Friday, And Log Inn Pics!

The "Log Inn" wasn't much to look at on the outside. But the line of folks waiting to get in to eat was an indication it might be worth the wait. We didn't wait long to be seated...
Maybe 15 minutes or so. (You can click these pics to enlarge 'em.)










We really didn't know how many were gonna show up, so we sat and chatted for about half an hour to insure everyone who intended to come was there. Here, Cinders and Ferdy catch up on their news.










The lineup on the opposite side of the table from me...
TC, Tracy, Carol, and Ferdy. Cinders and TD are just out of the photo on the right.










Hawk and his Mrs., and Sharon were on my side. Greybeard and Sara Jean are just outta the picture on the left.










TD speaks and TC looks convinced. Cinders seems skeptical. What were you sellin' TD?











This the "Lincoln Room", where Abraham Lincoln supposedly ate during a stop here in the 1840's. We ate in an adjoining room.










Vandy's Kids assembled, just prior to heading home for the evening. This barn, owned by TC's son Scott, is just a wonderful place for a get-together. Thanks again to TC and Sharon, and Scott and Lois, for your wonderful hospitality!

It's Friday once again.
Tell us what's happenin' with ya!

Valley Newsboy

Dennis Sikes, that was his name.
Odd that I can still remember it. He was 12 and I was 10. His family was getting ready to move out of the house that my second-grade teacher Dora Saunders would move into. Dennis had an "Indianapolis News" paper route. Dennis had pockets that jingled. I wanted pockets that jingled. Due to his move he needed someone to take his route, and I felt I was just the "man" to take it.

But there were a couple obstacles-
-I was too young. I think the Star-News people wanted their carriers to be at least 12.
-My parents also worried I was too young. They also knew that having a paper route would complicate my schedule should we want to take vacations or other time away from home.
But I had my mind set on having change in my pockets, so I persevered.

The route manager, a nice guy by the name of Mr. Hanson, came out and interviewed me, then talked with my parents. When he left the route was mine.
(Mom and Dad immediately set out to insure I knew how to make change.)

I delivered the Indy News evenings, Monday through Saturday, then I got up early Sunday to deliver the Sunday Star...
Seven days a week I delivered newspapers for almost 5 years. My pockets jingled. I saved and bought myself nice things. I was King of my world.
My bundle of papers was delivered at the end of our drive shortly after school let out. I'd pack them into a canvas saddlebag and throw them onto my bicycle (until I was twelve when I bought myself a Cushman Motor Scooter similar to this one), and I'd start out Northbound delivering papers to houses along Morgantown Road toward Bill Doty's Standard Station. Then I'd double back Southbound delivering along the way to old Smith Valley Road where I turned West and worked my way to Paddock Road. There I'd again go North to a couple newer houses near S.V. Road, then back South, over the bridge past Cissy, C&C, and Rita's house, delivering my last paper by simply walking through the back patio and into Ode Perry's old house where I'd lay the paper on their kitchen table. (I can still remember the comfortable smell of that place.)

I think I've written before about how much that route taught me...
Because of it I truly became a "small businessman" and learned ya always gotta have more income than outgo. I learned to save for things I wanted.
Much of my Valley clientele was elderly, so I also learned once in a while there'd be no one to answer the door when you came to collect at week's end. Having developed strong relationships with my customers over those five years, that was tough sometimes.

Doty's Standard Service, Effie's Variety Store, and Don Sutton's grocery were all great places to stop and have a cold refreshing "Ski" and maybe a bag of "Planter's Peanuts" in the summer, while affording a place to thaw out in the cold of Winter.

Papers delivered, there was almost always a pick-up basketball or full-tackle football game to be played at Steve and Danny W's house. (We were talking at our latest mini about the evening David W's collar bone got broken. We tackled tough!)

When it was REALLY cold, the creek would freeze over and we'd ride/slide our bikes up and down that stretch just beneath the old iron bridge. How we kept from breaking some bone while doing that is beyond me!

Ahhh.....
So there. I've shared some of my smiles with you.
Please, share some Friday-forum smiles with the rest of us.

The Log Inn Gathering

For all of you that could not make it to the Log Inn, you really missed some great food and again good fellowship with our classmates. Needless to say the desserts were delicious afterwards at the barn.
We want to Thank Terry & Sharon and Scott & Lois for the use of the party barn. It was the perfect end to a very good day. We set around visited and just plain relaxed after our bellies were full. Terry & Steve did play a little table tennis, "Did I say Little"???
David took some pictures so hopefully he will get them posted when he has the time. I hope everyone made it home safely.
Has anyone heard from Echo to see if they are OK and what happened to them Saturday night??

Dreams of Home

I don't often dream of Smith Valley. I guess the thought of visiting with all of you tomorrow sparked this dream last night:
During Winter snows, we'd often bring our sleds to the Hiatt addition hill near John K.'s house and sled down from there. It was tricky, 'cause you had to cross the street at the base of the hill where traffic didn't stop. We'd put a kid at the base of the hill to warn of oncoming traffic in case we needed to abort our sled run due to a car coming.

In my dream there had been an ice storm, coating everything in a thick layer of clear ice. I slid down the hill standing upright, then had to jump the cross street. Jumping/flying are frequently factors in my dreams and this was no different...
I jumped/flew for several seconds, making a perfect landing on the other side of the cross street...
Exhilarating.

Now, about this weekend-
Sorry you cannot make it Cissy. I had really looked forward to meeting the two of you, but fully understand that family is more important. We'll take a rain check for a "date to be named later."

Don't know yet if we'll be spending the night...
I was surprised this morning by my wife who said, "Let's play it by ear", meaning we'll bring an air mattress just in case we need to use it. We will certainly stay until we are "visited out", but then may drive the two hour drive home to wake in our own bed. (I snore when I'm tired, so it may be best for others if we don't stay!)

I'll call the Log Inn later and confirm reservations for 14-
TC and Sharon,
Echo and Shifty,
Hawk and Mrs. Hawk,
TD and Cinders,
JT and Barb,
Carol and Tracy,
SJ and GB.
... If I'm missing anyone, please let me know.

So, no cheesecake from Cissy, but we can look forward to cobbler made with fresh blackberries from Carol, and Sara Jean will make her killer peanut butter cookies.
Yum, yum!
Come hungry. Bring cash. See many of ya tomorrow.

