Can’t Escape the Seventies

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I’m in a VRBO in Mount Vernon, WA, to visit with my brother-in-law Scott and family. The two girls are showing the pigs they’ve raised at the Puget Sound Junior Livestock Show. The VRBO is a small building on a farm property that is decorated in a retro style. There are Mad magazines from that time period, old matchbooks, even the kitchen appliances are from the 70s.

On the coffee table is a pristine copy of the TV Guide covering the Seattle area from June 8th to July 4th. Price, 25¢. The crossword puzzle hasn’t even been done!

On Friday July 4th, channel 4, KOMO (ABC), is showing a rerun of the final episode of the Odd Couple—Felix and Oscar’s five years of quibbling come to an amicable end in which Felix remarries his former wife (played by Janis Hansen.)

The most amazing thing about this issue is it is from 1975, the 199th birthday of the country.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 27.9%

 

Run Donna Run

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Enough old photos of me; here is a picture of Donna racing a friend’s dog on the beach on Guam in 1977 or 1978. The dog’s name was Schwitzen, which Keith thought was German (the VW connection) for “shepherd,” but as it turns out, it translated to sweat. I know I have a photo of Keith with the dog on that same beach somewhere, but I can’t find where it is stored.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 20.9%

 

More Hair

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More rummaging around in old photo albums. Remember my longish hair from a couple days ago’s post? This is me 2 years earlier than that. It is from late summer of 1973, and I know this for sure because the writing on the back reads, “Brian, 17, Before.”

Before, because I was about to join the Navy and have all that long hair cut off. I really wish I still had my boot camp graduation photo, I know my mom had one at one time; I looked like a little kid in his dad’s suit…

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 24.4%

 

Track, Daily, Crush

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Black Corvette Day

Track Daily Crush
2018 Corvette C7 GT3-R 2017 Corvette Z06 Coupe 1953 Corvette Replica
I personally think there is too much yellow in the livery… The murdered-out all-black look on this car really works here. I bet when parked next to an OG C1 ‘Vette, it will be obvious this is not one.

Here is what last week’s cars sold for or were bid to (if the reserve was not met):
Track: 1999 Panoz AIV Roadster Sold for USD $28,500 05/21/2026
Daily: 2007 Mini Cooper S Sold for USD $9,000 05/21/2026
Crush: 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood Sold for USD $10,750 05/21/2026

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 21.4%

 

More Memories

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One cool character leaning on his 1974 Datsun B210


 
Dug into the old photo albums looking for some photos that could be called memories to put inside the ceramic jar on the sideboard. I found a couple worth scanning, including the one above, which shows a very young me leaning on the first car I bought for myself, a 1974 Datsun B210.

I think I might have posted about this in the past, but I could be wrong. At the time of the photo, I was a couple years in the Navy, and that hair was way too long to be in regulation for a 3rd class petty officer. The trick was I worked from four to midnight, so there was little chance of dealing with the higher-ups who might notice. I bought my hat a couple sizes larger so that every evening I could tuck it under the ballcap and go about my business.

It was fun while it lasted, but eventually I got busted by a master-at-arms and was written up. I was coming back to my barracks after checking on my laundry in the main building. Knowing I was in for some trouble when I showed up at work the following afternoon, I proactively went to the barbershop that next morning and got a high-and-tight regulation haircut. So when I did get to see my supervisor, I was already PO3 A.J. Squaredaway. He tore up the report, and my hair never got that long again.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 23.8%

 

What A Slug

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I did my usual 10-mile bicycle loop where I end up at Stomping Grounds for a muffin and my salted caramel latte. I think they make their muffins there, but whichever one I’ve had has been great. Today was one I hadn’t had yet. It looked different, but I didn’t ask what it was, because of my past taste experiences there. It didn’t have a distinguishing flavor, but I did get mild hints of orange citrus. There were also small black specs that I assumed were a sort of spice, but I couldn’t get any flavor from them. For a bit my mind went to ants; I thought I’d heard that they had a citrusy taste. It couldn’t be, could it? I was dining outside, so I went inside to return the plate & fork and toss the trash. I asked the barista what I just ate, and she said, “That’s Earl Grey tea, plus cream.” “Ahhh, that’s what the specs were: tea leaf bits.”

Since that bike ride, I have not left the house, due to the usual lazy day activities: TV, Red Sox, and some jigsaw puzzling.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 26.8%

 

I Learned I Have It OK

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Purply Flowery Things

The usual coffee and doughnuts at the community center were replaced by coffee and doughnuts with a corporate muckety-muck of the owners of the community speaking to us. There were a lot of complaints about how the land lease cost has risen over the years. Mine has gone up by 12.5% (I’m assuming that is pretty close to what everyone else’s has done as well), and I haven’t noticed it. But being a 55+ community, there are a lot of folks here that rely totally on Social Security, and they are feeling it. Fortunately, because Donna was a big adherent of IRAs, I have that as an additional buffer. And because she made sure we put at least 10% away each payday, unless I start buying luxury cars instead of small fun cars, I’ll be okay even if I manage to make it to my 80s.

On a sad note, today I deleted the link on my desktop to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s YouTube channel. Kimmel is still there; maybe I’ll add Late Night with Seth Meyers in Colbert.

Red Sox chances of making the Wild Card round in the 2026 playoffs: 34.1%