We're Sending You Back...To the Eighties!

And now, a blast from my past...

I have an old photo album that I put together sometime in the late 1980's, when I was still very young. I took some, but not all, of the photos that are in it. I thought it might be fun to scan some of the photos and upload them to my space at Flickr. Allow me to share a few of them here as well.

1) A Boy and His Sign Fetish

If you've looked at my Flickr photosets from East Hollywood and Phoenix, you probably noticed that I take a lot of pictures of signs. I obviously have a sign fetish, but I can't explain why.

My mom often tells the story of me taking a vacation to Southern California and coming home with pictures of signs. My mom already knew I was an odd child at this time, but I think it really floored her that her 8-year-old son liked signs enough to take (numerous) pictures of them.

To wit, a kid goes to Disneyland and what does he take a picture of? The sign out front.

From the same trip -- I suppose I was already into photo documentation at a young age. I decided to document the motel we stayed at in Anaheim...by taking a picture of its sign facing the Santa Ana Freeway.

Also from the same trip -- I remember being really impressed by this sign along Interstate 10 near Palm Springs. After eating at this particular McDonald's on our way to Disneyland, I made sure to snap a picture of it. This sign's still there, by the way, but it's been modified (no, I don't have a more recent pic).

2) Pioneer Park

If you grew up in the East Valley of Phoenix (a.k.a. "The 480"), then I'm sure you know about Pioneer Park in Mesa, across Main Street from the Mormon Temple.

I loved the old train they had at Pioneer Park - you could play on it! I'm not sure if the train is still there, and if it is, I doubt they let kids climb on it anymore. That train's a lawsuit waiting to happen (I myself have a scar from this train). By the way, I don't think I included the woman on the left "on purpose," but in retrospect I'm glad I did -- check out the boom box she's carrying! Awesome, I love the '80's.

Pioneer Park also had this Navy jet, which was also cool but probably more dangerous than the train. I'm fairly certain that it's long gone.

My sister and I, locked up at the Pioneer Park Prison.

3) The Fam

Here's a photo of my late grandmother holding one of my cousins (Vincent, I think) -- I miss her a lot. She raised 10 kids, which is no small feat, and she was fun to be around!

From the same family get-together: here's my mom holding my late grandfather's new dog, Leo (Leo was a Christmas present, I believe). I think I was afraid of him, which might explain the weird way I'm touching him (maybe I was tring to give him an eye exam). My grandfather is sitting to the right of my mom.

Here's another pic of me and "lil sis," this one taken at the Arizona State Fair. I remember looking forward to the Fair all year, I think every kid in Phoenix did.

4) Obligatory Mall Photos

During my Disneyland trip, I was able to visit South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, one of the country's largest malls. And this was the only photograph I took???!!!

Here is an absolutely horrible photograph of me inside the Sears at Westridge Mall in Phoenix. No, I didn't know how to play a piano, so I'm not sure why I assumed this pose. As you all know, I am still as every bit as "cool" now as I was back then (well, maybe a little less "cool" now).

If you want to see more, just click on this drawing I made on the inside of the photo album's cover:

Oh yeah, one more thing -- even at my young age I knew how to give props where props were due -- thanks again, Thrifty Drug and Discount Stores! As you may know, Thrifty no longer exists. I'm sure glad I finally learned how to spell "possible" in my third year at college: