Friday, August 9, 2013

More Pix from July, Nails, and "Cars of our Youth!"


Things have been rather busy on this end, and I haven't even had time for a "quick post"in quite a while.  So I'll take the time to do one now...   First are a couple of miscellaneous pictures from July's big excursion, which I haven't previously published.

And. what is it with girls and things mechanical?  From reading other blogs and some comments on mine,  I'm obviously not the only one here with this "affliction"!

 Mandy at another Maryland aviation museum...taken while wearing my new makeup.  Trust me, it was hot, and the makeup passed a test.

New makeup after sightseeing in the afternoon heat.  Everything except lipstick survived! Now I need some long wearing lipstick...



Annother picture of Mandy inside the National Electronics Museum, near Baltimore.


Below are a couple of pictures of "cars of our youth," which I was privileged to own.  Do they bring back any memories for you?  More importantly, do you even remember them?

First up is an import from the UK...via Chrysler Corp.  You may recognize a white 1967 four cylinder, 1725 cc Rootes Group Sunbeam Alpine convertible.  I purchased it new in spring 1967 and it is pictured at the "then" California State College at Hayward, CA (now California State University.)

I was almost 19 at the time...this was my first car.  It was equipped with a four-speed manual transmission.  When I took delivery, I got right in and drove it...only stalling it on the first two low-to-second shifts, till I got the feel of the clutch.  I surprised both myself, and my father!  (Watching him drive a "three-on-the-tree" standard shift Buick as a kid undoubtedly was a big help...)

Having a classic British sports car to cruise through the turns around Lake Chabot near San Leandro, with the wind in my hair (which back then was rather short, I might add) was a true pleasure!  A few speed laws may have unintentionally been disobeyed from time to time in the process, but remember, there was a lot less traffic back in those days (and no radar/Vascar/speed camera/helicopter surveillance.)  It got fabulous gas mileage, nearly 30 mpg, though it did require premium gas.  Remember, that was back in the days of cheap premium (like 30-something cents per gallon.)  In those prehistoric times (almost as far back as Fred Flintstone), you could drive all weekend on a couple of dollars of gas.  Nowadays, that amount won't get you very far - be prepared to walk!

In hindsight, I've two regrets about this car: first, getting rid of it - though at the time it looked like a good idea because reliability was a big issue, and second, that it wasn't one of Sunbeam's Tigers, powered by Ford's 260 cubic inch V-8.  Today either one in good shape would be a true collectible. But a Tiger wasn't in the cards, due to high purchase cost.


1967 Sunbeam Alpine 4 cylinder...taken in California.  The one behind it is rather rare, too - a 60's VW Beetle.

Segue to the 1970's, the OPEC oil crisis, and odd-even gas rationing.  The Alpine was history, and  I now needed an economical car to commute to and from work.  My constraints were relatively few compared to today's car-shopping "laundry list":  power steering, liquid cooled engine and hot water heater (after nearly being asphyxiated by the gasoline heater in a Corvair), air conditioning, 20 gallon gas tank, and most importantly, economical.  Manual transmission was acceptable (but in retrospect, that ended up being the last car I'd buy with one!)

Enter one of the ugliest cute cars in the world...the AMC Gremlin. After a friend joked about having a very economical sexy-looking Italian 2-seat sports car, which hadn't needed filled up for over two months, he had my full attention.  At least until he revealed the rest of that story...it had been laid up in the shop the whole time...waiting on parts to arrive from Italy.  So much for that idea!  

Buying American seemed my best choice, since access to a dealer network and parts availability were both important to me.  American Motors was there.  I had to order the Gremlin, complete with "three on the floor," air conditioning, and standard equipment "dog dish" hubcaps, plus pay a premium to get it.  At the time, 6 cylinder cars were sought-after and never reached the showroom floor...they were very scarce during the gas crisis.  Dealers could "call all the shots" and practically name their price. 

Homely as a mud fence after a rainstorm, but in a lovable sort of way, best describes it.  Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't a bad car.  The critter did everything I asked of it, in an acceptable manner, never got stuck in the snow,  didn't rust, and never let me down on the road in the 3-1/2 years I owned it.  Its gas economy was lower than the Alpine, down in the mid 20's, but it seated 4 instead of 2,  carried more luggage, was smoother riding, and was immensely more comfortable for long distance travels.  Its biggest fault was that the clutch pedal squeaked when you pushed it.  From the first day I owned it...to the last, nobody was ever able to correct that!

1974 Gremlin 258 cubic inch 6 cylinder, 3 speed manual, with air conditioning, and a huge gas tank for a small car, giving it an range on the order of 500 miles.

Although many more of both were built than my current antique car, almost nobody (including yours truly) deemed either as "worthy of being saved."   Thus, you rarely see them at car shows.  How wrong we were to think that...today both qualify as rare cars, and as "orphans" whose manufacturers have folded.  If only...

Now for some things  a bit more on topic:

I mentioned in a previous blog that a staffer at Mom's nursing home has become comfortable discussing makeup with me....and we occasionally take a couple minutes to chat about it.  Earlier this week, I was at the receptionist's desk in the lobby (wearing capris, flats, a sleeveless top and carrying my purse.)  One of the fill-in receptionists was there and I had previously met her (we're both the same approximate age.)  After I made Mother's next hair appointment with her, she handed me the paperwork.  I couldn't help but notice her nails...gorgeous, with lovely nail art.

