High School Reunion Letter from the Class of 1947

June 15, 1972 25th Reunion                                                                                                              Dear Friend of Old. I started to say old friend but I'm beginning to dislike the term "old". Been meaning to write to you since the reunion on the 27th of May. I missed you terribly and everyone asked about you. Today I decided to sit out here on the porch and indulge in some memories, so get your cupa coffee and settle down. It's a balmy day for me, wind chimes ringing on the porch, my 2 cats fat and lazy under the utility trailer on the yard. A 3rd crop of English Sparrow babies are in a nearby tree demanding food. The neighbor's little kids are playing and fighting in the distance and the ever present din of traffic out front which I try to ignore. There were so many people at the reunion that I didn't get to talk to them all. My husband Glenn was on travel, so his best friend was my escort which raised a few eyebrows. I can hear them whispering: " Fat ol Jo out with another guy!" I did see Norma she is very plump now, oozing out of her low cut dress. Marty tells me that Norma is on her 2nd divorce. Doris looked the same, Eddie slightly greying, very distinguished  looking. Bessie is the same and Dolly you would know right away. Jack aged some but the same dear ol Jack. Beverly has lots of kids. Bill is the spitting image of the Man from Glad, snow white full shock of hair and very distinguished looking. He really stood out cause he's so tall too. John (remember the slob) looks like J. Edgar Hoover and was quite pleasant and charming - works for the Gov't and still single. The committee gave me the job of tracking Emory down. So I wrote to his mother and he called me one night. He is married for 5 years now. Owns a lot of stock in Marriot and quite a bit of real estate  in Prince George's County. Thinks everyone is after his money. He lives in a penthouse over looking  the Kennedy Center. Emory sat at my table for the dinner. Hans looks like a very high class physicist. Harve is still acting his movie role "lead star" - slight touch of grey and brassy as ever. He's from the old Cooke School gang, there were 20 or 24 of us there - incredible for this town to have that many still around from grade school. Dee is pleasingly plump like me and very happy with 2nd husband. John is a big wheel in the D. C. Bar Association and they have a huge home in Bethesda and entertain several times a week with maids etc. Mit got real crocked, much to everyone's surprise. Most everyone else behaved and didn't drink as much. Mary is still as beautiful as ever (I hate her!) Ken just gave $5000 for the new Boy Scout camp fund. Ely is just as sweet and demure as ever,still has her interior decorating business. Don't know why Jack is here, he was in the Class of 45. Beverly brought her scrap book and everyone enjoyed it. There were about 200 to 250 people at the Washingtonian. (Lousy food - I cook better!) Frances I think was there - I think she was one I wasn't sure of. Everyone had name tags with their senior pic from the Brecky on them. Henry - how did I let him get away! He graduated from Annapolis and has a high job working in the State Dept. He still has red hair and looks great. Ann looks like hell. Looks like she' been through the mill. Art has married again and has his 24 year old daughter living with them after her 2nd divorce. Art lives just 3 miles up Riggs Rd and we swore to get together for a beer. There was 1 1/2 hours of boozin before dinner at 8, so everyone had taken the edge off the long hard day. Carol said she would come but didn't make it. She's still fat and sassy with 5 or 6 kids and happily married down in Manassas.   Eleanor is more articulate than she was and not as shy and married the Speaker of the House of Delegates  in Wisconsin. She was really neat and fun to chat with (1 reason I didn't see too many people) Doug didn't look a day or minute older. In other news we had a house guest for  a week,a 17 year old Girl Scout from N.J. We attended a National Girl Scout Event at Trinity College and then traved over to for punch and cookies in the White House Rose Garden with Julie Nixon Eisenhower then saw "Misalliance" at the Kennedy Center and Linda Robb was in the audience. There were only 125 Girl Scouts selected from the entire USA for this event. Going on a trip soon for 3 peaceful weeks away from scouts,phones and noisy fire engines.  Well stay in good health and good spirits. Must go get ready for trip Love, the other Jo.

I can't "Stand" this.

