Friday, February 05, 2010

PowerFlite my ass

 Déjà vu

Boned Jello

This is a great sideshow RAK sent me, and is sure to rekindle some old memories (unless you're too young to know the lyrics to the Micky Mouse Club song).  This picture of a 1958 Plymouth Fury sure took me back to some not-too-fond mems. Got my driver's license driving the cheaper Savoy model; the family car.  It had a PowerFlite 2 speed Push Button transmission, which was way cool (at the time).  Our car was painted  Bluebonnet Blue, with an optional white top.

The very first time I drove her as a licensed driver was to pick up my sister,  and her girlfriend Leslie at the Jr. High. "Pick them up, drop Leslie off, and come right home," my mother instructed. 

There was long oval driveway approach to the school, and I could see the two of them standing there as I approached.  Making the final turn I floored the accelerator, an act similar to a Peacock showing his colors, and promptly went into a spin.  I was stopped by a curb that was just about an inch higher than the car's drive train.  In short, I had gone hard-aground. 


About a year later, just about the time I had paid for damage from that mishap, I had the family car for two hours one Saturday.  My dad limited me to 50 miles, and took beginning and ending odometer readings.  Friends from Chicago, from whence we had just moved, were visiting, and we were all headed to see Washington D.C. the next morning. I was instructed to have the tank filled with gas.

PowerFlite
I picked up my friend Wally, and we drove to Beaver Springs swimming hole in Cockeysville.  Pulling into the lot, Wally said whoa, there's Sharon and Nancy.  I slowed, and just before coming to a stop I pressed the "R" button.  I forget what sound it made, but there was one.  And the car would not drive in reverse. OMFG!  We tried everything. 

It was here that I invoked my version of Cal Coolidge's "If you see ten
troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you."  Which meant, it'll fix itself. I pulled into the carport, hoping beyond hope (I thought my chances pretty good) that a good night's rest would cure the sumbitch.

Now, my bedroom was located on the wall next to the driveway.  The next morning my mom poked her head in to ask if I'd changed my mind about going.  I had not.  There was no way I was getting into that car.

I heard the happy chatter as they piled into Blue Beauty.  I heard four doors slam. 
Hail Mary full of grace ...  The car started right up, a good sign.  ... the Lord is with thee ...  *heard kind of a "clunk" sound* .. hallowed be thy ...*sound of engine racing*.

Oh shit! Dad started the engine, and restarted it several times.  I heard the hood being opened, some muttering ("What the Deuce?!?"), then slamming shut. Then my bedroom door flew open.


"What?  You're kidding?" 

I think that's what I said when he asked me to explain why his car would not back up.  Then I confessed.  But offered a ray of hope and sunlight.
(I am not making this up) "It still goes forward. We can push it out of the driveway, and you can go to DC, and not park where you have to back-up."   

He was very, very pissed.  Very pissed.  It was a year before I paid that off (mowing lawns).  I still hate that fkn car. What a P.O.S.



PS - I used to drag race it at the US 40 Drag-strip in York, PA.  When you lost, which I always did on the first race, they threw a bucket of water on your windshield to wash off your classification and number.  My dad would always ask on Sunday morning where I was to get "chalky stuff" all over the hood last night?   I would always answer, "I dunno."


Traficant comeback?

 mah heah mah heah
How in the heck did I miss this? 
Boned Jello


Ex-convict Jim Traficant has garnered enough signatures on petitions to run for office in two U.S. congressional districts: the 17th and the 6th. - SondraK.

The hell of it is, Traficant, while guilty as sin, was prolly more honest than many of his Donk peers


Snow Decision Necessary

 Do I Feel Lucky, Punk?

Boned Jello
As one after another of MoSup's flights are canceled (beginning last night fer chrisake) we've been jockeying to get her home from Florida today. 

As things stand,  her current flight, scheduled to depart in 3 hours, is still good.  But flights are going into the dumper faster than a Redskin's lead with 2 minutes to play. If she doesn't get home today, it looks like it will be Monday at the earliest, maybe even Wednesday before she gets home.  Which brings me to a dilemma.  Do I start cleaning the house now?  Or roll the dice?

Jehovah's Witness

In Passing

 In Passing
Your Friday Play Station

Nelson Davis: America vs. Canada
I had never heard of something called The Index of Economic Freedom until recently. The 2010 edition of this index published by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal tells me that Canada, our frozen neighbor to the north is now economically freer than the United States! That was a head turning surprise to me.

One billion
Remember back when billion was a shock word? It’s still huge. A billion is 1,000 x 1,000,000. You could start spending $1,000 per day every day for 2000 years and you would have spent less than $1 billion. The amount spent would be a “mere” $730,000,000, still well under $1,000,000,000.

EHarmony settles lawsuit over gay matchmaking
As part of a class-action settlement, the popular eHarmony online dating service will set aside with about $500,000 for gay, lesbian and bisexual Californians who can show they were harmed by eHarmony's policies. [Note to Cuzzin Ricky in SF: r u thnk wht I  thnk?$$$]

But Al, Scott Brown was actually elected
"I love how we cave to the Republicans and won't seat our [me] Senator... " - Al Franken

AP:Senate likely to be less diverse after elections
STFU!

Today's Toons
Why didn't I link this before?

From TPM: Well In That Case ...
Earlier today we brought you the unfortunate newsthat the winner of the Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor in Illinois, Scott Lee Cohen, was arrested in 2005 for a vicious assault on his then-girlfriend. - But it's okay! You've got to understand, that was back in 2005 when he was abusing steroids as his marriage fell apart.

Palin Denounces Limbaugh Over 'Retard' Cracks, Glenn Beck Next?
Libs begin orgasm - but ...

Boned Jello


And the Question is ...

 Promoted Comment
This comment by SFAOV Sgsaur gets the spotlight
 
Boned Jello
My daughter had an interview for a scholorship the other day (which she won, by the way) and one of the questions the panel asked her was, "If you could ask Obama one question, what would it be?" I asked her what her response was, and she said some long and involved question about education. She went on to explain to me that the answer she gave wasn't her first choice, but luckily her brain/mouth filter was working (don't know where she got that from, I don't seem to have an operational version). Apparently, she didn't believe that they wanted to hear her first answer, but I did, so I asked. Her first answer to that question was "Can I see your birth certificate?"

Obi-Wan has taught her well...