Almost as a reflex action, I blurted out, "Oh my gosh..your nails are absolutely beautiful!  Where did you get them done?"  She instinctively put her hands up on top of mine on the counter, so I could get a better look...   I started blushing, because I realized what I had just said - in front of, and heard by, five folks in the lobby.  But what was done, was done, and it was too late to worry.  So I took hold of her hands, to check her fingers out "up close."  They were a delightfully smooth work of art, having been done the day before, by a friend who is a nail tech.  (She's become the Tech's "guinea pig" for all her new procedures and patterns.)

Of course, the receptionist reciprocated with my pink-and-whites (which unfortunately were due for a fill) and admired them appropriately.  "You have beautiful nails, doll baby, and the pink-and-white style is perfect for you - feminine but not 'over the top.'  Just don't let your nail girl cut any off - they'll be particularly stunning once they're more than a half inch past your fingertips.  And at that length, you can experiment with wearing red nail polish over top of your acrylics, since it's a good color for you."   She said that in the future, whenever she has her nails done, she'll come find me, so that we can check out each other's nails.  I told her I'd really enjoy that!  Hopefully she'll be discreet, but after my outburst in front of folks in the lobby, I guess I'm becoming more comfortable discussing girl things...so "it will be what it will be"...and I'll deal with it.

Yesterday it was time for my own visit to the nail salon, for a fill.  Judy did an extra-special prep on my nails, but didn't shorten them at all.  I said nothing at that point.  As she was applying white acrylic to the ends of my nails (once it was too late to shorten them), I finally asked her about it.  Her response was "Remember that I had to shorten them more than usual last time, sweetie?   For the next few fills, I won't be shortening them at all.  So you'll soon start getting acquainted with having long nails." 

"Maybe then I'll decide to put acrylic nail art on each thumb and ring finger.  If I do, you'll be amazed at how much more feminine your hands will look.  And the best part is, girls generally notice - and love to check out - each others' nail art. Impossible to hide, it's a great conversation starter!"

I thought she had forgotten about making them long...apparently not.  Typing got so much easier after she shortened them, but every day now it's getting tougher again...it's all downhill from here, I guess.  And I can only hope she'll forget about the nail art thing...but we'll see.

Tomorrow I go in for a new shellac pedicure...it should go well, since I've had them before.

Cheers...

Mandy





2 comments:

  1. Mandy,

    It seems that we have had some parallel experiences as CDs with more than a passing appreciation of cars.

    My first car was a 1968 Mustang. It was Olive with a black vinyl top. 3 on the floor, no A/C no power windows, simple basic transportation. I bought it for $1100 with 20K miles and sold it for $500 with 115K miles. That car did not owe me a thing.

    The next car was a new one bought because I was drivng high mileage and it was the most gas friendly car sold. It was a Datsun 'Honey Bee' which was a stripped down version of their B210. It was 4 on the floor, AM only radio, no hubcaps, no carpet, no ash tray or lighter, crank windows. The least expensive new car sold in America and it got 41 MPG which was amazing in 1974.

    That was followed about 6 years later with a 5 speed Nissan 200SX. This was a great car. Good kick and handling. Then came children and we needed a usable back seat so I got a 5 speed Nissan Stanza. Solid and dependable. All three Datsun/Nissan cars made it well over the 100K mark.

    In the late 1980s I found a steal on a used 1986 Porsche 944. What a great car. I bought it for $12K with 26K miles and traded it in several years later for an SUV for my wife (even the kids no longer fit in the back seat) for $9K with 127K miles. That car did not owe me a dime. I was stopped for speeding the first day I owned the car doing 68 in a 30 but talked my was out of a ticket since the cop was a 'car guy' and understood.

    The next two decades or so were basic family car/commuter car transport but three years ago I stumbled across another steal on a 1992 Porsche 6-speed, 968 with just under 11K miles. Its prior owner had passed and the woman who owned it needed it out of her garage. It was on a trickle charger, locked and stored in a secure garage under a car cover. It was pristine. This car was a blast to drive, especially while dressed and wearing 3" pumps. Driving that car around back roads, over hill and dale while wearing a dress, hose, heels and wig...blasting good solid rock & roll and slamming through the gears with a very firm clutch cannot be described.

    I have a son who is a true car fanatic. I gave him the car and he has detailed it and won a trophy in the first car show he entered.

    Thank you for letting me join you on this trip down automotive memory lane.

    Pat

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    Replies
    1. Pat,

      You're quite welcome! And, you're right, it certainly sounds like we've run a parallel existance! And, cars definitely are fun.

      When I owned the Alpine, I was a college student, and dressed as a guy all the time. The joy and excitement of driving a car like that was legendary. There's nothing like a true sports car for bringing out the desire to drive fast and take turns like on a racetrack!

      The Gremlin came about at a time when I had a passing fancy with women's clothes, but didn't go out en femme at all. The folks at work would have taken exception to it had it become public knowledge. But even though I wasn't able to enjoy my feminine side yet, driving the Gremlin was fun in city traffic. With the heavy duty suspension, it's handling wasn't too shabby - other than steering that could have been a bit tighter...

      Some other time, I'll bring up pictures of another of my "guy toys from years past." On a time line, I owned it between the Alpine and the Gremlin. No hints now, but it wouldn't be hard for you to guess what it might be...

      Thanks for coming along on this voyage!

      Mandy

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