Sign posted near a Party Store in Jackson Michigan

I was going to my local Party Store the other day and and I stopped to see a new sign up on the wall on a building next to it. Now if I can't stand, how am I to travel the other 30 feet to the Party Store? Should I crawl? Maybe walk on my hands? Kind of hard on my clothes with all the dirt and trash on the sidewalk and my hands will get muddy or cut on the broken glass vodka bottles strewn about. And what constitutes illegal standing? Two minutes? Six minutes? Will someone be arrested for standing there and checking google on their phone? or Heaven Forbid, texting the Mayor. [ Low Odds I'm Sure] I have a feeling there might have been a few fights at this location so maybe the police decided to keep the many inquisitive citizens from congregating to avoid sending them to jail and thus reducing much paperwork thereby lending more time to the local donut or pizza restaurant. What bothers me most is the actions of a few misguided rowdies throwing punches or selling illegal drugs have made it so us normal law abiding Jacksonians cannot even stare at the sky beside this sign to look for hidden meaning in the cloud formations above or to visualize a famous painting like the Last Supper or Dali's Giraffes on Fire.  I suppose I'll do what the police say. Don't want to get shot. Plus I hate wasting what little money I have left on a fine. :-] I need that money for a newspaper, beer and an occasional pint of ice cream. [not vodka]

Is Cursive a dying Art?

My Mom's amazing cursive writing.

I have heard that school kids are not taught the Art of Cursive writing anymore. I guess that is due in part to the high-tech computer and smartphone age. No need to write anymore, just hit a button and a keyboard pops up. I remember when I was in 1st and 2nd grade, we had the alphabet above the chalkboard. Each letter was in cursive handwriting, both the Capital and lower case letters. I even think we had the printed letters also but I am not certain of this. Some people say you could tell one's personality by examining their handwriting plus you could tell if the writing was a forgery. In the old days cursive was done with such style and grace that no one dared used sloppy writing. Just look at the signers of the Declaration of Independence with their flawlessly immaculate letters and long curly designs at the end of their name. I was always amazed at how well Momio would write. It seemed to her it was just like breathing, it came so naturally. She even got into calligraphy which is writing with india ink with special metal tips you dip in the ink. Momio even painted the bottom of our 2nd floor steps with a brush done in calligraphy style. She also embroidered pillow cases with cursive writing. It seems a lot of new high-tech things have made it easier but it has also taken the beauty and style out of the way it was originally done. At least we can preserve cursing writing in museums.

Momio's cursive writing on our home's name: "Lochaven"

A Blast From the Past

Historical Ken with other Reenactors

Saturday August 23, 2014 I was transported back in time to the Civil War Era. The smell of wood burning and the scent of pork, chicken, potatoes and various pies gave an added reality check of what it must of been like back then. All the campsites with their cooking utensils and furniture were very authentic looking as were the uniforms the soldiers wore and the clothes the citizens dressed in. There was even a doctors tent for first aid complete with many old herbal concoctions and such plus the lead that was yanked out of arms and legs. Some were singing songs while the military brass band played on. The Main Event was of course the Battle and the soldiers awed the crowd with splendid displays of bravery and dying. All in all a great time with good food and drink to be found and plenty of Mid 1800s clothes and guns and musical instruments buy. Take a camera next time the Jackson Civil War Muster is in town and record your historical memories for years to come.

Soldier stirring the chicken stew.

Medicines and bone fragments.

A Long Time Coming

East Jackson Class of 1973

This was my first class reunion since I got out of high school. I figured I better go before I'm no longer around or I don't recognize anyone or even myself in a few years. I had a very good time. Everyone talked to me  and I took some nice photographs. This group photo was taken by Tom Tyszko. I was amazed at how everyone still looked the same. Thirty Two of us showed up [one is not in the photo] the evening of August 10 at the Cascades Manor House. Out of 123 graduates we had 25% represented that night. Particularly nice was a table that had 3 or 4 different years books from our time at EJ: 1970 to 1973. A few of the guys even managed to organize a golf outing with each other the next day. If your reunion is coming up next year, try to go and don't forget to take a camera to record the memories. *Cheers* -Jimio

