I'm pretty torn on Rutland. I grew up in West Castleton and went to Rutland all the time. That's where we'd go shopping, to the movies, out to dinner, etc. It was pretty wild back in the day. Went there every weekend with my buddies in high school and whenever I was back home to hit the bars - used my first fake ID at what is now Strangefellows Pub. Can't remember the name but there were still parking garages there. While some parts of Rutland are sketch, there's a lot of cool sections of town now - some nice additions. Although, when I was a kid, it was like "ooohh stay away from the Gut." Funny how tame it really was. Some quick memories.

At 15 I went to the movies with my buddies and when it got out we climbed the fire escape and got on top of the building that housed the old bus stop. Looks like it's where Just Threading is now. Anyway, we urinated off the roof onto the sidewalk on Merchant's Row. My idea. This was probably 9:00 PM or so and there were people about. We caused quite a commotion and tried to ditch. I was the first one off the fire escape and just missed being grabbed by the two cops who were running down the alley. I bolted, but they got my three buddies. I ran to the corner of a building and peeked around and the cop hollered, "Get your ass back here, NOW." I complied. They took us to the station, which I think was, like, right there. Gave us a ton of shit and asked who was our ride. It was my dad, who was having dinner in a Mexican restaurant on Center Street. They called the restaurant and got him and he was PISSED (no pun intended) and made us stay at the station for, like, 2 hours. Can't remember what my punishment was but it was SOOO worth it.

The other thing I remember is getting creative about having sex as I had girlfriends that lived in Rutland and their parents were always home. Some of the locations include the baseball dugout at Giogetti Park, Calvary Cemetery (usual spot as she lived near there; either in her Chevette or my 1972 puke green Pinto), parking lot at Earle's Truck Repair (don't think it was called that then), and countess other nooks and crannies around town. The one that took the cake was at some school inside a kid's crawl through tube in a playground. It was probably three feet wide and ten feet long. This was right after I graduated HS and was dating a 21-year-old who lived at home. Don't know how, but some cop figured out we were there - maybe saw the car and suspected vandals, who knows - and came over and banged on the plastic tunnel and told us to cut the shit. We fumbled our clothes back on and clambered out. Turns out the cop graduated with my girlfriend and she was MORTIFIED. I, however, was quite amused.

Got plenty more, but my fingers are tired. Thank you Rutland.