Cars, parts, and... Spinning wheel?

Dad and I go to a car swap meet, and it's for "classic and older" vehicles, as a rule.  Even if the stuff I grew up with and drove is now 'classic', a-HEM...  !

Anywho, it's a swap meet in name and in reality. I have seen someone come up to another vendor and talk about X vehicle they have, and they noticed that said vendor has parts for it, would they trade for a Y part? 

And it's not just car parts, it's whole cars, in one section.  And frames, and bodies of cars.  I have wanted to build an electric car with a 30's vintage coupe body.  I haven't decided how that's going to happen yet, but I have seen some nice looking ones from time to time.  Oddly, it's easier at the moment to find the body that I am looking for, than the electric motor... Meh.  Not a hurry...

There is a whole section that is reproduction parts, hot rod parts, tools, and... One person that sells dolls, patches, china, and glass wear.  They had some nice milk glass, but I didn't really have a place for it.  Another sells metal signs, from reproduction antique signs, (Red Crown gasoline signs, as well as Studebaker Garage signs were popular), to more modern ones, (Man Cave, for Men doing Manly things, in a Manly way!)  

Another area is where all bets are off.  You can find, well, darn near any garage sale type item, if you look hard enough in this section.  My Uncle and a friend of his had a booth, and were selling kid cars, like the kind you pedal.  All the way from a 20's-30's vintage pedal car, to a Weinermobile! 

A friend of mine was there, looking for specific car parts.  And everyone knows this, as he has a wagon, that he put a Conestoga type cover on, and made a matching apron/tunic, that says WANTED
X CAR PARTS with his phone number at the bottom.  He gets more trading going in that place than sold stuff, on occasion! 

Another of my friends was selling stuff outside, you bring a table and chair and go for it... He had not a great many parts on his table, but we saw him at the end of the day, and I think perhaps, (hope, anyway), that he'd sold most of it.  He is restoring a vehicle, it has been quite a bit for him to get it roadable... 

So, we were in the area with all the miscellaneous 'stuff' and I realized there was a spinning wheel.  Hmm.  I looked, and it was more or less all in one piece.  I think it might have been a usable wheel, but it was pretty iffy looking, and it was one that struck me as being "barn fresh"... Let's just say a lot of items smell of dust, mouse, and, um, less desirable odors.  I didn't bite, having more than one wheel, and I need to repair one, and get the other working, so I really didn't need to take a chance on yet another one, even to repair and sell... Just guess I am getting picky.   They had table lamps, and chairs, and probably enough other items to fill a nice (dated about 1970's) apartment, if you were in a pinch.

Another guy had made skeleton hands from bolts and nuts, and painted them white, and hung them on a Model T steering wheel.  Unfortunately,  if someone started to pick up either the hands, or the wheel, they would dump over onto the table.  It lead to some jokes about, oh my, you broke it, 1000 bucks, please.  Most of them laughed, and put things aright, quickly.  I really think they would be great for door knockers at Halloween! 

I really saw a lot of things, but didn't buy much... 5 magazines is all.  Not even car mags, but the lady was selling crafting 'stuff'. 

But, I did help Dad with a purchase he made.  He bought some tires for his 1930's truck, and I didn't really feel like having a tire roll, all the way back to the car, especially when some of the folks a driving don't seem to register that a parking lot isn't a speedway!!!  So, since I had my walking stick, I set the tires upright, and stuck the stick through, Dad grabbed an end, I grabbed an end, and we carried it between us to the car. 

It was quick, easy, and amused the heck out of the locals!

Just WHO are they talking to?

I have cut back on my TV watching a bit, but I still like to watch certain shows... But, man, oh, man, do the powers that be have a STRANGE idea of who are watching said shows, and what they like...

I tend to watch old Westerns.  Now, I didn't think that they were that old, or that I was.  But...

I just started taking note of the commercials. 

Medicare, Will.  More medicare. Catheters. Oxygen supply.  'Nother ad for a will.  Reverse mortgage.  Three different ads for wills, back to back!

Cough...  ?

I really think that not one of those applies to me, and even if they did, Geez, folks, couldn't you throw a candy bar ad, or SOMETHING to break up the "YOU ARE GOING TO DIE" vibe? 

So, I started paying attention to ads during the news.  Different verse, similar to the first...

Constipation ad.  Hair shaver ad, men.  Constipation ad, hair shaver ad, women.  Two more men's shaver ads.  Two more constipation ads.  And lastly, women's shaver ad.

So people who watch the news are hairy and can't poop?  I believe the next night had hemorrhoid commercials, too.  Guess they REALLY can't poop...

