A summer time picture thread!!

[maggie~hamilton]

Photos from 'Days of Yore'

Well while we're salivating over one another's photos from "back in the day" when we all were cute and hot, here's my offering -- taken in the summer of 1982 on Catalina Island.

I came to Hollywood in 1980 to seek fame, fortune and stardom ... and never found any of it! I did find bit of infamy; have lived in perpetual poverty; and my biggest claim to stardom so far was an appearance playing the theremin on Good Morning America with Elizabeth Vargas, Joel Siegal and Charles Gibson in 1997.

 

[fnelson487]

Why Charles!!

What a hottie! We moved to LA in '79. I am surprised we never ran into each other before we did. Of course, I was busy keeping house in the Valley. I did, however, occasionally make it down to Studio One. . .

 

[fnelson487]

I Should Elaborate

What "Keeping House" in the Valley entailed circa 1982. As you can see it involved floating in the pool, smoking cigarettes and drinking margaritas. Notice the finely sliced lime adorning the glass. After all, this is a summertime thread.

 

[rickr]

Great photos guys!!

Boy do I remember Studio One!! I used to go to L.A. every summer during the 1980's.And to Studio One every weekend! Remember the lights in the dance floor, the restaurants, and the huge fish aquarium in the mens room? What a grand gay bar that was. They even had a song about Studio One. Oh, so much fun back then!!

 

[tlee618]

Great picture Fred, now that is really the life!! Terry

 

[scott55405]

Very nice Fred! Is the finely sliced lime on the other side of you a one-time husband? Where did you live? You would not have struck me as a valley girl (LOL).

Rick, what good was it doing you coming out here in the 80s every year, when I didn't even move here til last year?! Guess you better consider rekindling an old tradition... ;-)

 

[fnelson487]

The Hills of Encino

I know I was a Val, but, like it's ok because I lived in a really good part of Encino. Yikes! I was there when the Valley Girl craze was on and routinely shopped at the Galleria. The fellow next to me was my friend since college, Thom. He was one of the many that followed the Chicago crowd out to LA. He, alas, was also one of the many that didn't live to see old age. It was a grand time, however. It's fun taking a trip down memory lane. That house, which we owned for 21 years was purchased for the ungodly amount of $214,000 in 1979. Today it has an estimated value of $1.4 million. I guess I won't be planning on a return to live there. LA is like a second home to me, after all I spent almost half my life there.

 

[scott55405]

Ah yes, Encino is nice. I like the valley places on the south edge like Encino, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, and etc. Months of unrelenting heat would just be too much for me though. Good thing you had that lovely pool! I don't know what is to become of this housing market. I can live a simple life as a single person, but I feel bad for families facing the realities of that market. The cost of living here is really not that different from anywhere else, if only it weren't for that.

I'm sorry to hear that Thom is no longer with us. Memories are definitely a wonderful thing.

I hope you'll let me know if you do come visiting this way sometime, and I will you, Jeff and etc sometime when I visit my sister, who lives just a ways west of you.

 

[fnelson487]

I'll Be Back

I usually get back every year or so and adore reconnecting with old friends. I have more places to stay than you can shake a stick at. Palm Springs is always on the itinerary and I visited Marty Rocha in March during my last visit. By all means, give a call when you visit your sister and we'll show you some good old Midwestern hospitality!

 

[rexaircollector]

You mean I have to wash the dishes

EGAD Fred, you did bring back memories because I too was a Val. Graduated from North Hollywood High School. My family's home was in Studio City, on Dona Nenita Pl. at the crossing of Mulholland Dr & Laurel Canyon Bl.(all the streets there start with "Dona") Since Studio One was mentioned (and it was a great club indeed), can we say Oil Can Harry's? Many a fun time there. Robb

 

[rickr]

What good did it do me going to L.A. every Summer??

Scott, I was looking for Mr. Wrong, and found him several times! <

 

[fnelson487]

Hey Robb

I know that area well. I used to take Mulholland Drive to many places. We lived on Calneva Drive which was a shortcut up to Mulholland from that part of the Valley. I used to go down Coldwater Canyon into WeHo. Ah yes, who could forget Oil Cans? The shows on Sunday night were a blast.

Fred

 

[rexaircollector]

Those were the days......

