The Great Cat Mystery

   As we enter the sprinting months toward Christmas I was reminded of a story that I had forgotten about. My family tradition is quite simple, yet we held to it, Christmas eve we had a dinner and friends over and I always got to open all my presents that night. Christmas day was actually about Christ. We are not, and were not avid church goers, but I was raised with church values and beliefs.
  This one particular party was quite rememberable for a rather amusing cat. Now Bancroft's animals like cats and dogs seemed at times to be another whole community. It was our homeless and hobo's rolled into one. In fact the back porch of my house seemed to be an at least nightly stop for two to three dogs. You also had the cat roamings that seemed to be our nightly gangs. It was rather odd to go a night without hearing a couple of cats duke it out. During the day you could always find a battle scarred cat.
   Well this evening started like most me begging my mother all day and early evening to open a present or two, despite the fact every other kid had to wait another whole day. Just shows no matter when you let them open stuff it's never soon enough. It had snowed the day before and was really cold at night. The roads were cleared by afternoon, but the snow had stayed on the grass. That evening we had another inch or two before it got too cold to even snow.
   Everyone was over and we were chowing down on the delicious food. Usually someone would come as Santa for the kiddies (HAHA yeah I was at the age that I didn't believe in it). After we ate, the grown ups usually played cards or a personal favorite Balderdash (great game). Well I was in the kitchen and happened to look out and see a cat in the yard. He was by an old concrete well we had in our yard and he was standing like he/she was walking and then heard something. I thought me coming to the window might have startled him/her into stopping. I thought nothing of it and went back to being a pest to the adults trying to play a game.
   A few hours had went by and my uncle noticed this cat too. I went and looked again and he/she was in the same position! Yep! Frozen solid! To go from walking to frozen solid is rather, well, hard to believe and we have long speculated that someone planted that cat in our yard like that.

Halloween

Ghost, goblins, vampires, witches, and Tele Tubbies? I remember when I was young all the different costumes you could get. It is that time of year again! There are always the stores, halloween stores, that pop up at this time of year selling costumes, accessories, and motion activated items to scare us. Our little city has two of these stores and yesterday we (me and the kids) went to both. 

The first one we ventured to was Spirit Halloween. My son, who just turned 3 at the end of August, can finally grasp what is going on. We started at the kids section and I tried to get him interested in the Toy Story items, but he was not having it. We went through every section and then got toward the motion stuff. Now this stuff is getting more and more realistic each year. We got to the edge and the first items were severed arms, legs, and hands. He jumped back for a minute and processed what was going on. He wouldn't move... I said, "Come on," and he wouldn't budge! I picked him up and started down through the aisle. There was a life size Freddie, Jason, and Pinhead, and he was kinda scared of each at first, but then realized I kept pushing a button that made them talk and move.

Now knowing some of this stuff was fake, I believe anyway, we got to the display of a tombstone. There was a wire running from the tombstone through a gothic gate barrier to a pad that said, "Step Here." I told Jobie, "Step right here," motioning to the little pad. He runs with excitement and jumps on the pad. He then was startled as the tombstone began shaking and evil laughs bellowed forth. He paused at first and then as the tombstone raised began running away. He would stop and look, then run, stop and look, then run. He was scared I believe, but interested as well. Finally behind the tombstone was the Crypt Keeper. He stopped. Balled both fists up and proclaimed, "YOU WANT TO FIGHT!," and charged at the display!

It was at that moment he over came the fears and realized that the whole store had fake items. He then proceeded back through playing with items that he was avoiding before. We purchased 3 needle pens and a army helmet.

We went to the second store called Halloween City. More costumes and less decorations. We scoured the store for costumes. Jobie found a Jengo Fett costume and ran to the front of the store saying, "Gotta checkout! Gotta Checkout!" I was trying to tell him that we had to wait on his sisters and he didn't want to. I finally convinced him otherwise and we waited on the girls. We were headed to the front and the prized Jango Fett costume lost out to a Transformer costume.

The joys of having to decide on a costume and changing your mind over and over and over. Happy Halloween everyone!

Too Much Information!

Well sometimes when you have known someone for a while you start to reveal information to that person and that leads to a more intimate relationship with that person. Sometimes however people reveal too much information and you just stand there scratching your head.

I went to Wal-Mart a few days ago, and yes I hate that place, but it was a must. I needed ink for my printer and yeah that is the only place in this crappy town one can go and get such a thing. I stocked up though and bought 2 of each catridge.

I grabbed the ink with the quickness and headed for the shortest line. The young lady rings me up and bags the items. I swipe my card and then get this feeling someone is staring at me. I look up and she is standing there with a giant smile. I said, "What?" She said, "Nothing I am just smiling." Well at first I had to focus on the key pad to finish my transaction and then I started running through my head the reasons for the smile. I did a quick nose swipe and fly check and yep all good! I grabbed the bag and began walking away and the whole time I am watching other people seeing if they start laughing and such and nothing.

I get to my car and well it dawns on me...she might like me. I wrestled with this idea all the way to the house and finally came to the conclusion that must be it. Well as I am printing I run out of paper for all my ink...*wink* *wink* I must return to that dreaded place.

