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Uh-huh. Well, having been there not too long ago, and my wife having only recently completed a doctorate, I'm fairly full of it, of it myself. Um. Uh, the main point that I have about choosing where you want to go to school, is that, you have to early on define what it is you want to do or at least what area you want to be in. Yeah. Uh, I had the unpleasant experience of going through several schools that were very specialized. I went through a number of them, uh, undergraduate schools, before I found a, a good school that was more general, uh, to give me time to make up my mind. Um. Oh, that's interesting. I went to a, a liberal arts school, actually, at first, and you weren't really even, um, they didn't expect you to choose any sort of major or anything at all until you were in your second year, and then you, you know, you had, I think you had to pick it, by, by, by the end of the second you had to pick some sort of major, but until then they didn't sort of force you. They, they sort of forced you to run around taking classes in everything until then. Certain requirements, so that, so that you had to sort of get a general feel for everything, so it wasn't that specialized. So that, That's wonderful. I'm a great proponent of liberal arts education, for anybody. Yeah.
Yeah. Uh, being an engineer now, I believe in it even more strongly than I did before. Uh-huh. I was just on a committee recently, actually sponsored by, uh, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, trying to sort of, you know, where, where they were just trying to figure out how to fit science and liberal arts together, you know, because there are people who are getting just wonderful science educations and not getting enough liberal arts, and then the other way around as well, people are getting pure technical science educations and not getting very good liberal arts sorts of issues. So, Well, thus far it's working to my advantage. Uh, the great gap historically has, with engineers, has been while they may have all this technical information, they have no way of imparting it to, except to another engineer. Uh-huh. And I have the ability to listen to them and then translate that into something that nonengineers can understand. Well, that must be helpful. Well, it's, a lot of fun, at the moment. That could be very helpful . Yeah, well, I figure that, that, that's probably the thing I would most tell any parent, you know, to tell their kids, I think, probably make sure the kid goes to a school where they get sort of a general education and save specialization, I guess, for graduate school, unless they're sure they want, early on they want to do something like engineering or something. Or they can, Even at that, I have a son, that, who's only nine at the moment.
But I see him very rapidly becoming the engineering personality, and, uh, if he decides to pursue that, I'm going to insist that he spend two years at a liberal arts college, before I'll even let him go to an engineering college. Um. And, yes, that'll add one year to his education experience. Yeah, but, but that's a good idea. Well, where I am right now, actually I'm at the University of Rochester, and that's a pretty good engineering school, I think. I think we do some they have pretty good engineering here. Yes, it is. They also have a fairly large liberal arts college as well. A sort of, a separate, you know, arts and sciences college. Um, and I believe the engineers are sort of required to take classes in, in everything, and I know people, I do, uh, I do work in language processing, and, and, and at least one person who's in my field started off as an engineer, started off as an an electrical engineer student, and then switched over at some point into language processing, because he found that he enjoyed it more. So they do force them, people are forced to sort of take all different kinds of classes here, which I think is wonderful. Oh, I agree.
Uh, I have the experience, uh, the last school that I went to was Mississippi State University which is historically an engineering and agricultural school. Uh-huh. Right. Uh, the typical land grant university, every state's got one. Uh-huh. Anyway, while it has both engineering and liberal arts, the engineering students tend to cluster together. Yeah. You know, they're in classes together, even when they're outside of the engineering department. Uh-huh. And they don't learn the communications, they don't learn the thought processes of other fields of, of endeavor. Um. It's, you know, it, that's kind of like if I were king for a day, and got to, and got to make one rule. My rule would be, no one could get out of high school without an entire year of philosophy. Um, uh-huh. That would, be very good actually. And it's, that's not even true in our colleges. Right, you, you don't need any philosophy at all in school.
Uh-huh. Or yeah, or, or, or, or some other thought provoking area, you know. Very true. We had, uh, when I went to undergraduate, we had uh, went to Brandeis, don't know if you know of it or not, uh, we had, uh, uh, a requirement freshman year of just Humanities. Then you were given a choice of, um, you know, there were ten or twelve, or whatever, or fifteen different courses that you could take, but they all centered, they all came out of Philosophy, English, and Literature departments, and they were, they were, they were a set of assigned readings everybody had to read, you know for, so the first year Humanities courses everyone had to read the Iliad an, and so forth, Right. and what they did do, was they all approached it from, from very different, so that you could have one class in the philosophy of something, that the philosophy of Greek mythology or something that actually approached this, or, um, one literature, you know, or a, a literature course or, just all sorts of different perspectives on it, and people got to pick and choose, but, but by the end, everyone had a good sample of, of, of, sort of how to think about these things nonscientifically, you know, and, uh, and that sort of forced them.
But I believe that, that, that you, one of the, one of the best things to do, at least for me in school was, was, I was sort of forced to take lots of different kinds of courses. Um, I was forced to take, I think you know, some sort of art history course, and we all grumbled about it at first, but then, afterward, we all wound up taking extra art history classes, because it just seemed like something, something we didn't totally know nothing about, but just enjoyed very much doing, and something I would never would have done if, if I wasn't forced to take it. Yes, I I remember that experience Uh-huh. that and, uh, extra music classes. Yes. Uh-huh. And that, and that really is something that, that I notice, like I talk to a lot of my friends at school that are more specialized, and they don't have that. They just, you know, they went in and took their courses that they were expected to take, and that was all. They never had some of the more fun classes, I guess . I feel a little more worldly now Well, that will continue to grow even as you go beyond graduate school. Yes, I'm, I'm, I'm hoping, I'm hoping. Have, have you gone straight through?
Yes, I, I graduated, um, college in eighty-seven, and I just went straight through. Um, I'm finishing up next year. So, yeah, I didn't take any break or anything yet. I've been trying actually, in graduate school, I've been trying to do the same thing, take courses, completely outside my area, and I'm finding in graduate school it's a lot harder, because, uh, I just don't have the time any more to sort of sit in a course, that I'm not getting graded for. Whereas before I would just sign up for credit for it, now I can't sign up for an art history course for credit necessarily. So I have to try and go myself, and I went for like two or three weeks and realized, not enough time for the work unfortunately. That's true. Are you pursuing a Master's or a Doctorate? I'm pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology. So, I'm just, wind up spending a lot of time doing that instead. Uh, what else. I, I think I, Well, let me, let me encourage you to stop and experience life along the way. Oh. I, I first enrolled in college in nineteen sixty-six.
Uh-huh. Uh, six years, and a, and a war later, uh, I got a degree, an undergraduate degree. And then fifteen years after that, I got the first of a set of master's degrees and four years after that I got another master's degree. Um. You had real world experience in the middle there. Oh, yes. And that helped, you think? Or that was, It, it certainly makes acceptance of different ideas a lot easier. Uh-huh. Um. Yeah, I'm getting some of that. Um, I have, I have sort of some, work experience . My wife is not an academic at all. My wife is sort of in the real world, and so I sort of hinge halfway out in the real world and I, getting, you know, real world . Especially she works in, uh, uh, she works in the, she works for a temporary agency, and I never would have had, she's the office supervisor,
I never would have had any, I've, I've learned much just sort of by watching her and her, and her business as well. So yeah, so I, I can, I can see where that might be a, Well, vicarious learning is a wonderful thing. Yeah It certainly means that we don't have to experience everything, but experience is a wonderful, teacher also. That's my, oh yeah. Yeah, agreed, agreed. Well, I'll, I'll take that, I'll take that and think that through a little bit. Uh. My wife, as I may have mentioned, just finished a doctorate a couple of years ago. Yes. and she pursued her education along the lines that I did with lots of break in between. Uh-huh. And she feels reasonably comfortable teaching now. She has an awful lot of experience to draw on. No longer
Okay. Well, I take it since you selected this topic that you have children. No, I don't, You don't? but I have nine younger brothers and sisters. My goodness. So. Well, I have two daughters and, um, they're past this, they've been latchkey children for a while, and they're almost where I can start saying they're, you know, young adults, Uh-huh. so I don't have to worry about child care too much anymore. Um, we're supposed to discuss what criteria we would ask, or expect. Uh-huh. I would assume it's, you know, if you were looking for a day-care center or something like that. Well, if I were Or probably even baby-sitters would be the same thing. Exactly. Exactly. Um, I think my, my top priority would be that it would be someone who would be responsible and someone that would actually like children.
