greatbear: (born to drive)
[personal profile] greatbear
... and as is usual for me, it smelled of greasy food, heady pre-emissions control exhaust fumes and lots of woofy men. Yep, yesterday was my annual excursion to Carlisle, PA for the Fall Car Corral and Swap Meet. If I were to try to describe for someone what my kind of heaven would look like, it would have most of the elements of Carlisle. Hundreds of vendors selling and trading tools, parts, memorabilia, hell ANYTHING related to cars, as well as thousands of mostly rare automobiles, trucks and bikes of every vintage and condition for sale. I've spent countless thousands of dollars there over the nearly 20 years I have been attending the big spring and fall meets, as well as a few smaller events in between, on tools, parts, machinery, etc.. Anything and practically everything can be had at Carlisle, for anyone who likes cars, at every level.

The grounds is over 80 acres in size, and it's packed to the edges. To see everything one would have to walk over 35 miles. Unfortunately, my back became too much of a liability, as well as my long time buddy John's bad knees, so we cut out early. It's tough getting old. Still, I am making a mental 'shopping list' of items to go into the garage to help with current and future projects. Near-term items include a small MIG welder for portable jobs as well as a full capability TIG outfit. Once I add the high bay, the first thing to go in after it's done is an offset high-rise lift. My back no longer appreciates rolling around the floor on creepers and stooping under hoods for a long time. In fact, this is probably one of the main causes of the trouble I am having. Okay, that, and tossing guys over my shoulders.

A delicious bit of poetic justice happened at Carlisle as well. While waiting for the 'walk' sign to go on to cross the street to get to the fairgrounds, a woman blathering on a cell phone in an Excursion decided she's gonna try and beat a motorhome waiting to go across by making her left turn before the motorhome had a chance. Well, in doing so she nearly runs over John in the process. Her subsequent last-second suprise and slamming on the brakes to avoid us cause her to toss her phone out the window. Upon hitting the pavement, the phone disintegrates. John, being the nice guy he is, help her to collect the shapptered pieces of her phone, all the while she is blocking the intersection. Her excuse? "I didn't see you because of the light". WTF? Still, one cell phone down, one blathering bitch pwned.

In other news, I have another 'pet'. I was moving some stuff on the deck, and under a large seashell on a shelf a frog jumped out, landing on my leg. I picked the critter up and he proceded to crawl up onto my shoulder and sun himself. He sat there comfortably for a long time. Mom took a picture. Once she had done that, Froggie had jumped onto her shoulder. We returned our new wildlife pet back under the seashell.


Ah, nothing like cars, and nature. And woofy men.

Date: 2004-10-03 12:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] peppabear.livejournal.com
What a beautiful toad! I wish I knew what kind it was. Very pretty shot.

Date: 2004-10-03 06:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] greatbearmd.livejournal.com
It's underbelly fringe and parts of his legs that dont see the sun are yellow, not grey, but with the same mottled pattern.

He's also a very good climber. We have a lot of these around here, plus smaller ones that look slightly different, and good old brown toads.

Date: 2004-10-03 12:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] razzman.livejournal.com
The car festival sounds awesome - hope your back is okay now.

As for the cell-phone. They have some laws here where you are not support to use cell-phones (unless hands-free) while driving. I wish they would enforce and imprison people who do. It is frightening and annoying. And also - in restaurants - how importtant is a call - anyway - I detest cell phones (can you tell) - lol

Nice new froggie - does he have a name :):)

Date: 2004-10-03 06:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] greatbearmd.livejournal.com
I really didnt name this one, except I've did call him Kermit a couple times. lol

I am sick to death of people and their stupid cell phone behavior. I dont mind when people are courteous with them, but that seems a rarity in a sea of phone wielding louts.

Date: 2004-10-03 12:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brinah.livejournal.com
The Great Grand and Glorious "Covered Bridge Festival" is next weekend at Knoebels! I think they'll have cars there too. :-)

Date: 2004-10-03 06:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] greatbearmd.livejournal.com
If Jeff and I find our way out to PA next weekend, we might see if we can make it. Thanks!

Date: 2004-10-04 10:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brinah.livejournal.com
Cool! I plan to go up on Friday night. Maybe even catch a game. :-) Look forward to seeing you and Jeff!

Date: 2004-10-03 08:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] danthered.livejournal.com
H'mmm. Carlisle must be different from the swap meets and car events I've mostly stopped going to. I got sick of endless interchangeable scantily-clad skanky brainless blonde bimbos draped over cookie-cutter-identical Shove-a-lot Craparos and Fraud Mudstains, rows and rows of yawner '55-6-7 Shabbyrolets built from the Danchuk catalogue (and all named something clever and original like "Peggy Sue"), great big booths full of crappy tools from China, knuckledraggers deafening everyone within half a mile with unmuffled engines, all manner of what used to be interesting '20s and '30s cars hacked to accept yawner Shivverlay engines, and booths full of Jaheeeeeeeezzzzzus crap. Oh, and judges tsk-tsk-tsking and deducting points because the shock absorber grommets don't have a correct factory part number and the battery vent caps are the "wrong" shade of green.

If Carlisle is in fact different from all that, then I look forward to going someday.

Date: 2004-10-03 09:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] greatbearmd.livejournal.com
Well, there are several tents with the craptastic Chine-Ease tools, but there are quite a few with the good stuff. And this is not a show, it's a place where you go to buy and sell cars and things related to them. Yeah, you will find kit rods and mullet-tastic Camaros, but those are quite rare. There are also far too many tents selling die cast stuff, but there's a big demand apparently. Plenty of Mopar cars and 'stuff'. Things you don't see everyday, like a '58 Buick Roadmaster convertible with only 75 (yes, seventy-five) original, documented miles (and selling for a 'mere' 30 grand) that looked and actually smelled like it had been just driven off the showroom floor (which, actually, it was, since it was a 'showpiece' in that dealer floor and used only for parades in the town). I have no doubt that you would enjoy going, being that you seem accustomed to the Kalifornia Kar Showkase kind of events.

Date: 2004-10-03 08:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fredneckteddy.livejournal.com
if I was that frog, I would have stayed on your leg and waited to take your clothes off ;)

Date: 2004-10-03 09:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fredneckteddy.livejournal.com
uh huh and let me flick out my tongue :)

Date: 2004-10-04 07:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chastmastr.livejournal.com
Oh my God what a cute frog on a cute bear. :)

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