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All-TigerNet [11247]
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Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 10:04 AM
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Mine was working in the tobacco fields in the mid-1970's in between 9th and 10th grade. Three of my school buddies and one very beautiful "college girl" were part of the crew. Between our hijinks and the college girl's short-shorts and long, tanned legs it never seemed like work.
We were "priming" or "cropping" (depending on what part of the country you lived). By 8am you were soaked with dew. By 10am you were soaked in sweat. And, by 2pm you were covered in tar/nicotine. Thankfully, one of the fields had a river at one end. After each round, we would run and dive into the brackish water...not worried about snakes, piranha, gators, or those sharks you see on "Sharknado".
We worked through heat, rain, thunder and lightning. The crop had to come in. You never thought about quitting, being late, or calling in sick. You didn't want to let down your boss or your friends, and you wanted to get hired the next year. The day started at 6am. It usually ended by 5pm. Afterwards, football practice started at 7pm.
$1.35 per hour. $65-70 average week. But after the crop was in, the boss gave each of us a crisp $100 bill. You bought your own school clothes, supplies, and still put money in the bank.
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CU Medallion [66046]
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Graduating Clemson University in August 1976. My dad did
Jun 21, 2022, 10:46 AM
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not dispense compliments much at all, even though we knew we were loved beyond a doubt. He only told me to my face he was proud of me three times in my life that I remember.
1) High School Graduation.
2) The day me and younger brother started at 8 am building a 350 V-8 from a bare block for a customers pickup, and handed him the keys to a fine running truck that same evening at 8 pm. Customer had literally been watching us work since early that afternoon, putting the pressure on us, and was amazed that we got it all done in the same day.
3) Clemson Graduation.
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Hall of Famer [23095]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 11:15 AM
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Blessed with too many to pick from.
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CU Medallion [62704]
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Amen!***
Jun 21, 2022, 12:50 PM
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110%er [8130]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 11:15 AM
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As a middle schooler in the late 70s we spent much of our summer riding our bicycles on country roads. We would ride to see various friends, to the next little town over or to the swimming hole on hot days. No telling how many miles i put on that Schwinn.
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Hall of Famer [21594]
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Glad I can see hot chicks on the internet now instead of
Jun 21, 2022, 11:18 AM
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having to get up and start work at 6am working the fields all day.
In all seriousness, pretty cool!
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Hall of Famer [23256]
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Working 3 summers at Clemson in the early to mud 80s
Jun 21, 2022, 11:18 AM
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while I was going to school there. The first, in '82, was at that cotton fiber research facility where Joe21 worked. Joe seemed like a nice guy and very professional, but I didn't know all his history back then. It was a very interesting operation they had going there.
The next 2 summers I worked in the Ag Engineering department doing whatever they needed with other student summer employees. We bush-hogged in those fields behind Perimeter Road where they grow stuff and tested equipment, sprayed for weeds, changed the oil in trucks and washed them, pressure washed stuff, painted stuff, you name it.
Had some mishaps like getting lost in Anderson when they sent me for something and breaking a guy's thumb when we were disconnecting the bush-hog from the PTO on the tractor; had to take him to Redfern. But we fun checking out wimmens walking around campus and laughing and cutting up. Looking back, they were the best summers since it seemed like had more free time.
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Letterman [265]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 11:36 AM
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Sliding down the Issaquena ### after the partaking of adult beverages and smokes.
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Orange Blooded [4238]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 11:45 AM
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1968……her name was **** **********
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CU Medallion [53367]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 11:55 AM
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Lived in Cootlumbia and would load up 3 or 4 cars and go to the 'Green Hole' which was a flooded rock quarry that had 30/40' sheer drops to the crystal-clear ice-cold water. Drink some beer and swim all afternoon. Girls would get a free ride out if they were 'loose', can't even remember where it was at now, somewhere a few miles from town going west.........I think.
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Orange Blooded [4238]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 12:23 PM
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Greystone Blvd. off I-126, take the first right. So different back there now. Thanks for the memory!
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CU Medallion [64693]
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I worked at Greenwood State Park one summer...
Jun 21, 2022, 12:07 PM
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as a lifeguard. There were eight of us most of whom lived in one of the on-site co-ed cabins.
The following summer, I followed a buddy to Myrtle Beach to work as a lifeguard for John's Beach Service. Worked the beach at The Breakers hotel. Lifeguard for the City and renting umbrella's and floats for John's Beach Service. Lived in the Guard House with a least a dozen others behind the old Myrtle Square Mall. We didn't make a lot of money but we sure had A LOT fun.
Two of the best summers ever.
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Orange Blooded [3615]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 12:09 PM
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I was tginking abut caning with my Boy Scout troop leadwr alone by a fire. Good times.
