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May 12, 2024 04:35
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- bennyfactor
- Nov 21, 2008
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drat, thats cool - if that was in LA it would get bulldozed with everything in it.
That house reminds me of my late friends home.
When I was about 17, I was seeing a girl that lived across the street from an extremely interesting house.
The house was "titty pink" and it was obviously a special house to the neighborhood, it was in the Streamline Moderne style and it was almost double the size of the rest of the houses on the block, there were a few cool/wacky cars parked out front, the house number was even vintage and extremely kitschy, there were pink flamingos, astro-turf, old croquet sets and fiberglass umbrellas in the front yard. It really resonated with me on a very PeeWee's playhouse level.
As things got more heavy with the girl I was seeing, I'd head to her house more often. I was young and driving my pink 1958 Cadillac every day, this was about 2001-2002ish - One time I went over there and parked my caddy in front of her cool house and snapped a picture with my first ever digital camera. When I did, an older woman came out of the house, she was obviously the owner of the home, her style and personality matched the house, she saw me taking photos and came over to me and said "lemme see that" playfully. She loved the pics and she said "I just got one of these digital cameras too, I HAVE to try it out, pull your car in the driveway, we need this photo" - she shuffled back in the house and got her camera, I thought it was kinda weird, but I was in love with this house, and as soon as I saw the lady who owned it, I knew it was special - She came out and started taking pictures of the car in her driveway, the color of my car, and the color of her house were so similar she said "I can't even get the car to show up on this drat thing, its the same drat color" - I could tell this woman was a perfectionist. We were talking more and I told her I was kinda seeing the girl across the street, she said "oh her, shes gorgeous! shes lucky to have a big young man like you with a fabulous car like this in her life" - she showed me the pictures and I said I'd love a few copies of them, I was such a doofus and never took my own photo, and even if I had, I lost all the photos off that camera a few years later - I wish I had them now... we said our goodbyes and she said "you and your little girlfriend should come over sometime, I know her mother, I'll make it happen" and she shuffled back in the house, I pulled my car out and went on with my day.
for reference, this is the car - this photo was from around that era, taken a few years later.
The next time I came over to see this girl, I got there and she said "hey my mom talked to our neighbor, she wants you to go over there, she wants to show you her house" - this girl was getting weirder each time we hung out - she was in to the performing arts and things were kinda getting weird, as they do when you are young... So I said "yeah lets go" and she just said "you can..." so I said gently caress it and walked across the street.
I rang the bell and it was loving surreal electric multi tone doorbell, she opened the door and it was literally like walking in to the house you just posted, and peewees playhouse mixed together... there was curiously gold records everywhere.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I couldn't believe that I was in this place, there were pictures of this little quirky lady with just about every musician you could imagine- the house was filled to the brim with the wackiest stuff I'd ever seen. The back yard was beyond belief, giant neon signs, totally outrageous pool, terrazo everywhere.
She could tell I was getting overwhelmed, I kept just saying "this is incredible" over and over again. I didn't even know what to say, and she was going on about so many different things to a 6'3" doofus kid that rolled up to her house in a 50s Cadillac. She kept asking me "how are you in to all this stuff so young? do your parents work in the biz? what are their names? its not every day you see a kid in a cool car like that"
I just explained to her that I just loved that stuff and I didn't really know where it came from and "dont take this the wrong way, but this reminds me of PeeWees playhouse."
"Oh honey.... come... sit...."
it reminded me of peewees playhouse.... because it was peewees playhouse
Turns out this woman was Allee Willis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allee_Willis
here's more info, in her words, about the house:
http://alleewillis.com/williswonderland/
By the time I left there, I felt like I had been zapped of all my energy, I had forgotten about the weird girl I was dating, I was with Allee for about 3 hours, just talking about vintage stuff, why I loved it and really just having a really great deep talk with a complete stranger. I forgot all about the weird girl I was dating. I was on a really amazing high, the kind of high you get when you have a really deep conversation and life changing moment. We finished up our convo, exchanged phone numbers and she said "go on see that girl across the street, shes a hottie, you're welcome here anytime" She gave me a hug and a pat on the back and said "go getem tiger"
I walked back across the street rang the bell the girl seemed kinda pissed, I said something like "I lost track of time, that house is amazing - thank your mom for me, I gotta go, wanna do something tomorrow?" we said our goodbyes, but I really never talked to her again after that
But I did keep in touch with Allee - if I saw something cool out and about I'd text her - I'd stop by from time to time ring the bell, say hello and talk for a bit - It was always very nice, and she was genuinely happy to see me, but it was only a once-twice a year friendship.
Sadly we lost Allee in 2019 very suddenly and by then I hadn't talked to her in about a year. I was pretty bummed. For all I know the house is still there, its not very far, I just haven't thought about stopping in, I don't know whats going on with it, but I would have heard if something happened. This place needs to be protected at all costs.
This is such a cool story, and what a house! I don't know how many dumb internet videos you watch (I mean this is somethingawful after all), but last year's electolemon September 21st video has a scene shot in it by that pool, which I immediately remembered from the photo you posted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfi9JpgMc2U
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May 3, 2022 14:35
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- bennyfactor
- Nov 21, 2008
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Glass-bottle milk / flavored milk is the best.
Of course someone with the milk gimp avatar would say that...
Broguieres has been pretty much the only glass bottle milk available in SoCal... nearly my whole life, it is by far the best in every way - Growing up there was always a bottle of this on hand, in my mom's words "it just tastes better" - Some residents see it a bit extravagant because of the cost, but what most fail to see is that if you return the bottle, you get a huge chunk of money back, making it equally as priced, and just beyond the best quality. Their chocolate milk may as well be a milk shake and is the best I've ever had. Its a real cult thing, I've seen these bottles in the homes of the extremely wealthy and just normal people alike. I grew up on it, and my son is too. A few years back there was literally a milk man service that I subscribed to for a good few years that supplied this milk and other fresh top shelf dairy stuff. Of course I'd be having a milk man... Sadly, my home was on the outskirts of his serviceable route and he had to drop me. I loved it, every bit of it. gave me a serious domesticated history/good times happy feeling boner.
We get milk delivered in a half gallon glass bottle once a week, and yeah it is good. Even with the glass return it's still about twice the price per gallon. Still worth it, I think. And fits in the fridge better, too.
Saw a late 30s/40s Buick driving around my neck of the woods this week and thought of you. Thanks for all the great stuff you share with all of us in this thread. "Awesome AI poo poo" might be the title of a different thread but it describes this one 100%. Even the baseball cards (especially the baseball cards). I hope you and yours have a very happy holiday.
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Dec 22, 2023 15:06
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Mar 9, 2021 15:41
