We just got back from a family vacation staying with the in-laws in Stockholm. I am still feeling the 8-hour drive. It was the first trip with our new/used car, a 1997 Ford Mondeo, which car gets two thumbs up: The best car I've owned. Nimble, smooth, nice stereo, space for a family on vacation, easy to drive and not a gas guzzler.
If you don't know this I'll tell you: I refuse to own a car newer than 10 years old. My brother sold me my first car for $200, a 1976 Chevy Nova with three-on-the-tree transmission, in 1986. Rust took that chariot home, after memorable trips to the boundary waters, Big Bend and Longmeadow Massachussets. My second car was a 1967 Chrysler New Yorker, also bought from The Original Owner. It had a twin barrel Holly carb, 440 cu. inch V8, and suspension and brakes from a Dodge pick up. Drove that wonderful machine out to Pasadena in 1989 and slid around LA for a few years in grad school. Then we moved to Sweden and the in-laws sold us their 1979 SAAB 99. A wonderful car although pulling the choke to get the turbo charged slant 4 engine started reminded me of Dad's Evinrude outboard. We got rear-ended by a Mercedes once and drove away with a slight bend in the tailpipe. The Merc was smashed up pretty bad, spilled its radiator fluid and oil all over the roadway. Thence onward to a great 1989 SAAB 900. We would still have that car if only it hadn't turned into an oven during the summer. Finally a lemon, a 1991 SAAB 9000, bought from my sister's brother. Too many faults to go into.
The point is, I would like a car with character and I refuse to pay top dollar-- there's better things to do with money. We don't drive that much anyway since I take the train and bike to work.
But what I wanted to write about was something that happened during our vacation with the in-laws. I walked downtown and ended up in the clothing store where I bought some shorts. Here's what the tag said:
Original Outdoor X-Tuxer Heavy Durable Gear
NORTH DAKOTA PIRATE PANTS
Built for a life at the bay: rowing out to the wreck of the Bosporus, digging clams for a bake on the strand or launching your brother's hand built dinghy. Brushed T/C poplin for ultimate comfort and rugged durability. Intelligently detailed and sewn like iron.
SUPERIOR QUALITY CLOTHING SIZE C52
Tuxers utility pants are made from superior quality material and fabrication.
"North Dakota Pirate Pants"
ReplyDeleteYou should change your blog's name to that one. It almost sounds nasty in an indirect way, like a Dirty Sanchez.
Pirate pants sound more like something you'd find in a store where you can't see in the windows. I agree about used cars. Let someone else take the biggest chunk of depreciation.
ReplyDeleteyes, when I think North Dakota, I think clam bakes and launching dingys!
ReplyDeleteMy sister tells me that men in America wouldn't be caught dead in calf-length pants. They're great in Sweden this summer when daily highs have been in the low 70s.
ReplyDeleteThe add copy is a strange mix of intellect and ignorance. Faux-americana sells well in Europe-- American pop culture crushes everything in its path.