Log Inn Gathering

I talked with Terry & Sharon this morning and they suggest we bring sleeping bags and/or air mattres. Barn is plenty big for whoever wants to stay.
If you plan on staying just leave word here so they will know about how many.
Terry said he would even fix eggs & bacon for breakfast. :)

Carson's Riding Stables

You can't read comments here and not notice there are horse lovers amongst us.
Joker, GH, and DJ all love the critters and, with TD and Cinders alongside (who met because of their mutual interest), will gather and share horsey experiences at every chance.
I think horses are beautiful, and there's nothing prettier than a slow-motion movie of a horse in full gallop... breathtaking.

Still, they are mighty dangerous. Anything that big, powerful, and spirited needs to be handled with discipline and respect. I have commented on several occasions how we often hear motorcycle riders derisively called "donors", while my experience flying injured patients is that horses can be every bit as hazardous to their rider's health. (Chris Reeve is a good example.) Interested in hearing a few gory stories? Ask when you see me next.

TD, DJ, Joker, and GH all owned their own animals and could saddle up when they had the time and inclination. For the rest of us, a place like Carson's was an alternative. My recollection is fuzzy, so help me if I screw up the details but as I recall Carson's was on the South side of Indy, not far from Beech Grove. For a few bucks you could drive the short drive and they'd saddle up a docile animal for you to go ride for an hour. I always did it a couple times a summer and felt it was a good value for the money... another fond memory.

Now, about next weekend...
I called the folks at "The Log Inn" and changed our reservation to 4 P.M..
I also told them our group may be as large as 14 or more. (Tracy and Carol, GREAT!) I trolled around the restaurant reviews and found this one, which seems representative of most:

"Great fried chicken! To-die-for mashed potatoes, slaw, etc. You can't miss this historic place. The service is always great, and quick. You may have to wait a bit for a table unless you get there early. This is our favorite family/special occasion place. "

... The hint at a possible wait to be seated was the most prevalent complaint, so we may have a little time to visit before being seated... Don't come famished.
Another thing I noticed... They don't take credit cards. Bring cash.

I told the gal we were having a mini-reunion and asked if there was a place we could sit and visit before/after eating. She said no, so I joked and said "Fine... We'll just bring lawn chairs and camp outside your front door!" The nice lady chuckled and said "You COULD do that... there's plenty of room, just no furniture."
Remember what happened after "The Best Little Whorehouse...?"
Discuss!

The restaurant is 12 miles North of Evansville, 1 mile East of U.S. Highway 41 on "Old State Road", just North and East of the intersection I-64 and 41. Check Mapquest or Mapblast.
Maybe TC can give us more detail, but I'm sure Carmen the Garmin will get us there just fine.
I'm looking forward to hugging and visiting with friends, both those I know AND those I oughta know!

S&H, And Top Value

It's another of those things that seems odd now...
I was thinking of the stamps retailers used to give out as incentives to shop at their stores...
"Top Value" and "S&H Green Stamps".
I think the IGA in the Smith Valley Shopping Center gave out Top Value stamps. My Mom would wait until she had lots and lots of them to add to the books you were supposed to stick them in, then she'd use a sponge to wet them and apply them to the books. We'd all look through the catalog they supplied to see how many stamp-filled books we had to accrue in order to get an appliance or some other doo-dad.
More memories...
Glasses or towels as premiums in boxes of laundry detergent. When I first set up independent housekeeping as a bachelor I think my cupboard was filled with glasses I got as premiums for buying gasoline at the "Gulf" Service Station...
Whatever happened to "Good Gulf" gasoline?

When I went lookin' for an image of the stamps I found the above photo of the General Store in Nashville, Indiana. (Click it to see the full photo.) Stores don't actually give those things out anymore, do they?

Two weeks from tomorrow we'll be meeting in Evansville...
Are ya comin'?

It's the last Friday in July. Time to sound off!

Honoring A Special Request

I was gonna regale ya here with details of our colonoscopies last week, but Hawkeye begged me not to, so I'll comply with his request. You do need to know one thing...
Sara Jean chickened out.
The day prior to our scheduled procedure, BEFORE she had started drinking the tasty "GoLytely", she started having diarrhea and throwing up...
Nerves.
And rightfully so. She has a strong gag-reflex so I sincerely doubted her ability to get a gallon of that stuff in her. Heck, I truly doubted she could get a full glass of it in her.
So she called and told the folks what she was experiencing and they rescheduled her. We have now found that if she absolutely refuses to drink the GoLytely there is another way to get the job done... with a "Fleet Enema".(?)
I'll let ya know more when I know more.

But for those that have not already read the play-by-play and are interested, you can go here and maybe read more than you want to know on the subject. But let me re-emphasize here, if you are over 50 and have not yet had this procedure done, remember Farrah, (maybe unnecessarily) dead at 62.

Shift gears now...
I don't know about you, but this Man-made global warming is about to chill me to death! We have had jacket weather most nights for the last two weeks.
The cold is also delaying growth in our garden. Sweet corn is ready to pick, but the ears are small. Tomatoes are growing slowly and most have spots or other problems making the fruit look ugly.

We are looking forward to seeing a bunch of you on the 15th. What time do you want to meet at the Log Inn for dinner...
Want to beat the normal dinner crowd? Is 5 P.M. better, or would you rather eat at a more normal 7 P.M. or so? (Consider we may want to visit a while after eating.)
Please make your thoughts known.

Hawk and his Mrs. are coming,
as are TC and Sharon,
TD and Cinders,
and Cissy and Leroy(?)
Didn't I also see that Echo and Shifty are coming?
Sara Jean and Greybeard will be there.
How 'bout you? Are you coming?

Friday forum again...
Lay a little lovin' on us!

TC, Birthday Boy

Today is TC's birthday!
(Sorry for the late posting, TC, but life has been quite a swirl!)
All together now...
"Happy Birthday to you...."

Hope your day was a good one my friend.

Transfusion!

I had to think a while about embedding this video here...
It was popular in 1956, just about the time I really started paying attention to music. As a matter of fact, my interest in this stupid tune may have led to my paying closer attention to ALL music on the radio and elsewhere. But 1956? Who's gonna remember that? Some VK's weren't yet born!



Other novelty tunes come to mind:
"Purple People Eater",
"My Friend The Witch Doctor",
"The Monster Mash"...
And you can probably name several more. I thought they were goofy, but fun. Other than the song parodies by "Weird Al Yankovic" I can't think of many novelty tunes being produced today, and that seems a shame. We could sure use a little more goofiness in our lives, couldn't we?

