An Editor’s Love Affair with Main Street

March 27

You’ve all probably read the recent New York Times story about Fergus Falls by now.  Here’s a similar story about Alexandria in a similarly robust publication from November 10, 1963 . . . .

[And Dad tells you all about it here . . . ]

[And of course four years later the family packed up and moved to Washington, D.C. – something about being able to pay college tuition for four chidren . . . ]

[A bogus string of fish as noted in his column . . . ]

[The one and only time the family ever strolled on that “lane” (driveway?) . . . ]

[This is before the weeping willow (long since gone) was planted on the right front of the water hazard . . . ]

[Wow, more than a million dollars!!  And what is now the Marion Building . . . ]

[Who remembers any or all of these guys?]

[As noted in Dad’s column, this photo didn’t make the final cut.  Kathy went on to become co-proprietor of Skads Travel in St. Louis Park, where in that capacity she oversees the worldwide adventures of the Super and me.  I went on to become . . . the Cub Reporter.]

In keeping with the completely personal aspects of this column, in doing “deep” research I ran across this Cub Reporter short bio from a few years ago, a questionaire either from Ladies HomeJournal or Cosmo, I would assume:

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?     “Peeping” Tom 

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?    Every time George W. Bush opens his mouth 

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?     What’s “handwriting”? 

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?     Bebe Neuwirth (Oh, I thought it said lunch “meet”)

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?     Puh-leeze!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?     Is that a trick question?

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?     My life’s blood . . .

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS      . . . and 3 wisdom teeth.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?     I only jump to conclusions. 

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?      Eggos 

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?      I can’t bend over to tie them in the first place.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?      I have been known to lift a fork to mouth many times in succession.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?      Cold and frozen

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT  PEOPLE?       Whether they have hair. 

15. RED OR PINK?       My goal in life is to have a pink Vespa, with full black leathers.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?      See answer to No. 11.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST ?     Paul Lynde 

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?       With luck, it will get lost in cyber space. 

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?        I type naked.

20.  WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?        Chocolate chip cookies – a dietary staple!

21.  WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO NOW?        I live on Lake Darling, in Alexandria – so it’s always . . . the wind!

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?      I would prefer to be a Magic Marker.

23.  FAVORITE SMELLS?       See answer to No. 20.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?       I’m still waiting for a call. 

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?       😉

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?      Eating contests

27. HAIR COLOR?      OK, who put that one in here?

28. EYE COLOR?       Blood shot (the Wine & Ale last night)

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?      See answer to preceding question. 

30. FAVORITE FOODS?       Redundant

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?       Jack Nicholson – so, either one.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?       I don’t know – I was too scared!

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?       See answer to No. 19.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?       Fall (OK, I’m a smartass.) 

35. HUGS OR KISSES?        Nibbles 

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?       Again, redundant 

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?       The CIA!  

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?      See answer to No. 17

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?         “(Not that You Asked)”  

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?       Whatever it was, I just washed it off (eee-yew!) 

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?        [Deleted – this is a family oriented publication.] 

42. FAVORITE SOUND?      Terry and Al sang “Harvest Moon” again for us last night at the Wine & Ale.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?       Beatles (is that a straight answer?)

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?       As yet, undiscovered. 

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?       The hospital has long since been razed! 

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?      Oh, you guys . . . 

48. WHAT TIME IS IT NOW?        Time for a nap.

The smell of dead fish and seaweed when we crossed the bridge between Lakes Darling and Carlos was how I knew I was home . . . [This is a paraphrase from a story written by Nancy Piga for our local newspaper several years ago (well, long enough ago I can’t locate it quickly).  Nancy’s family lived in Nebraska but came up to their lake home on Lake Carlos in Alexandria every summer.]

Up Next:  I assume back to Spain