Reminiscing: My first job

Aside from a few television and movie bit parts that my parents wangled for me (like episode 64 of "Twelve O'Clock High"), I wasn't gainfully employed until I was 15. At that point, I was hired by the Daitch Shopwell grocery store on 1st Avenue and 58th Street in New York City. Too young to qualify for cashiering, I functioned as a stockboy on occasion, but my main job was driving one of these all around the local vicinity delivering groceries.



I was a small kid, and these things could get heavy - fortunately, New York doesn't have a lot of hills. But I recall enjoying the job, because in addition to my salary, I'd get tips from the people whose groceries I delivered. In 1966, a quarter was average. Fifty cents was good, and there was one family named Bruff who usually bought four jillionteen gallons of milk, who would invariably tip me a dollar. I got rich that summer, and ended up with a huge jar full of change, which I would scour for additions to my coin collection. You could still find a lot of silver coins in change back then, and buffalo nickels, and the occasional indian-head penny, so it was a win all the way round.

Funny the things we think of for no reason. The Daitch chain was aquired by A&P, the store itself has long been something else, but the memories linger...

Would you get an X-Ray from this man?

"So far, no charges have been filed, and as of Tuesday, no one is in custody for the bomb threat at the Wachovia Bank on South Main Street in Harrisonburg Monday. Harrisonburg police say they are still investigating and following leads in this complex case. Neighbors on Rex Road have confirmed from our video that their neighbor, Dr. Michael Smith, is the man coming out of the bank Monday."

Neighbors also say that Dr. Smith is a regular guy.

OK. He enters a bank with a device strapped to his back, claiming later to the police that two armed black men forced him to withdraw money from his account.

Possible. Except...

This is the second time that it's happened. Same bank, same MO, same story about armed black people. Oo-o-kayyy...

One more [bleep]ing reason.

A federal appeals court has struck down government rules restricting the words allowed on TV. The liberal media scores another victory for crudeness, and continues to hack away at the foundations of decency with a vengeance.

I am more gratified each day that television is no longer a part of my life.