What a Great Day to Start a Weekend

Downtown Development Authority and WKHM at Grand River Marketplace  

This is Race Weekend and in Jackson that means lots of people scurrying about and the bright sunny skies just adds to the desire to go outside and check out all the activities. Here at the Grand River Marketplace local farmers come in and sell their top notch produce. They have a fantastic restaurant and they brew their own beer and wines. Musicians play on stage and also outside. Come down and try a burger with bacon jelly sauce or a reuben with  Wisconsin cheese washed down with homemade ales or wines. This is Jimio saying *Enjoy your Weekend*

Jackson's First 80F Day of 2013

You can really tell when the weather is getting nice when people start using the outside tables at restaurants around town. Here this man is enjoying a Stones Brew and savoring this most wonder warm and pleasant day. This is Jimio saying *Cheers* to all who love the Great Outdoors of Jackson.

The Lost Art of Writing Letters

A few letters I have received over the last 48 years

Now that the Age of the Internet is upon us, we must kiss goodbye the old vestiges of the envelopes marked "First Class" or "Par Avion". As I peruse over these ancient forms of communication, I must bestow a few excerpts that have captured my eye. Here is a letter from my Grandfather living in Alexandria Virginia in 1969: " Your cousin in Texas had a letter from the US Naval Academy and another from West Point asking him to go to their schools. But the military schools require one to serve 5 years after graduation but that would interfere with his playing professional football which might make him rich". My cousin graduated and went on to play football with the Washington Redskins from 1974-1981 #59 Middle Linebacker. Another letter from Grandpa in 1964 he writes: "Tell your daddy to write me - I hear he has changed his business again. I am worried by the thought of the long drive he has to make when the snow and ice comes, even if his car has the most modern tires and chains, yes even with a safety belt - That is a long drive to make every day. Enclosed is a check for all of your sisters and brother. Get your mama to cash it and give each of you a dollar. Write again soon - Lots of Love and Kisses to you all -Grandpa." From a Chess Friend in England on a Christmas Card: "Happy Christmas Jim -Cheers,Mike" A thank-you letter from a chess prodigy: " It is extremely nice for somebody like you to take the time and expense to help my cause. I am positive that the books you donated will provide enjoyment and learning for the ones who are not as fortunate as we are. You simply cannot imagine how precious your contribution is. Sincerely yours -K. K. Karanja May 28 1988"  Letter from a friend who had recently moved: " The scrambled eggs here are prepared by steaming which kills all taste and texture like eating some kind of yellow plastic and other such gastronomic monstrosities. We must get all the old shoes from around the USA and pretend they are roast beef." Letter from Uncle Jerry dated June 6 1979: "I've been busy trying to get the boat ready to put back in the water. It's been one thing after another but I finally took her on a Shakedown to South River. She runs well and except for a loose window everything seems ok." Hand written letter from Hit Parader Magazine dated November 1980: "Thanks for your letter to Hit Parader. We hope you saw the Judas Priest feature in the last issue. Keep on the look-out for the next issue of HP - there's a Molly Hatchet story coming and more on Judas Priest in the Hit Parader Annual Issue. Just stay with us and we'll try to feature as many Heavy Metal artists as possible. Sincerely Yours, Shelton Ivany -Editor" Letter from my brother Brad stationed in Rota Spain in the Navy dated Jan 11 1977: "My little spanish car is driving me crazy. It seems like everytime I turn around, something is going wrong with it. If I never see another 'Seat' again when I leave here, it wont break my heart."  The Seat is a Spanish Car pronounced "Say-At" http://www.seat-cars.co.za/  Another except from a letter Brad wrote on Sept 3, 2005: "We have already started packing our bags for the Philippines. Marina plans on using every allowable pound."  On June 25, 1986 Brad writes: "Jackie Gleason died last night and Fred Astair the night before. It makes you realize how old you are getting when people you've watched and heard about all your life are dying. A few years from now there will be kids who won't remember their names." Here is a little quip from my brother dated March 4, 1983: " If your Pinto makes it one more year I think you will have gotten more than your money's worth." Letter from Momio Jan 27, 1983: "Winter paid us a visit last week and transformed the meadow and trees beyond into a crystal palace. Every tree, branch, twig and blade of grass was encased in a sheath of ice that refracted the light like a thousand mirrors." Letter from Momio dated Sept 1, 1987: "Did you see the new lake wall out front of the house? They covered over our hand prints we made in the cement, yours and mine and wiped out the date. I was so sad to see it go. So much for posterity." I think we put our hand prints in that lakewall around 1975 during a patch up job. Letter from Momio dated Sept 24, 1982, she writes: " If you were to ask me what I miss about Michigan this time of year I would have to say the ducks and geese on Gilletts Lake. The birds down here in Georgia have been strangely quiet of late. I suppose that's because the birds of summer have left and the birds of winter haven't arrived yet. However, the birds that stay thorugh the year - the mockingbirds, thrashers, and towhees are not as raucous as usual. Perhaps there are too many cats in the area. Like Rome, we are infested with cats." Here is an insightful take on Momio's political vision: "Looks like things are warming up in Central America. Here we go again. The agony of unacceptable alternatives. They say Duarte is a moderate but I doubt he has the stamina to be a leader. Reagan says he wants to negotiate with the Russians but from a position of strength, hence the arms build-up. Fiddle - dee - dee, you don't know who to believe anymore. I think Haig is inept. He was a good general and that's where they should have left him, as a commander in the field. He certainly is no statesman. Too bad they don't have Kissinger in there. A lot of people don't like him because of his association with Nixon but when it came to foreign relations he was absolutely marvelous and he was particularly adept at negotiating." Letter from Daddio dated Dec 4, 1981: " James, remember when Mama used to take you all to the Toyhouse the day after Thanksgiving and you would come home and tell me all about the trains and race cars you saw."

