I worked at the Clark’s Station for a short time they were talking about.

 

7. The Milky Way

^{(PHOTO: Courtesy of John Eastberg)}

One of three Milky Way restaurants opened by Arthur Richter, the Port Washington Road Milky Way is the only one that has something of an international profile. That’s because Tom Miller, who graduated from nearby Nicolet High School in 1958, was a regular at the drive-in. And when "Happy Days," the TV show that Miller created, launched on ABC-TV in January 1974, it brought Arnold’s (later Al’s) Drive-In into homes across the world.

Though some in Milwaukee claim Leon’s was the inspiration for Arnold’s, others say it was the Pig’n Whistle. Both are wrong. The Milwaukee Journal of Jan. 12, 1986, settled the matter:

"According to Miller, it was the Milky-Way (sic), and only the Milky-Way. And that’s only logical, because the Milky-Way was the place where all the North Shore 'kaleeges' (high schoolers bound for college) congregated. Miller was one of them. Across the street next to the old Clark station was the Redwood, where the 'hoods,' the ducktailed, leather-jacketed guys, hung out."

That was the social atmosphere in which Miller spent his teen years, and it was those experiences that he drew upon when he concepted "Happy Days."

"Arnold’s is really a compilation of everybody’s recollections of the drive- in of the ’50s," Miller told the Journal in 1977. "It’s just that the Milky Way was closest to me when I grew up on Bay Ridge (Avenue)."

At the dawn of the 1940s, Richter was working as a machinist and living on West Capitol Drive. He also briefly ran a candy shop on 37th and Vliet called Richter's Marzipan and candy.

By 1943, he’d opened the Milky Way roadside stand next door to his home, at 6317 W. Capitol Dr., and within five years, he had added the location that would later inspire the Fonz’s hangout. The original location appears to have closed by around 1956. Karl Kopp says his mom, Elsa, got her start in custard working at the Milky Way and, for a time, running the Capitol Drive shop, before she opened her own place in 1950.

A third location, at 418 N. Lovers Lane Rd. in Wauwatosa – now the intersection of Bluemound and Mayfair Roads – operated until about 1958.

One of the Milky Way’s most beloved concoctions was the Dusty Twin, a double-barreled version of the malty dusty road: two scoops of vanilla custard in a reusable turquoise plastic boat, with hot fudge and malt powder, with two generous dollops of whipped cream and a pair of cherries (one atop each dollop).

In 1959, Richter’s son-in-law, Dick Chiappa, took over the business. The Milky Way’s run ended in November 1977, and immediately after, Kopp’s moved in and started building a new custard legacy on the site that continues today.

The Big Move

    When I and my Mother and newly acquired Step Father and a brother moved to Milwaukee, that was quite a big move for a 7 year old boy to make. Thinking back into my foggy memory of that day when we got off the train and made the 5 or 6 block trek to a hotel, which later I would learn as the LaSalle Hotel in a strange new city, I seem to remember as a some what normal 7 year old. Of course that would change as I would morph into a barely functional adult I would turned out to become but at that time I was still in my normal mode.
    

Conversations

CONVERSATIONS: with my Children

April 11, 2018

            I don’t talk a lot with people but I have a lot of conversations with other people; in my mind. Some of those people that fall into that category are my kids. There are reasons for this, mostly, my kids don’t want to be in those conversations, in person. Now, I live my life, Virtually. For a number of years now I have wanted to talk to my kids but always coming to the conclusion that that would cause more trouble than it was worth. I came to that realization years ago and didn’t want to bun any bridges; my main objective was to keep the lines of communication open between us, almost in-tirelessly, was for their mothers sake. If it was just for me, I would have left this family completely, as devastating as that would have been for me personally, in some ways it would have been better for me; and probably for my kids. 

            This was just my first salvo in this conversation, a one sided conversation, as I guess it is, but I hope to put down some of what I had wanted to for the last few decades. More to come.

