I was aksed to intorduce my dad for his presentation to a local veterans group. I took advantage of the opportunity to shoot video of the speech, but neglect to capture vid of my intro. Regardless, his humorous and witty history of his time in the US Army was eye opening for me. I had heard some of the stories growing up, but this speech filled in a lot of gaps.

[Read more →]

Why this memoir? When I started putting pieces together for what I figured was my memoir in 2011, I considered I was going on the ultimate ego trip. Who would give a tinker’s damn about slices of my experiences? Who would bother to read it? In other words, who was my audience?

To have a goal I decided my memoirs—plural seems to fit better—would be written for my offspring and various descendants with the idea that a few surviving friends might also have an interest in some of my doings. My progeny can take it or leave it. This would not be a full-fledged autobiography. So much of my life has been boring. Who cares that I went to kindergarten when I was five?p

[Read more →]

In 1939 and 1940 Norma and I went to the Saturday double features weekly at Washington Theater in Pasadena. Admission was 12 cents. Candy bars were a nickel, The theater was just three blocks from our duplex .The 900-seat movie house was loaded with kids, an admission line forming clear around the block up North Lake Avenue. We would sit through two films, a cartoon, newsreel and an episode of the current adventure serial. That was the big attraction. Although many serials were the less expensive westerns, they could cover the gamut of genres including crime fiction, spy stories, adventures in outer space, jungle adventures, and often popular comic book characters.
The 900-seat movie house was loaded with kids, an admission line forming clear around the block up North Lake Avenue. We would sit through two films, a cartoon, newsreel and an episode of the current adventure serial. That was the big attraction Although many serials were the less expensive westerns, they could cover the gamut of genres including crime fiction, spy stories, adventures in outer space, jungle adventures, and often popular comic book characters.

[Read more →]

My grown sons, Dan and Steven, were camping with me in Council Bluffs when the sharp-eyed Dan found an Iowa town that had a certain appeal to us. It was McClelland. and it wasn’t far away.

[Read more →]

I never had a dog in my family until I met Gretchen. She was seldom without one. When I met her she had Arthur. To be a member of the McClelland family made for a great life for a dog. Our puppies were spoiled and loved our home. Some of them were even good travelers. We had nine huggable, lovable dogs at last count.

[Read more →]

After a McClelland family reunion in the Missouri Ozarks in 1991, sons Dan and Steven joined me for a long drive home in a van. We would sleep in the van or pitch our little tent, roughing it all the way. We would enjoy the sights, visiting such historic places as South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore, or a whisky-tasting stop in historic Weston, Missouri.

[Read more →]

In January 1958 during the tail end of the fall semester at San Jose State, some fraternity guys were getting nervous about their in-house election. A pair of brothers, supported by others, were not happy about the only candidate who would be elected president for the spring semester.

[Read more →]

The best birthday card so far this year arrived in the mail today. It was from my dad and came along with a copy of the newsletter birth announcement that he created, printed and mailed out 47 years ago.

[Read more →]

Arrived home very late last night. Good time was had. Did I mention I returned with a serious head cold? Poor Gretch had it last week in Ireland. Mine was delayed, thankfully. I am editing photos, trying to start book. [Ed’s Note: Mostly I just stole this from an email because I wanted to post the Leprechaun pic of my dad. -Steve]

[Read more →]

I thought that on my dad’s 80th birthday it would be appropriate to talk about the greatest dad in the world.
Then I thought, “No I should write about the best public relations guy in Sacramento.
I thought briefly that I’d spend some time discussing one of the shrewdest businessmen I know.

[Read more →]