another comment I didn't want buried

from Mike Schindler

mikess said...

Aloha; I met thomas in 1959 when my family moved into the Burns Park neighborhood. My most cherished memories are my Burns Park years. There must have been a hundred kids per age during the sixties in Burns Park area. Thomas, Jay williams and Chris Edwards were the first "braddas" that I met. Almost instantly myself and my brother Steven became friends with Thomas, Willy and Chriswards along with Marc Ross, Brad Jones and a host of other boys our ages. Thomas was the "joker" always willing to instigate a good joke or rascally boy mischief. The weather balloon bomb was one of many rascally things we did. One summer day we ended up at the Wehrer`s house in Burns Park bored and looking for "action". I noticed a large lifeless balloon on the kitchen table. Thomas said it was a weather balloon. Our collective brains took about a half second to decide to fill that large balloon with water and drop it out Thomas`s third floor bedroom window. We went outside filled up the balloon to the size of a huge jello like watermelon. The four of us- Thomas, Willy my brother Steve and myself managed to pick the gargantuan water balloon up and looking like a huge sidewinder crab. Started the perilous ascent up to the third floor. At the third floor we decided to take a break and rest the balloonator on top of a banister. Immedietly we knew this was a bad idea. Because the balloon was so full it was like carrying a fifty pound jello balloon. The balloonator made a viscous roll over the banister and plummeted three floors down and exploded on the hardwood foyer floor. We look on in stunned silence as we watched about five gallons of water spill all over. Like an indoor tsunami.(what a beautiful site- sorry Joe, but is was cool) That instant Mr Wehrer came thru the doors to witness the devistation. (Joe you came within seconds of death by water balloon). Mr wehrer turned a beet red looked up at all of us and demanded that we come downstairs and explain what the heck we had done. Our feeble attempt fell on deaf ears as Mr. Wehrer told us to clean it up. So after we used every towel and fan in the house the tsunami was cleaned up. We all decided that our "work" was done for the day and went home. Another glorious day in Burns Park. I will always and forever remember Thomas as my friend, bradda and sometimes partner in rascally boy crimes. A Hui Hou Bradda Thomas Mike S Schindler whiskeymike25@hotmail.com