PLACES---------BRISTOL CONNECTICUT.. HEY!! IT'S MY HOMETOWN!!

 

I DON’T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF WHAT ONE WOULD CONSIDER ‘FREE TIME’, BUT ON THE OTHER
HAND I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO SET ASIDE A FEW HOURS IN THE COURSE OF THE WEEK AND THE WEEKENDS TO GET SOME FISHING DONE AND OF COURSE SOME MOTORCYCLE RIDING..WELL-THAT’S NOT 100% TRUE..ACTUALLY I AM GUILTY OF PUTTING OFF STUFF THAT SHOULD BE DONE AND OTHER STUFF THAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE LONG AGO..CONSEQUENTLY I FIND MYSELF FEELING A LITTLE BIT GUILTY AS I LOAD UP MY JEEP TO HEAD FOR THE RIVER OR SAFETY-CHECKING MY MOTORCYCLE BEFORE HEADING OUT FOR A CRUISE..BUT TOMORROW’S ANOTHER DAY AND AFTER A SHORT WHILE ON THE RIVER OR ON THE BIKE, THAT GUILT MELTS AWAY LIKE AN ICE-CREAM CONE IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY..THEN, OF COURSE, WINTER IS COMING DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN MAYBE-JUST MAYBE-I’LL GET CAUGHT UP ON SOME OF THE TASKS THAT I HAVE BEEN PUTTING OFF DURING THE SUMMER..

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TRY TO DO ON A SOMEWHAT REGULAR BASIS IS CHECK OUT A BLOG THAT A CHILDHOOD FRIEND CREATED..(NEW YORK DAILY PHOTO)..CHECK IT OUT SOMETIME (NOT RIGHT NOW THOUGH) PRETTY INTERESTING SITE..LIKE I SAID, WE WERE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS-HE DEVELOPED INTO A GOOD, SMART KID, WHILE I TRACKED OFF IN ANOTHER DIRECTION AND GREW UP KIND OF ANGRY AND WAS PRONE TO GETTING INTO TROUBLE..GUESS I WAS WHAT WOULD BE CALLED A JUVENILE DELINQUENT, MAYBE EVEN A PUNK..MY FRIEND BRIAN WAS A STRAIGHT ‘A’ STUDENT AND WENT OFF TO COLLEGE—I WENT INTO THE MARINES AND GOT STRAIGHTENED OUT REAL FAST..HE MOVED TO NEW YORK, AND OTHER THAN ONE BRIEF ENCOUNTER, I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN UNTIL THANKSGIVING OF LAST YEAR..AS SOME OF YOU KNOW I HAVE A BOOK OUT AND ONE OF MY GOALS WAS TO BE SURE TO PUT A COPY IN HIS HANDS..I FELT COMPELLED TO DO SO BECAUSE ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES WAS OF BRIAN AND ME WATCHING THE ORIGINAL ‘TIME MACHINE’ ONE RAINY AFTERNOON AT HIS HOUSE..AFTER THE MOVIE WE DECIDED WE WOULD BUILD OUR OWN TIME MACHINE AND GO OFF INTO THE FUTURE SEEKING ADVENTURE..I COULDN’T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT THAT EPISODE IN OUR CHILDHOOD AS I WORKED MY WAY THROUGH THE STORY..WHEN IT WAS DONE I REMEMBER THINKING, ‘WELL, BRIAN, IT’S THE CLOSEST I COULD COME TO BUILDING A TIME MACHINE.’ AFTER A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF EFFORT I DID MANAGE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH HIM AND I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO FIND HE HAD DONE VERY WELL FOR HIMSELF..

SORRY, I’M RAMBLING..ABOUT HIS BLOG-IF YOU DO CHECK IT OUT LOOK UP HIS STORY- “MY PLEASURE” IT WAS POSTED ON WED. SEPTEMBER 14.. AFTER READING IT I FELT LIKE I HAD TO WRITE JUST A SMALL BIT ABOUT MY LITTLE HOME TOWN OF BRISTOL, CT.. HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO READ HIS BLOG WILL ALSO VISIT HERE AND REALIZE THAT WE ARE NOT ALL CLOSE-MINDED, BORING AND UNSOPHISTICATED COUNTRY BUMPKINS..

IN 2010 BRISTOL WAS RANKED #84 IN MONEY MAGAZINE’S LIST OF THE BEST 100 PLACES TO LIVE..IT IS HOME TO ESPN, AND IS HOME TO LAKE COMPOUNCE-THE OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING AMUSEMENT PARK IN NORTH AMERICA (ESTABLISHED IN 1846)..CHER PERFORMED HERE AS WELL AS ELVIS COSTELLO, BENNY GOODMAN, TOMMY DORSEY, BARRY MANILOW, JIMMY BUFFETT AND FRANK SINATRA (I DON’T HAVE THE SPACE IN THIS BLOG TO LIST ALL THE PERFORMERS).

ONE OF TWO ESPN FACILITIES RIGHT HERE IN BRISTOL

OTIS ELEVATOR POSSESSES THE LARGEST TEST TOWER IN THE UNITED STATES (383 FEET HIGH) AND THEY HAVE SEEN FIT TO ESTABLISH THIS IMPOSING STRUCTURE RIGHT HERE IN BRISTOL AMONG US POOR UNSOPHISTICATED BRISTOLITES.. WE HAVE MANUFACTURING PLANTS THAT SUPPLY EVERYTHING FROM PARTS FOR THE CARRIAGES OF THE GOOD AMISH PEOPLE TO SUBMARINES, TO THE SPACE EXPLORATION INDUSTRY, MEDICAL DEVICES, MILITARY HARDWARE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE. THE THIRD LARGEST VOLUME HARLEY DAVIDSON DEALSHIP IN THE U.S. IS JUST A FEW MILES FROM MY HOME (CHECK OUT AUGUST ARCHIVES-YANKEE HARLEY).   