Sara Jean lives with "Goofy" every day!
It's Friday...
What's goofy with you?

The Fish Fry

Here we go again...
As a "Valley" guy, I'm beginning to be a little shy about telling stories that show how much more fun we had than those that lived elsewhere. But we DID have fun, and we knew we lived in a special place and LOVED it!

At about this time of year there would be a festival at the Smith Valley Community Center. I can remember a huge deep-fat fryer and lots and lots of delicious fresh fish being served there. Our family simply referred to this festival as "The Fish Fry", and it was a big deal-
Live music, lots of booths displaying arts and crafts and other doo-dads for sale. Games of chance...
The Fish Fry always drew a big crowd...
It was very much like a Mini-County Fair.

I remember one year they had a dunk-tank to raise money for charity. Diana D's Dad was the "monkey" in the tank. For a buck you got three baseballs to try to hit a lever that would drop the seat from beneath Diana's Dad and dunk him in a three-feet-deep reservoir below. It was a hot night and I remember thinking it might be refreshing to be dunked now and then, so I asked him if I could be the "dunkee".
I think he pulled a "Tom Sawyer" on me...
"Oh no, this is too much fun. I really don't want to give up the job."
But I begged, and he relented. I ran home and put on my swimming trunks. It only took about three or four dunkings for the "refreshing" dip to get old. I think I was the monkey for an hour or so before Diana's Dad took pity on me and sent me home to put my street clothes back on.

My memory of the Fish Fry was tweaked by Crown and Coke's comments about the Johnson County Fair this week. (By the by, how'd that go C&C?)

How long has it been since they had a festival at the old SVCC?
I know I'd gladly drive the distance home to attend one!

Okay, by now you know the routine-
It's Friday...
WHASSUP?

July 4th, 2009

It's a big weekend for us...
Big Bubba is coming home. We haven't seen him since we went out to Arizona in February, so absence has certainly made our hearts fonder. Monday is his birthday... he'll be 26. Time does fly, doesn't it?
He'll be here a week. We have all sorts of things we would like to do with him but we don't want to overdo...
So we'll make suggestions and allow him to make selections ala carte. One of the options is to go to St. Louis for the fireworks display. They do it REALLY BIG there...
They pull a barge out in the middle of the river in front of the Arch, and in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators on the Arch grounds, shoot fireworks from the barge for half an hour. I'm told these displays, sponsored by Macy's department stores, cost nearly a million dollars. I believe it too...
Unlike the displays we saw as kids, there is never a second where the sky doesn't have one, or several explosions entertaining you.

I have fuzzy memories now of going to the Meridian Drive-In theater on July 4th to watch the fireworks display there. I can't remember... did they shoot the fireworks between movies or at dusk?

We will have a good week catching up on life with our son. I hope your weekend will be a safe one, whatever your plans.
So what are your plans?

Buy 'Em By The Sack

You have until July 12th...
Go here for your freebie.
(You can thank me when I see ya on 15 August.)

Trial Balloon

We tried this once before and reality got in the way...
Closed on Sundays, I didn't leave enough time for everyone to make plans.
Let's try again.
We're tentatively looking at 15 August. Several have indicated that day is open for them...
They won't be frolicking in Italy or attending a Doctoral graduation. It's far enough "out there" that you should available to come share with us.

So take a look, make a mark on your calendar, and give us some feedback.
It should be fun!

Guess who?

Just for fun!
The following celebrities all have something in common.
I’ve given their initials: Can you guess who they are and what they all have in common?

1. LP and ML ( Lisa Marie Presley & Michael Lockwood)
2. RR and JO (Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O'Connell)
3. JR and DM (Julia Roberts & Danny Moder: guessed by Ferdy)
4. JL and MA (Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony: guessed by GB)
5. AJ and BP (Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt: guessed by GB)

1st. clue: each numbered line contains 1 male and 1 female
2nd. clue: The male & female on each line are noted
as a "couple" (some married, some not)
3rd. clue: first set of initials in each line are female, second set are male
4th. clue: #1. ML = Michael Lockwood (celebrity by association)

The answer is: TWINS

They all had twins in 2008 except Julia Roberts who had hers in 2004.

A Wild Goose Chase

Just a quicky post so that those of you bustin' with news to share can do so...
I just finished with our annual "Goose Roundup". If you don't know what that is, I'll be back later to explain.
In the meantime, are you one of those that believe Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon are all chatting in another dimension now?
It's nice to think they might be.

More later.
Comment!

UPDATE:
If you are interested, details on the goose roundup are here, and here.

C.G. Teachers

Center Grove Art Teacher

Lloyd Ernest Huyser-Poston

Artist and educator, gardener and fine food aficionado, died on Friday, June 19, 2009. Born to Stanley and Gertrude Huyser in Holland, Michigan, on September 13, 1930, Lloyd graduated from Holland High School and earned a B.A. at Hope College, graduating as the first Art Major in the school’s history.

Lloyd’s education was interrupted by the Korean Conflict when he was inducted into the US Army and spent 1953-1955serving in the Far East with the C.I.A. Upon receiving an Honorable Discharge from the military, he moved to Indianapolis to attend John Herron School of Art, now part of Indiana University.

He began his formal career as an art educator, teaching at Floral Park High School, NYC, returning to Indiana a year later as he and his partner, Gene R. Poston, had decided to settle in Indianapolis. He continued his career in Art Education at Center Grove School Corporation, teaching in both the Middle School and High School.

He is survived by Gene R. Poston, his partner of over 52 years, his brother Earl Huyser, Ph.D. (Barbara) of Lawrence, Kansas, nieces and nephews and close friends Jack and Nancy Albright, Terry Lavering, and William G “Speed” Schumacher.

A Celebration of Lloyd’s Life will be held Saturday, June 27, 2009, at 11:00 am at Crown Hill Funeral Home, 700 West 38th Street, Indpls., IN. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am. Lloyd’s partner of 52 years and his family and extended family express deep appreciation for the many comforting expressions of love and support.

Memorial contributions in Lloyd’s name may be made to the Gene R. Poston Legacy Foundation, care of the IPS Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships and musical instruments to students at Broad Ripple High School, Indianapolis.

APB for The Joker

I am looking for that hilarious person that used to post so many great puzzles on our blog. It was a big hi lite of my week.
For some reason, the island has been having a resurge in her "Wicked Wahine" and I can't stop thinking about her and her many stories of her travels when I see a display. I keep imagining her story of tumbling in the waves and losing her swimsuit. I hope all is well with her and hope to hear more from her soon.

