Music Carrying Me Down Memory Lane

For quite awhile the lyrics for a song have been haunting my mind "Stars the glisten, lips for kissin' honey listen it's true".  I always knew it was from the Rex Smith movie "Sooner or Later", which most people can remember the song "You take my breath away".  For the life of me I couldn't remember the other song.  Finally I decided to google it and found it...."Simply Jesse".

Ya, some days I'll get the drively ballads pumpin' through my brain, please give me some insulin, but some days I like 'em.

I can tell you the story of my life via ballads.  Or if I hear a ballad, I can recount many more memories of yesteryear.  Another set of keys to unlock my mind.  Now to go flush my brain with some Yngwie Malmsteen, or Metallica, possibly some Brecker Brothers, and follow it up with a nice dose of my fave, Frank Zappa or possibly some David Bowie.

Canadian Election Stupidity

It's election time here in Canada, no real surprise.  I heard some of the campaign rhetoric from one of our major parties and just about died laughing.  The NDP want's to allow municipalities to be able to ban hand guns.  MY GOD!!!  Do these morons think, that the people who have the hand guns (which are pretty much illegal as is) give a rats ass about the law?!  Do these morons think that the people packin' heat to a dope deal, or for a gang retaliation give to flying @)#(*)@#( about the legality of a fire arm!!  While I applaud the concept, the reality is just too funny for words.

How do you get tougher on crime I don't have an easy or simple answers, but people that are going to blatantly skirt the law, are not going to give a damn about a tougher law.  Ultimately people with legal firearms just won't be allowed to have them, and the criminals will still be armed to the hilt.

More Later....
G

Cars (Part II)

Baby Blue

This early 70's navy blue Toyota Corolla was the other part of the replacement of the Olds.  The wagon was a big boat, and really didn't handle well.  Dad normally drove the mickey mouse truck, so this was mom's car.  2 Door and compact this little 4 speed was the car of most of our errands.  Soccer, music lessons, trips through the Burger Baron Drive through, or the A&W Drive in with the tray hanging on the window (yummy frost mug of root beer, better still a root beer float).  So many miles.  This is the car both myself and my bro learned to drive in.  Engine Rebuilds, bearings repacked, regular oil changes, was a great little car. 

Green Bean

The wagon, and the mickey mouse truck got replaced.  Chev 3/4 ton Crew Cab, Scottsdale 20 with a topper.  This was dad's transport, or special occasion transport, and of course the vacation mobile.  You could comfortably seat 6 in the cab, but 4 was much more comfortable.  We put a foldout bed in the box and things were good.  Little bro and I would bounce between the back seat and the box.  Parent would sleep in the box on the flip-flop (foldout bed), little bro got the drivers seat, I go the passenger seat.  Life was good.  Lots of miles in the mountains, to Northern BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Eventually we got rid of the topper, and installed a Fifth-Wheel hitch.  That became our weekend and vacation home. Installed a 100 gallon gas tank and we could for what seemed like ever.

Had my first serious (in my world) accident in the green bean while learning to drive.  I had mastered baby blue, and my dad was feeling generous.  We were camping in the castle falls camp ground and we needed to make a water run.  Dad tossed me the keys.  I was nervous.  Down the hill, picking up speed.  I didn't adjust the seat or the wheel for me it was still setup for my dad.  I couldn't quite brake hard enough and on the dirt loop was going too fast.  Bang into the trees.  I keep going, and my dad freaked.  I side swiped half of the forest (or at least that what it felt like).  Was another couple of years before I would get handed the keys again. 

Finally it got converted to propane.  So many road trips (on my own or with the family).  So many miles driving to job sites.  Green bean served us well. 

Cars do seem to carry a lot of keys to your memories. Unlock them, enjoy them, maybe even share them. 

More Later....
G

Cars

Often when I'm bombing around the back roads, looking for some inspiration for a photo, I often end up listening to CBC Radio. Yesterday on DNTO, they were talking about cars and lifestyle.  That in itself wasn't a big deal, but one of the guests, I'll have to go back and listen to the podcast to recall her name.  She used cars as a key to unlock memories for seniors, or even writing.  It made me Ponder.

Old Brown Pontiac

This was the first car of my parents I remember.  I vividly remember my parents putting down a piece of plywood in the backseat making it a bed for my little bro and I.  We would bounce and play on the plywood, and then it made the seat deep enough that we could both lie down. Made cross country trips, or trips to the Drive-In possible.

Mickey Mouse Truck

Old 53 Chev Truck with a set of lights on the roof that made it look like it had  mouse ears.  Riding in the box on trips to the dump, or the lumber yard.  This old baby blue guy with 3 in the tree, starter peddle on the floor, no seat belts, brought no end of amusement.  I recall one trip, returning home from hockey practice, I was still in full kit.  My jersey hooked on to the door handle, my dad hit a bump and whoooosh, out I went.  My hockey equipment took the brunt of the road rash, but I still have a little scar on my wrist where the gloves didn't fully protect me. 

I also recall an adventure where dad ran into the lumber yard. My brother and I managed to pop it out of gear, and had to steer it to saftey approximately half a block down the road.  Dad freaked.  But the best to me was riding in the box.  Damn uptight insurance people and government taking away my fun. 

Brown, Simulated Wood, Ford Station Wagon

This replaced the old Pontiac, my bro and I were getting bigger.  Bouncing from the back seat to our toys in the very ample back of the station wagon.  This was the Vacation Vehicle or the special occasion vehicle.  4 Door, bench seats and the back ment there was lots of room for adults and kids. 

My biggest memory from the wagon was the first trip through the Okanogan, the main fruit growing region in Western Canada.  My little bro and I had gorged ourselves on fresh fruit.  It was hot.  The roads are very curvy and in the mountains.  Lots of opportunity to be car sick.  I don't recall for how long, but my little bro and I spent a number of miles hanging our heads out the back of the wagon puking our guts out. We actually peeled the paint off the back bumper, we had puked so much. Mostly cherries, but I think there were some apricots and peaches in the mix.  Then at one of the orchards, someones dog licking all the vomit off the back bumper.  Good times.


More later.
G

THE DONKEY RAFFLE

Young Chuck moved to Texas and bought a donkey from a farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day he drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died."

Chuck replied, "Well, then, just give me my money back."

The farmer said, "Can't do that  I've spent it already."

Chuck said, "Ok, then, just bring me the donkey."

The farmer asked, "What ya gonna do with him?"

Chuck said, "I'm going to raffle him off."

The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead donkey!"

Chuck said, "Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."

A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey"

Chuck said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece and made a profit of $998.00."

The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?"

Chuck said, "Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."


Chuck grew up and works for the government.