Trip down memory lane

As I drove to work this morning I noticed all the tree's changing color ( Always very beautiful) And with this I realized it is Fall ( with everything else on my mind sometimes I am slow to catch on). Anyway, My drive to work is about 1 hour so I have lots of time to just let my mind wander. With november approaching my thoughts turned to Hunting season. I grew up in Cherry Hill New Jersey where I still live today. It's a far different place today from what it was then.

Cherry hill was incorporated as a Township in 1958 and I came along in 1960, I always say Cherry hill and I grew up together ( Ha Ha, chuckle, snicker snort gasp) anyway, Today Cherry Hill does not view the average citizen wandering around with firearms as an acceptable practice, Back then when Cherry Hill was still in it's infancy We Hunters were pretty much left unmolested.

The 60's and 70's were a very different time, for one thing as kids we rode in cars without seat belts, our parents smoked and 9 year old Boys were aloud to go in the woods with Guns and this was o.k. Today if one of my neighbors caught a glimpse of a BB gun they would call the Police. Since the Cherry Hill Police pull their weapons once a year to qualify because their is no crime in Cherry Hill their reaction would be to swoop down on the offending party with 7 S.W.A.T. Teams and prepare to cut him down like Pablo Escobar. God help us if some one reported a shotgun blast with the intention of causing the demise of local wild life, I'm sure Law enforcements reaction would be something far scarier then I want to think about.

Well back to the point, I personally stopped hunting when I was 17 but as a boy outdoor sports ( Hunting, Fishing, camping etc) were all very important My two best friends ( Brothers) were into these pursuits as well so this is how we all grew up. Starting in August we would clean the shotguns, Check, double check, triple check and recheck our hunting gear ( canvas pants, boots, skinning knife, long knife, Gunning jacket) and start lovingly read our cache of Outdoor Life, Field and Stream and Sports Afield magazines so we could tease ourselves in to a frenzy.

Then we would spend all of our waking moments talking about passed Hunting trips and dreaming about the benefits Rabbit Pot Pie, Roast Pheasant, and if we were lucky Roast Venison smothered in onions and bacon, Jeezu those were the days. Finally Hunting season would come around and until the end of December all our saturdays and afternoons after school were booked.

My Dad, who was a gun enthusiast himself and Taught me to respect weapons and to at all times be safe. He also taught me and passed on to me an appreciation and yes, a Love for the Outdoors. When the Old Man and I went Hunting it was'nt about Killing or putting meat on the table for the family, it was about Father and Son Bonding. Many times the scene looked like this....

5:30 saturday morning, two cups of coffee, check gear, After putting on our coats Pop, would put out his Winston and insist I carry my scatter gun broke open and empty over my arm till we got in the woods. The funny part is Thank God we were not after food for the Table or we would have starved, The old Man was not only my Hero but he was also my friend and my favorite human. So we spent many gorgeous fall saturdays tramping through the woods he with a .12 guage side by side and myself with a .20 guage single shot just talking, usually about anything but hunting. My Old man was a great guy, diversified in knowledge and varied in thought and mostly he was truly interesting to talk to and to listen to as well.

As we know the 60's and 70's have faded into history and all of us past a certain age understand that life is all about change. I personally have not hunted since I was 17 and really don't care to. In Cherry Hill we are inundated with Shoprite, Acme, Genuardis and who knows how many boutique type food stores the need to lean toward the male primal instinct of Hunter vs. Prey seems totally unnessesary. But, my thoughts led me to this place and that is what blogging is about is'nt it?

So my friends here is too Herbert D. Carlson my beloved Father who passed in September of 2001 and the many happy hours I spent with him just being Father and Son. And lastly, here is to the sunny slopes of long ago, I missed many episodes of my life from back then but, thats life.

Til later, That's how I see it.

Every Loser has a System.

Anyone who knows me Knows I am a Lottery player. Yes, one of those Hopeless creatures God created that rests all of their hopes and dreams on a few dollars worth of paper. As the title suggests I have a system and part of this system involves writing the numbers everyday in a journal and reflect on history before making my days selections.

Now, before you write me off at this point as another hopeless moron, keep in mind I have won in the last 4 months over $ 6,000.00 playing New Jersey Pick Three's, Huh? Yeah, Got your attention did'nt I? Well Boys and Girls it's true. Now my wife and most of my friends offer little if any encouragement. My wife says " the lottery is nothing but ping pong balls shot through a tube by compressed air that swirl around a giant plastic ball and end up producing three numbers" Balderdash I say! it is a science.

At this point let me explain how the lottery works in Jersey. The pick 3 is played twice a day midday and evening. Your number pool is 0 thru 9. you the player must predict what that number combination is going to be. Below is a table of how to bet with cost. Lets take 123.

Straight= 123 in order cost $.50 generally pays about $200.00
Boxed= 123 in any order( could be 231) cost $.50 usually pays about $30.00
wheel= 123 in any order( could be 321) cost $3.00 pays straight payout
As I mentioned I have a system I use it works for me and I have done well with it.
I have a Friend I will call Harry who is a problem Gambler, he is the " don't let this happen to you example" where I carefully select my numbers and am good natured when I don't win, Harry is a bulgy eyed, rabid, raving lunatic when he does not win. Where I will budget my money and keep my numbers purchases down to a certain point, Harry can,t help himself he will spend $60.00 when he meant to spend 10.

A classic example of a typical purchasing session with Harry goes like this.....

Harry goes to lottery store with good intentions The clerk steps to the machine...
Clerk: How may I help you sir?
Harry: let me get pick 3 midday wheeled, 621, 544, 855, 698 and 429.
Clerk: will that be all today?
Harry: ( starting to sweat) Better give me 233 and 216 straight and boxed 5 times.
Clerk: ( printing tickets) Anything else buddy?
Harry: ( shifting weight from right foot to left foot Repeatedly) Cigarettes are $6.96 a pack give me 696 wheeled, My Moms in the hospital her room number is 259 wheel that 3 times Thats it!
Clerk: ( visbly scared) will that be all sir?
Harry: ( now morphing into a dark, red eyed, slobbering cave creature) My daughter's birthday is November 5th and my tab at 711 this morning was $1.15 It's an omen I tell ya, wheel 115 20 times, How much? I'm done.
Clerk: ( Gulping and feeling the acid in his stomach rise) That will be $ 57.95 sir.
Harry: ( losing all control as well as sense) WWWHHHAAATTT? How is that Possible? You made a mistake.
Clerk: ( Wishing he had called out) I can cancel them sir!
Harry: NOOOOOOOOOO! What are you friggin crazy then one of them is sure to come out Give them to me I'll pay!

Gambling is a disease for some people and a horrible one at that. Fortunately I am under control at all times. Well gotta go, I emptied my piggy bank and came up with $ 7.50 if I hurry I can catch the night number, so long.