Happy Father's Day to all the daddys out there.

GH

Our New Cell Phones

I hate cell phones, have I told you that before?
I hate talking on the telephone. Like most people I value my time and I hate when someone calls and distracts me from whatever task I'm accomplishing. (Send me an email, but don't waste my time with a "Forward"!)
But on a couple occasions having the cell phone at hand saved me enough money to pay for the thing for years, and on another occasion, being able to call 911 may actually have saved a life.
For me then, the cell phone is a "necessary evil".

The first one I owned was one of those "bag phones". Roughly the size of a football, I hated the handset, but since it was the only thing available at the time, I didn't mind the size of the thing...
Actually, losing it, as I often do my present cell phone, was an impossibility because of its size...
The term "elephant in the room" comes to mind. The phone transmitted and received telephone calls... that's all. (Cell phones are not telephones at all, they're radio transmitters.)

Now cell phones can download music. They can be miniature computers. They can be used as alarm clocks. They can bake a loaf of bread. (Just kidding. But don't suggest you'd like that feature or we may be back to "bag phone" size with some models.)

For reasons stated above the stupid devices have become a necessity, so some years back I bought one for Sara Jean. She loves to talk on the phone, so she's talking on hers most of her waking hours. With her Blue Tooth device she can do her work while she's chatting away, and SHE DOES.

For a number of reasons, we have never had the same model phone at the same time. That's good in one way... I never mistake her phone for mine. But it's bad in several ways, not the least of which is that when we travel we both have to remember to carry our individual chargers for our dissimilar phones.
Yesterday I rectified that. I bought one of these for each of us... hers is the color shown, mine in basic black so we don't confuse them.
These phones have all sorts of features we'll probably never use, (I'll check to see if they bake bread), but I'm slowly but surely being dragged into the 21st Century and may need the ability to access my email on the road soon. This phone will allow me to do that.
I'm getting ready to retire. Can someone please explain to me why life continues to get more and more complicated as I/we get older?

Now, a challenge for you...
It's Friday "Vandy's Forum" time...
Tell us something that is irritating you, then tell us a something good in your life, IN THAT ORDER!
Me? I've got a leak in an upstairs bathroom soaking the floor in my office I have to chase down.
But next week I'll be chasing geese with the Dept. of Natural Resources biologists... always a hoot.
Now, it's your turn.

Adventure!

A friend once told me an "adventure" was setting out on a journey not knowing how it would turn out. I like that definition. Adventures can be good or bad, and the outcome may depend a lot on your attitude about having one.

Mommanurse planned a family reunion this weekend. I wrangled a few days off with my co-workers so I could attend. I set off yesterday (Friday) so as to arrive near Robertsdale, Alabama before dark. Fully intending for this whole weekend to be an adventure, I programmed the destination address and allowed "Carmen the Garmin" to point me in the correct direction. She decided to take me in a direction I had never travelled. I have found that sometimes Carmen will take me on a longer trip than necessary, for whatever reason, but yesterday I didn't care...
I was intent on having an adventure!

At 6 P.M. Carmen was indicating I had another three hours or so to drive. The thermometer indicated it was 90 degrees outside. The air conditioner quit working.
Oh well, no big deal...
The sun is getting low in the sky and the temp. will be dropping...
Windows down and it's reasonably comfortable. Turn the volume up a little on the radio and pretend it's 1964 again!

Half an hour later the battery discharge light came on. Now you may remember that I've had battery problems on this car before, so I shook my head in amazement thinking that this new battery had given up the ghost so quickly. I started thinking about how we'd have to find a Walmart with an auto shop to replace this battery tomorrow.

It was then that I noticed the car was hard to steer.
Uh-oh.
It all clicked...
A/C inop.
Battery discharge light on.
Power steering gone.
I've got belt problems.

I stop for fuel in Citronelle, Alabama and pop the hood. Sure enough, there are two belts on the front of the engine, one regular "V" belt that drives the A/C, and a serpentine belt that drives the power steering and alternator. Both are chewed up and lying in the bottom of the engine bay.

The AutoZone store had just closed. I asked about motels and got directions...
Both had "No Vacancies".
Back to the AutoZone store, worrying now about how much juice is left in the battery.
There was enough juice to roll the two front windows down, recline the driver's seat, and sleep in the AutoZone parking lot until they opened at 8 A.M.

The clerk showed up at 7 A.M. and asked how he could help. He sold me two belts and provided tools to do the work. While I was struggling, trying to figure out how to tighten/untighten the two tensioner/idler pulleys a guy came up and said "Let me help you."
Good thing too...
I'd never have gotten the job done without him.

Thirty dollars worth of belts and ten bucks for the work my new friend "Trav" did and I'm on my way. Even sleeping in the car wasn't as bad as I expected.
Certainly, this was an ADVENTURE!

Pretend it's Friday.
Tell us about your adventures.

Man In The Moon, And Marigolds.

It's just after midnight as I type this. We just transported an 84 year old woman with an aneuryism in her brain. She tolerated the flight well, but her prognosis is iffy, simply because of her age and her
(in)ability to heal.

The moon is about 90% full and the sky is clear.
At 1500 feet we could see the lights of the big city from over 40 miles... it's a gorgeous night to fly... with the moon so bright it's almost a lie to log the flight as a "night flight"!
Looking at the big, bright moon set me to thinking...
Can you see "the man in the moon"? I can. I see a wide-eyed man either expressing shock, or he's whistling, I can't tell.
Some claim not to be able to see him. TD falls into that category, although he may be pulling our leg. I also once had a flight nurse that claimed she couldn't see him even after I drew her a picture of what I see and took it and her out into the bright moonlight to compare it to the real thing.
If they truly cannot see him, I feel a little sorry for them.

I've talked with a few of you about our white-tail deer problem. We have does out the wazoo around our property... it's not at all surprising to see 18 or so in the field catty-corner from our home.
They have begun to attack my garden. They eat the tops of my corn plants so they won't tassle. They've completely eaten both my cucumber plants. They've even nibbled on a few of my tomato plants, and I didn't think they had any interest in tomatoes! So far, they don't seem to have any interest in my peppers.
We've discussed how to dissuade them from coming near our garden with anyone who will listen.
We've tried several suggestions...
Safeguard soap around the perimeter. We've tried human hair. We've tried urinating all around the garden... (best done at night when the moon is not so bright!)
This year someone said the fool proof way was to plant Marigolds all around... that the deer can't stand the smell of 'em. That seemed to make sense... I don't like the smell of Marigolds either.
So I spent good money on 12 plants and planted them all around.
Didn't work...
The damage you've read above was done in spite of the smelly flowers.
So help me here... short of staying awake 24 hours a day and shooting the animals that approach my garden plot, how do I convince them to stay away?

