Mad City Memories

As I crawl The Virtual Dumpster I call The Internet...




I spent some time browsing YouTube to make a playlist. I decided to make a Bowie Vs. Marilyn Manson playlist to listen to whilst I did some housework. I was feeling sort of in the mood for freaky old and freaky new. I was listening to "Ziggy Stardust" one of my favs and had a mental flashback of Bowie discovery back in the day and going to the movie "The Man Who Fell To Earth". How simple I was then and most likely stoned. Ziggy was not part of the movie...but enjoy it while you are here.



I am sure that this was disappointing to me as a young virgin, but shit for someone who is older than Cable TV...I didn't see much skin or organs on film or TV.But I could buy booze at 18, man!

I remember the theater it was playing at was downtown Madison, Wisconsin (Mad City)  right on the square. I think they tore it down. This one looks like it. You all might be familiar with what the square looks like now with all the Teacher protests gone on recently this year.

 You learn the meaning of the above word and how to spell it in like 2nd grade.

I did hella fishing with my dad. Funny that this picture of WI fish does not have a big ass carp on it. There was never a hard time finding a quick place to drop a line.




There are a few YouTube videos about a place we used to fish right in the city. If you lived there, you could even take the local bus to the spot. The smallest of the 4 lakes is called Wingra. It has a small beach and across from it was a public zoo. It has been renovated. It used to just be stone with and just off a regular road.




In the summer you could swim and then go for free through the zoo (still wet). In the winter you could go ice skating.

In fact every city park would get the hose out and make an ice rink back then. And in the summer there were many free concerts from local bands.

When we were driving age, we would do the local thing called "Cruising The Square" and just drive round and round the capitol square looking cool and geeking at guys. I would tell my mom that we needed to go to the city library to get a book for school. The library was not very far from the square. I would check out any book and then get in the car my parents foolishly GAVE me a lime metallic 1972 Pinto Roundabout with a jury rigged 8 track in the glove compartment and cheap box home stereo speakers in my hatchback. The mating call of American youth is revving the engine with blasting music. Pink Floyd Darkside of the Moon (most likely) or Ted Nugent Stranglehold with cigarette (and pretty sure some pot...lol) smoke billowing out the windows. 

In 1977, I went to the UW in Madison for a sec. I got a student loan (after my dad already paid my tuition and books) and bought the most pot I had ever seen at that time. A quarter pound. All I did was party and treated it like my last year of high (literally) school not going to class and partying.

A unique thing a friend of mine had discovered was what we called "The Tube".

It was on the third floor of the Science Bldg. A spiral slide fire escape. We would sneak in on it and trip the alarm that goes off when you open the small door and jump in. It was literally a trip. It was on the right hand side and built within the building.

I still hear it from my mom how foolish and stoned I was back then. In 1978, I joined the USAF reserves and remained foolish and stoned for a bit longer. LOL.

Well the fishing memories need to be renewed. I saw a young man fishing just up the road downtown in this town at the falls and he caught a brown trout.  I have my rig in my scooter seat and just waiting for some free time to do it.