Old Films

 

I finally figured out how to get a clip from one of my old 8mm films that I had converted and posted to my You Tube account.

Here is the first clip. It is of me and Bill and our home in Pennsylvania. This film was taken in 1996. A totally different time and place from where I am now. 

The blond Pomeranian was Bill's dog. The orange one was mine. Dogs choose their humans you know. Horace was the only dog I ever had that chose me.

Our home in Pennsylvania was on 7.875 acres of wooded land in East Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania. Oh how I miss those innocent days. I am so thankful that I was mindful enough to take film so I ca relieve those memories. Of course when I die I will again relive this life that I had back then. Both Bill and our Poms will be waiting for us on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

More Old Films Transferred to DVD

What a job this is!  This morning I transferred more old 8mm film that was transferred to a VHS tape and now I'm transferring those images to a DVD format.  I think I'm getting better at this.  

One thing, it is time consuming and I have so many VHS tapes to transfer.  I hope I live long enough.

Me in Quebec, Canada - 1967

Another thing, much of the content is boring to the casual viewer.  What was I thinking taking film of water?  And I thought my father was bad taking film of the sky.  Well, at least I have film of people, including me (of course), which is now very interesting to look at.  I moved that fast?  Wow.  Now I can hardly get a smooth stride going.  I'm getting the Old Man Walk.  Not the "Shuffle" mind you but that hesitant walk that portends falling down, which I never want to do again.

Me coming out of the surf at Ocean City, New Jersey. The first and last time I was ever in Ocean City, New Jersey. Too many lifeguards blowing their whistles

So here goes, I'm posting this portion of the old 8mm film that I copied to DVD this morning.  By the way, I forgot how I uploaded it to You Tube so I had to figure that out all over again.  The brain is going folks.  Going, going, GONE!



P.S.
I've reviewed this DVD and only Part 1 has uploaded to You Tube which is just as well.  The whole DVD is about an hour long and folks, you'll have to admit that watching "home movies" that long would even bore the pants off of the person who took the home movies (that would be me).  So I'm only going to subject you to fifteen minute increments.  

My niece Karen Tipton with a cat - I don't think Karen has ever seen this video. Karen is 53 years old now and has a grown daughter. Time flies. Karen is to the left with her brother (my only nephew, Isaac, III and her sister Dawn)

Of course I know where and when all these scenes were taken but you don't so here is a list (hopefully) in chronological order:

1. Ottawa, Canada - changing of the guard -1967
2. Niagara Falls, Canadian side - 1967
3. Cheswick Square Apartment, Roxborough, Philadelphia, PA - me at the apartment pool - check out my doofus diving (I can't dive)
4. My father's "farm". My brother Isaac takes a puppy out.  "Pop" had pigs, chickens, ducks and even a goat.
5. My niece Karen Tipton with an orange cat whose name I can't remember.
6. Valley Forge, PA. I apologize for the long, boring scenic shots. They don't mean anything now except if those fields are filled with high rise apartments now which hasn't happened yet at Valley Forge State park but could very easily happen in the future with the King of Prussia megapolis creeping around the edges of the park.
7. Our Pomeranian dogs "Horace" (the orange one - male) and "T" (short for "Tiffany") romping around at our new house in East Brandywine Township, Downingtown, Pennsylvania. 

Watching these videos brought back many good memories.  I've had a good life folks.  I'm glad I'm able to share it with you now.  Long after I'm gone these videos on You Tube and my blog will live on, a testament that even a skinny, gay man like me brought up constantly belittled can succeed in life.  

Who is this hunk? Why it's me! Actually, I wasn't too bad looking back In The Day was I? Shame I didn't realize it at the time.

Old Films Transferred to DVD's!

NOTE: I noticed that the video doesn't actually begin until a little over three minutes into the video right after the Jay Leno segment.  By the way, I used an old Jay Leno tape to test the copying but I didn't realize I had also uploaded that segment to You Tube. So please bear with me.  Also, bear with the background hillbilly music which could be annoying to you Mariah Carey fans (which I am NOT). Enjoy!


Finally!  I've started to transfer my old VHS tapes to DVD's. This is something I've been putting off for a long time. It's a big job folks. I have over a hundred VHS tapes to be transferred to the DVD format.  Because of this monumental job, I've been procrastinating for a LONG time.

Several years ago I bought a VHS/DVD combo unit to copy the VHS tapes to a DVD.  Folks, the process is quite complicated.  Almost too complicated for this 74 year old brain.

I was about to figure out how to do it six years ago when I made a memorial DVD for my Mom's funeral.  I haven't done anything with the VHS transfers to the DVD format since.  

This task has been hanging over my head for sometime.  Lately I've been spending a lot of time playing on line Scrabble in my Facebook account. I have to tell you, lately I've been feeling guilty when I'm "wasting" my time playing Scrabble on Facebook.  

Yesterday, I finally bit the bullet so to speak and planted myself downstairs in our finished basement in front of my old 40 inch SONY Bravia flat screen TV (which we paid $4,000 for years ago, being once of the early purchasers of the new "gigantic" screen TV's which don't seem so gigantic now - I have a 60 inch flat screen TV in the Tipton Cinema).  

Oh what a day yesterday was.  I had to relearn the whole process again.  My old brain cells really got a workout.  Unfortunately I accidentally erased about ten minutes of a VHS tape I had of my Mom counting her bonds which I kept in my safe.  What is the matter with me?  Practicing on a real tape instead of one of the many "junk" tapes I have?  Sometimes I could kick myself.

However, after much frustration I finally figured out how to transfer the images from my old VHS tape to a DVD.  The first one I did was of films that were taken in 1966.  Yes, FIFTY years ago.  I'm uploading it now to You Tube.  Hopefully that goes without a hitch.

The contents of that video tape were originally 8mm film.  Thus this is the third time the images have been transferred to a different format.  Of course there is some degradation. But you can still see a YOUNG Ron Tipton.  Did I really have all that hair?  And the sheen, where did that come from.  Believe it or not, I never put grease in my hair, I always kept it dry even when it wasn't fashionable.  Man, do I ever feel old now.

I see where my upload is now complete.  Folks, a warning, this is a long tape.  Over thirty minutes long.  So if you're really interested in my life, you can take the time.  If not, then I won't throw any guilt trips on you for moving on to another blog with a briefer post.  

Another warning, you'll notice I'm a little "fey" in the video.  Remember, this was back when I was young.  Twenty four years old.  I have no excuse for acting like a swish other than I can blame my good friends Ron Hampton and Ed Cage who were very femme. I have since realized that the "femme" route wasn't good for me so I butched it up big time.  

Long blog posting here folks.  But I did want to share my good news with you that now I can copy all my old VHS tapes to a format that I can post to You Tube.  I have a big job ahead of me but once I'm finished, and as I near the end of my time here on earth, I will go in peace.  By sharing this part of my life to You Tube, my legacy will be complete.  I don't have any family members now who are interested in my old photos, VHS tapes or DVD's but if someone in the future, family member or not, is interested in my time here on earth, then there it is . . . on You Tube.  

Me, exactly 50 years ago!

By the way, here is a photo of my friend Pat "way back then.  He's pictured with his band mates on an album cover.  Yes, that is Pat to the right.  Some hunk right?

Pat and his band "The 45's" way in the past - were we every THAT young? (and had all THAT hair?)