Last updated March 29, 2022
Drinking. Dad, like many other working class men at the time drank a lot of alcoholic beverages. Dad was known to stop at the “corner” on his way home from work. The “corner” was usually Meyerl’s Saloon on the corner of East Street and Royal Street. The only times that Mom worried about that stop was on payday. Dad was known to buy a few rounds and the family budget didn’t allow for that.
Although the shot and a beer were his favorite combination, I remember the occasion when Ozzie and Mary were at the house early in the day, probably on a holiday. For some reason they decided to have Bloody Mary’s. It turned out that there was no vodka, gin or tomato juice. No problem, Seagram 7 and V8 would suffice. They said it was terrible but drank it anyway. I think they cleansed their pallets with an Iron City.
Boxing. Sometime in the fifties, I remember sitting out in front of the house when Dad came out with a brand new black Emerson radio. He told us that he bought the radio so that he could listen to the Joe Louis – Ezzard Charles fight. One or two others showed up and they listened fight together. Why it was important I don’t know. Ezzard Charles won.
Things he said. During the summer I often heard him say. ” Roe, this food is too hot, maybe you should have cooked it in the refrigerator.”
“Jesus Kee-Riist!!” (Must be a Pittsburgh thing. I learned later that Judi’s dad used the same exclamation.)
Couch Sleeping Who can forget Dad lying on the couch sleeping with the newspaper held out to the side as if he were reading it. At the same time the Zenith TV with the 12 inch round screen would be on some news program. Should one of us dare to change the channel or adjust the volume, he’d say “Hey I’m watching that” ?
Phillips Pea Soup Dad had picked up several cases of Phillips Pea Soup from the railroad salvage yard. They must have been pretty cheap. We had pea soup almost every day for what must have been months.
Garbage Dad would often treat the garbage men with a case of beer. He’d put it in a burlap sack and place it beside the cans. Perhaps he did it to make sure they never complained about having to lug so much to the street below. Besides the standard trash cans, we had barrels that we used to burn excess trash.