First Day of the Rest of My Life and Looking Backwards

Just a couple hours before sunrise on New Years Eve 2009. I need to get going with something before this years rolls to a close.

Going to met the United Methodist Men's Group for breakfast 7 a.m. at Mary's Restaurant on 17th St here in Virginia Beach.

I should try to look at the passing year in my rear view mirror before it fades from memory.

Where should I start? This may take awhile with future editing as time goes by.

How IT all started

Being born son of a farmer in the 40's, I grew up watching my father fix his farm tractors and equipment. I think he gave me a wrench to hold when I was about six (6) or so.

I don't remember exactly when I started to turn a wrench maybe it was when I got my own BOYS bike. I had a younger sister so right after the war I got a 20" girls bike first so I could give it to her when I got my 26" more manly bike later on.

I also started driving tractors and farm truck about age nine as getting a good hired hand was pretty hard to do even after the war ended. I had a red Model B Farmall to drive and Dad had both a Model H and M. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/machines_0201.html

I helped my Dad probably more by handing him wrenches than actually turning them. Once we moved to Florida in 1951 I had pretty well had mastered driving most any thing with four wheels. So in 1952 my dad and I picked up a brand new 52 Rambler from assembly plant in Kenosha, WI and proceeded to drive it to LA to deliver it to the local Nash dealer there. Seems like a lot of new cars were delivered that way back then. I expect we took Route 66 but I am not sure. http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/AmericanMotors/1952NashBrochure-02.jpg

I can't hardly believe Pinin Farina designed that 52 Rambler we drove to LA but that is what the ad above said.

My dad tired easily so at age 12 being fairly tall I drove almost the whole way to CA in a new car that didn't belong to us. We were going to see my older brother whose wife was having their first baby.

I remember driving across wide open Texas (Open Range Law) and coming over a hill and seeing a 50 Ford convertible upside down in the sage brush. We stopped and found nobody nearby but some blood in car. Driving down the highway we soon found the family who had been in the car. Woman said she had been driving when cattle appeared in the highway right in front of them and she had swerved to miss them and flipped the car. Lucky for them and us we were able to take them to the hospital and NOT get any blood on seats of our "loaner". I think I may have driven slower for awhile after that incident.

Stolen Car I don't think so!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2009 with family brought out the stories some of which were hardly a dim light in my memory until recanted by the holder of the memory.

One such story from about 1984 that has come back dimly into my review mirror is that of my son and I out for a driving lesson in a beautiful 1978 White Fiat Spider with pristine red interior.

Seems like we were driving along the Interstate with the sun at our backs so review mirror was blinded by the light. Anyway as my son retells it the policewoman finally got his attention and pulled us over. She gave my son grief for not pulling over in a timely manner but his response was with that the sun shining in mirror he never even noticed flashing lights.

I guess my son and I were both bewildered and nervous as to why she pulled us over. It turned out there was a stolen car report out on the police net and our Spider fit the description.

Funny how one person can forget an event and another more closely affected by the experience can hold it in the memory bank.

Hope you all had a nice memory lane Thanksgiving we sure did.

My World - Welcome to It

Or My world and Welcome to it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_World_and_Welcome_to_It
I got hooked on that phrase (statement) while in college and taking an American Lit course. James Thurber aka "Walter Mitty" became a favorite writer and author of mine as did E.B. White of Charlotte's Web fame. They were friends and both worked for the New Yorker magazine.

When the TV show came out though a short one season show I picked up on it.

Now as for my World I confess or profess it is what is it. IT being the world of a car nut who still plays with cars specifically the Italian Alfa Romeo 164 models.