Getting to know the Boneyard members at bit | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Getting to know the Boneyard members at bit

Reggie Lewis's death was very significant for me. I grew up on Bird, McHale, Parrish, DJ, Ainge... and Reggie Lewis what made Boston respectable for a while. In my mid teens I was diagnosed with a heart murmur and was told it would probably go away, but until it did I had to watch a few things and push it with endurance races or sports. Luckily, it did go away, but Lewis's death stuck with me for a long time, and still has never completely left me.
 
UconnMark said:
This is for the BY old timers (young folks will say "who's that"). I played ball for the Hartford Hawks around 1960. Our coach ran the Bob Petitt basketball camp in the summer. My freshman year I got to go and help out around the camp. Petitt actually was there and worked with the young athletes. He brought along 6'4" forward Cliff Hagan who could play center with his hook shot. Cliff asked for a volunteer for a little one on one demo. A young lad from New Haven who was around 6'9" raised his hand and went out to the court. To make a long story short, Cliff went around him, through him, and everything but over him. A bit of humble pie served as the young lad said something like "I guess he's pretty good!" I wanted to say "it's a good thing you didn't play Petitt." Wisest decision I ever made in college was not volunteering for a demo against an NBA player that summer.
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Two great ballplayers. 6'4" Hagan was the shortest NBA center in my memory, but a great one who could hook with either hand. And 6'9" Pettit was a great jump-shooting forward on the same team. Go figure. Pettit, one of my early favorite players, seemingly played with a very calm demeanor. But once I remember he really lost his temper in a Hawks-Celtics game. Pettit's foul shot was very slow and deliberate, balancing the ball in the palm of his outstretched right arm before letting it go. One time, as he was going through this slow ritual, K.C. Jones decided to walk across the lane from one side to the other, right in front of Pettit, totally disrupting his concentration. Pettit slammed the ball against the floor, turned his back and walked away. . . . The only other center of similar dimensions as Hagan I recall was a guy named Phil Dinardo, who played for Mitchell Field on the Air Force Worldwide Basketball Championship team in 1960. Also 6'4" (with much taller forwards Jerry Vayda and George Mehaffey), who could also hook with either hand.
 
Retirement doesn't mean you don't have a purpose. It gives you time to explore things you wanted to do but never had the time.

I retired earlier than most. After 33 years in education that inner voice told me it was time. No regrets at all. Our family was growing with grandchildren and Poppa was available to baby sit and I sure did. The wife was still working so I had the opportunity to expand my cooking skills. And I was still heavily involved with the Scouting program.

When my wife finally retired, we decided to ditch the Northeast with its winter weather and high taxes. Moved to Florida in a 55+ community. It was a 2 year process to sell the house and find a place to live. When we finally settled in, we both found an unbelievable amount of clubs and activities. I joined a swing band and started playing again. Hadn't really played in a band since my mid 20's. Had to work my tail off to get in decent playing condition. I'm still playing 8 years later with the same group playing 5 concerts/ dances a year. Some of our best friends are in the band. Found we had a neighborhood club that had 3 events per year.

We both joined our Community Emergency Response Team. We both believe that giving back to your community is important. We went to the training. We train for natural disasters as being immediate responders for our community. Then we became trainers/ presenters for Check-Call-Compress classes. This past August I became the Team Leader.

Our community sponsored a university and offered course to the community. My wife signed up to teacher a variety of courses for using software with the emphasis on Apple products. COVID killed that one. Plus she became a church organist/ choir director for a local church. She just retired from that one.

In addition we have about one concert in our ballroom every month. We get some of the original artists like Gary Puckett and Jay and the Americans and the Classics IV as well as some very good tribute bands.

Plenty out there to do.
 
Just my two cents, if you are not sure about getting another dog, how about volunteering at the dog bound, They are always looking for people to help them. Either by fostering or just taking the dogs for a walk. The dogs would love you and it's something to do in your retirement until you fell comfortable. I retired at 62 to care for my wife. She passed away 2 years after I retired and I miss her but have never looked back at not working anymore. Over the years I have been to all 50 states. You will find something that fills your days.
 
