Sunday, July 19, 2026

The old winery

 The old winery was an abandoned parking lot and building off of cox avenue and Saratoga road.  In 1986 there was a winery at this location called Paul Mason.  It was neat to drive pass.  It had a meadows of wild flowers.  If you walked into any liquor store, you would find little bottles of Paul Mason wines.  The only way you could purchase beer was at a liquor store.  Then after 1988 it seemed every grocery store had wine and beer to shop.  There used to be a mom and pop mini mart grocery store on Quito road next to the veterinary office.  After they closed because someone voted for the highway to be put in.  That when there was an explosion of liquor in all the grocery stores.  The Government had made a promise to all the families that lived near the highway location that the cement walls would stop the car sounds.  That was a lie.  After the walls were put up, you hear less wildlife calls and more cars noise instead.   Stuff changes.                           

They tore down the old winery because they thought it was unsafe.

So someone came and bulldozed Paul Mason winery and parking lot then many buildings were built instead.  They made sure all the buildings were up to code and safe to work in.

They paved the new parking lot and where there was grass had it cut every 2 weeks.

They had well groomed trees.  The entire lot had one outgoing mail system.  The boxes are huge. The pick up on the boxes are labeled and a mail truck pick up from this  location once a day.  Otherwise someone went into a room that was the center for all the different businesses and put mail into the mailroom.  All the paid business on this lot we're not related however they work as a team.  Sometimes walking pass these business someone would come outside and sweep the sidewalk and they obviously worked there and was not a janitor/custodian.

It was a very calm site to walk pass or sit in your car location.

Thursday, July 9, 2026

My friend's out of classes in high school

 When I wasn't in high school the only fun things to do was on a Saturday , go to Great America after you drank a whole lot of Pepsi cans/bottles.  Then turn in the Pepsi can tops to the entrance to get a discount.   Then hang out at the Great America Park , all day.


In the night my friends and I either went dancing or we went to the movies.

There were several dance clubs for under age drinkers back then.  

None of my friends liked to bowl, so I had to make new friends that were separate from my high school friends after I left High School who liked to bowl.   I no longer bowl because I donated my bowling ball.   However I met allot of interesting individuals bowling.

In High School I did not drive a car, however my good friends did.  I did not start driving until College where Bill Sweet from Dad's friend from the bankrupt, Craftmart and who was a warehouse Manager taught me how to drive including parallel parking.  I had worked for Craftmart before High School started and had met Bill Sweet in the warehouse as I worked as an assembler by counting and Making sure the box counts that were all craft related added to be what the purchase order stated they were on the three sheets, pink, yellow and white.  Once High School started I stopped working at Craftmart and started to make friends.   

In or near Mountain View there was place where everyone got dressed up like mods and danced to band music.  You had grunge music and hard Rock bands whom performed and we all danced to that on the weekend.

In Campbell there was this one party house across from the Campbell High School and this is the house everyone partied at, right next to a church and the pre cut hedges.  Thank Goodness those church hedges were trimmed just right.  How many rockers made out in them was perfect covering for them.  It was the only time I hung out with older kids than myself.   

I also would hang out with friends younger than myself at there houses.  They were amazed that I did not watch MTV.  The TV at our house did not offer it on any television channels..  

Other than that I studied allot.



Ied

Fire extinguisher mandatory

 When I worked in retail it was mandatory that a fire extinguisher was at the door and the warehouse door.   There also was a glowing EXIT s...