Besides finding ways to avoid piano practice and homework, I enjoyed roller skating, stick ball, row boating, tennis, swimming and in the winter, belly wopping on a sled in the snow in the street. I also enjoyed my Lionel trains and reading comic books. Boys just wanna have fun.

Spread out on about a twelve by six foot table in the basement of our home in Brooklyn, were three sets of Lionel trains, including a streamlined passenger train, cargo freight trains and an additional diesel-like work locomotive, the one Uncle George repaired. These trains ran through a setting of a small town, two mountains, Christmas trees, cars and buildings including a sizeable factory. There were two automatic rail crossings for roads. This set-up remained operational all year, not just Christmas time, now referred to as, you know, "the holidays."

Comic book heroes and heroines kept my interest as well. Superman, Batman, The Human Torch, Plastic Man and for some reason I couldn't define, a gorgeous blonde who lived in the jungle and was expert in swinging from vines in trees, striking wonderful poses in skimpy, tight tights while overcoming evil doers. Tarzan, she wasn't.

I developed quite a comic book collection but I guess other things got in the way like school work and other related requirements. I wonder what ever happened to, "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle?"