What's that line.....

I left to go to college in the fall of 1969 in cuffed pants, buttondown collar and wingtips. I came home after that first year in bibs and sandals. Life had irrevocably changed. I call that year, "WOW, these girls don't wear bras!"

The Summer of Love had come to the Midwest finally and in 1970 we had both Kickapoo music festival and the one I went to at Goose Lake, MI. That was wild. I call that event, "Dang, a lot of these women don't even wear tops!"

I love the smell of patchouly..... thanks, Dave! :)
 
I hope no one minds me telling another story here. This one is special to me. Way special, as you'll see.

I had been working about a year at the company I spent my career at. After a sad breakup, I hadn't had a date in a year, either. Wasn't interested. One day me and a close highschool buddy saw these two company tourguides in the hallway looking into the hotcell area where I made radioactive drugs. (Way hi-tech looking, it was one of the tourist attractions in our building.) One happened to be an ex-girlfriend of his from highschool days and he ended up hitting her up for a date. A couple weeks later he pushed me into a blind date with the other one.

We go out to the Brat Stop for a couple of drinks and some dancing. Tim keeps prodding Judy to ask my date if she "smokes". That was already hazardous in those days because a misstep would certainly cost you a job and we all worked really hard to hide that illegal smile. Nonetheless, Tim finally prevailed and on the way back to the car Judy suddenly goes , "Do you 'smoke'?" to my date. The little girlie busts this great big grin, digs in her purse, pulls out the old leather hippie dope bag and says, "Let's try mine!!" That was some damned good red bud. :D

Turned out me and that little girl started at our company on the very same day and met a year later on that blind date. We both went on to have wonderful advancement and 30 years service apiece at that company before we retired. The illegal smile was never allowed to intrude on work. The little hippie girl still wears the chambray workshirt she embroidered a desert scene on as an engagement present for her intended more than 31 years ago.

That's my favorite story, period. I love you, Nanc! Thanks for the "bud"! :)
 
Nice story. Thanks for sharing it, Mike.
I haven't seen but a few of my friends from the late 60's, as I went off to the AF after a bit of college.
The only drugs I do these days are to keep the hypertension and cholesterol in check.
I guess the paranoia of the illegal stuff did add to the experience, but I gave it up a while back.
I do, but don't miss it, as I remember it well.
 
"Watch out where the huskys go and don't you eat that yellow snow" Frank Zappa
I remember having some Zappa, of all things 8 track tapes. :D Frank was from Baltimore, Md. When I first started working for Giant Food (a highly respected grocery chain in Md.) in 1977, there was an employee who worked nite crew at one of the stores who's name was also Frank Zappa. Come to find out it was Frank Zappa's (the singer) cousin. He eventually quit working at Giant, and from what I was told, moved to Cal. to take up scuba diving.
Scott
 
howiesatwork said:
Nice story. Thanks for sharing it, Mike............
The only drugs I do these days are to keep the hypertension and cholesterol in check.
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Thanks, Howie. I don't regret what I've done and I'm not apologetic either. Most all us who did illegal stuff did it "responsibly" and in a society that perscribes Valium and Prozac like jelly beans and has a bar full of drunks on every corner I spit at the hipocrisy that would condemn me for my choices.

Nowadays, my drugs have pharmacy labels on 'em, too. I just went to the cabinet and counted 'em. 22 of the suckers. I can maintain my fat just from the sugars used as binders in that many pills every day! :rolleyes: Nowadays I even get to stick a needle in myself, something I'd never do as a "hippie". :barf: Lotta irony in Life, isn't there? ;)

Like I said, "Better living......" :D
 
Scott, Overnite Sensation and Apostrophe are my two favorite Zappa albums for the lyrics, though I've got no complaint with Sheik Yerbouti either! :) It's the music of "Sensation" that trips my trigger, though. It's as orchestrated and marvelous as listening to a piece of classical stuff. A lot of people don't know it, but Zappa had a large body of "serious work" that was done with orchestra and symphony. A century from now he'll be considered an important American composer of the 20th Century.

