Remember when

ha yeah, they had those, and the "board of education" in the principles office. true story.

 

Paper routes? Kids today have no clue about the trials and tribulations of a paper route. 7 days a week rain, snow ,shine , darkness . If sick you did the route anyway. Supposedly friendly dogs that would chew your ass off. I remember sneaking up on houses with mean dogs, throwing the paper on the porch and then peddling as fast as I could with Rover snarling at my legs. Then there were the official complaints, paper wasnt on the porch, paper was wet, paper was late, paper hit the screen door etc. Then there were heavy insert days like sundays. My paper bags were so heavy I couldn’t straighten up when I put them over my shoulders. And the people who would move out at the end of the month without paying.
If I had it to do over again I’d do it again without a second thought. Taught me a lot, taught me the work ethic, taught me to persevere and not quit, taught me the value of money I earned and lots more. Helped me to be a man. And when I turned 16 the money I earned and saved paid for my first car.

 

Shit me either. My paper man in the 80-90’s was a dude driving a comet

 

100% Paying your weekly paper bill, budgeting the little bit of money you earned. Rain sleet snow heat. My first route was massive. I took on a route that was like 70 daily over 100 sundays. 2 twin brothers did it before I did. I got dehydrated that first summer and couldn't do it for a day or 2 b/c of the heat, as soon as I felt better I went right back to it.

Kids now don't know personal responsibility. Not all but many.

As an IT guy, I have to indoctrinate new hires often times, and issue their equipment. To be fair, I will meet more young kids out of college who seem to get it. I'm always pleasantly surprised and I will go out of my way for them to help them be successful. Esp when they are respectful and polite. I want to show them the way. Or be of service to them.

Had a young girl who was an intern come into the company in May, a UNC student. Very proper, very respectful, very smart, your prototypical well brought up middle class girl. She was telling me about getting her car towed for misparking, and having to call her mom for help and stuff. So it gave me an opportunity to share my 20s trials and tribulations with her and try to give her some advice on how to avoid stuff like that. Very receptive and kind.

So the good ones do exist, they are just harder to find.

 

Truth!
I delivered the San Jose Mercury News. Sunday papers were the size of a loaf of Wonder Bread. I had, close to, two hundred houses, at one point, when my buddy quit and our route manager was like, "You can handle it." It took hours before school even started. I'd finish my homework in the afternoon and roll papers until A-Team came on and then wake up at 0400 and go deliver em' all. I had a fat wallet for a 13 year old. It was a good feeling to go and buy things that my parents could not afford for me. My first "good" skateboard was half paper route money and half a gift from my rad Skate Mom. My Mom is/was rad. She even drove me on my route a few times when my bike got stolen. I don't remember the double route lasting too long. Like I burned out.

 

The Sunday paper was the worst , with all the advertising flyers

 

And you had to be super conscious of taking a paper out of the left bag and then the right bag or your weight would be off and you'd fold up on your bike and eat it. I used a beach cruiser because of the wide bars and balloon tires. The old GT BMX (purchased with paper route money...thank you) could not handle the route.

 

I remember when my High School had a smoking area for students, auto shop, metal shop, wood shop, ceramics, drafting, fine arts, geology, bowling for PE, surfing for PE, band, theater, home economics, a school paper...

We left school with tangible life skills. These kids graduate now and they legit can't even read.

 

I delivered in Oakland so in addition to the shit I listed I had to deal with bad asses that wanted to kick my ass. After I beat the crap out of 2 of them they didn’t mess with me any more. (I was already a trained boxer at that time which definitely helped)

 

I remember when I was a ricer.

 

Damn. Oaktown is no joke and never has been. Only place I've ever had guns drawn on me. One time after a RHCP / Fishbone? / Primus concert at Henry J. Kaiser when I was in High School. And once when I was doing service work up there and my wife paged me (911 911 911 911 911). I stopped my van and used a pay phone that "belonged" to a group of young lads hanging outside the liquor store nearby. The kid in the poofy jacket with the fur lined hood had quite a nice semi-auto. That town is rough.
Though, the redwood park up by the zoo is a hidden gem.

 

My last paper route wasn't too insanely large. It was the right size for one guy. Like 50 daily 70 Sunday. I could only get maybe 5-10 Sundays in a bag at a time.

My dad would drop the papers off on the corners of the blocks and then I'd go to town. During the week I'd be on my bike and I could get all my papers in 2 bags. Then December, we'd do calendars for the customers and we'd CASH IN. Huge tips. Like $10 or 20 from some. And in 1989 90 that was good cash for a kid.

It's incredible this many years later I can still remember the route, I can almost remember the daily and Sunday customers for the most part. My route abutted up against my Little Leagure park.

Best years of my life for sure. So much fun.

South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

 

I had a 2.5 rs with a sti 03 drive train In it

 

Remember running thru the sprinkler because your family was too poor to own a damn swimming pool?

lol

 

Nope. Neighbor had a pool and could use it when ever I wanted. If I wasn’t at the club chasing girls

 

Only for an hour, “ what you think we own the water company “

 

I love it. My buddy Tom has been helping Bucky Lasek with his builds. Bucky has some fun with the Subies. We planned on attending Subiefest this last weekend but, could not find a sitter for our dog. Sadness...

 

so true hahahaha

 

Yea subi fest would be fun