Yes, I would think someone older and I would want to know if they've had any past experience with children. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And I think that varies. I think a lot of your criteria vary with the age of your child. Yes, that's true also. Um, you know, it's, it's, once they get to a certain age it's almost more important that it's someone that can entertain your child as opposed to someone who's, you know, really, really qualified per se. Uh-huh. Um, with a, with a baby, definitely have to be someone who knows how to handle a baby and would know how to respond to an emergency. Uh-huh. So, Well, um, I did a lot of baby-sitting when I was younger. I'm twenty-two now and I did most of my baby-sitting when I was between the ages of thirteen and sixteen. But, um, the only thing people ever asked me, well, of course, they knew I came from a family with younger kids, but they really didn't ask me if I was used to children or not.
The only other thing they asked me is what I would expect in pay. Oh, uh-huh, uh-huh. You know, and, um, I was pretty surprised because if I had a child and someone, you know, I would want to know, I personally would ask for people that that person has baby-sit for before. Well, I, my experience, I baby-sat a lot also at, when I grew up and, um, coming from, you know, that background and the background as a parent now, I think the reason that people don't ask a whole lot of questions is a, a lot of times baby-sitters, I know I did this with my children, it's, you get somebody where you kind of know the family already. Uh-huh. And that gives you so much basic knowledge that you don't ask a whole lot of questions. Uh-huh. because I had three younger brothers and sisters myself so they, they thought, okay, she knows how to, how to treat children. Yes. Well, see when, um, I first got my my first baby-sitting job was pretty strange. Um, this lady saw us at church and she was a you know, she was a younger lady. She didn't really know my mom. She knew my mom by name
and that was it. And, um, she knew that I was one of the oldest girls in my family so she just asked my mom if I could baby-sit. Uh-huh, uh-huh. You know, she really didn't know my name or anything, you know, I thought that was pretty strange. You know, and she had two children. One was still in diapers when I started baby-sitting. Wow. So, um, she pretty much, you know, just assumed that I would know, you know, how to handle them. So, I you know, I enjoy kids and I get along with them very well so there's no problem. But, uh, with today's world and the kids today, uh, there's no way, I can't say that I would just ask someone, you know, that I didn't know like that to baby-sit. Oh, I agree with you, but there again she, you know, she knew, knew of your family, Uh-huh, that's true. and she, and she met in a safe setting, such as church.
Uh-huh. So she was going on those two instincts. Just the same I know myself, I never, and I was very very protective on who baby-sat my children. Oh, I would be too And, and in it really shocked me because just about six months ago someone came to my front door, rang the doorbell. She had just moved in the neighborhood. She had her daughter with her, and the daughter was, oh, about a second grader. And she was actively looking for people who would baby-sit her child. Oh, my. And I thought, well she doesn't know me or my children from anything. Huh-uh. And it was, I was almost more reluctant of letting my older children go baby-sit for her because I didn't know her then she was reluctant of letting strangers into her house. Uh-huh, yes. Uh-huh. So, I mean people are so different.
Oh, I know. Um, well, I I, obviously you've never had to look for a day care or anything. Well, I did, I did have, um, my, my child, uh, in a day care for just a short time when my oldest was about two and a half Uh-huh. and I worked just a part-time job and, uh, in, in those situations, um, what I did is I'd, I went in and, you know, I made a few phone calls, I went in and visited. I asked questions such as how they would discipline a child. Uh-huh. Um, that was a concern with me. Um, you know, you, you learn a lot by going in there and they they explain to you, you know, what their day consists of and what their general rules are, and, um, that's, you know, that's as much as I know. You probably could get really good feedback from a lot of other working mothers you know, that have done this over and over again. Uh-huh. Well, But I, go ahead. How did you stumble upon the day-care center?
Did you just look it up in a phone book or what was it? Um, I think lots of people, I, I think I went by location for one thing. Uh-huh. I think most people do that. I think you start out with the criteria of, you know, do I know of anything or do I know anyone who has their child in a day care and, Yeah, there is , I would say most people would probably go by word of mouth. Right. Right. And then, you know, I mean, even at that you have to consider the logistics of it. Uh-huh. You know, I mean, you're not going to take your child south of town if you work north. even if that's the best one in the whole wide world Yes, exactly. Uh-huh. So there, there are just so many considerations. Uh-huh.
Then again, did, um, money come into play with it at all? Oh, money is always a factor in my life, definitely. I've never, you know, I've never had the luxury of not having that be a factor. Um, even in something as important as day care. I know if I didn't have that stipulation, I would have done things differently you know. Uh-huh. Um, Montessori school would be something that I would have pursued, but that's always a little bit more expensive than what I could look at. Uh-huh. Um, and I was very very fortunate in that I didn't have to do that on a full-time basis. Yes. So, and, and then when you get, you know, when you get into the full-time basis day care, Good morning. Hi. My name is Jean. I'm Tina. Oh, where you from Tina? I live in Garland, Texas. Oh, Garland, Texas, I'm in Pennsylvania. Oh, my lands, you're the farthest person I've ever talked to.
Really? Yeah. Do you work for Texas Instruments? My husband does. Uh-huh. Yeah. Probably most people you talk to do, huh? Most of them do. Now, I don't have anybody that works for T I, but, uh my son works for a computer company, the National Institute of something, Huh. I don't know what I see, well that's neat. So, I guess we're supposed to talk about foods today. Yeah, I guess you have to push one, though. Yes, uh-huh. Okay.
You ready? Yeah. Okay. Uh, foods like you would for a dinner party or something like that. Yeah, I guess so, it may be interesting, because probably here in Texas, we may eat a little differently than you do up there Well, I don't know, my brother lives down East of us down there, and I don't think they ate all that much different Oh, really. Uh, I think as long as you plan your basic foods, course, for a dinner party, you fancy things up a little bit more. Yeah, that's true. Uh. Well, uh, the thing that I found interesting, my husband and I lived up in Washington State for awhile Uh-huh, uh-huh.
and up there, of course they ate a lot of sea food, and that kind of thing, Oh, uh-huh. and down here, sea food is pretty expensive, because, you have to ship it a long way to get it Right. Yeah, and it's not as good as if it's fresh. Right, and, and, uh, and, but here, we eat a lot of like Mexican foods, Uh-huh. and, um, up there there was no, no place that we went tasted like real Mexican food to me. Is that right? Yeah, it tasted like they were trying to do the best they could, but it just, didn't taste right. Yeah, well, they probably were trying to do the best they could. Yeah. Yeah. and, uh, down here, we eat a lot more fried foods, I think. Uh-huh.
Like chicken fried steak, is a real big thing. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Up there, uh, it was hardly ever heard of and, we drink ice tea with every meal, Uh-huh. Uh-huh. and up there hardly anyone drank ice tea Yeah, well they do in the summertime, I think that tea is big in the summertime mostly. Really? Yeah. Of course, you have warmer weather most of the time. Right. So, uh, Yeah, it never gets real cold. Yeah. So, I,
Yeah, but when, when we have a dinner party around here, I think a lot of the time a Mexican menu is something real popular. Is that right? Yeah. I know that, um, I do a lot of planning with our church, Uh-huh. and a lot of the times when we get together, well everybody will bring a Mexican dish or. And Italian food is real big too. Uh-huh, uh-huh Uh-huh. More like covered dishes for those type of dinners. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. How about you, what is real popular up there? Well, I don't know, just about anything Oh, really.
Yeah, we, we really, uh, use most anything. I, uh, I think like parties and that though are, well, like we had a dinner party here, here not too long ago with a mystery dinner party Oh. But, basically, we tried, you know, included all the basic, uh, foods that you are supposed to have in a meal . Uh-huh. Your, uh, bread family and your, or least what it used to be the regular menu was followed and , ham and bake potatoes, uh, Uh-huh. Uh-huh. uh, something from each, each area that you're supposed to choose from. Uh-huh. And, uh, we, we, we ourselves are into the wok cooking, you know they been advertising that and, we've really been enjoying those, uh, meals. Uh-huh. Well, that's good. They have a lot of vegetable to them, and, uh, they really are very good.