When I have watched kid shows, they seem to have at least a little more variety.  Candy, toys, cereal.  Occasionally ads for baby diapers, and  washing pods...  That, at least, makes a bit more sense, most kiddos don't need home loans, or cars, at least at the age for the stuff I looked at.  It did surprise me a bit that they wouldn't target the parents more, at that point, but, meh...

So, I guess I just don't watch the right stuff.  Or I am an old codger that is hairy, can't poop, and gonna die... EEEP!!!

The only one I *might* admit to is hairy...

People.

It is... a unique experience working at the Sub.  I deal with all sort of folks.  I had a few recently that were, um, memorable. 

A gent walked in, and tossed 4 life jackets  on the counter.  I said, "is this a donation?"  (We have people that check the jackets for safety, we also have a donation program.)  He looks at me as if I have brayed like a donkey, and pipes up, "Well, you have the boat program, and I don't need these  d*** things." Snorted, and walked out.  I tossed a quick thank you to him for the donation, if not the attitude. 

Another gent came in and needed X thing.  Basically acted as if I was invisible.  He saw one of the plain clothes deputies, who came over to see if he could help.  Well, no more than that, it was, yes, sir, no, sir, I would like this, sir...

Meh. 

I went and sat down, as I knew said gent wasn't going to give me the time of day.  He got what he wanted, I thought, and left.  About an hour later he comes back in, and says, where is Deputy Guyperson?  I tried to be polite, and said, Guyperson went to a meeting, I don't know what time he will be back, but probably more than an hour out. 

"But, Honey, I need to talk to him.  Sweetie, could you call him?"

I tried not to growl.  "No, I don't have his number, and I told you, he's out of the office for at least an hour."

But, Darling, I need this information. 

I looked up, barely managing to be polite, and told him, if it was urgent, he could always call dispatch, or go to the city police.  He waited for a bit, then asked if I had something to eat.  Turns out he was homeless. 

I was still not impressed with the Honey, Baby crap, but I told him that no, we didn't have any lunch service or such.  He then turned to the coordinator that had walked behind me, who is male, and ASKED THE SAME QUESTION.  And received the same reply.  I went back to my desk, and started typing.  He stood there, trying to get me to answer him, Honey, Sweetie, ad nauseum, and I just decided to say Uh-huh.  Finally, after about 15 Uh-huhs, he got the clue, and wandered out.  Didn't see him the rest of the day, don't know if he went to the city police, got the info from another source, or what, but you know... I am not sure I care. 

Meh...

A gent came in and had a big problem with someone, and was shaking.  He was rambling on for a bit, and I finally asked him to stop for a moment.  Do you need some water, or need to sit down?

He actually stopped for a moment, and then said, no, I am okay, I think, but... And was off again.  I stood, while he described his problems in excruciating detail.  When he finished, he was nearly in tears, I am sooo sorry, I must be wasting your time.  I told him, no, that's what I am here for, besides, it sounds like you needed to tell someone.  He leaned over the desk, took my hand, and said, thank you so much, a lot of people just tell me to shut up.  I told him what to tell the deputy, so that is was (a lot) shorter, and he was able to settle down quite a bit by then.

A gal came in, and she was just shy of being in tears.  She was getting harassing phone calls, and there was one that was supposedly from the FBI.  I tried to explain that it was most likely a scam, but she was so freaked out, I don't think she entirely understood me.  I got her a tissue, and she asked if I could get her some water.  I did, and called dispatch.  Turned out, she needed the city police, which I then called.  Her phone was buzzing non stop, and she whimpered, "what do I do?" 

I asked for her phone, and looked.  As I suspected, it was an out of country number.  I hit the "ignore" button, and told her to do that until the city officer showed up.  When he did, he explained to her that it was indeed a scam, and how to delete the number from her phone.  I then explained how she could tell an international number from a US number.  She said, I am not going to be arrested?  We both assured her, no, they were playing mind games with her.  She snorted, then deleted the number, under the officer's watchful eye.  She smiled, and then said, "Thank you, you two just made my day a lot better!", and was smiling when she left.

One thing about helping out here, it's never the same day!

P is for People...

Ok, yes, this will date me, but I keep wondering if they should have made a Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" about humans.

Explaining the rash outbursts, displays of power, the amazing plumage, mating rituals and how they vary by location, (or not).  Show the tool using capabilities, and how it might help the creature survive.

Jim Fowler could dart one of the herd, and tag and collar it to track its movements.

Or, you know, just give it a hacked cell phone...

***********

For my regular readers, I apologize for not writing much "personal" stuff, I have written most of the A to Z blogs ahead of time.  I am hoping to catch up on everyone's blog on Tuesday, if all goes well, (blog binging?), so I can see what everyone else is doing.  Mostly, I have been on the go, and not near a computer all that much.  (I even have a newsletter that I need to get out, aaaaand, well, I have to actually park tooshy and do it, if it's to get out... eep.)