Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2003 1:27 pm
Apart from Astro Boy, which other tv shows did you watch as a kid growing up? 
Scary Shows:
I remember awakening one night to use the potty, and mom and my older sister were watching A. Hitchcocks the Birds. When I now look at the same shows that absolutely terrified me as a little kid, I find them often funny. The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and others I cannot recall terrified me such that even to hear the opening theme music sent me running for the safety of my bed. I always was sure to completely close my closet before climbing into bed, lest a car drive down the street, and light flash across the things in the closet, making them seem to be moving! Oh, to be a kid again!
What terrified me as a kid:
The thing that most frightened me was quicksand (quagmire). The idea of the earth itself swallowing me was very scary. I remember seeing a Tarzan movie or show, and this guy fell into quicksand. I was too scared to see if he got out! I ran to my room and hid under my covers! I still get a shiver when seeing or reading about it. I was reading the New Arabian Nights, which had quite a few short stories in it, one of which featured it. At 43, I would have thought myself too old for such childish fears, but just reading about it made me uneasy. Now my biggest fear is decrepitude. Arthritis is taking its toll.
Playtime:
Nevertheless, when we played with our GI Joes (12 inches tall type), quicksand or quagmire usually played a part. We would sink the victim between the bed and the wall, or sometimes in a sleeve of a coat. Any other GI Joes who were trying to rescue him most often arrive just a wee bit too late! I had about ten figures, including two Johhny West (Marx toys), five or six with the classic scar on the cheek, one like a Johnny West, except that he was a modern American soldier Stoney, one Captain Action, one with lifelike hair and beard, one with kung fu grip, and one that was European (had no scar, and had a different face). I had four jeeps: two Rat Patrol with tan and 50 caliber machinegun on tripod, one with searchlight and recoilless rifle, both mounted on tripods (searchlight was in a trailer), the fourth jeep went with the Stoney.
Then there was my other great love: LEGO bricks. And that was way before they came out with any of these specialty sets. They were just plain old bricks. I did have a set that had gears, but I preferred the simple stuff. We used army men from model kits and built some really large vehicles for them. I was quickly becoming too old to play with the stuff, though.
Games:
Monopoly, Operation, BASH!, checkers, I did not learn chess until middle school. And still my favorite: Scrabble. I have several occasions when I had two seven letter words that also touched triple word scores. But my dad had one word that not only used all seven of his tiles, not only was on one triple word score, but actually spanned two triple word scores. Nevertheless, I think I had the highest score for a single play: 135 points. This was only possible by some other player foolishly playing a word that ended just before the corner space (a triple word score). Thus, I was able to form two or more words with one single play, and both or two of them shared the triple word score space. Sorry to go on for so long, but one thing led to another!! :wahah:
B) 