Uh-huh, right. Oh, yes. I, I love that kind of cooking. My, uh, unfortunately, I am married to a man and have two children that eat about four things Is he a meat and potato person? Right. They. Well, all our family is, is gone. They are out on their own. Uh-huh. And, uh. It, it's much different That probably makes it easier, but. and, uh. Yeah. We find ourselves eating a lot of macaroni and cheese and, uh, and of course , Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Well, my husband didn't like that, so we, us kids, we had five children and we ate that when he, he wasn't going to be home for supper, Right. that's what we had Yeah, well, that's pretty much what we do, if dad's not coming home, we have macaroni and cheese, or something. Uh-huh. But, they like, uh, spaghetti. Uh-huh. You know, that's one meal, I can fix Uh, yeah. and the whole family eats. But, uh, there are several things that, well as a matter of fact, I keep chicken nuggets handy all the time, because. Oh, those always go good. Yeah, the children love them,
Yeah. and, uh, they are real easy to cook and, that way, whatever meat we have, if they don't like it, well, Yeah. and my girls don't like beef, I, don't know, Oh really. Well maybe. that's good the way, way the things are going. I guess, Well, yeah, it could be, they don't, I think it's the texture of it, Uh-huh. but it takes more chewing Right. Children usually they like the ham and the hamburgers, and that, Uh-huh. and it is easier to chew. Right. Right.
So they're not too much into beef. Uh-huh. My husband and I eat more beef than we should, but at least we keep our chicken nuggets handy for them Right. We don't really have, uh, you know, entertain too much. Uh-huh. I don't know if you do or not, but we, we don't a whole lot, we're more, once in a while, but mostly family, activities. Yeah. Well, most of the entertaining we do is church associated. Uh-huh. We have a real tiny little house, we don't have room really, to have people here. Uh-huh. Uh-huh, uh-huh. But, we do get together for fellowships at our church, Uh-huh.
and, my husband and I do a lot of the planning in that. Yeah. And, Well that's good. Yeah, it is and it's fun to, uh, I like just having a pot luck meal where everyone brings their favorite dish. Yeah, we do a lot of that take , things to church Yeah. and our homemakers meet at the church also, and, uh, that's what we do mostly, most of the time for that. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. So, you don't really include any certain food groups, you just bring, what you like Right. That's right
Sometimes you have all desserts, sometimes, you have all vegetables Yeah Yeah, that's true, that's the only problem with just letting you bring whatever, you, uh, like best. Yeah. But, it doesn't happen very often, usually you get a pretty wide variety and you can, you can , have pretty good meals, from one of those. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. I remember one time we had a progressive dinner. Oh, those are fun. It's the only time that ever. Yeah they are. Uh-huh. But it's the only time I can remember that,
I can't remember what food it was I, it might have been the main dish that hardly anyone showed up with. Several people were supposed to bring, you know, each, like, uh, a, an appetizer, and a main dish and a dessert. Uh, uh-huh. Uh-huh. And we had tons of desserts and tons of appetizers and, but when we came to the main, main dish plate, there was only like two or three Oh, uh-huh , Oh. Was there enough to go around? Well, not really, you know we all took real tiny little portions, and, uh, were kind of angry with whoever it was, Uh-huh. we were not sure who didn't show up with the food Yeah, that's kind of irresponsible and does upset you, because they are grown adults usually Yes. and you know they know better. Right. Even if they can't do it, they can always maybe get somebody else to cook .
Right. Either, either go ahead and fix your dish or call someone that can. Right. Right. I know it. Well, that sounds neat, I can't, uh, believe you're so far away, but you sound so close. They said that we could share, we share, a recipe It sounds like you're here in Dallas. but, I'm up at my daughter's, I don't even have any of my recipes with me. Oh. Uh, you know , I don't know if I have anything handy, we were just about, we were getting ready to go swimming, Oh. and we're waiting on my sister. Oh, great.
Cara, hold on just a second another person in the As a matter of fact, my, little one is hollering They are ready to go. Well, we probably, have we talked long enough I, I think it probably has been. Okay, so I'll let, So, I've enjoyed talking to you. Oh, same here. You have a good day. Thank you. Thanks for calling. Uh-huh. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Uh, well, let's see. How many, you said yours are all, I mean, that sounds like an army.
Five. Oh, lord. That is an army, I came from a family of six, and I have only got two, and they are, one ... Well any number is nice, let me tell you. Well, I kind of decided that single, single children that, that, that's not parenting, that's a hobby. Yeah. But, It's not as fair to the children either, I do not think. Well, do not tell that to all my friends. They are into quality time. Oh. I am into getting through the day. Yeah, but sometimes you can hurt them by having too much quality time too. sounds as if speaker B is washing Well I, I, I can spot a kid who really, you know, whose parents spend every, quality time with them, you know, outside of the work day. Uh-huh.
Uh-huh. And when I take care of some people's kids, you know, Uh-huh. when they, when they have teachers' holidays, and that kind of stuff, I will take my friends' kids, that are usually in day care, Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. and you can spot them, because they have no idea how to hang out and mess around. You can tell. How to just entertain themselves. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Really. It's a problem for any child and you take one that's used to being, uh, busy being, having something to do all the time, it makes a big difference. It's not a problem for my two, they are only eighteen months apart uh, keeps you busy. They can find things to do and mess around, and plot and scheme and everything else.
Yeah. Well, that's great. You, did all five of yours complete college? No, our last daughter, she did not want to go to school. She's, uh, but she's married now, they built a home just a couple miles from us. And, Well, how did you go about selecting a college, then? Well, we did not do it right all the time With our first boy, we persuaded him to start here, and I do not always think you should try to make them stay closer to home. I think the main thing is to, uh, right now, I think the main thing is to look at what they are interested in. Uh, and take what they are interested in, and then, then start looking for schools. Do you think that what they say that they are interested in is, at eighteen is going to be what they are ultimately ultimately graduating at. No, not necessarily. But, Mike, our oldest boy, I think he would have. He wanted to go to Embrey Riddle and we talked him into going local here first.
Uh-huh. And he only went a few months and then transferred to Pittsburgh. He went to aeronautical, uh, oh, just learning to work on engines and that. Uh-huh. Uh, it has to do with airplanes and everything, which is what his whole life is And I really wish we would have let him go where he wanted to go originally. And he would probably be flying, is what he would be doing. Uh, but, but right now, of course, he's, he's working for Pratt and Whitney in Connecticut and they build and rebuild non jet engines. How about the other four, other three who went? Uh, the other ones, uh, the second one, she chose, we let her go where she wanted to, uh, we did not want her to go, but she went to Erie, to Gannan University. Uh, or Gannan College, I am not sure which it is, college, I guess. Uh, she went there two years and it was more expensive and she soon realized, you know, even though she did not like Clarion, she came back and finished at Clarion. Because, it, uh, saved her quite a bit of money and she got really the same basic education that she wanted.
Uh-huh. And our other two boys, they went to Clarion also. And, uh, did very well there. And they have all really got, uh, they have all really got really good jobs. And, uh, When they were, like in junior high and high school, I mean, had they, did they have an idea that they were definitely going to go to college and, Uh-huh. Uh, yeah, they kind of had that, they just expected to go. Daphne never went, she always said she would never go to college. She said, I, I always thought she would change her mind, you know, Uh-huh. but she did not. And there's nothing wrong with that, you know, if, college is not for everybody. Uh. But, uh, it, it does make a difference in your wage income. I think it's what they want out of life, because if they get an education and are willing to go where the jobs are, they can make a, you know, a much better income.
