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Termyn8or -> RE: Do you remember.............................. (1/11/2008 12:35:51 AM)
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I got one word that blows everything away.
Grandparents.
When my paternal Grandma mistook my name for the dog's name (Jeffrey vs. Godfrey) nobody took offense. When I was really little I remember messing around with her varicose viens. I was allowed to do it but was told to be very careful, and I was. I am also told I never tore a phone book up when I got my hands on one.
Later Grampa took me down in the basement and showed me some things about tools. Safety was stressed, but even though we had no goggles it was "Keep your hands away from that thing" this as he reground phillips screwdrivers !. This guy could just about grind anything you want. Later we started messing with TVs, and that actually led to me going into the field.
He also was instrumental in teaching me to be the best that I could be no matter what I do. Little did he ever know that this reared itself in jail. I was mopping the floor and told a guard to roll on back for a minute. He replied "Damn, I have never seen this floor mopped like this", that's when I told him "I was taught to do things right the first time, to do the best job possible". The guard was impressed.
When we started messing with TVs, I was bought a few books here and there. Remember how you were kinda disappointed to get clothes on Christmas ? Even if they were nice, you wanted games etc. But when I got books I was ecstatic. I was and someone got me an electronics dictionary that almost looked like a phone book. I read it cover to cover. I did not read YPSE cover to cover, I skipped parts, but YPSE gave me the basis for what I have. The basic knowledge that pretty much made me explore in the right direction. More books. I never found any so informative and easy to read as YPSE.
Today I have a copy of it but sans the first three volumes. All the cool shit about aerospace and that, I do not have, but there still is a wealth of information in the rest of it. Which brings us to the point.
I miss that extreme interest in it, my indulgence in the subject(s). I miss the general curiousity of the child I was at the time. If I miss anything it is that. If the Granparents were alive today they would probably say "You already know everything, shutup".
What I really miss is that passion for it, and the fact that even after reading the whole book I had a million and one ideas. A million of them would not work, but if I could just remember that other one............'
I remember. I have designed and built mechanical contrivances, electronic devices, even sold a few. I really do miss the desire to do that in me. It really was instilled by my family, but it has apparently worn off. I don't like that.
And, incidentally if you need any eight track tapes I have them. the felt pad will be removed so you need a good deck, but those are probably the only ones around anyway. I only have one 45, and that is of Paul Bruno, he sang pretty much like Sinatra, but he had his own songs. Now I remember the old fart. He was the touchy feely type. Just walk into the bar and he wants at least an "enhanced" handshake.
But he had this one song he gave me on 45, I should find it because I should put it out on P2P to immortalize him. He has been dead for over a decade.
Gawd I am getting old.
I also remember my Olds Toronado. Oh yeah, you can find them on the web for around ten grand, and download the specs, and feel disappointed when you find it took over five seconds to go from zero to sixty in one. But what they don't tell you is how fast you could go from sixty to say a hundred. And they did not mention that at a hundred, you still had a passing gear !
Of course I wound up smashing it, and I did it in spades. A lawyer on a motorcycle, prima facie my fault. But my lawyer got it settled for two grand. Just about on my eighteenth birthday I was reading papers, a summons basically that said I was being sued for three hunderd and fifty three thousand and six hundred dollars.
The olman laughed, threw the papers down and said "I been served more papers than this". You can think I am kidding all you want, but I have alot to miss. First of all I know more dead people than alive.
In my teen days my cousin (dead now, at 33 about 20 years ago) was running his mouth about his 642. This was a 442 custom, 1964 or 5 Olds with a bit of a twist. Think it was a 64. Originally 442 meant four barrel, four speed and dual exhaust. GM hierarchy decided this was limiting their market and decided that it would be four barrel, four hundred CID and dual exhaust. His was before that. In fact my Father sold it to him.
He put the trip carbs on the Edelbrock, learned how to set them up, and set them up. One night out cruising, I said I wanted to see, I already knew he would not let me drive it, but I told him "Take off in fourth gear". He did and I was impressed. It didn't miss a lick, buck or anything. He knew what the fuck he was doing.
That is until that one day on the motorcycle. I won't go on.
Yes, being a Man I do remember cars, but I remember people more. If there was ever a person who deserved to have another crack at life, to be resurrected, it would be Tommy. Damn, the olman sold him that car and after he got through with it it ripped the front bolts out of the seats on takeoff !
There is alot more. I have led a very rich life for which I am thankful. I don't mean in money, I mean in things that are alot more important.
T
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