I grab some paper and some much needed pencils for school and get in her line. She had a customer checking out, another waiting with a little bit of stuff, another woman with a ton of stuff and then me. The lady in front of me was gracious enough to let me go ahead with my few items. As I am talking and thanking the lady for letting me go ahead she gets relieved for break. "Are you serious?!" I watch and she heads for the front door. "I am in luck!" I decided at that point if she smiles again and remembers me it must be she likes me.

I check out and start walking that way. As I enter the greeter area I see her and shes me and smiles. She says, "You still here?" Of course Mister smooth talker me says, "Well I bought all that ink and ran out of paper!" She asks my name and I ask hers and we have a little conversation. She says "My break is almost over I have to go." I said, "Can I get your number," Yes I braved life and limb and asked for the digits. I then got the rarest of responses. " I am not allowed to date?" ....wait what? Is she 16? or something? Of course, "Why?" and again a rare response. "Drug court won't allow me to." Are you serious? Of all the people, I get the druggie, now I know why she was smiling...SHE WAS HIGH!

Enjoy a good laugh at my expense today.

Need Nitro for the pool....

Everyone makes Friday the official plans making day, well Bancroft was no different. We would usually start in school with the plans and then solidify them by days end. I don't know what the big deal was because usually it was the same, camping out, just depended on whose yard. Our favorite thing to do though was stay up all night at someones house (outside in a tent), and then go around the neighbor hood getting bottles to cash in for money for the pool.

We usually went to Nitros pool because my Dad worked close to it and he could drop us off in the morning and then pick us up after he was off. Yeah we didnt have cell phones to call anyone and 2 cars was rare as most Moms stayed at home back then.

I still remember the last time we did this. It was summer and this new drink came out that supposedly had double the caffiene, JOLT cola! Yeah that was music to our ears. We had the Jolt and this time was Charlies house for the night. His parents had acquired a camper and that meant no tent (well so me and Charlie thought).

Darkness fell and that usually meant the night started with whatever bottle rockets we had scrounged up. We would take our Wiffle ball bats and use them like a shoulder fired rocket for our bottle rockets. All Wiffle ball bats have a hole in the handle of them. You place the bat on your shoulder, load it with a rocket, and have your best friend light it and yell, "Fire in the Hole!" Good times, good times! This night Missy had ran us off from Charlies house by saying she was going to tell Mom (which meant me and Charlie would have to go inside). We headed to the park! There were a couple of metal slides just straight with a couple of different angles. We lined the bottom of the slide up with rockets facing up the slide. Lit them all at once and well....THEY BLEW UP!

After we were out of rockets it was on to collecting. Now collecting was not for the weak, Dogs, fences, flood lights, and many more obstacles made things difficult. I still remember the house by the park had two german shepards and we could never get past them without those dogs barking. Myself and Charlie searched the neighborhood over and found enough for us and his sister to go swimming. We headed back to his house and the comfort of a camper (so we thought).

Upon returning to the camper, Missy, Charlies oldest sister and Anna our big Sis had locked us out! This was a battle that would be fought the whole night! Morning would come and that meant pool time. We spent the whole day in the hot sun swimming hard (well except those few times a day where everyone had to get out! Grrrrrrr I hated and still hate those checks!).

I am telling you this story because I went home layed down on the couch and slept for about 24 hours. It was the best sleep I have ever gotten. Everything was right with the world at that point. It seems that day ended summer and everybody grew up instantly. I want to say thanks to my friends and the memories!

Legends...

Well today I was thinking about some stories I had been told and to this day I still remember one Legend from Bancroft! "The Mad Man." Myself and a few of the "Club" members were on a tennis court playing around (not tennis particularly), but climbing the fences and nets and who knows we may have played a game or two of tennis. The tennis court was in a park, that for the most part, sat in the middle of the town. Beside it was a small patch of woods (small to an adult, jungle to an elementary school kid), and there was a road that traveled right along the park then turn south because of the woods. We had probably explored every inch of Bancroft to this point except that little patch of woods.

While we were playing, a teenage boy came out of the woods and headed toward his house that was across from the tennis court. He said, "You guys want to see something cool?" Of course we all know the answer to that. So we start walking towards his house and he said, "I'll be right back I need to go inside and get it." We all stood there quiet, for the most part, I think we were all picturing in our heads what cool meant. The boy returned with a Katana. We were all semi amazed, a little, as it was not much longer than the "Rambo" knives we carried and not to mention our knives had matches, saws, needles, thread so what use would that stupid sword be? Then he said, "This is no ordinary sword!" Of course "why?," came out our mouthes. "Well you see those woods? There is a man that lives in those woods. He used to carry this sword, and he kills all that enter the woods. If we look we can see him sometimes at the edge of the woods watching. Right now he is extremely angry and watchful, because I went in there one night while he slept and stole his sword!" Well we all were amazed and shown the blood stains that were at the hilt of the sword. We all collected our breathe and went back to the tennis court.