Uh-huh. Like my kids, they are all making more than my husband was making when he retired from the state. You know, that boggles, my mind. Yeah, I was, I was making more than, I was making three times what my father was making, as an executive in the insurance industry, when he retired. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Okay, did you go to college? Yeah, You did. See it makes a difference. I went, uh, four years to undergrad at University of Nebraska at Lincoln, because Lincoln is where, where my parents live. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And there really, there really was not a choice, Uh-huh. I mean the finances, uh, dictated that you had to go there. Uh. Uh-huh. I kind of,
I am not going to say I resent it, Uh-huh. but I was, well you know, one of the national merit scholarship qualifying and, you know, one of the Rhodes Scholars kids, and the whole bit, uh, Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. my parents did not even discuss with me going to college out of state, or anyplace else, Some place else. and I just knew that the finances, you know, would not support it. Uh-huh. If I had known how, not, I am not going to say easy, but how much less difficult than I thought it would be to get a, uh, scholarship, to go anyplace else, I think that I would definitely, you know, have gone Uh-huh. Now when I finished there, then I got a scholarship to go the Harvard University in Boston. Uh-huh. And that was, uh, I think that was probably one of the best things that had ever happened, I mean I was, taken out of my element, you know, the homogeny midwest, which is a lovely place to grow up, and put into someplace else where, people thought differently, looked differently, sounded differently, you know, different life style. That's great. Uh-huh. Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Uh-huh. Different life styles, yes, yes. And I think it was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. Uh-huh. Now my kids, I keep saying that, uh, you know, I would like them to go to the best school that they possibly could. Uh-huh. And I do not know, you know, what the realities, you know, is going to look like, you know, we are putting money away already. Uh-huh. Uh, but I really think it's important to put these children someplace where, in addition to, you know, them getting an education, they really need a, you know, a socialization away from what they are raised in. Especially if you lived a pretty insular community Uh-huh. and, An upper class suburb of Dallas, let me tell you, It's very different. Right. It's quite a bit different. See that's the way we are, we are more of a rural type of an area and it does make a difference. I, they say, you should not look at the expense of the college when you are looking.
You should not. Yeah, not really. Because, they say that a lot of times you get more help, with a more expensive college. Uh-huh. Oh, yeah. And so, in the long run, if it's really what they want, you know, they are better off. Now our children all pretty much borrowed for their school. Uh-huh. Uh, we, we did all we could, but they pretty much had to borrow a lot of their money to go. They suggested some sort of a recipe, uh, for, uh, company, for entertaining. Did you have anything in mind that, uh, you'd like to share? Well, I, uh, just had a Christmas Around The World party the other night and had some hors d'oeuvres. Ooh. Oh. And I fixed, uh, a crab meat spread that is real good and real easy. Ooh, that sounds good. What, It's, uh, it's like, uh, eight ounces of cream cheese softened,
Uh-huh. and you mix it with one tablespoon onion juice and one tablespoon lemon juice, one tablespoon worcester sauce and mix it and spread it out onto a plate. And, One tablespoon of worcester? Uh-huh. Okay. And then you take and, uh, cover that with drained crab meat mixed with one of the small bottles of chili sauce and spread it over the top and spread it on Triscuits crackers. Oh, that, And that always goes over real well and it's real easy. How much chili sauce did you say? It's one of the small bottles. Like eight, I don't think, uh, Not eight ounces. That would be a lot. Well, it's about eight ounces. Is it? It, it, uh-huh.
Okay, this would make a lot, right? Yeah, it would probably make, well, it doesn't make quite as much as you think, but, yeah, spread it out because you keep the cream cheese kind of thin. And how much crab meat did you use? One tin. Of the flake. One, One can of flake. Uh-huh. And drain it real good. Uh-huh. Oh, okay. Have you ever used the, uh, imitation, yet? Yes, I have. I used it, uh, last Christmastime. Uh, what did I put it in? I think I just served it by itself.
There's like a little tidbit with the sauce to dip it into and stuff. Ooh, that sounds, I've tried it and then I have it here on hand for about a week and then all of a sudden it dawned on me, wait, is this totally imitation and then I found out, I went back to the store and they said it is a fish product. Uh-huh, uh-huh. So, therefore, you really don't have a very long life, you know once you buy it. Right. Right. I thought, so, you know, they should put some directions on some of these new things they're making that you really don't know what the shelf life is. That's very true. You know. Very true. I had bought a cheesecake, uh, and they very nicely put onto the box that it may be re frozen, which I felt was real nice.
Oh, that's a good idea. Yeah. Whose was that? It, uh, was, uh, Lawry's, I believe, or Lawler's. And I got it, do you have a Sam's Wholesale Warehouse up there? It's real, Uh, Sam's, right, right. Yeah, okay, that's where I picked it up. It comes out of Chicago and they're very good cheesecakes. Oh. Oh, that sounds good Yeah. because that's great. That must be the ones that look like they're packaged for a restaurant.
Yes, yes. Okay, I, I've, And they have, and they have the little papers between them. Right. Oh, hey, that sounds, And I think they're, what, about nine dollars and something. Right. And it's something good to have on hand, too. It's frozen in the first place, right? Yes. Yes. Yes. So, you can, uh, it is frozen, isn't it? Yes, it is frozen. And then you can re freeze. And I thaw it
and then you can re freeze it. And, Hey, that sounds great. Uh-huh. That It was, they're very good, very good. And that's the one thing that I hate to make is desserts. Oh, do you? And that's my favorite. Is it? And I really don't care for desserts that well other than one piece of it. Oh, I love to eat it, but I don't like to make it. It takes time and you have to rack your brain, and, time I don't have anymore That's the, that's the thing I hate most about entertaining is thinking of what I'm going to serve. Uh-huh. It is. I, I said I can make it no time.
It's trying to think, and then we just, uh, built a new home and I have one of these kitchens that's the center of the house Uh-huh. and so no matter where they're at, your company can see you cooking. Which is funny. That's right. And your mess This, well, this is what everyone has said. They said it's okay for you because you keep a real neat kitchen. And I said, yes, I decided it looks better in BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS than it does in practicality. Yeah But, uh, what I have learned in the, uh, ten months we've lived here, is it that when I entertain, I have to have my foods all prepared and in the oven with all the, everything through, ready to serve. Because with the open area, you don't want someone from your dining room seeing your mess, like you said. Right. Right. That's, that's right. So you have to have the picturesque kitchen, you know, right out of the magazine. Well, I like to have mine all done anyway, because then I want to, I want to party, too. I don't want to sit in the kitchen and be putting an olive on something You're right.
You know. And you know the funny thing is, now that I have a large kitchen with a big island and that, I still have people trying to come, you know, they'll come in the kitchen and I said, out, we have the chairs on the other side of the counter for guests. Correct You're not allowed to trespass into my kitchen Sounds, And it, it has worked out. But at our point of life we know many of the people we're entertaining uh, well enough that they know, you know, it's very much at home type situation. Right. Well, a lot of our entertaining anymore with the couples, again, that we've known a long time like you, they, uh, we all bring things and it sure makes it a whole lot easier. Anymore. Well, we even have a better one. Now we decided that we all meet, we have it worked, Okay. All right, well, I'm not a big exerciser, but I kind of had to start after I had my baby because I wanted to lose that extra weight. Uh-huh.
And so basically at this point I'm, I'm a real walker. I am, too. Are you? Yes. I don't do that, oh, I guess I'll call it that fancy type walking where they kind of move their hips, you know, and keep their arms up. Uh-huh. I don't do that. I mostly just take a, a walk around the block or with my baby or, you know, and I have to do that at least once a day. If it, If it's going to make any effect on, since I have to eat the same as I did before. Oh, that's good. I can't neglect that because of the baby either. And how old is your baby? She just, uh, well, she was premature, so she's about nine months now, though. times goes fast. Yes. Well, I walk two and a half to three miles every night. Oh, that's great. My husband and I were on Nutrisystem about eighteen months ago Uh-huh.
and he lost sixty-two pounds and I lost twenty-one. Oh, my goodness. So we've decided to maintain our weight, that we will do this exercise walking program and we walk our dog every night and go up around the elementary school. Uh-huh. We have a little path that we do. And, uh, except if it's raining or real cold which it hasn't been Uh-huh. Yeah. Exactly. we try to get out, uh, every, every night. Uh-huh. And he plays racquetball twice a week, but I'm not into that, so I think the walking is enough to help us stay in shape and toned. Well, I think that is just wonderful. Now, as far as I'm concerned, I have several other children and so, uh, I think at this point to fit it into, to other things, it's kind of a task. Yes. You know. Uh, it's not to where I'm just so freed up that I, I just go, oh, this is wonderful,
let's go Right that's right. I know my kids are into sports and a lot of times, tonight we won't finish with the football game till around nine thirty so we will just go out after that. Uh-huh. So, my kids, luckily, are old enough I can leave them at home alone while I go out and walk. Yeah. Now, does your husband usually go with you, then? Yes. Oh, see, now that's really nice. Yes. Because mine's at meetings sometimes and, and he's not really into it so I have to, No my husband never was either until he lost the weight. Uh-huh. That was his decision.
