PEOPLE, PLACES & EVENTS Cont’d

Conversations in Casta

By Sara Henninger

Thinking back on my youth, I thought it might be fun to talk to folks in Casta del Sol about their first job and first car. My first job was at Ritter’s Drive-In in Clyde, Ohio where we made hamburgers, seven for $1, and soft-serve ice cream. I made a whopping .75 cents per hour and I have never worked harder. My first car was a 1964 Chevy Chevette Convertible.

In my conversations, I asked residents to give me information about their first job, excluding babysitting and paper routes. In other words, their first real job. The response has been glorious. Here we go with our first set of Conversations in Casta

Dave Huber - First job was pumping gas for $5 per day and he had a 1964 Ford Falcon

Arline Chenarides - Worked on Surfer Magazine subscriptions for $45 per week and drove a 1952 Volkswagen Beatle

Kip Isbell - Worked at Big T Supermarket for $95 per week and drove a 1950 Oldsmobile

Phil Naideth - Was an usher at Los Angeles Dodger Stadium for $8 per game and drove a 1961 Studebaker

Melanie Delgado - Packaged vitamins for $1.65 per hour and drove a 1960 Volkswagen Beatle

Nancy Ruff - Worked for Pronto Pup for .50 cents per hour and drove a 1962 Dodge Dart

Michele Cronim - Worked for the Forest Service at $1.25 per hour and she drove a 1965 Chevrolet El Camino

Mike Balzer - Stocked shelves at a grocery store and drove a 1956 Plymouth Savoy

Mike Bakula - Was employed at Mikel Foundry for $2.75 per hour and drove a 1964 Rambler Station Wagon.

Where in the World: Louisiana Swamp Tour

By Evelyn Rothert

My daughter and I were in front of the hotel in New Orleans at 8 a.m. in the morning to wait for the tour bus that would take us on a Louisiana swamp tour. The bus came quickly. The tour company had told us we would be picked up between 8 and 8:30. It was only 8:05. After picking up people from other hotels, we were on our way. It took about an hour to get to the swamp area. It wasn’t until we got off the bus, and they didn’t have our reservation, that I realized we took the wrong bus. “Oh no, what now?” I didn’t say anything, and they took our money. I had to pay in cash. That was what made me realize we were in the wrong place. Between the two tour brochures I had looked at, one accepted credit cards and that is the one I picked. Now, I had to pay in cash and oops, wrong place.

When we got on the swamp boat, the tour guide muttered to himself that there were too many people, he didn’t understand it! My daughter and I never said a word. The tour

Restaurant Review: The Lumberyard

By Debra Friedman

There are many great restaurants in Laguna Beach but only a few within walking distance from the summer art festivals and Laguna Playhouse. Since I’ve had season tickets to the Laguna Playhouse for over ten years, we often search for convenient restaurants.

The Lumberyard Restaurant is at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Forest Avenue. It is a relatively small restaurant with quite a bit of ambience. It is reminiscent of an English pub with dark, solid-wood tables, and mood lighting. The vintage brick on the ex- terior and unique signage set the tone for the European vibe of small-town Laguna Beach. For those choosing to stroll down Forest Avenue for all the eateries and shops, The Lumberyard is a good anchor location.

Our group of nine friends had different entrees and everyone was happy with their choices. Several took home leftovers. There is an impressive array of appetizers and sides – enough to make a full meal. The menu is varied and includes soups, salads, fish, several meat entrees, pasta, and even hamburgers. It is essentially a surf guide was really good. He pointed out turtles, birds, and even alligators. He would go into streams that are off the main river, called bayous. I enjoyed the scenery; we saw some water lilies and a lot of Spanish moss hanging from the trees. It was so exciting when we saw an alligator. He was a big one and you could only see the top of his head and eyes. He didn’t budge from his spot and just watched us. The guide threw a marshmallow, but he didn’t go for it. We also saw some younger alligators that did go for the marshmallows. They swim much faster than I thought. It was a fun tour, and I really enjoyed the river.

Back at the hotel, we had a message on the room phone from the other tour company. Did we want to reschedule?

Do you have a Where in the World story? If so, contact Evelyn Rothert at erothert@sbcglobal.net