Jackcatscal said:
A memory I'll take to my grave. In my early twenties, I'm on the French/Spanish frontier above the town of Portbou, Spain. It's dawn, and I'm in the foothills of the Pyrenees, looking out over the beautiful Mediterranean. (Back then, the gauges of the trains in France and Spain were different, so you had to change trains.)
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Amazing area isn't it? I was Air Force in Spain in the 70's, we used to ski in the Pyrenees, just wonderful. We also visited the Caves of Altimira in extreme northern Spain, those ancient images of the bison and other animals will stay with me forever. The Steely Dan song has always had special meaning to me.
 
GoUconn7961 said:
I'm hoping that once I'm truly retired I'll get a part-time job so I continue to have some social interaction. I'll still be too "young" for our active senior center. I also think I'll have more time for a dog. I hope. I need a purpose and I don't have one.
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I also recommend the suggestion of birding. A number of years ago I also added nature/wildlife photography to my birding. It can be very rewarding and gets you outside. Here's a pic of an heron I got last week:
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I got hooked on the Huskies going to games with my daughter. But the wow moment for me was they way Jessica Moore played injured in her last game as a Husky. She is rarely mentioned among the greats, but she had a great heart and commitment to the team.

If I want to be remembered for anything it is that I was the best father I could be to my daughters. Nothing is more important or significant in my life.
 
I have not yet gotten a chance to read all of the responses yet, but I love learning more about all the BYers.

It’s difficult for me to pick my most memorable experiences.

Professionally I would say it was when I finally obtained my Professional Engineering license last year after passing the exam. I graduated college in 2010, so I had to spend nearly a year and a half dutifully studying every day for the exam. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life, but it felt so good when I passed.

From a personal life standpoint … I’m not sure. I can think of many memorable sports moments — like being at the game by the glass for the Whalers’ last stand in Hartford or a huge field hockey game I played in high school — that had a profound impact on me. Or when I visited a friend in Spain and ended up having lunch with an actress I’d followed for years. Those were some great experiences … and I’ve had more. I can’t pick just one.
 
Alydar said:
All I got that comes close is that I met actress Betsy Palmer at a party at my home in the summer of '74, before she played the murderous mother in the iconic movie, Friday the 13th.
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As a huge horror fan, I’m blown away by this. How did you happen to meet her? Did you see the movie when it came out? That’s so neat. I’ve met a lot of horror actors (particularly older ones) at conventions and they all seem very down to earth.
 
There are certain memories that are really etched into your mind. One of mine was getting off of the bus on Parris Island in 1953 and having someone standing in front of me yelling "The smoking lamp is not lit." This is how ignorant I was. I started looking around for a lamp.
 
Alydar said:
All I got that comes close is that I met actress Betsy Palmer at a party at my home in the summer of '74, before she played the murderous mother in the iconic movie, Friday the 13th.
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Spoiler alert?
 
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maple said:
As a huge horror fan, I’m blown away by this. How did you happen to meet her? Did you see the movie when it came out? That’s so neat. I’ve met a lot of horror actors (particularly older ones) at conventions and they all seem very down to earth.
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Welcome to the world of Professional Engineers!
 
maple said:
As a huge horror fan, I’m blown away by this. How did you happen to meet her? Did you see the movie when it came out? That’s so neat. I’ve met a lot of horror actors (particularly older ones) at conventions and they all seem very down to earth.
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Palmer was visiting a neighbor who was a theatrical agent. I shared the house with several others and the house was in a crowded beach community. We always invited all the neighbors to our weekend parties.
 
DeepThreat said:
Well I went from living in a public housing project, to the US Navy where I attended Electronics Tech and Nuclear Power schools. While serving aboard the USS Carl Vinson I took #2 reactor plant critical for the very first time. I qualified to operate there different reactor plants by age 25. While serving full time, I completed a BS degree as a first gen member of my family to graduate from college. I left the Navy after almost 11 years and went to work for a major airframe manufacturer in the PNW where worked for 32 years. While working full time, I earned an MBA and went on to become a Marketing/Sales director managing accounts in India, Thailand, Vietnam, and New Zealand. I've been to every continent except Antarctica and over 45 countries. I'm also the son of an immigrant mother who didn't speak English and parents neither of whom graduated from high school. I retired at 62, have a son who's a world-class sailor and a PhD daughter doing cancer research at UVM.
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I actually toured the USS Carl Vinson when it came to Singapore years ago where I was living. Amazing experience just touring the ship. Can't believe what experience it must have been to live and serve on her!!!
 
My life turns around basketball news and basksketball free games on the net.

I turned fifty a few months ago but will be retired before 51, because of mental illness and alcoolism
 
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