I remember so many of these--rotary phones (still have one somewhere, a heavy black one), mimeographs, manual typewriters (keys would jam if you typed too fast), reel to reel recorders.

My parents had an old Polaroid camera with a flash that would blind you. And an 8mm movie camera with a bright light...most of our Christmas morning movies are of my sister and I shielding our eyes from the blinding light.

Remember when you could buy cigarettes from a vending machine? And stamps? Those ashtrays that sat on a tall base so you didn't need a table? Those little AM radios shaped like a hoop or a ball (Loop a Loop or something like that)? Hot stinky yellow rubber raincoats with those metal clasps? Bubble umbrellas? Clip-on roller skates (always unclipped at the wrong time). Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom? The truck that would come and spray mosquito stuff through the neighborhood (the bug man's coming! Close the windows!)? Click Clacks? - OUCH! Sun In for orange hair. All old people had false teeth. Women in their 50s looked old. Those old belted sanitary pads were the size of surfboards! The boxy 126 cameras? Those round fur-covered cases to hold your 45rpm records? Ker Plunk and Tinkertoys?

It's sad that so many things are in the past---people being better dressed for all occasions, being safe playing outside in your neighborhood, having only one television for the whole family to watch together. However, I eat Maypo at least 2-3 times a week--it's still around.

Oh, if you're from the NJ area, remember the stores S. Klein, Two Guys (food, hh goods, appliances and a bowling alley), Korvettes? Highway circles? Action Park?

I'll stop now.