We didn't do much playing as we all stood looking at the woods and taking turns saying we saw him and then spending 10 mins trying to explain where we see him at. The funny thing is I remember for several months after that, venturing toward the woods and then being scared and running away. I do believe that one of our friends Tony broke the Legend. We told him about it and he said not true as that was the woods he used to venture between his and Andrews house!

Think about it what legends did you grow up with? I don't remember quite how long that legend lasted, but I do remember that day, and a few others vividly. I went back there not too long ago and the Mad Man would not be happy! They not only cut the woods down and stole his home, but they built their own, over his! 

Tag your it!

Well the best game and probably my favorite game that the "Bancroft Bunch," as I like to call the club me and friends had, played was flashlight tag! Why kids can't come up with or enjoy games like this now is beyond me. Here is the game in a nutshell; you have to wait until its dark (Duh!), you have to have several people (Duh! Tag by yourself looks wierd), and you have to have a flashlight (Duh! Hence the name.)

Now you have to have a yard or area for everyone to be confined to, or else you will be searching forever! Trees, bushes, cars all in the area make for great hiding spots. Now you have someone who is it. The person who is it gets the flashlight (yeah grown ups would be like I can't see to hide without the flashlight Duh!). Everyone else goes and hides! The person who was it does the whole count to 10....one, two, three, four, fivesixseveneightnineten! READY OR NOT HERE I COME!, and begins searching for the people who have hidden. You must spot them with the flashlight. When you find someone they become it and go count...the others can stay hidden in the same spot if they choose.

Loads of fun, and used to be my favorite game. Well besides the night time whacking of lightning bugs with a wiffle ball bat to make it glow like a light saber of couse! HAHA!

Snipe Hunting!

I know, I know, snipes are real!  I had some older half brothers and they were around from time to time. When they were around I was generally picked on, but most of the time not too bad! It is always good to have people tease you, as you learn not to be so gullible. Well at the time I believe the city we lived in was Red House, but we lived right beside a cemetery. I was maybe in the first grade at the time and well had no real grasp on the whole ghost thing. My brothers however felt different about how I viewed the "Creepy Cemetery."

Just to give a small back story, I had hamasters and such that always got away and was into the small animals. Well my brothers decided to tell me that snipes were small fury little hamster like animals that I could catch only at night.

Well before one can catch a snipe one must prepare the trap! What was the trap? A brown paper bag...I know, I know, what!? Yeah, but there was a catch! I had to color the inside of this brown paper bag black! Lord knows I probably didn't have a black crayon left in my house after that. Yeah I did it and had to wait for night.

Night came and I grabbed my bag and my brother took me out to a nice secluded spot with bag in hand. It was rather dark where he decided to take me. "Now hold the bag open on the ground and when it runs in there close it up tight!," my brother told me. I some how think I can still hear the snickering in his voice when he said it, but who knows. My brother, not the snipes, scurried off to the house and proceeded to wait for me to come running in the house scared! Yes that is all this was about scaring me.

Well the great joy of having scared little brother never came. I sat there waiting for the little bugger to run into my bag and it never happened, instead my brother came out and told me to come in. WHAT?! "No such thing as snipes?!" Yeah thanks buddy my hamster ran off and I had nothing to fill it's cage thanks to you. Hehe, good one! Not! :)

The Fog of War

Bancroft is a small little town that sits in the heart of West Virginia. It sits right on the Kanawha River in the shadow of John Amos power plant. I learned a lot from this little town, as I was elementary school kid. One lesson I learned was something I call the "Fog of War."


We tend to always see ourselves or place ourselves into social hierarchies. We like to try and keep up with the Jones's. Well..., forget them! Make yourself happy.

I had a ton of friends living in Bancroft. I had some very close friends that to this day I consider relatives. We had a little club, as kids seemed to do back then. The problem with friends is we are always trying to impress or one up them. Granted when one of us got a new anything it meant the other was going to have fun with it too.

I had a crush on a girl (sad that I have to state it was a girl), and she hung around us from time to time. She lived on the hill (more like mountain ridge) and was not down in town every day, but often enough that she was considered part of the club. My best friend had two older sisters and this girl was one of those sisters’ friends. For years we all "played" together. When we started approaching our teens, things became a little more complicated. This person likes that person, she likes him, I like her and WAIT A MINUTE, this is a different kind of like! It was as if we went to bed (our own separate beds at our houses) friends and woke up as couples!

Now I go back to the social crap. I liked this girl and she liked me and it was well known. The problem is if I date her how is it going to look? Well as guys tend to do I began to make fun of her and say some things that were hateful, errrr more like hurtful! I was always taught the golden rule and followed it, yet for some reason this instance I just could not get past hurting her to avoid my social destruction, well imagined social destruction. The "Fog of War" tends to have us do things we often would not do. I moved away shortly after this and never got the chance to apologize.

I carried the regret to my new place and swore to myself never to do that again. I forgave myself in hopes that she had forgiven me. I never again allowed a social status to dictate who I would date or possibly date. Yes, oh my goodness can't believe I am about to say this, love is a battlefield, and I hope everyone keeps looking through the Fog to find their true love.