I'm gonna lie down and try to get a little sleep.
But first, you know the routine...
My calendar says it's 5 June, 2009, and it's FRIDAY!
Give us your deer solutions, or share anything you'd like to share.

Lucky You!

I deleted it.
I had written a rant about an out of work acquaintance I called to tell about a job opening in Pennsylvania. He declined the idea of applying for the job because he "didn't want to move". When I finished the post I realized that although it said exactly what I wanted, it was more negative than I want to post here. Here's the post in a nutshell:
Out of work? Looking down the road ahead you might be sorry you didn't jump at the chance to start earning a paycheck again.
We'll see.

We're back to our routine after our return from Destin. It has rained almost every day since we returned. I'm ready to go back South.

I have no news to share.
You got any?
It's Friday!

Memorial Day

Aloha Dear Friends,

It is that time of year again where we can pay tribute to our loved ones that have passed and to honor the ones that we have lost while serving their country.
There is a tradition over here that is called the Lantern Floating Ceremony that is held in Ala Moana Park.

It is a time honored Buddhist rite to comfort the spirits of the deceased and are said to ferry spirits "from the sea of delusion to the shores of salvation." You do not have to be Buddhist to go or even participate. It is one of the most beautiful cermonies I have ever had the honor to witness. You may purchase or obtain a floating lantern free and you are able to write a message to your loved ones on it and it will be released into the ocean at sunset.

You can watch this live by going onto www.kgmb.com and click on lantern floating and also watch a video from last year. The ceremony starts at 6:30 pm here so adjust your clocks to mainland time. Or you can go directly to www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com

For all the veterans that got to go to the Punch Bowl while here. You would be proud of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts today. They went to the 38,000 graves there and put a flag and lei on each and every grave and saluted every one. They were running out of leis and put out the message and quickly received 50,000 lei and they then were shared with the Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe. It was a little bit of a tear jerker today.

I hope you all enjoy the ceremony and take care until we meet again.

GH

DDFF Farewell

We've had a little more than a week in paradise and it's been grand. Today is the first we've experienced with no sunshine at all. The rest have been warm, but not uncomfortably so, and we've had enough sunshine to keep smiles on faces.

Harry and Carol came by Monday evening and we had a nice short visit over dinner. Today they spent most of the day with us and we had a delightful time, culminating with dinner over Sara Jean's scrumptious Italian Beef sandwiches. Full bellies and good conversation were the order of the evening.

Tomorrow we head North. I need to be at work early Monday, and we need a little spool-down time at home before getting back into our routine. Sunday will be spent unpacking, then getting the grass at home under control if it's not raining. (Rain is forecast, so folks at the track may be disappointed.)

I hope you all are in fine spirits, as are we.
If so, or if not...
Now's the time to share...
It's FRIDAY!

Temporary Retirement

Michael Jordan did it.
Brett Favre did it.
So I'm in good company... I'm gonna temporarily retire.
We leave for 9 days in Destin tomorrow, so I'm writing this post on Thursday. You've been where I am, so you know exactly what's goin' on, getting ready to leave home for a few days...
Stop the mail at the post office,
Mow the lawn and take care of other honey-do's around the house.
Pack... what? What part of my "stuff" do I need to take? Over the years we've learned to pack light because once we're in Destin the accepted uniform is T-shirt, cutoffs (or swim suit), sunglasses and sandals. This attire grants anyone access to almost any facility in town.

As usual I'll have my laptop with me and will be posting here if anything unusual comes to pass. I'll also pack camera and cell phone and their associated chargers (someone please, invent a universal charger, reasonably priced!)

Back to the retirement theme...
I really never thought I'd look forward to retiring. I love my job, and COULD NOT IMAGINE how I'd spend all that time not fling-winging around the countryside, transporting the infirm and injured. But these Destin interludes have indicated I'd do just fine with extra time on my hands. The only thing I hate about these trips South is I already dread the thought of packing the car to return home.

We'll be in residence Friday night/early Saturday morning after a quick detour through Pensacola to pick Mom up. TwoDogs and Cinders plan to arrive Monday, so Margaritas, red beans and rice, and blackened mahi-mahi will be consumed. Hugs, laughter, and sharing will be the order of the day.

Alas, I have to be back to work the morning of Monday the 25th, and that means leaving paradise and good company and driving half a day to get back to normalcy. That gets harder and harder each time I do it. It won't happen right away, but it's certainly true that I'm beginning to see light at the end of this tunnel of a career I've selected.
Will retirement be similar to the week we'll spend with TD and Cinders?
I don't know how I'd handle anything so delightful.

Now, TGIF folks.
It's time for Trojan Talk.
Are you settled in, Ferdy?
Any news from the track, Hawkeye?

Cinco De Cuatro

Well, if our President(?) can do it, so can I !
I spent most of the day yesterday here at work watching violent weather pass while the helicopter stayed safely in it's bedroom. Weather blown through, we were immediately pressed into duty on a flight that still has me a little bummed out. (I may blog about it at "Pitchpull" later today.)
Anyway, the day got by without me posting our "Friday Forum" post, so this is your "Saturday morning Friday Forum".

Exactly one week from today, God willin' and the creek don't rise, Sara Jean and Cinders will probably be imitating the gal pictured above. Mom and I will be sitting on the balcony overlooking the beach, watching for dolphins swimming and pelicans in formation. TwoDogs? He'll probably be making sure the gals have all they need, while sipping an adult beverage and smiling inwardly.

I'm sure we'll see Harry and Carol at some point, but I have no solid information on other DDFF attendees. If you have a hankering for good food, good conversation, and good memories, go to here or call 800 426-6196 and check out "Gulf Winds East".
Tell 'em Greybeard sent ya.

'09 Alumni Banquet Images

Okay... downloading one pic at a time works... but eats up a lot of time. Here are most of the images I took:



One of the reasons I love going to the Alumni banquet-
Some of you may remember my cousin Jim H., shown here with his wife.
Jim held the CGHS shot-put record for something like 40 years. I hadn't seen Jim since 1964.