He had arthritis in his hips and his doctor said he needed to lose weight and exercise. I think that is so wonderful. So once he got motivated, now he's ready to walk every night. And our dog has lost a little weight. He walks every night, too So, he gets excited when he sees us put on our, our shoes, our walking shoes. I bet. I think that's really, really good. And, and, you know, I think this, after you've done it a certain amount of time, it kind of does get to be a routine. Yes. It's not, like when I first started, it, you know, that was the hardest thing was to get ready and get out there. Making time for it. But now if I haven't done it in a day or two or something, I really notice that I haven't done it in a ... Yes. You know. And I like the time because my kids, sometimes they come with me and sometimes they don't. And when they don't, I, I really notice, you know, how fun it can be when they come. So, uh, I like to have somebody come with me.
I know, I do, too. Uh, I know most of, enough of the people that if anything ever happened I could go to a home around this block area. Right. So it, it's not real dangerous, but still, I don't like to go alone. No. So I never do either. Even if I have my dog with me. Yeah. You know, it's nice to have another person there, but ... Yeah. You know, Mostly, it's my husband and sometimes it's my kids. Well, I think that's great. I, and, well, sometimes when I, I take my kids to the playground that's the only other exercise I, I really think I do. I was on an exercise program before where it was more like an aerobics type thing. Uh-huh.
Uh, I found real quick that wasn't for me. Me, too. I did the dance step when I lived up in Michigan Uh-huh and it just wore me out. I would leave totally exhausted. I never lost any weight, and I got to the point I dreaded going in. Yeah, yeah. So walking seems to be a good solution for me and it doesn't cost anything Right right. And it gives me time to think. So I think, not only does it help my body, but I think it helps my mind too. Yes. So I like that. That's the one time in the day my husband and I can get away and talk without having the kids jump in and ...
Uh-huh. Yeah, need something and, Yep. They can wait until you get back home. Yep. Well, I think that's great Well, that's what I do for Yep, that's all I do, too. Okay. Okay. Okay, how's the weather been in Plano? Basically about the same as what you've probably had. Yeah, this is probably unusual topic to give two of us in the same city. Uh-huh. Well, I don't know about you,
but I was really enjoying the cool snap last couple of weeks, and I'm ready for it to come back. Oh, you like the rain, do you? Well, not the rain so much as the cool, the other mornings when it was like sixty-five when we woke up and sixty-six, and today I know when I got up that the temperature said more like, close, seventy-nine or eighty Uh-huh. so I'm kind of ready for the pumpkin weather. Oh, are you? I don't care for that as much. You don't No. are you a summer person? I'm a summer person Are you? I like the heat. Well, I have a friend who's the same way, and anything below sixty, she's just not happy but I, I think what I would miss is the change of seasons and all because I know in Plano we really don't have as many seasons as, uh, my husband's from Nebraska, and they have more of the four seasons.
Yeah, and I'm from Utah, so, I, I like, the four seasons Oh, you're used to that, too. I just don't like the cold. You don't like the cold. Well, I usually like it about sweater weather, and the problem here in Plano is it doesn't last very long. Uh-huh. It goes from hot, and then you get a couple of weeks of that Indian Summer, and then it's cold Yeah. and I wish it were several months of that. The thing, the other thing is the, I don't like the rain either. Well, I don't either unless it's like, uh, some of my favorite's like a Friday night when it rains and you really didn't have anywhere to go, and it's sleeping time. But if you have to get up and get out in it, I don't like it either
Well, we have several children that are in sports, and so it always makes their games be postponed forever and ever and ever on, on, and on. Oh, yeah. Well, sure it does. That kind of schedule, you really need a lot more sunshine. I like it better, I think. And also the evenings are going to be getting, uh, darker sooner as it gets cooler. Uh-huh. Yeah. But I did a walk last night, and it seemed like it was a little bit hot still. Sometimes when you work up a sweat you need it to be a little bit cooler. The thing about when it gets hot here is, I don't like the humidity, that part I don't care about. Well, I agree, absolutely, and you know, it's all relative, because I was from West Texas, and it was very dry, and so I thought Dallas was awful, and I still think so,
but then this summer we went to Orlando for a week, and it was so humid there that your, um, all your windows were were wet every morning. They had to get the squeejies and clean them off. Oh, really. And when we got back to Dallas it seemed really dry because it's kind of like what you're used to. But I agree with you, the humidity, especially for curly heads like me. Oh, is that right? Yes. I do not like the Well another reason, well, I guess I can't say that it, I don't like the rain completely. We have a little garden that we have and and so it really helps our garden, Uh-huh. and, you know, even, I don't know if that's because plants are just that way and they like rain, or, it seems they thrive when it rains, they just, really, Yeah,
I think so too. I know our grass needs mowing twice as often when it rains Uh-huh. Yeah. but it seems like here, I would like it to rain and then be over, and then not rain for a while. It seems like when it gets stuck in a rain pattern, that's all it does. Yeah, yeah. So, uh, but I, I am ready for a little bit of the cooler weather and not so much in the nineties but something like, Well, I guess my, my best would be probably sixty-eight when you wake up or sixty-six, and then probably seventy-five during the day. Well I like seventies I like seventies okay. Yeah. Yeah, are you, do you like the heat in the summer then when it gets up in the nineties and hundreds. Oh, I don't like nineties. Yeah, yeah. You can give me seventies
Yeah. and you can give me eighties Yeah, keep it there and I'm okay. But when it gets too hot, then it's, that, I don't like that Yeah. I stay in the house because it's just, It's just too hot. Well, I do, too, I do, too and that was one thing about the year around school that originally we had been sort of negative on it. But then we started thinking, especially in Plano, the weather is so hot in August, that there really isn't a lot the children can do outside anyhow. Yeah, yeah. Static here. That's okay Um, I've, I've thought about that, too, and, um, when we take our vacations, we, we do take them in August sometimes so that we can be away from here Yeah. We do too.
I think a lot of people agree the same. It just really gets way, when it gets way too hot Uh-huh, uh-huh. and we've been here for several years, and we've been here years when it's been hundreds and, Uh-huh, now there have been worse summers. In fact this morning when they were talking about, uh, Harold Taft, they were talking about how this has been one of the milder of the summers and milder fall, Years, uh-huh. everybody seems to be, you can tell some of the newscasters when they like the heat, because they'll talk about it being so gorgeous on those days when we're melting, and you can tell when they talk about beautiful weather some mornings when we're, it'll be too cold, and they'll say, well those are the ones that like the cold weather. Yeah, yeah.
He, he always did such a good job, I thought. Oh, yeah, he did, he did. It was it was really a shame. A good weather man, He didn't go with all the gimmicks that some of them did. Yeah. Anyway, um, I guess it's, It's kind of hard to keep on about the weather for five minutes That's okay, they say when you're done you're done, Oh, is that right? Okay. you don't have to wait for them to say cut off your time. Oh, good. You just say, Have a good day or whatever. Well good, well, then have a good day. You too.
And I hope you enjoy the weather this week. You too. What is it about, nursing homes? well, about nursing homes, and, and older people. Yeah. Uh, my husband has a grandmother that lives with his mother Uh-huh. and they're just really close here. And his mother has bad health too and so I go over sometimes in the day when he's at work and I, um, help with her and bathe her and feed her. Right. And, uh, and I, that's hard to be a caretaker I really believe. It's really difficult to be a caretaker twenty-four hours a day. Oh, it's very difficult I know. Uh, she has Alzheimer's and does not remember, uh, a lot if anything. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And so she asks the same questions over and over again. Which is not you know, unrealistic.