BRISTOL HAS TWO HOMETOWN NEWSPAPERS-ONE DAILY-ONE WEEKLY, AND IS HOME TO THE “TATTOO” TEEN NEWSPAPER WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ON-LINE PAPERS..IN THE 19^TH CENTURY BRISTOL WAS KNOWN AS THE CLOCK-MAKING CITY (SEVERAL PROMINENT FAMILIES STILL RESIDE) AND IS HOME TO THE “AMERICAN CLOCK AND WATCH MUSEUM”(IN A BUILDING THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1801)..AMONG OTHER THINGS BRISTOL WAS A LEADER IN CHRYSANTHEMUM PRODUCTION AND IS STILL CALLED THE “MUM CITY”..THE ANNUAL “MUM FESTIVAL” AND PARADE WERE HELD THIS PAST WEEKEND (24^TH AND 25^TH OF SEPT). I REGRET I WAS NOT PRESENT TO TAKE PHOTOS FOR THIS POST. 



HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING LORI FROM TORRINGTON ON SUNDAY WHILE WAITING
FOR A POTENTIAL RIDING PARTNER.
LORI HAS BEEN ON BIKES FOR TWO YEARS--VERY PRETTY BIKE-VERY PRETTY LADY 

 EVEN AMONG ALL THE INDUSTRY, CITIZENS OF BRISTOL STILL TAKE TIME TO HOST THE “NEW ENGLAND AND MID-ATLANTIC” REGIONAL PLAYOFFS FOR LITTLE LEAGUE.. STEVEN KING HAS SEEN FIT TO INTERRUPT HIS SCHEDULE AND ATTEND THESE IMPORTANT GAMES AND IN ONE OF HIS BOOKS WROTE THAT “FEW CITIES TAKE LITTLE LEAGUE AS IMPORTANTLY AS BRISTOL CONNECTICUT.” THERE ARE OVER 25 PARKS, PAGE PARK-ROCKWELL-BRACKET-BARNS NATURE CENTER (OVER 70 ACRES)-INDIAN ROCK-JUST TO NAME A FEW.  

THE CAROUSEL MUSEUM DRAWS VISITORS FROM NEAR AND FAR WITH ITS EXQUISITE WORKS OF CARVING ARTISTRY AND MEMORABILIA..

TWO FRIENDS FROM BACK IN TOWN--ANDY (ON THE LEFT) HAS BEEN ON BIKES FOR 52 YEARS
AND LIVES JUST A COUPLE HOUSES UP THE STREET FROM ME.
CARL HAS BEEN RIDING MOTORCYCLES FOR 20 YEARS AND IS A U.S. ARMY VET

 IN BRIAN’S POST ONE IS LED TO THINK WE ARE A CITY OF MINDLESS COUNTRY BUMPKINS WITH LITTLE OR NO DESIRE TO ADVANCE OR BETTER OUR LIVES..WELL, JUST A FEW NAMES-GARY BURGHOFF ‘RADAR’ ON MASH SERIES AS WELL AS THE MOVIE--BOB CRANE ‘HOGAN’S HEROES' WORKED AT WBIS (BRISTOL'S RADIO STATION)-AARON HERNANDEZ, BRISTOL NATIVE, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS--KAREN AND SARAH JOSEPHSON, BRISTOL NATIVES WHO WON THE SILVER MEDALS IN THE 1988 OLYMPICS AND GOLD MEDALS IN THE 1992 OLYMPICS—JUST TO MENTION A VERY FEW—AND I WILL NOT EVEN TRY TO PRESENT A LIST OF THE MANY AVERAGE MEN AND WOMEN WHO STRUCK OUT WITH AMBITIONS AND DREAMS AND MADE A GOOD RESPECTABLE LIVING FOR THEMSELVES IN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURING..

ONE CAN'T COMPARE NEW YORK TO BRISTOL, COMPARE IT TO L.A.—SAN FRANCISCO, CLEVELAND, MAYBE DALLAS..WE ARE JUST A TOWN OF 61,000 SPREAD OUT OVER 27 SQUARE MILES, RATHER THAN A HANDFUL OF CITY BLOCKS.. WE ARE ALL PEOPLE WITH OUR OWN DREAMS, DESIRES AND AMBITIONS..MAYBE IT IS TRUE THAT NEW YORKERS ARE DIFFERENT—BUT WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT..A GOOD MAN THAT I VALUE AS A FRIEND ONCE SAID, “IT’S OKAY TO THINK YOUR DIFFERENT—IT’S NOT OKAY TO THINK YOUR BETTER..”

 THE FOLLOWING VIEWS ARE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF MY HOUSE—GOOD PEOPLE—GREAT SCENERY— I WOULDN’T TRADE IT FOR ANY  N.Y. CITY PENTHOUSE VIEW..

P.S. YOU CAN GET A GREAT BAKED POTATOE AT JUST ABOUT ANY RESTAURANT IN BRISTOL

 

NEXT WEEK--I HOPE TO BRING YOU SOME PHOTOS AND A LITTLE ABOUT THE 'PETIT FAMILY FOUNDATION' AND THE SECOND ANNUAL 'RIDE FOR JUSTICE' RALLY..
                   *************ALL GOOD THINGS TO YOU AND YOURS**********
                                                                           JIM