The Perfect Age

Jimio at age 12

Jimio at age 30

Jimio at age 56 with nephew Mark

What is the perfect age if you could stay there? I think it depends on who you ask and what age they would enjoy being for however long they wanted to. For some people I suspect they would like to be age 12 forever. Having a golden childhood might enhance their selection. I had a decent childhood but I would never want to be eternally set at age 12. Can't drive or go anywhere you want, when you want. I feel the perfect age is 36. You are not too immature to know the finer things in life and still young enough to participate in rigorous endeavors. Young enough to play a few pranks on friends yet old enough to take on adult responsibilities. At age 56 I think was not the perfect age for me. For   many it is a time of a higher living standard and a better position [hopefully] in one's career, but who wants to live with the aches and pains, the root canals, the pharmacy visits and screaming grandkids forever. I guess on the plus side your own children are grown and have their own jobs and the grandchildren are not over every day. So I can see some trade-offs, and blurring of the decades along the edges.

Can you Walk like a Zombie?

Fresh is always better than frozen or canned

The Jackson Michigan Zombie walk was October 13, a nice unlucky number and a dreary rainy day for a Zombie Walk. The rain added that nice gruesome touch. We can't have Zombies walking around on a gloriously sunny day now can we? I'm sure real Zombies didn't use umbrellas either but who wants all their bloody makeup washed off? This years walk was a mind curdling success. At least 350 zombies signed up at  the Coffee Shop while a band played Death Metal [ Quite good I might add. Very crisp clear chords and sharp drumming ] There was a Cadillac Hearse to lead the walk. A skeleton looked out the back window and it eerily reminded me of the Grateful Dead. Well I beat the walkers to the Michigan Theater due to riding a bicycle. I could have beat them walking since many were dragging a damaged leg or stopping to try to eat human flesh. In West Africa a Zombie's Soul was captured in a bottle and sold to clients for luck,healing or business success. In Southern Africa a dead person can be turned into a Zombie by a small child. Also some Witches [Witchcraft VooDoo types I suppose] could turn persons into Zombies and possess them and force them into slave labor. After rail lines were built to transport migrant workers, stories came about  of "Witch Trains" which looked normal but were stuffed by Zombie workers controlled by a Witch. The trains would abduct a person boarding at night and be turned into a Zombie or beaten and thrown from the train. I guess they weren't good Zombie material. Also there was some drug or potion one could ingest that gave the appearance that one looked dead, only to wake up hours later. This had to have helped the Zombie craze not to mention some Schizophrenics thinking themselves to be dead while still walking around. One of the earliest Zombie books was "Magic Island" by William Seabrook in 1929. That spawned the movie "White Zombie" starring Bela Lugosi in 1932. The modern Zombies as we know them seem to have been born by the book "I Am Legend" written by Richard Matheson. Soon after that the movie "The Night of the Living Dead" by George Romero in 1968 crawled from the Grave. Songs about Zombies have been done by Fela Kuti in 1976 and by The Cranberries in 1994. Who cant remember the rock band "The Zombies"!

