OT See a Portland blues legend before it's too late

Just before I went in the Army, the going price for a lid was $10. You could buy it from strangers on the street.

As long as I'm off topic talking about the ease of procuring some smoke, while I was at OSU, they showed Reefer Madness in the Home Ec. auditorium. As soon as the lights dimmed there were flashes of light from matches and cigarette lighters all over the place. Pretty soon a steady stream of joints got passed around all over the place. You never heard so much laughter as during that movie.

 

The only Ruggles I knew was two brothers that I went to school with and their dad owned and was the vet at Laurelhurst Vet Hospital on Sandy Blvd.

 

That's them. The dad and I got along great. Their uncle was the longest tenured Royal Roasarian ever.

The dad was the 'official' vet of the Trail Blazers.

Sadly, the oldest boy was good friends of that nincompoop who ran unsuccessfully for mayor's son. Oh yeah, his name was Frank Ivancie. You probably remember his son.

My ex wife also had a half brother who was constantly in trouble with the police. Once got a prostitute over at the animal hospital shot himself and his friends up the penicillin and locked one of his buddies in a dog cage. Got caught, too. Finally, the judge told him to either go in the Army for four years or go to jail. He chose the Army. While in the Army he somehow won an appointment to West Point. Beiog the screw up that he was he got caught in bed with the commanding general's daughter. He still managed to graduate with a degree in engineering from there about midway up in his class.

The whole family belonged to the same denomination as me.

 

Small world. Alan was 2 years older than me and Carl was the same age and they lived on Burnside just up the street from the famous original Music Millenium.. As for the Ivancies, Dan Ivancie also went to Grant High School and was a year younger and they lived in the Grant Park neighborhood around 26th ave?

 

Alan and Carl, I'd forgotten their names. I liked Carl the best. Taught him how to drive a stick shift. He ruined my clutch. Good kid, though.

Alan is the one that got the scholarship in baseball to the U of O.

I ran into my ex one time on Valentine's day. I was in the Beaverton Fred Meyer shopping for a card, some chocolates and flowers for my wife. I was looking at cards when this lady stood next to me looking at cards. We turned to look at each other simultaneously. I saw it was her. She smiled, I did not. I immediately put the card back and left the store pronto not buying anything. I took my shopping elsewhere. She did me serious wrong in our brief marriage. I don't wish her ill will but I hope I never see her again.

I'd say I got along with Carl and their dad the best. Really liked Carl and wish I'd had the opportunity to spend more time with him. I was hoping to mentor him much like a little brother.

 

Yeah, I was better friends with Carl with him being the same age but haven't seen either in decades. Dr. Ruggles was our vet for many years and we still use Laurelhurst Vet Clinic to this day.