Monday, January 8, 2018

a good memory

 I have written a few stories from my youth, the good old days as we like to call them, but today I thought I would write something from a later era. If I'm honest about it this later era is also a portion of those good old days. I have come to understand that the good old days cover a larger span the older you get. The old days now extend into the late 1990's ! Well, time is comparative anyway. So, this short tale is from the late eighties or early nineties. I would have to think a lot harder than I want to be accurate with those dates. It would require research ! OMG, think about that for a minute, I'd have to research my own past to fill in the blanks. I guess the truth of the matter is I'm just not that interested. Maybe another time. But, on to the story.
 I was stationed in Louisiana, assigned to the Bell-Halter facility where they were building air cushioned vehicles for the Navy. These were fairly new things then, somewhat of a novelty really, as there were only seven of them in service at that time. I was an inspector for the Navy reporting my findings to Lt. Commander Rawley, the project manager. I lived in Slidell about a fifteen minute drive from the manufacturing facility. At that time I was the proud owner of a 1967 thunderbird I had purchased while stationed in Conn. A real steal at 800 dollars. A daily driver this car was all I had and so didn't get pampered at all. I will say this, it took me many a mile. But there came a day, not many days before I was to leave Louisiana ,  that my trusted T-Bird let me down. I pushed her just a little too hard on the interstate and threw a rod. That mighty 390 Cubic Inch Detroit muscle was done. I needed another vehicle and fast ! So, I went shopping for another car at my favorite place, the junk yard. I have to say I found a real gem, a 1964 Ford Thunderbird ! Oh, it was red with a black vinyl top and fender skirts where standard equipment. And yes, it had my beloved 390 under the hood. A set of jumper cables was brought out, the car started and I drove it home.
 Now, time was tight so I had no time to get a proper registration, plates or insurance for this car. I had a legal bill of sale and little else. I did change the oil and filter. Transferring the tag from my 67 to the 64 , I loaded her up and off we went. I had my wife, twin boys, a dog and a bird in that car. I was headed north, New Jersey to be exact. I was to report to the USS Nitro AE-23. With only a minor delay, needed a water pump in Georgia, we made it safely. It was quite the adventure. I look back and smile as the audacity of that decision. Car completely and utterly illegal, with just a few dollars in my pocket and off we went. It was that car that brought me to Maryland, to the town I live in to this day. It made many a trip to New Jersey and back over the years. There came a day when it needed repairs and I was being deployed. I was leaving for the Mediterranean sea for six months. Times were tight and I was offered a sum of money for her. I justified the sale by saying it needed work, would only sit outside under a tree for six months, and deteriorate further. I sold that car to a passing stranger, still with no actual title, just a bill of sale.
 Ah, the good old days. Young and foolish or bold and brave ? Whatever way you look at it, it was an adventure worth remembering. The twins were quite young and probably don't remember that much. They were just along for the ride. We had a good time and the journey was a pleasant one. A good memory.  

No comments:

Post a Comment