Zombie Priest

A Zombie Family that stays Together

A Grandfather's Letter to his Grandson

Howell - Charles - James - Geraldine

John - Howell - Charles - James and Geraldine in front who got kicked by a playful Colt

My Grandfather James

Letter from my Grandfather at age 80 written to me at age 11 in 1966: " The Gilded age I was born in was 1886. My Father had a Stock Farm with 120 head of race horses - blooded stock they said and a big family coach, painted in black and gold. Four horses - High Steppers they were, and my Father built a big brown stone four story house with family initials on the doors. Electric lighting had just come out and all the electric switches for the whole house were in one little room, like a pantry. They were knife blade switches - copper brass exposed. The door was kept locked. We had door bells, big bells one could hear all over the house. We had a big coal furnace in the cellar. I tried to run away and become a drummer boy in the Spanish American War but our boys died like flies with yellow fever. Guess it was a good thing my father and his colored work hands caught me and took me back. I remember we had a special kind of dog with lots of spots. He ran under our carriage where ever we went. I wore kilties and had long curls down my back like a girl and got in so many fights that Papa took me to Philadelphia and had my hair cut short and bought me a boys brown suit. Many bicycles had a real high wheel and a short wheel. The street lights were manufactured gas and a man came along every evening to light the lights. He had a step ladder and a long tapir. Then they invented the incandescent lamp. They were set high in the corners and a man came along every so often and put a stick of carbon in them. They arranged the lamps so they could be let down to the street level and raised in place again by ropes. Drug stores sold two kinds of ice cream. Vanilla and Chocolate. A nickle would buy a loaf of bread and it was 5 cents for a cigar - or a pocket full of candy. Tutti Fruity ice cream was sold by street peddlers for 1 penny a scoop. Bananas were sold by street peddlers as were vegetables and fruits. My Papa would spit on the apples and rub them hard with an old rag to make them shine. In Philly us boys used to go around in gangs of 25 to 50 teenagers and the gangs all had names like the "Boone Rippers" or the "Cannery House Gang". The "Stone Yard Gang" which I belonged to had a fort with a big fence around it and full of chipped stones. The telephone came out when I was a baby. My Mothers Father was called "King of the Commission Merchants" in Philadelphia. Philly had cable cars that ran all the time. When they started to move, they let down a grip which grabbed the cable through a slot in the middle of the car tracks. Every once in a while the cable broke and everything stopped. There were many big wagons in the streets all the time and there were quite a few traffic jams with so many horses and wagons and carriages. In New York, the street cars were pulled by horses and they charged 3 cents for children and 5 cents for elders. The seats ran lengthwise of the cars. Many men wore high silk hats and hard derby hats. I didn't see any felt hats until after I went West in 1907. The street sidewalks were all brick and the roads were all cobble stones. There was always a rumble and it was noisy. Men came along with street brooms and shovels, sweeping up the horse manure. There were many mules also. Mules were animals with a mare for a mother and a little jackass for a father. They are man made animals, not put here by God like other animals. They cannot breed and have young mules - only a horse can have a male baby. The horse manure was sold to farmers to use in their gardens as a fertilizer. Some fertilizers were ground up with dead fish and animal bones. My father, your Great Grandfather was a big strong man 6' 2" in his bare feet and his arms were as big around as my legs at the hips. He had black curly hair, blue eyes and red cheeks from his Irish mother. He was a great swimmer and a dead shot and seemed to fear nothing. He liked to shoot wild ducks and wild geese. He gave me a Martin-Henry 16 shot repeating rifle when I got old enough to hold it up and shoot it. When I went west, my sister and my brother Charlie hogged all the old things when the old residence was sold and I got nothing. Your Grandmother Eva did not want any of the old stuff. "

Why do certain things happen at the same time?

