Actually, coming back from not getting it serviced yet:
So, I made an appointment early last week to get my truck serviced today for a CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. 8 A.M. appointment. I figured that it might take them a couple of hours to diagnose the problem, order a part, and put it all back together. So, I installed my bike rack and bike (bike rack without the bike wouldn't get me very far) and planned to ride around the east side.
The only problem, the garage is way behind because of yesterday's storms, a power outage, and other unforeseen circumstances.
What to do?
Since I still have a lot of cleaning up and things to do around the house, I figured that I would just ride home. How far could that be? Answer: Too! As in too far for this old body and his first time on a bicycle this year.
The bike ride home reminded me of a couple of things from my childhood.
In 1972 (I was twelve), the Sun Oil Company rolled out a football stamp promotion that season. I became consumed with completing the set — 26 NFL teams had 24 stamps each. The way it worked is that you received a couple of “9-packs” (depending on how generous the guy was) when you bought gas. Unfortunately, my dad was the type of guy who would drive across down to save a penny a gallon. Sunoco and DX gas stations were evidently not the cheapest in town.
So, every day after school, I’d ride a route to the three Sunoco stations within riding distance of our house. From Taft Avenue to Weinbach & Oak Hill > to Green River Road and Division (now Lloyd Expressway) > to Washington and Boeke > and back home. 9 miles! In the dark, cold winter! For three books of 9 players. Again, there were over 600 in the set. And the doubles of unheard of players were unrelenting. There were nights when I’d get home and not need any — especially as I needed fewer and fewer.
What reminded me of all this? The first stop on that journey is now the garage where I started my journey today. And, when I was sixteen, I worked at each of the other two stops when they became Mascot Gas Stations (even though I didn’t have a clue what the hell I was doing).
Today’s ride home was a little shorter than that 9-mile route; however, to 58-year-old legs, it seemed twice as long. But, I eventually made it — only with no football stamps as a reward.
As a follow-up: I DID complete the album and still have it. And Mascot Gas Stations? They closed not too long after I left. Probably because they were being run by neophytes like me!) Anyway, here is a photo of my going away gift when I left (or perhaps it just stayed in the closet by mistake).
Have a great weekend.
Carpe diem Life,
David Kuhn
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