AND THE INTERNET WITH LOTS OF TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS WITH MORE SERVICES LIKE CABLE   BUT QUALITY WENT DOWN. AND NOT ALL THE BUNDLES, GIFT CARDS

 AND FREE APPS COULD BRING THAT BACK. ROADRUNNER

 BECAME BRIGHTHOUSE

AND NOW IS SPECTRUM.

GTE

BECAME VERIZON

AND IS NOW FRONTIER.

A SKUNK IS SKUNK NO MATTER THE SMELL. AND LESS IS MORE.



HOSTESS CAKES

WAS GOING OUT OF BUSINES BUT DOLLY MADISON TOOK IT OVER. BUT THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT TOOK A NOSE DIVE IN MANY AREAS INVOLVING A FEW PRODUCTS. THE FIRST BEING THE CARDBOARD BASE THAT KEPT THE ITEM FROM STICKING THAT PREVENTED  FOOD  FROM BEING THROWN AWAY  THAT IS NOT THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE CARDBOARD OR MAKE THE FATTY CUPCAKE THAT MADE IT PEEL AWAY  EASY FROM THE BASE BUT  THE NEW ONES CREATE WASTE. THEY ALSO PUT MORE CREAM IN THE CUPCAKE BUT  THE CAKES ARE SMALLER. THE FROSTING ISN'T  AS THICK EITHER.

WHAT IS BETTER IS THEY HAVE  EXPANDED THE LINE WITH 3 NEW REGULARS AND SOME HOLIDAY THEMES CUPCAKE FLAVORS. PEANUT BUTTER HO HOS,

 M& M BROWNIES,

AND MILKY WAY BROWNIES. THE BROWNIES ARE DRY AND NOT CHOCOLATE ENOUGH. BUT THE PB HO HOS ARE GREAT, I ALSO LIKE THE NEW CELLOPHANE CLEAR WRAPPER EVEN THOUGH THE HO HOS LOOK SMALLER AND THE COATING IS ALSO THINNER TO ME.
THE SNO BALLS ALSO WENT DOWN IN QUALITY WITH LESS CREAM AND LESS MARSHMALLOW COVERING.



DEPARTMENT STORES ARE BECOMING EXTINCT NO MATTER HOW THEY TRY TO STAY ALIVE.

LANDS END

 WITH THEIR WONDERFUL CLOTHING LIKE RUGBY SHIRTS

STARTED  IN A CATALOG, THEN ONLINE AND THEN INTO SEARS  BUT NOW SEARS IS CLOSING STORES.
SEARS

 ITSELF STARTED AS A CATALOG

 AS WELL THEN INTO PHYSICAL STORE FRONTS

 AND THEN FRANCHISED BUT NOW IS IN DOWNSIZING MODE. AS A KID I REMEMBER THEIR WONDERFUL CANDY AND NUT DEPARTMENT

 AND THEIR ONE ONLY PET THEY HAD (SALLY THE TALKING MINOR BIRD).

THEY ALSO ABSORBED KMART

WHO IS NOW ALSO CLOSING STORES. KMART TRIED TO REVIVE BY ADDING AN APPLIANCE SECTION

AND ADDING SUPERMARKET SECTION

AND EVEN A MINI RESTAURANT ( MY STORE) BUT THEY WILL BE CLOSING SOON.

ALL GOT BEAT OUT BY TARGET AND WALMART.

IT SEEMS ALMOST LIKE CARNIVAL TIME

IN MY PAST THIS MEANT RIDES, GAMES, AND FOOD COMING TO YOUR STREET RIGHT NOW, HOPEFULLY.
I REMEMBER TWO FOOD TRUCKS-MR. PIZZA WHO SOLD SLICED PIZZA AND SUB SANDWICHES.

 I REMEMBER HIM ONLY ONCE THOUGH AND NEVER BOUGHT ANYTHING THOUGH, OH WELL THERE WAS NO NEXT TIME EITHER AS I SAID.
I ALSO REMEMBER MR. SOFTIE ICE CREAM TRUCK AND IT'S 4 AND 20 BLACKBIRDS THEME MUSIC .