Right. Um, and so you just have to try and be patient and answer them again or just answer another question. Yeah. Uh, I, uh, some nights his mother calls me and says can your family, and just bring the kids in the family and just come over and, and visit grandma because she gets very disoriented. Yeah, how old is she? She's ninety-two. Uh, my, see my father is ninety-two and still, uh, he and mother still live at the house and drive and and do the whole thing, Oh, I think that's wonderful. but you know if something would, uh, whenever something happens to one of them then, I don't know what I'll do up there. Well, Uh-huh. I, I just know that too many horror stories about nursing homes and so, Yeah. I was just going to say.
They're in Missouri and I could, I, I know, I know stories for sure that they just, they, they just, well, they can't take the proper care of them. Most of them. Yeah. Um, And, uh, it's, it's tragic that, you know, when people live so long that they, uh, don't have a really don't have a place to go. Yes. So, Uh, I think it's wonderful these, these places that aren't nursing homes necessarily but they can go and reside there like little apartments, places in between places. Right. And I like that idea if they can handle it themselves. Um, Yeah, there's one very close to where my parents are but, uh, I think it would be nice but my dad's the type he wouldn't want to spend the money on anything. Yeah, yeah So, uh, I mean, he's from that old depression era and, uh, you know, it's, oh, it's just blissfull that they're both, able to do everything for themselves.
Yeah. I would imagine that I'll, uh, if something happens, I'll move one of them or you know, in, in with me. Uh-huh. So, uh, Yeah. But I know a lot of people have said that and then find out how tough it is and, but I think you'd have to really, they also wanted us to talk about you'd have to really check on the, uh on this homes. Nursing homes. But I just don't know how much you can see when you go for a, Visit. I think you just have to drop in all unexpectedly a lot. Uh-huh. And so many people when they put people in the nurses home, they never see them. They don't go and see them. That's right. They never go to see them. That's right. I've talked to many, uh, owners of places and say that nobody even, maybe, maybe Christmas.
You know, um, I, I think nursing homes are, are, um, some are good Uh-huh. I have to say that. Right. But for the most part I truly believe that the parents would be better if they were with the children. Oh, I do too. Um, Or if, if they could be real, real nearby where they could see them everyday or so. Right, right. Uh, because I know Governor Richards is really upset about what she's finding in the nursing homes, uh, regulation in Texas so maybe we'll get it improved. Uh-huh. So. I hope so. Anyway. You know, it's, I think it's very difficult in the first place to make that choice to have them go there. Right. Oh, it's tough I'm sure. And then if you find out that they are not having good care, you know, I'm sure that it is just, you know, you'd pull them out of there so fast.
Oh. Right, that would be devastating I'm sure so. And, uh, and yet if you didn't feel like you could be a good caretaker I don't, uh, it's a very, very hard decision I think. It is a tough decision and it's one that needs a great deal of thought, and prior probably. Uh-huh. I think that's right, Yeah. and especially if you're not a person that is like a medical person maybe or something that the person needs medical treatment. Right. Now I know a friend of mine who had a father, uh, she brought to her home, uh, to live there, but he needed the medical treatment and she had a nursing person come in like three times a week to, to help him out. Uh-huh. And that might be a partial solution, or something. Right. But, um, I personally am for the trying it at home caretaker part before I think I'd ever,
I would hope we could do that, and then go from there. Yeah. Yeah. Well, anyway, Well, I, I think we kind of are along the same lines. We've covered a little bit and, uh, it's good to hear from you and, Good to hear from you. Have a good, Have a lovely day. Have a good Okay. Have you faced, uh, elderly care yet, uh, nursing home care for any of your parents? Unfortunately, yes. Uh, in fact, tonight I had the dinner with, uh, my three brothers and our wives and we were talking, uh, we had a review with the nursing home staff. My mother's in a nursing home. Uh-huh.
And, uh, we had a review today and a few things we had to do that are part of it that you don't really like, like, uh making decisions on living wills and extended care, that type of thing, Yes. so, yes, I'm very familiar with it and it's not something that is, uh, you know, I never thought I'd have to go through this kind of experience. But I guess we all do. I think sooner or later, uh, both my mother and my husband's mother, we had to end up putting in nursing homes and they were to the point that they only lived, both of them, about six weeks once they got in. Oh, really? And, uh-huh. And it's absolutely, I believe that was one of the hardest things I ever did. In my life. Uh-huh. I, that, it just, you know, it's absolutely devastating. Right. What have you found in dealing with the nursing homes? Well, they're not, every, all the horror stories you hear about them I think are true. Yes
Uh, we've, you know, we've looked around and, my wife has looked at, extensively at all the ones in the area And the one she is in now, uh, there's a lot of drawbacks, a lot of things we don't like. But, again, it's no different than every one. And, you know, the cost of it, the, three thousand dollars a month Um, uh-huh. when you think about it, for what you're paying a hospital for almost the same, well, even not as much care. Yes. Yes. It's not that expensive, really. No, uh, there, well, there's a little bit of difference in, in the two between my mother and my mother-in-law. Uh-huh. And, uh, theirs both ran, oh, I think my mother-in-law's was like fifteen hundred and my mother's was two thousand. Then, this has been five years ago. And, uh uh, one of the things that, you know, I had discovered is that if they knew that I came in there at all different hours, they got much better care than if, Uh-huh. when I started out with my mother-in-law, because she was in there first, I would go certain hours
Uh-huh. and they knew. And if I'd pop in unexpectedly, I discovered, you know, they did a little bit, they did better. Oh, really? You know, uh-huh. And, you know, a couple of times with my mother-in-law, I would catch something not being taken care of. And, you know, would have to rate, Uh-huh. so I got to where, I knew then when my mother was in that, you know, not to go the same time all the time. Because they would, Yeah. and when I was looking for the nursing homes, another thing that I learned, uh, we had my mother all set to go into one and for some reason I just went back, and on my own went around the different floors. Uh-huh. And, I saw areas that they had not shown me and they did not come across as well as, you know, what they had originally shown me, Well, I'll be darned. so, uh, we did not put her in that one. We put her in another one that I, I went a couple of times when they weren't expecting me and saw, and, you know, was much, uh, better pleased with the situation. Uh-huh. Yeah.
Yeah, you, you know, this is the whole point. You've got, you've got to shop them. Yes, you do. I know my mother's in now, in a unit that's mainly Alzheimer's Uh-huh. and, uh, we're convinced that she probably would be better off in a geriatric. Uh-huh. Uh, the fact that these people are they're up and around, but they're, they're, it's reminds me too much of an asylum type situation. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And it's very, very, Does your mother have Alzheimer's? She, well, who knows. They call it, uh, dementia. Uh-huh. And, uh, we don't know.
I, I mean she does not know us anymore Uh-huh. and whether it's Alzheimer's or what it is nobody really knows, Uh-huh. but it's, basically the same. And her health is not that bad. Although she has gone down, downhill drastically since this, this last, well, she had been in a retirement community and somewhere in the back of her mind she had it that she would live with her children. Well she, we, we just did not have the capabilities to, to take care of her. Uh-huh. And, uh, but she, she has gone down steadily since she has been in, and she's been in the nursing home now for, oh, I would say about three months. Uh-huh. And, Did she know that she was going to a nursing home? I'm sorry? Did she know that she was going to a nursing home? She, no,
as far as she knew, she was going to a hospital. And that she could, she could handle a hospital Uh-huh. and we says, you know, mom, if you, you know, if you get a, you get better, you've got to have the care, the doctor insisted on it, you know, if you get better that you could come out. Okay, what kind of car are you going to buy next? Well, one of the cars I'm thinking about buying next is, uh, a nice, safe, small car, but, um, uh, the reason being, is we just purchased a van a little while ago because we have a big family, Uh-huh. and we use that to get back and forth and haul kids around and so forth, Uh-huh. and we have another four door car that I drive to work, and I think it'd be more economical if I were able to a smaller car and, uh, wouldn't be, wouldn't cost much with gas. Uh-huh. That's true, that's true. What, what are you looking at? Well, I'm really not looking at anything for a while, but you know, when you're driving down the road you see all these pretty new ones that are out, Uh-huh. and you think, Oh, well, maybe, maybe I would like a new car.