Woman taking her 2 Dogs for a stroll

Have you ever noticed when you see 1 kid flying a kite, the chances are good you will see another kid flying a kite? Sure, it probably because its a nice windy day outside. But what about things not so obvious? When I see a woman walking her dogs, I will see others walking their dogs and the more I look around, the more I will find walking their dogs. I have seen a car pulled over by an officer then maybe 2 miles away I see the same thing. It cant be the weather. It was not a holiday or weekend. If I see a plane in the sky, you betcha, I'll see a few more that day. I see a car with a flat tire, I'll see another one, or 2 or 3 with a loud exhaust. Even famous people seem to die in groups of 3's, well that maybe stretching it a bit, but it does seem that when a celebrity dies, its not long after another one dies. Something to wonder about. -Jimio

Most Fame Starts Locally

Contestant at Jackson MI Teen Idol

Before many get famous they hone their skills at churches singing gospel or at high school musicals singing and acting for a possible shot at double fame. Actually I'd have to say it even starts much earlier than this. At age 3 or 4 very enthusiastic parents steer their children towards promising careers. Some with good intentions and some with ideas of living vicariously through their offspring. While many children can benefit from this others probably are disillusioned and crushed by all the constant pressure. A good parent is one who will know when to back off if the pressure is changing their child negatively. Let the kid do his thing in his own time. If they are ready to fly then strap the wings on them :-] Even after finding fame they can still fall to corrupt managers and bad drugs. I have heard that drugs helped some musicians to be more creative. With the untimely deaths of many music stars , I would have to disagree with this approach. The risk is greater than the reward and when you are high or drunk, you only think you are being more creative. The American Teen Idol competition has grown along with the American Idol one. It seems odd to need a Teen Idol competition since American Idol contestants age can range from 15 to 28. Then again the Teen Idol might be born out of a desire for a more local contest. It brings in money to the community and had an even greater chance to find talent. After all the Olympic Gymnasts win gold medals at 13 or 14 years of age, why cant singers win a contest also? The Teen Idol I attended went off rather nicely, though a 5 minute downpour
interrupted a singer in the middle of his song. When the rain stopped, the judges, bowing to the strength of Mother Nature, allowed him to start his song over again. The Judges were all local people as were the teen singers. I suspect most of the audience was local as was I for sure. They even had cheering sections for their favorite singers. All in all a good time for a free event.

Graffiti Rocks

Graffiti Rock at Michigan Center High School

Graffiti Rock at Vandercook Lake High School

Graffiti Rock at Concord High School

Graffiti Rock at Jackson High School

When I was in High School we never had a Graffiti Rock and now I see them at almost every high school. I started "Googling" around and found that the Graffiti Rock tradition seems to have started at University of the Pacific in the 1960s two engineering students brought a large boulder and put in on the front yard of the Engineering and CS Building. A few years later a second boulder was put near that one. Students started sneeking out at night and painted graffiti on these rocks. I guess over time this custom spread to other Universities and then to High Schools. Just Google: University of the Pacific Graffiti Rock - a set on Flickr  , and you will see quite a few of their graffiti rocks over the last few years. oberlinrocks.com is another nice site showing the graffiti rocks for birthdays, anniversaries, proposals,just about anything.

Do Ice Cream Stands really make money in a Heat wave?