HE ALWAYS CAME AT DINNERTIME AND MADE ALL THE MOTHERS MAD AT HIM BECAUSE IT SPOILED DINNER APPETITES. I ALWAYS BOUGHT ONE OF THREE THINGS,A CHOCOLATE CONE,A SWIRL CONE OR A CHOCOLATE SHAKE.  THE PRICES BEGAN AT 25 CENTS, AND KEPT ON GOING UP. FIRST TO 75 CENTS, THEN $1.25. THEN EITHER IT STOPPED COMING TO MY STREET OR I ACQUIRED BETTER TASTE IN ICE CREAM LIKE ANDERSON'S ON SHERIDAN DRIVE.

THERE ARE FOUR EATERIES THAT FELT CARNIVAL LIKE.THE FIRST BEING HENRY'S HAMBURGERS WHICH HAD JUST SINGLE BURGERS, NO QUARTER POUNDER, NO BIG MACS, I STARTED AT ONE AND THEN JUMPED TO TWO AND THEY WERE LIKE 15 CENTS EACH AND KEPT GOING UP TO 3O CENTS UNTIL MACDONALD'S CAME AND TOOK OVER THERE CUSTOMERS.

HOT DOGS WERE AT TED'S WHERE THEY WERE CHARCOAL BROILED THEM AND PUT THE WORKS ON THEM IF REQUESTED.

 I LOVED THEIR CRUNCHY ONION RINGS OVER THEIR FRIES.

 I ALSO LOVED THEIR ORANGE DRINK OVER THEIR CHOCOLATE MILK.  THEY STARTED UNDER THE PEACE BRIDGE AND THEN OPENED ANOTHER LOCATION IN LASAILLE PARK.

ANOTHER STYLE OF HOT DOG WAS THE TEXAS RED HOTS AND THEY WERE LOCATED DOWNTOWN . HERE I STARTED WITH ONE AND BY ADULTHOOD WAS UP TO TWO. AT THIS TIME I ALSO BOUGHT A ROLL OF CERTS AS A CHASER (LOTS OF ONIONS IN THE TOPPING.)

THE LAST EATERY WAS ARTHUR TREACHER'S FISH AND CHIPS WHO HAD BETTER FISH THAN CHIPS DUE IT'S CRISPY CRUNCHY BATTER THEY USED ON THEIR HADDOCK.

THE ONLY RIDES THAT EVER CAME TO MY STREET WAS THE WHIP

AND THE FERRIS WHEEL.

 RIDES STARTED AT 25 CENTS AND WENT  UP TO $1.25. I RODE UNTIL I WAS 12 WITH MY COUSINS FOR THEIR SAFETY ON THE PLEADINGS OF MY AUNT.
BY THE WAY THEY ALSO ATE ICE CREAM WITH ME AS FAST AS MY GRANDMOTHER COULD THROW MONEY DOWN TO THEM IN A BAG FROM THE UPPER  PORCH.

OKAY GAMES. NOW HERE IS THE ONLY TIME GAMES TO OUR STREET. IT WAS WHEN I RAN A TICKET CON TO GET MONEY WHEN I WAS 11 OR 12. MY MOTHER FOUND OUT IT AND IT WAS EITHER RETURN THEIR MONEY AND GET PUNISHED OR HAVE THE GAMES. SO IN ONE HOUR WE  WRAPPED OLD TOYS WE DIDN'T WANT.

 AND CAME UP WITH 4 OR 5 GAMES . ONE WAS A FISH POND OF SORTS

 AND OF TWO DIFFICULTIES.  WE MADE $10 AND I SPLIT THE LOOT WITH MY FRIEND WHOSE YARD WE HELD IT IN.
(THIS WASN'T THE ONLY CON I RAN EITHER, LOL :)!