Oh, yeah But I think I'll be driving mine about two or three more years anyway. Oh, yes, oh, yes. But, uh. Well, the cost of new cars recently are extremely outrageous for the Right, they are. I sure do like the looks of that new Mitsubishi Diamante. Oh, yes, oh, yes. That is a pretty car. I'm, uh, I really like the looks also of the new Mazda that they have, Uh-huh, that's pretty, too. but um, I, uh, you know, the, the costs of a new car and those new models are extremely out of our price range right now. Yeah, they get pretty expensive. Yes, they do.
The last one I bought, I bought a, uh, well, it's a, it's a Town Car, but it was a demo, returned Uh-huh. and I got it with like, you know, I think it was like fourteen thousand miles on it and nearly ten thousand dollars less than what the list price was. Right. Well, you can't go wrong with that kind of opportunity. So I was really pleased to find that, and I then, I bought it for cheaper, I was looking at a Honda Accord, a brand new one Yes. and I bought this, uh, the, the Lincoln Town Car for just a little less money than what I was going to buy the new Honda Accord. Wow. Well, you get a much bigger, better comfortable ride. And the thing about it is they give you that ten, uh, that hundred thousand mile, five year warranty where it only costs you twenty-five dollars to have anything repaired. Yes. Well, that's fantastic. That's real, real good. So, uh, I have really been impressed. I said, I probably never be able, to find another one that I can afford, you know.
No, do you, But I have loved this car better than anything I've ever driven, because you can go on the road and get there and you're not even tired. Very comfortable, smooth ride, huh. And it gets like twenty-six miles to the gallon on the road. Oh, it does? It sure does. That's, that's unbelievable for that size of car. I, they kept telling me that, and I thought they're crazy, so the week after I got it, well, actually before I signed the papers on it, I took it over to Boozier City Yes. and it did it. Wow. That's great. But it's, uh, That's great. That kind of gas mileage, uh, we're, we're kind of hoping for on our van. Yeah.
Well, that's kind of what we've always been told, you know, they'll do, and then we hope for it, and it never happens Uh-huh. but it really, it does get good gas mileage. Well, that's excellent. Most of the time when I don't go anywhere I can drive it for like three weeks from to and from work, you know, and then fill it up, so. Uh-huh. Do you, uh, do, does it, uh, need a lot of repairs? Is it a very reliable kind of car? I haven't had anything, I've taken it in twice for like just really minor things, and it cost me the twenty-five dollars. The, uh, really something really silly when we first got it, we couldn't get the light, they have all these lights in the car Yes. and it has this fancy little light that gives you a reading light for the passengers in the back seat Yes.
and we couldn't get the light to turn off. Um. And we kept trying, you know, and we went out to dinner with some friends, and it stayed on all night, you know just shining right down on them, you know Oh dear. Oh dear and we couldn't get it to turn off, and the next day my husband goes out there and he tries to get it off, we turn the knob, you know, in the front that's supposed to turn the lights on and off Uh-huh. and we turned everything we could, Uh-huh. and he took it in, and they said, you know, you just have to press the switch. He says, I've pressed every switch in that car, and I can't get the light off, it's broken. Yes.
So they took it in and charged us the twenty-five dollars, and they called and told us though, that all you have to do is turn the off switch, and they showed us where the switch was. They charged you twenty-five dollars just to tell you that, huh. They, they thought there was really something wrong with it when he told them he had already done the switch. Uh-huh, oh, so they probably went through the, But he hadn't, he hadn't done the right one. I see And it's right on the arm rest in the back Uh-huh. and we didn't know it was there. Oh, okay. And the guy hit it with his arm when he got in the car And found it right away. and so we thought, you know, there, there was, it was broken. Uh-huh. But we've had just, uh, I guess it's been in two times. I've had it three years now.
Yes. And, uh, it's been in two, maybe three times. But it's just been real minor things. Well, I think that, uh, you have an excellent deal then, and the, the company is able probably to offer that kind of warranty on the car because they know it's so well built that they don't expect any kind of major repairs whereas with an awful lot of other lower quality cars you would be getting repairs after repair after repair That's right. Uh-huh. and those companies wouldn't be able to afford that for that kind of extended warranty or warranty at all, so. That's right. But it's really, it's been an enjoyable car. Like I say, I'll probably never be able to have another one, because I think we bought it for about sixteen thousand, you know Yes and I said, I'll never find another one for that price. No, not at all. And they keep going up, so I'll have to enjoy it, Okay, we're on, uh, recycling
Yes. and, uh, I am not real well informed on exactly what Richardson does. Uh-huh. I know that we, uh, they ask us to bundle our newspapers, and we do that, and we recycle our aluminum pop cans and stuff. I see. But now Plano has quite an elaborate system, don't they? Yeah, they do. Uh, it started out several years ago when they put these, uh, collection sites they, uh, near a WalMart, near a football stadium and the like, Uh-huh. and they just couldn't believe how many people were going out of their way to fill these things up. These huge dumpsters were being filled up in a, in a matter of a week. So they knew that there was something going on here. So, they started looking into programs, and what we have now, it, they changed the whole way that they do garbage in Plano. Uh-huh. Instead of collecting plastic bags of garbage two days a week, they make a collection on Monday for yard waste,
and the yard waste has to be put in a special bag that's a decomposable paper sack Uh-huh. it's a pretty good size. It's maybe the size of two or three, um, grocery bags. Oh. And we put that out by the street, and they collect those on Monday. And then on Wednesday, we put out two containers that they gave us. One container's a huge, green, monstrous thing that a, uh, uh, a special truck comes by and hooks onto the side of it and flips the container into the back of the garbage truck. So and that's where you put your regular, um, garbage and trash. Okay. And then also, that same day, you put out a small tub, it's maybe two feet high and three feet by two feet wide, and you put, just throw in your aluminum and your milk jugs and newspaper, and then the. Okay, and then they they separate it. Exactly, they have a big truck that has like not ten, maybe five big doors on the side of it, and they throw the different stuff in the different doors.
Oh, that's a neat system. Yeah it is. And apparently it's, you know, it, it went off pretty much without a hitch. The trucks, the special five door trucks were a little tough in getting because of something to do with the Persian Gulf war Oh, uh-huh. that the trucks were being, the engines or something were being shipped over there for something or other. But it does work pretty well. Well, I know our son and daughter-in-law live in Plano, and I know they have commented on the system. I don't know that they know that it worked that way, but they have the two separate containers and stuff. Oh, yes, uh-huh. I noticed something interesting last time, I guess two Wednesdays ago when they were picking up, I happened to be out there in the morning when they were picking up the, that tub stuff, and the man who was doing the separating, when he was done emptying the tub, he took a little electronic reader device off of his belt and he read the bar code that was on the side of the tub. So they must be collecting information about who does it, and how often. Oh, that is interesting.
Yeah. Because I wonder if that means that if you don't do it Uh-huh. do you suppose they will come and knock on your door and, I, I don't know, but I think that's a really interesting question. That, that is interesting. You know, will you be penalized if you don't. Will you, uh. Yeah, that, that seems farfetched only because it, it, there's no law that says you have to buy a newspaper or pop cans or milk jugs. Right, right. So there, there's, it's possible that there is a person in Plano that doesn't buy any of those three things, and therefore wouldn't have. That's true, except that it's hard to imagine, you know, when you have, uh, cans, you know, from the, the market and, uh you know, vegetable cans, and et cetera. Right. No, they won't take vegetable cans. Oh, they don't take vegetable cans. Just, just the aluminum pop cans.
