K – Keys and Kresgees

Keys - When I was in 6 and 7th grade my dad had his own locksmith shop for a few years. I got to spend most weekends at the shop working the counter while he went out on calls. I learned out to make copies of keys and even did some minor lock repair. As a locksmith one of the things he would do was to open locks where someone had lost the keys. Back in the day with the right set of tools I could even ‘pick’ some brands of locks. Locks have gotten much more sophisticated and I still laugh when I watch some of the shows on TV where they show someone opening up a locked door.

Kresgee’s – Before there was K mart there was S.S. Kresgee a traditional five-and-dime store. This is the store I remember most. On very special occasions we would go to the soda fountain and have a treat. They would offer 1¢ sundaes, well you got to pick a balloon and inside the balloon that said how much you paid and the lowest price was 1¢. While my sister had a sundae I would usually have cottage cheese and peaches, I didn’t like ice cream. I have always had different likes and dislikes and ice cream is one of the strangest. Imagine getting a choice between ice cream and cottage cheese and selecting the latter?

These are some of my favorite memories; thanks for letting me relive them.