Jimio cooling down on a 100F Day

On these 100F plus days I have always wondered how busy an Ice Cream Stand can be. I suppose if you have to get out in this heat, an ice cream cone can cool you off for a bit. But that's the rub: "A Bit". Unless you order a 3-scoop cone it wont last very long [If you try to make it last, a lot of it ends up on the ground]. So its a balance of melting versus licking fast. I'd guess the smart people just purchase super-sized drinks because the ice lasts longer than any old ice cream cone will. I like eating ice cream cones because it reminds me when I was 5 years old and my first cone landed in the dirt. I take extra special care these days so I don't repeat that horrifying incident 55 years ago and every completely finished ice cream cone feels like an incredible victory. I think the reality is, most of the smart people are staying indoors in the AC so no wonder I'm the only one here. Probably being outdoors in a 100 degree plus day is no different than riding a bicycle in a foot of snow on a 20 below zero day. Either way I'm just as crazy! =B-]

A Worldwide Memorial

Section of World Trade Center at Cascades Falls Park, Jackson Michigan

When I went to take pics at our annual July 4th Fireworks at Cascades Falls, I had no idea this Memorial was there. As you can see the steel beam is twisted and torn and badly burned. I thought to myself: "If my little city has this WTC section, I wonder how many other Cities, Towns, Villages and Special Arenas or Parks have sections?" Well a little Googling has found me an article that says 13,000 linear feet of steel from the WTC was donated to about 1,300 places. Google 911memorials.org  to see a list of sites with 911 Memorials. These Memorials are located Worldwide since the entire world has felt the impact of 911.

Color Coded Buses

City Buses lined up to take Commuters Home

I love art and I love things with lots of bright colors in them. Sometimes colors can help us. In the Hospital they have different colored stripes on the floor to help guide you to which department of specialized medicine that you needed. You just kept following the blue, red, yellow or green line till it ended. Now Buses being color coded might be helping those who cant read the sign on the bus and can maybe go by which color it is, providing the same color bus always goes on the same route. Bus is derived from the Latin word "Omnibus" meaning "For All". One of the first bus stations was in Nantes France and the Store was called "Omnes" which is Latin for "All" , so the stores patrons started called the horse drawn carriges that carried lots of passengers, "Omnibuses". After the buses becaome motorized, they were called "Autobuses" Some Buses are called "Coaches" which have reclining seats that are very comfortable and usually a restroom on board. The first known public bus line was in 1662.

Race Weekend

This is what you get after drinking 1 Million gallons of Coca-Cola

I found this in a giant Wheaties Box

I never knew my Toy Cars were Real!

Well here we go again. This Magical Mystical time of the year when traffic jams last for 5 hours and you run out of Sunscreen. What! You forgot the Umbrella? If you don't like the idea of burning to death at the race, you can always come to town and partake of many exciting events, like listening to live music, eating great greasy foods and last but not one bit least, *Guzzling the Sudz!* Cheers! The Weather could not be better. Ninety Nine Degrees and 80% Humidity. I sure hope the guitar amps don't melt. Honestly tho-If you like the race, please enjoy it to your heart's content but don't forget to mosey into town for some NightLife.

Psychedelic Castle

Underground Ink Tattoo Parlor

Talk about Eye-Catching. This is self-advertizing at its best. This old innovative building is located right on a curve and I wonder how many car accidents it must have caused with all the drivers turning their heard to get a better look at such a Day-Glow Monstrosity. Maybe it glows in the dark! A Full Moon would help also. Be great to hold Halloween Parties in. I don't often see many brightly colored buildings in this area. Most are in New Orleans or in Europe so it was refreshing to see this. Not sure if this place helps or hurts property values but being a Tattoo Parlor as it may, I suppose the customers can be a problem especially if they are not happy with their tattoos. I wonder what business this building held before Underground Ink came there? Making cannonballs? :-]

Clowning around with Beauty

Ronald McDonald with Rosequeen and the Runnerups

On Sunday June 3rd 2012, Jackson Michigan held its Rosequeen Parade and Ronald McDonald happened to stop by and pay a visit. I just happened to catch him posing with the Rosequeen and her other contestants. I  never knew Ronald was such a Ladies Man. He even told them the best eyeliner to use that wouldn't smudge. Remember, he must put on his makeup hundreds of times a year, so having a quality brand is imperative to keep one's face from cracking up. The Rock Group KISS realized that a good exquisite exotic cosmetic is necessary to save one's skin. Ronald certainly did not forget his core Fans: The kids. He posed many times with the children along the parade to give them a memorable keepsake forever. This Jimio saying: "If you have a local parade near you, check it out. And take a camera!"