Monday, October 4, 2010

Halloween is Coming (Part 2)

There's got to be a great ghost story associated with this old place. And if there isn't one, there should be. (Anyone care to chime in?)

20 comments:

Mister Earl said...

No ghost story, but historic. It was the first 7-11.

Judy Williams said...

With the numbers adding up to 9 - which is the last and final number, there certainly could be some endings that have occurred in there, leaving lingering ghosts to haunt it. Yet this reflective image has a certain happiness to it. I love how you captured the eaves and the column within the frame, yet it's not perfectly straight on. Beware.... Halloween is coming.

Anonymous said...

Here's a beginning and ending to a a ghost story: "Some people swore that the house was haunted…nothing was ever the same again after that." (Anybody pick up on that?)

San Diego Farmgirl said...

Sometimes, late at night, you can still hear the clatter of ramen noodles falling to the floor ... or see the ghostly image of the old sofa on the porch ... or hear the familiar chords of "Jenny" ... eight six seven five three oh niiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!

Trish said...

love all the options, esp Mr Earl's...considering SoPas didn't ever have a 7-11 when I was growing up.

Is this on Pasadena Ave?

If so, a friend used to live here. Never used to see his mother outside, but his Dad seemed handy with cars. We always worried about the mother...maybe the decay of the house was hiding her?

Personally, as a kid, I could see trick or treating here, ringing the well worn bell and having a hand come grabbing out one of the door panes, and while trying to run off the porch, the couple of broken tiles rising up and swallowing the kid.

No need to buy candy, you get the spillage from all the kids you trap into the basement!

and people wonder why I don't NEED to see horror movies...

TheChieftess said...

While eating preparing Ramen noodles in the kitchen, Jenny's husband (who looked a little bit like Jack Nicholson in The Shining) came up behind her and grabbed the knife from the sink....

Ken Mac said...

she stumbled out the door, collapsed, and cracked her skull wide open on the hard slabbed front porch. The blood dripped, then dried. She haunted the house ever since. See her reflection in the panes?

Mister Earl said...

FUNNY GHOST PRANK

dbdubya said...

The only reflection I recognize, Ken Mac, is a pre-1986 Volvo 240 sedan. Even when Laurie doesn't try to, she still captures old cars.

My first thought when I saw this photo was the same as Mr. Earl - the original 7-11. I'll bet that on the inside the door frame there's a scale to show the height of the suspects who commit a robbery as they are running outside the door. There's also lots of coffee and stale hot dogs.

TheChieftess said...

Now how the heck could you determine the age and make of that car in the window???

Mister Earl said...

It's a guy thing.

dbdubya said...

Mr. Earl's correct. It's a guy thing. Guys know cars like girls know shoes and purses. I couldn't tell the difference between a Luis Vittan and a Brighton, but I can tell the difference between a '61, 62, '63, or '64 Chevy by the taillights alone.

I used to own an '86 Volvo. It was the first year they went to big headlights. Prior to that, Volvo's had smaller, dual headlights. It's clearly a Volvo from that era - 81-85.

Laurie Allee said...

DB, that you even knew about a Brighton bag is very impressive.

Truth: I wish I could say it was planned but I didn't even notice that Volvo.

dbdubya said...

I'm equally impressed, Laurie, that you recognized it as a Volvo. . .if you did.

There's a story about how I learned about Brighton. I played in a fund raising golf tournament for the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses. There was a raffle afterwards and I won a small purse. Someone else won dinner for two at a Mexican restaurant. Since the Chieftess wasn't there, I decided the Mexican dinner was a better deal than a silly little purse. I offered to make a trade - the purse for dinner. Michelle Downing, whom I now owe greatly, ran over and said she didn't think that was a good idea. She said, "That's a Brighton!" I asked, "What the hell's a Brighton?" She gave me a wife's look and said, "Trust me, you don't want to give up a Brighton." That advice may have saved my marriage.

TheChieftess said...

Rest assured DB, your marriage would not have been in jeopardy if you made the trade, however, you made major points by following Ms Downing's advice!!!

TheChieftess said...

Mr E...very funny clip!!!

Mister Earl said...

From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all...

Tash said...

I wanna own it! it's lovely if a bit ragged.

Kaori said...

I think I see a child's face through the window...da da da dum! ;D

Anonymous said...

El Centro, right? Im trying to figure out if someone lives there or not. Its a shame such a nice place is falling to pieces. I wish it would go up for sale!
great blog by the way.
/ another south pasadena mom