DJ and Echo engage in post-dinner chat.

Sara Jean beams, with Shifty obviously listening intently in the background.

DJ, BobWhiteDan, and Mrs. Hawkeye.

Echo holds court, showing off the door prize she won.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawkeye.

TwoDogs smiles! Greybeard and Sara Jean fail to notice!

The class of '65 takes over the dance floor.

It's fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A. !

The flower and the weeds.

Shifty takes advantage of an opportunity.

The banquet was winding down and as usual, the class of '65 wasn't ready to quit visiting. Someone suggested a Bar/Restaurant called "Louie's" at the corner of Stone's Crossing Road and Highway 135. A "moveable feast"... ALL VK's simply took the party to another venue.

Along the way we picked up some honorary class of '65 members... Larry V. (class of '63) and his wife Angelica joined in.

We had a great time, but TIME is cruel.
We finally broke things up after midnight and reluctantly headed home, all wondering...
When can we do this again?

"Bad Request"

I've tried twice now to download photos of last week's banquet and after waiting patiently for several minutes, that's the warning notice I finally get... "Bad Request."
Downloading images takes forever with Blogger under the best of circumstances, and I'm trying to download more than ten of 'em. I'll continue to try... maybe by doing one at a time.
But there is comforting news to be shared-
Reading comments below you'll find Bo is back home safely and had an adventure to share.
Cinders is also home and looking forward to relaxing at Destin.
Rita and Cissy are apparently both home with tales to share about Italy.
So we can be thankful many of our VK's have successfully been "there and back" and have stories to tell.

I'll continue scrapping with Blogger here...
Stay tuned.

MayDay and M.A.V.

Hawkeye brought this pic to Echo's mini, so many of you have already seen it.
But I loved it when I saw it and wanted to insure those of you frequenting Vandy's Kids had also seen it.
Coat, pipe, and studious glasses...
Coolness!

It's Friday again.
What's cool with you?

TC (and son's) Party Barn

Yeah, I realize I'm behind in my duties. I also realize I'm gettin' behinder. So even though it's late I downloaded these pics from 18 April at Sharon and TC's and I'll get the Alumni banquet pics posted as time permits.

Sara Jean and I got a late start and arrived late. And even though the others had almost finished eating it wasn't a problem-
Food was not only tasty, but PLENTIFUL:
(As usual, click 'em to biggem.)


We had Chick-Fil-A nuggets and some of the most tender, best tasting pulled pork I have ever had the pleasure to lay a tongue on. Obviously, we had all the fixin's too, along with pie... and I LOVE pie!



This was a perfect place for our get-together. Pool table, foosball, air hockey, Big-Screen TV, smaller TV for secondary viewing, and plenty of room for horseplay (if you have a horse that wants to play)... kitchen, and bathroom right there, and decorated like a Sports Bar. We were all impressed!


Lots of room for sittin' and eatin', and a '65(?) Mustang in the background just waiting for a restoration.


Comfortable seating for tall-tale-tellers...


A full belly and comfortable seating will pretty quickly put a satisfied look on faces, and all VK's found themselves in that condition.
TC says he's ready to do it again sometime in the future...
Are you ready?

24 April 09- Friday Forum

It is Thursday, just before Noon as I start this Friday update. I'm at work today and Friday, and our intent is to start our drive toward Indy Saturday morning. We'll spend Saturday night and much of Sunday with TwoDogs, then return home. Today I'd like to discuss a couple distasteful subjects with you...
Frustration and apathy.

Starting this blog was exciting. Reading blogs had become an important part of my daily routine and it was something I was just absolutely sure EVERYONE would enjoy to the same extent as me. So when PT and I initiated Vandy's Kids I thought the blog would take off and assume a life all its own...
That everyone would jump in and contribute a little, and the only thing PT and I would have to do was stand back and manage the inevitable offensive stuff that would be posted now and then. It certainly hasn't turned out that way, has it?
Again now, don't take me wrong, I still enjoy the blog and the easy communication it affords us. If you're paying attention you can tell I drop in here often... probably five or six times a day, to moderate what's goin' on here. But participation by others has certainly not been what I hoped for, and I'll admit, for me that has been frustrating. Four or five others contribute posts on a VERY infrequent basis. About a year ago I seriously considered giving up on it because it hasn't assumed the "over the backyard fence" atmosphere I had hoped it would take on.
But then I stood back and studied for a while. And a little research showed there are 15 or so folks (more?) who pretty regularly stop by here to read what's goin' on. Out of that number, five or so comment often. The comment section is what convinced me Vandy's Kids was worth some effort... checking in and finding there is that "over the backyard fence" discussion I had hoped for... threads that sometimes run to 30-or-so individual comments, forced me to reconsider. And what I realized was that it takes almost no time for me to write a little blurb every Friday and ask what is goin' on in your life, and generally someone will start a comment thread that takes off. I was frustrated and being self-centered, having my feelings hurt. And for that I apologize.
But having said that I'll ask the followup question:
If you enjoy the blog and want to see it thrive, why don't you water and fertilize it now and then? It takes so little effort!

Now, a slight change of direction-
Our class leaders and those folks involved in Alumni functions were probably nodding their heads while reading the above semi-rant. I've been watching for a sign of life at the
CG Alumni Association website, and at last check it was still dormant. Had I not checked the calendar at the CGHS website, few here would have known there is an Alumni Banquet this weekend.
So your Alumni Association has not served you well lately, to say the least. But before you get angry consider-
What have you personally done lately to try to help keep your class/schoolmates informed of Alumni activities? What have you done to help the Alumni committee to do their job more efficiently? And how much do you think those folks are being paid for the work they do so the rest of us can show up, eat, enjoy, then head back home with a smile?
We're all gulty of apathy, aren't we?

In the last two years a couple things have become really obvious-
For whatever reason, some have no interest in coming back and socializing at CG functions, and that's fine. Those same folks have no interest in coming to VK and sharing here.
But it's just as obvious that many WOULD attend if they had gotten the word. And it takes almost no effort to help in getting the word to class and schoolmates.
Get involved... just a little.

Obviously "Vandy's Kids" can be the backyard fence.
I've said before and I'll say again... it doesn't take much...
When you stop by here, click "comments" and let us know you were here, even if it is just to say "I was here. I'm/We're fine. Hello everyone!"
And that would go a long way to show me that my efforts here are worthwhile!