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All-TigerNet [13437]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 1:57 PM
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Is that you canteen boy?
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Hall of Famer [23095]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 12:16 PM
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Summer of 1981 - after my freshman year at Clemson - worked with a bunch of my high school buddies renting bikes and sailboats and selling T shirts on the beach at Seabrook Island. We had so much fun laughing at the midwesterners that would show up on the beach. We would catch sand sharks and watch the reactions when the tourists learned we caught them right off the beach. Last “free” summer before I started internships and real jobs.
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Scout Team [197]
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Murrells Inlet
Jun 21, 2022, 12:27 PM
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Worked waiting tables in Murrells Inlet and living in Garden City. Spend days at the beach, work from 4-10, then drink and chase skirt. Friends, sun, suds and a fried hot dog from Sam’s. Best summer ever.
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CU Medallion [62704]
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Memory - Rafting the Nantahala with family and friends.
Jun 21, 2022, 12:48 PM
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This was before you had to have a guide. We would rent rafts for the day. Raft down the river once in the morning. Back to the campsite for lunch and a little rest. Raft again down the river in the afternoon. Joint dinner around the campsites and 'tall tales' and reliving past trips down the river.
Memories - 1. Camping at Fort Wilderness at Disney World. It was the same group of family and friends as mentioned above. We kids were older and allowed to go to the park any time we wanted. There was a boat that would take us from Fort Wilderness to the Magic Kingdom pretty much every hour. We had a pass for the entire week. We would go and stay most of the day and then go back after dinner. We did the Hoop-De-Doo Review at the campground one night. We had to paddle canoes through the canals to the building where the show was. It was the first time I had a little sangria. For a minor, that was special.
2. Camping with the family and friends at Lake Guntersville, Clark's Hill, Santee Cooper, etc.
3. Pool parties on the Fourth of July at a family friend's house. They cooked a pig over a pit all night.
4. Travelling to Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand (AWFUL humidity), London, Germany, Belgium, France, etc. Ireland was the best!
I am truly blessed! Thank you, Lord!
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CU Medallion [64693]
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A guide is still not required to raft the Nantahala***
Jun 21, 2022, 1:05 PM
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All-TigerNet [11247]
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Team Captain [492]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 1:05 PM
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Summers in Clemson. Spent 3 of my college summers working on the University cattle farm and living in Clemson. Days were spent working on fences, hauling silage, working cattle, riding horses, and anything else the bosses needed doing. It was hot hard work but very rewarding. Evenings and nights were spent on the lake sking and fishing, hanging out in TTT, and playing intermural softball. Life as a college kid with not a care in the world.
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Orange Blooded [3681]
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Re: Best summer memory?
Jun 21, 2022, 4:59 PM
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Met my wife and the rest is history
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All-In [36434]
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Summer of 86 Worked at a Full Service Phillips 66 in Raleigh
Jun 21, 2022, 5:14 PM
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This was an old school full service w/3 bays gas station in North Raleigh, NC. The owner a guy named Billy loved to hire college guys to run the place. Billy was probably 40ish, Silver-haired and was loved by the local ladies. Tennis moms from Northridge Country Club I swear came in to fill their cars up to see Billy and flirt with the college guys.
Billy only paid us minimum wage, but it was cash. We got to keep all tips, usually $4-5/hour. Billy bought all meals while you were at work. We could in the off hours use the bays to work on our cars, I had a '72 Camaro I was rebuilding. For parts/meal runs and station errands you always took one of the BMWs or other sharp rides. We got cool blue shirts with a big 66 patch and our name on it. My station name was Biff and and my best buddy now deceased was Buff.
Buff (Chip) was my best buddy all through high school and college, colon cancer took him fast about a year ago. Chip had a full ride to Davidson as a Left-Handed pitcher and then lost the scholarship when we got in some trouble in our senior year. With his dream crushed, Chip bounced from Milligan to App State and lived a party life after losing that scholarship and a shot at the Bigs. I still have great memories of hanging out with Chip.
He had a Purple Latex Painted 1960s era funeral hearse complete with a huge Big Block and chrome wheels. The thing was always a cop-magnet and we were pulled over at least 15 times in it for doing nothing. Most of the Raleigh cops just wanted to check out the car. I remember those days of almost 40 years ago like they are yesterday and would pay anything to go back for a day or a week to live with no care, no internet, no virtue signaling and just the pure joy of being 20.
By the way I saved over $3,000 that summer and totally restored my Camaro which went to Clemson my sophomore year. It stayed with me there until I graduated and stupidly traded it in on an Eagle Talon. I want my blue Camaro back too.
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