April 12, 2018

                        I had to go to the Apple Store at Mayfair, so Connie said, I’ll go with you and walk around the Mall and look for bargains. That is her main hobby now that she is retired. Shopping is not what I usually do but your mother likes it so here I am, waiting like a panting dog. This has nothing to do with the CONVERSATIONS I was going to have with you guys but just a little what I did on this Thursday back in the day. 

            I’m reporting that I’m at the Mall because I have been in the house in my retirement uniform for two days and thought it would be good to get out and have some Vitamin D shine down on me. One of my perches at home is sitting in the Sun room, looking outside. I see a lot of the retired people next door coming out and walking down the sidewalk, mostly the same ones; in the summer and even in the winter when it is cold. Then I thought maybe I should do that also, not that I am old like them. 

            I see her coming now. It is still early in the day, if anything important comes up I’ll be back. Oh, that reminds me, I read somewhere that Around Schwarzenegger had open heart surgery and when he came out of it he said, ‘I’m back’. I’m sure that is true.

            Over and out.

April 27th 2018

I seem to be healing up, a little. I hurt my back almost a week ago and it is much less painful now. I was standing at the counter in the kitchen doing something and I started to feel some paid in my back and with in 30 seconds it was so bad I went to the floor in terrible pain. With a lot of effort I got myself to the bedroom and then the aching began in the small of my back and then down my right leg. I have since bed most in bed for three days with a lot of pain. The paid has subsided somewhat but I think there is something wrong that I might have to go see a doctor. I am currently with out a Dr because mine has retired on me. I’m not sure if I can drive my car safely and walking is out of the question, so how do I get to a clinic? I would just as soon not call any of my kids for various reasons. I could call Franco either. How do I get to see a dr? Then I thought, Uber. 

I don’t want to ask my kids for help because I don’t want to be beholden to them. They have pretty much told me in actions and deed’s I am pretty much dead to them, they go through the motions like I am part of the family and worthy to be in their presents. So I will have to get use to being on my own as far as getting around because Connie cannot drive and the alternative is to take a bus or Uber. How bad has it gotten for me to come to this life changing event. It will be bad for me but staying will also be bad for me. There still is time for me to think this through and see if this what I really want to do. I am getting tired of focusing on this heavy, very heavy subject. 

Later

There Are Almost No Obituaries for Sylvia Plath

This picture is of Sylvia Plath, writer and poet, taken about 60 years ago.  Sitting on a pile of rocks somewhere outside, maybe getting piles, writing on the high-tech item of the day, a typewriter.  Maybe todays equivalent would be writing on a laptop on canoe trip, or such.   I have thought of doing more of my writing, as much there is, with a pen and some tree pulp but until pens are equipped it a spell checker I will be using a computer or iPad or actually my iPhone.  Come to think of it, if I can write The Great American Novel on an iPhone, why can they make a pen that comes equipped with  a spellchecker. 

The Last Time before a Camera

Queen - These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Sometimes I get to feelin'
I was back in the old days long ago
When we were kids, when we were young
Things seemed so perfect you know?
The days were endless, we were crazy we were young
The sun was always shinin' we just lived for fun
Sometimes it seems like lately I just don't know
The rest of my life's been just a show
Those were the days of our lives
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing is true
When I look and I find, I still love you
You can't turn back the clock, you can't turn back the tide
Ain't that a shame?
[- From: http://www.elyrics.net -]
I'd like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride
When life was just a game
No use sitting and thinkin' on what you did
When you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids
Sometimes it seems like lately I just don't know
Better sit back and go with the flow
'Cos these are the days of our lives
They've flown in the swiftness of time
These days are all gone now but some things remain
When I look and I find no change
Those were the days of our lives, yeah
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing's still true
When I look and I find, I still love you
I still love you

Lola and the Saints

Christmas Day '12

My other Blog domain has expired and not sure how to re up so maybe this will be my only Blog