(Deep breath, shift gears)...
We'll try to arrive early at the banquet Saturday night. I hope to see you there.
Come say hello, please. (I'll be the one sitting with all the pretty gals.)

CGHS Alumni Banquet 2009-

A quick post to maybe avoid some confusion...
There is a rumor goin' 'round that you'll not be able to buy tickets to this year's Alumni Banquet at the door. After last year's surprise crowd I can understand why the committee would want to have a better idea about how much food to prepare. But to me, this looks like a disaster in the making. The Alumni Assoc. website hasn't been updated in a year... where would someone go to find that they have to have a ticket in hand to attend? How would you feel if you drove quite a distance to attend the banquet and were turned away after your drive because you didn't have a ticket?
Hatchet, if you're still stopping by here and reading, can you see that the Alumni Assoc. site is updated with the proper information?

I think you can purchase tickets through our own BobWhite Dan.
I think you can also purchase tickets through Hatchet. Planning to attend? Buy them now, and we'll see ya Saturday night!

CGHS Chili Recipe!

Look at difficult path we'll travel to bring good things to you...
All the way from Montana!:

Brown a pound of hamburger and onion.
2 Cans tomato sauce- thin with water
2 cans of Brooks Chili Hot beans
2 cans of Franco American Spaghetti
2-3 TBS of chili powder
Add a little bit of brown sugar- I am only guessing here but
maybe 5 TBS

I always remember having this with a peanut butter sandwich. Yummy, yummy.
Enjoy and pass it on...Mr. L
PS I could not find my recipe here in Indiana so e-mailed a son in Montana for the recipe.

Mr. L. sent the recipe a few days ago and I immediately went to the grocery to buy ingredients. Odd, I hadn't noticed they were no longer carrying "Franco American" canned spaghetti at my store. So I had to substitute the generic store brand, and all they had was the spaghetti O's style pasta. Oh well.
Sara Jean and I like SPICY food. Ordering "hot" food in a Midwestern restaurant normally disappoints. I had a choice between "Brooks Chili Hot Beans" and "Brooks HOT AND SPICY" beans, so I put the latter in my cart.

As I walked out the door for my night shift Sara Jean was browning the ground meat. Visions of sitting down to CGHS chili the next day danced in my mind!
Later that evening she called...
"You're gonna be disappointed. This stuff is so hot it's inedible!"
Uh-oh.

Home the next morning at 8 A.M...
Like you, I probably wouldn't normally eat chili for breakfast, but this situation was special.
I gingerly dipped my spoon into the wonderful smelling concoction, blew on it to cool it, and touched it to my tongue.
Yeah it's spicy, but WOW...
Good stuff.
In deference to my wife's more delicate than I imagined palate I'll buy the regular beans next time. In the meantime, this batch is MINE... ALL MINE! Bwahahahaha!
Try it and see what you think, then come back here and discuss.
(Thanks Mr. L.!)

So segueing from dinner plate to social platter, what's in store for VK's?
We're headed to TC and Sharon's tomorrow (Saturday, 18 April) to visit with whoever happens to show up. Weather looks fine from here... a small chance of rain and thundershowers, but the weather and welcome will be warm. Again, here are address and directions:

Take I -164 South off of I-64. Go down to the Lynch Rd. Exit turn left onto Lynch Rd. You will come to a stoplight which is HWY 62 turn left go to the first road you can turn right on that is Gardner Road go down about 1/2 mile house on right side. Address is 7411 Gardner Road, Chandler, In. 47610.

According to TC, all you'll need to bring is a smile and desire to visit.
Festivities start around Noon.

Then next Saturday we'll all be homing in on CG for the Alumni Banquet. It's special for me this year because of the location...
They're holding it in the old gymnasium...
OUR gymnasium!
I'll say again, I can't imagine they won't be tearing this structure down sometime in the future. So if you, like me, would like to preserve some memories of this memorable place, be there early and look for the group of people laughing and hugging. That'll be us!

We'll firm up plans at Sharon and TC's place Saturday.
Be there!

Lunch

It's a little different now blogging here at VK...
Younger readers have different memories of CGHS and the surrounding community. Some will be too young to remember the old "middle building". I don't know when they tore down the middle building, but when they did, they destroyed what was a memorable routine for many readers-

Mr. L. can help me here... I know there were at least three classrooms on the East side of that building. I think there were only two on the West side because the steps and entranceway used up a lot of space... so five classrooms total?
But I'd like to discuss the basement. I'd bet if we could go back now and see that space we'd be surprised that it was smaller than presented in our memories. At lunchtime we'd file in and line the walls waiting to get to where our lunch and milk tickets were taken, then grab a tray and silverware, and through the serving line to grab our plate of food. Were there desserts? I can't remember.

While working your way around that wall, you'd look to see what was being served for lunch, and you'd watch others eat. When you got your plate you'd eat and watch the behavior of others as they filed in to take their turn. It's incredible thinking of it now, but one of our classmates, who shall remain unnamed for obvious reasons, would inevitably lean against the wall, pick his nose, and eat the treasure he found there...
Mighty appealing for those of us trying to consume fare that wasn't "five star" rated to begin with!

But for the most part DJ, Jackie B., and others served decent food to a lot of kids in a very short time. And on top of that, it was a terrific social event complete with the adventurous snacking habits some fellow students displayed while waiting in line!

Now, it's Friday. Quit gagging and leave us a comment please.

Once Again, Down Memory Lane

I'm not sure about what I'm reading so take this with a grain of salt. But poking around at our CGHS link, I think I read they're planning the Alumni Banquet on 25 April in the old gymnasium(!) this year.
Hatchet took a few of us on a tour last year, terminating in the old gym. I wrote about the almost mystical feeling of being in that old structure here.
If you have the same fond memories I have about that old "field of dreams", and if it's true the banquet will be held there this year, maybe we can all meet and share memories on the 25th?
(We all know that at some future date that place we all know and love will be destroyed in the name of "progress". )
I hope my understanding is correct. And if it is, can you plan on meeting me for dinner on that evening?

Stark and Wetzel

Rita just celebrated the 11th anniversary of her 39th birthday and like many of us, takes a little walk down memory lane, thinking aloud about growing older. I've been doin' it too... For some reason, Geritol and the ads they ran on TV while we were kids came to mind. What was the problem... "Iron deficiency anemia"? Geritol to the rescue!
Is your anemia "Iron Deficient"? Well, you can still buy the stuff if you know where to look!
Same with Wildroot Cream Oil apparently, if you crave that "greasy kid-stuff" look!