I know exactly where you lived. South of Ventura Bl, off Hayvenhurst. Not too far from Topanga State Park. It is so hard to believe the cost of real estate out there now. We moved to Colorado in 1995 and sold our home in North Hollywood for $500,000. It now tops 1mil. My parents bought the Dona Nenita property in 1969 for $80,000 and that area is over 2 mil now. Exactly the reason we headed for Georgia when we tired of the cold climate in Colorado. I'll always be a Valley Dude though. The Campers at Oil Cans were a blast and we also had fun at Keith's. Back in those days I used to date a guy that skated in the Roller Derby and hung out with that crowd. This post has caused me to become somewhat nostalgic.

Robb

 

[fnelson487]

The Campers!!!

I was trying to remember that name. Yes indeed, what fun. I think Oil Can Harry's may still be there. When Ed and I were looking for a house in '79, Studio City was the first place we looked. I am trying not to kick myself in the ass, but if I had only waited a few more years to sell that house in Encino, I could have hit the top of the market. Oh well, I haven't looked back and still love being back home in Chicago. You must remember the Kirby Vacuum Co. on Van Nuys Blvd. in Van Nuys. They had a picture there of Phyllis Diller with the infamous gold D50. Ah, memories.

 

[fnelson487]

Robb - I forgot to say -

Oh My God! Totally.

 

[lederstiefel1]

Me at work....

This is a dreadful pic of me at work.....but haven't any other on the computer....sorry, but you have to endure this or none...lol

 

[rexaircollector]

Kirby Vacuum Co......

Yeah Fred, I DO remember the Kirby store. Those WERE the days. I had much better luck at the thrift stores in CA and even in CO. When Jeff Parker visited, we went around to all the thrift stores in the Denver metro area and filled up the back of my friend's Volvo wagon with goodies. Since moving to Atlanta, the pickins are slim. I have not run across much of anything vintage. By the way, " I do NOT talk funny, I'm sure. Whatsa matter with the way I talk, I'm a VAL I know." LOL Robb

 

[scott55405]

Wow, must have been quite a lovely home to go for that amount in 1969, even for California. You all lived close to my friend Mark, he didn't live there then though. He lives right off Hayvenhurst just north of Victory. He likes to say he lives in Encino, even though he lives in Van Nuys, LOL.

The valley is probably fine if you get in the right area and can do dry heat, and you don't have to leave it usually, at least for work. When I dogsat for Mark it took an hour and ten minutes to get to work in El Segundo. That's just wrong.

I'm sure you told me where you lived at one time, Robb, but I didn't know the geography that well then. Do you ever get back here Robb or have any relatives here still? Get in touch with me if you come out it's been too long since I've seen you. 5 years I think! California misses you; time to come home! There were guy roller derby people? Who knew!

Oil Can Harry's is definitely still there, and it's awesome. That and Faultline are the two main places I go, if I go. On Saturday they have disco night from the 70s which I love, and I think Friday they do 80s. Some nights is country and western.

South of the Boulevard, Fred! Very nice indeed. I know one person who lives such as well. Lovely area. Glad you're enjoying Chicago. I thought about Chicago a few times over the years and enjoy visiting, and am very happy my sister is near there now, but I'm just at the point where I need to be done with climate stuff. Just give me 70 and sunny all year round, and I'm good.

Rick, that just goes to prove you were out here at the wrong time. (giggles)

 

[rexaircollector]

Hey Scott.......

Of course I will look you up when we come out to visit. I giggled when you mentioned that Mark likes to say he lives in Encino. It IS more fashionable to say you live in a "really good part of Encino" than Van Nuys, which has always been a less desirable area. LOL. Mark is a cool guy though and if it makes him feel good, then OK. Who cares where he lives, it's the individual, not their venue, that makes the friendship. It's like the area we used to live in is referred to Toluca Lake (really tubular!) but to me, it is just North Hollywood. If you know the "Valley", Bill's and my house was off Cahuenga Bl between Riverside Dr & Magnolia Bl on Auckland Av.

My brother also works in El Segundo, for Mattel. He lives in Northridge at Tampa & Rinaldi. Imagine how long that takes on the 405 parking lot!!!

Imagine that. There actually WERE male roller derby skaters in the 70's. I had a lot of friends that skated on the LA Thunderbirds, some of which have passed on. I used to skate with them on their practice games on Sunday afternoons, and was actually quite a good roller skater. I am still in touch with a few of the female skaters from those days. Hard to believe they are approaching their 60's now. Hey, after all, I am 50 now and sometimes I forget that.

If you ever get to Atlanta, you know you have a place to stay.

Robb

 

[parunner58]

Here is my summer picture. We went to Disney World and did the 2 hour Segway tour over in Epcot.

Mike