Forgot The Camera....I Hate It When That Happens

Drove up Eye Forty Four early this morning to the 255 Missouri River Bridge and met a friend of Jeepjunkie who brought some jeep parts up from the birthplace of speed.

Drove into the side of a mountain. Dang no camera.

Got the parts and drove out the other side of the mountain.

Went to Jefferson Barracks Cemetary and found my Uncle Frank's grave, section IQ, grave 168. He passed over in 2000. He fought in Korea and WWII. He also had earned a purple heart. On his marker is the inscription "He Was A Good Soldier."

Then drove into Jefferson Barracks where I lived in my formative years. We lived on Kilner Street as did, according to the woman in the information center, about 5,000 other kids who are retracing their youth.

I mentioned playing on the cannons on the bluff. She said every resident who returns remembers that also.

Did find the church I was baptized at , St. Bernadette's, it was in the old post movie theater. Fr. Maurice Byrne was the pastor and his mother, Mrs. Byrne was his housekeeper.

Drove by my grandmother's house near Grand and Meramac, on Giles. It appeared vacant, the garage was gone and someone had gotten stuck in the back yard.

Drove by "The Neighborhood News" building where my dad was a newspaper editor, copywriter, cook and chief bottle washer. A man named Nordman owned the paper.

Hit Shrewsbury, the first new house my Mom and Dad lived in on Nottingham. My grandma and grandpa gave them the lot and Mom and Dad built a hew house with an unfinished upstairs. The house was on the block behind Granny and Man's house. We used to walk over to their house and watch tv when we didn't have a tv. Saturday morning westerns!

Drove by the old house on St. Charles Place. Stopped and tried to buy the address marker stone but no one was at home.

Stopped at donut place on Chippewa and Landesdowne where we would go for donuts on Sundays. I ordered some french crullers and told the saleslady, "we used to call these tractorwheels." She said, "They still do."

I ate six of them.

Stopped at White Castle, give me 20 white castle adn large sweet tea. Are these to go? You betcha. Where you heading? Springfield. How many will you eat on the trip? All of them! No you won't, let me put them in two bags. She was right.

Passing a semi truck, a sheet of ice fell off the roof of the trailer and hit my truck square in the windshield. That was exciting.

And I forgot the camera.