It's a tribute to the strength of advertising that we remember so many of those products that have disappeared from today's culture. Many of their jingles still come to mind.
Why can't I remember where I put my keys? Because those neurons are being used to remember useless jingles from my childhood!

Got a useless childhood memory that would make the rest of us smile?
Share it...
We all need a lift!

Spring Fling - Excellent Idea

New date - Saturday, April 18 Noon Eastern Time

This is a go.... Be There or be Square!

An idea floated by GB, seconded by Ferdy and making it all happen - TC and Sharon. An early spring outing in Southern Indiana. Sunday, March 29 TopCat’s party barn in Chandler, Indiana. Start time will be around 2:00. Some will not be able to arrive until a little later - so plan on staying thru the afternoon. Address and directions: Take HWY I -164 South off of I64. Go down to the Lynch Rd. Exit turn left onto Lynch Rd. You will come to a stoplight which is HWY 62 turn left go to the first road you can turn right on that is Gardner Road go down about 1/2 mile house on right side. Address is 7411 Gardner Road, Chandler, In. 47610.

New faces that we are hoping to see on the 29th include Cissy, Rita and C&C. You are all welcome and we will guarantee a good time - revisiting old times in the Valley and at CG. Cissy, I’d like to hear more about your earlier school days in Greenwood. And I thought that I had a bad 2nd grade teacher….

Please reply (comment)if you are able to come. TC & Sharon will need to know how many to expect.

Onward Trojans!

Sung to the tune of "On Wisconsin", I never knew the words to our school song.

Our band would play it before every home game, yet I never was motivated to learn it. And I felt a little stupid trying to sing it at football games because one segment I actually knew went, "Shoot that ball right through that hoop, we want to see you scoooooooooooore!"

Hoops? At a football game? So trying to not look the fool, I'd fake it. I'd pretend to sing the tune while mouthing nebulous words, trying to show great school spirit.

Do you know the words?
Why not share them now? If someone can print them here I promise to attend a football game in the fall and sing "Onward Trojans" lustily, with the correct words!

Meanwhile, it's another Friday...

Man, they seem to go by quickly, don't they?

C'mon now, give us your news, good, bad, or indifferent.

Porky And Beans

Didja know...
For a while in the "Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes" cartoons, Porky Pig was the sidekick for a cat named "Beans"?
"Porky and Beans"!

They also had a cartoon team named "Ham and Ex"?
It's true!

Discuss...
Along with any other thought you think needs dis-cussin'.

Excellent Idea - Quick Update

New date - Saturday, April 18 Noon Eastern Time

This is a go.... Be There or be Square!


An idea floated by GB, seconded by Ferdy and making it all happen - TC and Sharon. An early spring outing in Southern Indiana. Sunday, March 29 TopCat’s party barn in Chandler, Indiana. Start time will be around 2:00. Some will not be able to arrive until a little later - so plan on staying thru the afternoon. Address and directions: Take HWY I -164 South off of I64. Go down to the Lynch Rd. Exit turn left onto Lynch Rd. You will come to a stoplight which is HWY 62 turn left go to the first road you can turn right on that is Gardner Road go down about 1/2 mile house on right side. Address is 7411 Gardner Road, Chandler, In. 47610.

New faces that we are hoping to see on the 29th include Cissy, Rita and C&C. You are all welcome and we will guarantee a good time - revisiting old times in the Valley and at CG. Cissy, I’d like to hear more about your earlier school days in Greenwood. And I thought that I had a bad 2nd grade teacher….

Please reply (comment)if you are able to come. TC & Sharon will need to know how many to expect.

Friday The 13th, Part Two-

So February has 28 days in a non-leap year... exactly four weeks.
Stupid me... I was still surprised to see we'd have another Freaky Friday in March, but it had to be, didn't it?

Sara Jean is taking the train to Chicago this evening to visit with family, leaving Lucy and her Pop to fend for themselves until Monday evening. I'm glad she's going. I'm glad I'm not!

Do you remember "Railroadmen's Federal Savings and Loan"? For some reason I've been thinking about that now defunct S&L this week. When I was a kid I had a metal bank shaped like a steam locomotive that we got from them. You could put a coin in a slot over the cab of the locomotive, and a spring would shoot the coin into the bank through a coin-shaped hole in the smokestack. It's a fond memory, and like so many memories, caused me to wonder what that bank might be worth to collectors today.
Maybe you have one? (Don't get me talking about what my old Lionel train set would be worth today!)

Fox News is just reporting the flooding in Warsaw, Indiana is the worst there in 50 years. The Mississippi in St. Louis rose 20 feet on Tuesday due to rain and snow melt in the tributaries up North. Are we in for another wet Spring?

Hope you're making plans to come to TC and Sharon's on the 29th. I promise, new friends will quickly become old friends! Be there.

Now, I know you have news.
GIVE IT UP!

Directions To TC And Sharon's:

From TC's comment below, in case you are coming to fraternize with the rest of the miscreants on the 29th-

Take HWY I164 South off of I64. Go down to the Lynch Rd. Exit turn left onto Lynch Rd. You will come to a stoplight which is HWY 62 turn left go to the first road you can turn right on that is Gardner Road go down about 1/2 mile house on right side. Address is 7411 Gardner Road, Chandler,In. 47601.

Wasn't Me-

Ferdy emailed and asked if I was involved in the Church shooting outside St. Louis today. No, it wasn't me... I worked last night and was off work today. But the aircraft I normally fly responded and was shown fleetingly on the Fox News Channel today.
Thanks Ferdy, (and anyone else) for thinking/worrying about me.

Motorama

I had to have been about 10 or 11 years old or I don't think I'd remember the event well. What I do remember is seeing some sort of future Corvette-type automobile I thought was beautiful, and at some point there was an ARMY tank on a pedestal they fired up and put in gear, and the tracks moved so the monster was able to turn on its tether... a huge visual and auditory experience. Motorama was fascinating for Gearheads and Futurists alike.

But now I wonder, what group brought me there? My recollection was this was at night, so it almost certainly was not a school field trip, (although I'm not sure of that either). I suspect it was more likely something I might have done with the Cub Scouts. Anyone else remember going to the Motorama?
There is a fun interactive website devoted to the concept cars of Motorama here.

Another Friday is upon us... the Friday before another Friday the 13th where classmates will dine and socialize.
What ya got to share?