We switched to cassettes about 1977 after some local thieves had done us the "favor" of twice breaking into our van and stealing every last 8-track we had and ripped the player out of the dash. I have to say i miss those "roadside attractions" of the mile of broken tape connected to a plastic husk where an angry motorist just couldn't stand to keep that POS in the car after they'd just spent 15 minutes pulling it out from around the capstan in their player.... LOL In my best Tommy Chong voice: "Oh, wow, man, did you seee that? Another "Peter Frampton Comes Alive!" :D

It's always funny when periodically someone will ask, "You don't happen to have an 8-track player, do you? I was rummaging in the back of the closet, and...." :eek:
 
You know Mike it's been so long since I heard any Zappa, I wouldn't even remember the album titles. I always liked Dynamo Hum, for a twenty dollar bill she said you can't make me cum, you just can't do it. :D Frampton comes alive was a great album in 76. I had my 8 track player crankin in my 72 Chevelle. Along with Bad Company, Skynrd, Grand Funk Railroad, Aerosmith and the best TED NUGENT! Stranglehold yeah!! Aahhh the memories. :D
Scott
 
Which engine in that Chevelle, Scott? Waukegan was and is again a muscle car town. This weekend was the annual "Scoop the Loop" festivities where all the aging gearheads gather together in the old spots and show off their rides. Some awesome cars. Lotta gray hair. LOL

"Back in the day" I had a '68 Camaro 396 SS bigblock that was tricked out fairly nice at about 450HP. I still miss that car...... :( :)

Thumbs-up for the Nuge!!!! :D
 
fitzo said:
I have to say i miss those "roadside attractions" of the mile of broken tape connected to a plastic husk where an angry motorist just couldn't stand to keep that POS in the car after they'd just spent 15 minutes pulling it out from around the capstan in their player.... LOL In my best Tommy Chong voice: "Oh, wow, man, did you see that? Another "Peter Frampton Comes Alive!" :D
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Such a colorful mental picture for me! I certainly remember seeing those angry brown ribbons. Zappa was a huge influence for me. Overnight Sensation and Apostrophe were some of the finest music I have ever hear. I still quote it quite often, as such when my leg hurts from standing too long, I tell my wife I got me a "Zombie Hoof".

Zappa is firmly rooted into my psychic soundtrack. Certain encounters in my life will instantly trigger a loop of music. "Dirty Love" and "St Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast" will just burst into my head whenever I see a woman with a poodle or when I see an IHOP pancake house. The same holds true for when I am driving and step on the gas to pass a car, I get "Rockford Files" theme blaring in my head.

Still, I am a metal-head. I ask you... What better musical genre for a knifemaker? Old-school Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest have given me a love for all that is metal. These days I divide my time between Black Label Society and Pantera. Of course there is always the old standby: Metallica. :cool:
 
fitzo said:
Which engine in that Chevelle, Scott? Waukegan was and is again a muscle car town. This weekend was the annual "Scoop the Loop" festivities where all the aging gearheads gather together in the old spots and show off their rides. Some awesome cars. Lotta gray hair. LOL

"Back in the day" I had a '68 Camaro 396 SS bigblock that was tricked out fairly nice at about 450HP. I still miss that car...... :( :)

Thumbs-up for the Nuge!!!! :D
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Nothin fancy about my Chevelle, stock 307 V-8 I had fat tires, mag wheels monroe air shocks but that's about it. I couldn't afford to "soup" it up.
Scott
 
jhiggins said:
Zappa is firmly rooted into my psychic soundtrack. Certain encounters in my life will instantly trigger a loop of music. "Dirty Love" and "St Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast" will just burst into my head whenever I see a woman with a poodle or when I see an IHOP pancake house.
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I was trying to avoid starting in about that poodle! :D :D

What a great album! hehehehe "yippie-ay-o-tie-ayyy....."

My musical tastes run all over the place. The "neuvo flamenco" of Strunz and Farah could easily be followed by AC/DC followed by the huge organ in Bach's Tocata and Fugue in Dm to the elctronica of Kraftwerk when I'm on a roll. Heck, I'll even admit to having Limp Biskit and Kid Rock albums. :o :D
 
fitzo said:
I was trying to avoid starting in about that poodle! :D :D

What a great album! hehehehe "yippie-ay-o-tie-ayyy....."

My musical tastes run all over the place. The "neuvo flamenco" of Strunz and Farah could easily be followed by AC/DC followed by the huge organ in Bach's Tocata and Fugue in Dm to the elctronica of Kraftwerk when I'm on a roll. Heck, I'll even admit to having Limp Biskit and Kid Rock albums. :o :D
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Nothing wrong with diverse musical tastes. Heck, I got almost as much old pre-1940's blues music as I do heavy metal! I grew up listening to old old country, and blues and bluegrass. My father had a fine collection of 78's, and eventually 33's... ~and~ a third! Faron Young, Little Jimmy Dickens, Willie (of course), Johnny Cash when he had a crew cut. Jim Reeves. Kitty Wells. Merle Haggard. Flat & Scruggs. Porter Wagner with Dolly Parton as a regular on the show. Glen Campbell when he was "True Grit age". Man, how time flies!

By the way, I think these nostalgia threads - while having little or nothign to do with knifemaking - are great entertainment. :)
 
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