This is just their aluminum cans. Yeah. Well, then yes, so they have, that's interesting. I wonder, uh, uh, Yeah, what they're doing with that. Wouldn't you really like to know? I would. Someday I'm sure we'll find out. I'm sure you know, if nothing else call the sanitation department say, okay, what are you doing reading you know. Uh-huh. So tell me your feelings on recycling. Is it, do you think this is a good thing, or silly. I think it's a very good thing. I think that, uh, I think it helps if the city is giving you a nudge to do it because I think there are a lot of people that don't do it, Yes.
and I can't say that my husband and I are real, real conscientious. We got started on the aluminum cans because our, uh, grandson was collecting them, uh, to raise money and stuff for an organization he was in. Yes. So we started collecting them, and now he's through, so we've just, we've kept on Yeah. and it's interesting, too, that we have to drive, we drive to Plano at Plano Road to, uh, just inside your city limits, to, you know turn them in to dump them in. Dump them off. Yeah, and that is interesting. I'm sure there's bound to be some here in Richardson Right. but we just haven't really seen them advertised or you know, something. Yeah. Well, the yeah, the Plano newspaper each, each day, in fact, has a, a little list of all the recycling centers for all the different things. They publish it every single day. Well, that's interesting.
Yeah, and phone numbers, and, and that kind of stuff. Uh-huh, well, I haven't noticed, uh, I haven't noticed Richardson, you know, making that big a, Okay on a scale of one to ten where do you stand and why? Well, I guess I stand on, uh, on, probably ten for no, uh, restrictions. I, uh, recently just moved to Texas from, uh, South Dakota and Nebraska, and I guess in terms of gun control I've always, uh, been raised with the, uh, idea in the Constitution that, uh, citizens had a right to bear arms, and I realize that probably way back when when the Constitution was written it probably regarded, uh, more, uh, of a national defense, uh, than anything else, but, uh, on the other hand, too, uh, people then, uh, needed to use firearms for, um, survival in terms of, uh, food Yes, true. and, uh, I was raised, uh, you know, hunting all the time, I lived on the farm, and, uh, you know, enjoy hunting and I guess I have, uh, some problems with, uh, being restricted to, um, owning a gun for, you know, hunting purposes mainly. Right. And, um, it scares me a little bit to think that they would begin restricting gun control to the point where, um, eventually we may not be able to have that right any more. Yeah, I can, I can understand that.
I was raised in Oklahoma, and of course, being Oklahoman and Texan, uh, yeah, the hunting and everything, and I used to things in my father and my husband having guns and all, and I, I did, used to be all in favor of it, but it's, all of a sudden it's starting to get really scary with these gangs. Yet I think I would vote a one if I thought that it would be nation wide and they can guarantee no one would have a gun, no crooks, nothing. But because I know that's not going to happen, then I have to probably right up there about an eight Yeah, it, uh, moving to this area, of course it happens everywhere, but, uh, I guess we're pretty naive coming from small towns, uh, in the midwest and then, uh, moving to a larger city where there are drive-by shootings and, uh, there seems like killing for no reason at all, and, uh. Well, it just seems like in the past three or four years it has just gotten so much worse than it was. There's always been a certain amount of crime in your, you know, your urban areas, and I know we lived in Chicago for seven years, and of course it was definitely there. So when we first moved here, it wasn't as bad as this. It's, you know, it's just getting all of a sudden so much worse.
I don't know whether it's due to the drugs and the, uh, drug kings that are here and Jamaican drug kings coming in. I don't know whether that's it, or street gangs. I don't know what the answer is. I know that it's scary, and yet I hate the government constantly telling me what I can do and what I can't do, and that's basically what the gun control would end up being. I, I think so, and, and there's always the, uh, the, uh, the old, uh, saying that keeps coming up that if a person wants a gun bad enough they'll, they'll get one, and, uh, and then, uh. Well, it's very true. Yeah. It's not the law abiding citizen that, you know, is, is dangerous with the gun It's the ones that are going out and stealing it. Yeah. And I said I think the only way I would be in big favor of gun control is if they could absolutely guarantee that nobody would have them. And I think that would almost have to go with armies, too. I mean, they'd have to be almost world-wide, which we know would never ever happen. Yeah, yeah, that's for sure.
Because even if you said, okay, you know, armed forces could have them, some idiot would come out and sell it to somebody on the street to make a quick buck. Yeah, and, uh, and, you know, uh, I suppose, uh, years ago, way back when, uh, when, uh, they had the revolutionary war and people decided that they, uh, were fed up with the government, uh, and if they didn't have a way to, uh, to fight back they would have been in big trouble. That's very true very true. Who knows, we maybe want to overthrow the government Well, the way things are going. I know, if somebody doesn't do something. Uh, what about, uh, what do you think of this, this, uh, law that they're putting into effect that you have to wait X number of days before you can, uh, carry the gun, or buy, you know, actually purchase the gun? Well, you know, they introduced some gun control back when I was a teenager, I believe, in terms of, uh, every gun you bought had to be licensed, I believe. Yes. And, uh, you know, that didn't bother me, uh, too much, and so, I guess it depends, um, if there are some statistics that show that, uh, that people, uh, commit crimes on the spur of the moment. Okay, uh, I guess our topic is about movies
Uh-huh. and, uh, what is coincidence, we got a baby-sitter and we went to the movies that past weekend. Oh, so did I And we saw CAPE FEAR. Oh, I heard that was excellent. It is. Is it? It's really good. Uh, I wanted to see that I was deciding between that and, uh, MY GIRL and, uh, my boyfriend and I went to see MY GIRL. Oh, how was that? Oh, it was excellent. It was a really, really good movie. I'd recommend it. I heard that's, a movie that, uh, you really can't take children. Is that true? Uh, I heard the opposite that, uh, you should take children to see it.
Oh. Uh, there were quite a few, uh, kids in there with their parents. Oh. Yeah. Uh, I don't know, though, I, I've heard that, and then what you just told me so, Yeah, yeah, because, uh, the little boy dies. Right, yeah. Yeah. It was sad. It was really sad. Oh. But, uh, his, it kind of shows how his, uh, best friend, this little girl, deals with his death and how, I think, maybe, how children should deal with death. Oh. Oh. Maybe.
Uh-huh. But, it was really good. It was sad, very sad. Oh, I want to see that one. Well, CAPE FEAR was, was more suspenseful. Yeah. It was really suspenseful. So that, that's, that's a real good movie to see. I heard it was, uh, sort of like, uh, not, uh, too violent, but it was kind of like, uh, gross, kind of like, uh, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, like. Uh, no, and it, uh, it was kind of, I don't know, it's kind of both, I guess, but it's not, it's not as bad as SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Oh, really? But, uh, it's just as suspenseful, I think. Oh. And it, it was a real good movie. And then we saw BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Because we have two kids. And FIEVEL GOES WEST
Oh, yeah. Uh. Oh, I've seen, uh, previews for them on T V, but I, But, uh, those were, those were okay, so, And then, oh, boy, it's been, it's been so long since we've been to the movies, Yeah. but I, we've rented some videos. Oh, yeah, I like to rent movies, too. And I think the last one I rented was, uh, MORTAL THOUGHTS with Demi Moore. Oh. Oh, I, I didn't see that. And, uh, that, that, that's okay. That's pretty good. Yeah. Oh, and, uh, WHAT ABOUT BOB? I have seen that at the theatres, Yeah. yeah.
Yeah, we rented that one. That, that was cute. And, uh, uh, I guess that's about it. Have you rented any movies lately? Uh, the last movie I rented was THE HARD WAY with Michael J. Fox and, uh, Oh, yeah, that was good. We rented that one, too. Yeah, I liked that. I like Michael J. Fox a lot. Uh-huh. Yeah. He's one of my favorites. Yeah. I like his movies. So, do you go to the movies often, or,
No, not too often. I, I hadn't been to the movies for a really long time since last weekend. Uh-huh. But, uh, there's been movies out that I've been wanting to see. I just, you know, don't get a chance to get out and see them. Yeah, yeah, well, we have two little kids, so it's hard for us to get out and go to the movies. We have to dig up a baby-sitter and And that's only the only time we can go out, Oh I see. so our time is scarce. Yeah. Oh. But, uh, we, we, we we, you know, we're, we're big movie people and we try and do Yeah. and I don't, I don't know about the last movie I've seen on T V that was real good. Uh,