"First" Day of School

Connor started his "first day" of school as a Kindergartner today. I was joking with Shannon that he's in "real school" and not that sissy "private school" (I say that VERY JOKINGLY). She really doesn't like public school, but that's all i knew. Anyway, this is what I remember about school:

• I went to Washington Elementary School. My grandparents used to walk me everyday.
• I didn't speak any english going into Pre-K
• One of my favorites had to be my K teacher Mrs. Gentesse. We hatched eggs into chickens.
• Connor...your Pre-K teacher's name is Mrs. Herrell and your K teacher is Mrs. Preston.
• One of my favorite days was the school carnival to raise money for the PTA. I remember winning a goldfish...which at all the other fish in our tank at home.
• Pizza was always served on wednesdays. I didn't really didn't like it.
• At lunch/recess, we would always throw the "pinky ball" around the school yard. It wouldn't surprise me if some of them were still stuck up in the gutters on the roof.

Childhood memories: Union, NJ

• Union is most famous for having the World's Tallest Water Tower. I don't know if that's still true.
• I got my first haircut by a barber at Angelo's Barber Shop on Chestnut Street. I had my haircut just like my cousin Kendy which was a flat top. I don't know if they are still around but it was said that Angelo's partner, Al, had to stop cutting hair becasue of Parkinson's. I also believe Al was a customer of my Grandfather's when he used to run a Chinese restaurant.
• My Grandparent's and sister and I used to walk down to the Bakery (which was also on Chestnut St.) where would buy cookies and pastries. Hometown Mom/Pop bakeries aren't around much anymore, but they made the best stuff.
• There used to be 2 movie Theaters in Union. One was called 5 Star Cinemas (again on Chestnut St.) and I can't remember the other but we used to park in the Public Library Parking lot to get there. 5 Star only had like 2 theaters and the one downtown was pretty small 2. They both went out of business once the mega movie theaters started being built.
• I'm not sure what's around there now, but there was a Rickles instead of Home Depot, 4 Season's bowling alley, Photon (a lazer tag place), Variety Fair (just an odds and ends store near A&P) ... which we called the 5 and 10, Cost Cutters and Bradleys (similar 2 K-Mart), Skate 22, Carvels (Ice Cream), and a butcher's store near the bank. I remember a couple of friends from HS (Erik Hovmiller) used to work there because the shirt would smell like meat.
• Ray Liotta and Robert Wuhl graduated from my High School.
• One of my best friend's growing up was Bill Werkmeister and he lived on Wheaton Rd...maybe 5-6 blocks away from my house. We still talk to each other every now and then and ironically, his parents still live close to mine in Jamesburg now.