DAILY CHRONICLE # 25

HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE

NUMBER 25 VOL 3

OCTOBER 25^TH 2007

WEATHER; CLEAR, COOL, LOW HUMIDITY, 63 DEGREES

NOT A BAD DAY FOR SETTING ON THE DECK FOR A WHILE, I WAS CHECKING MY E-MAILS WHEN MOM CAME IN AND KISSED ME GOOD BYE, SHE HAD TO GO SHOPPING AND TAKE KYLIE THE GRAND DAUGHTER SHOPPING SINCE SHE DOESN’T HAVE ANY TRANSPORTATION.

WHEN SHE GOT HOME WE ATE AND WENT OUT AND TOOK THE CANOPY DOWN, ALL WE HAVE LEFT TO DO IS TAKE THE 4X4 POST AND BRACING DOWN TOMORROW AND CLEAN UP ON THE GROUND AROUND THE DECK SO WE DON’T FALL OVER ANYTHING.

MY DAD ALWAYS SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN A MANUFACTURING PLANT WAS THE FLOOR SWEEPER, IF THEY DIDN’T KEEP THE TRASH PICKED UP THE PRODUCTION WORKERS WOULD BE FALLING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT HE WAS RIGHT SO, IF YOU WORK IN A MANUFACTURING PLANT WALK UP TO THE FLOOR SWEEPER AND SHAKE THEIR HAND AND THANK THEM FOR KEEPING THE PLACE SAFE FOR YOU TO WORK IN!

TIM’S SUPPOSED TO BE UP TOMORROW NIGHT SO WE CAN GET AN EARLY START ON THE DECK COVER SATURDAY MORNING, EVERYTHING IS READY!

OK, LETS GET BACK TO MY LEARNING TO DRIVE IN 1944! HERB PULLED THE CAR BACK OUT ON THE ROAD, I GOT BACK IN THE DRIVERS SEAT AND PULLED MYSELF UP BY USING THE STEERING WHEEL TO HOLD ON TO. IN THE PROCESS I PUSHED THE HAND THROTTLE DOWN TO WIDE OPEN WHICH I DIDN’T NOTICE, BUT WHEN I TURNED THE KEY ON AND STEPPED ON THE STARTER THE ENGINE ROARED TO LIFE AND SCARED TO CRAP OUT OF ME, HERB LAUGHED TILL HE CRIED BUT REACHED OVER AND PUSHED THE CONTROL UP AND THE ENGINE IDLED BACK DOWN.

HE TOLD ME NOT TO BE LOOKING AT MY FEET SINCE THEY WEREN’T GOING ANYWHERE AND TO WATCH THE ROAD AND KEEP THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF IT, AGAIN I STARTED TO VEER OFF TO THE LEFT WHILE LOOKING AT THE RIGHT SIDE AND HE BROUGHT IT BACK SAYING STOP THE CAR, I DIDN’T KNOW HOW SINCE HE NEVER SHOWED ME ABOUT THE BRAKE PEDEL. HE GRABBED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND SLID THE REAR WHEELS AND TOLD ME TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THE CAR AND COME AROUND TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND GET IN. WHEN I WAS IN THE SEAT HE PUT THE GEAR SHIFTER IN 1^ST GEAR, RACED THE ENGINE AND POPPED THE CLUTCH, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND THEN HE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND ALMOST TURNED IT OVER AND SAID, NOW THAT’S HOW YOU START A CAR GOING AND HOW YOU STOP THE SOB. NOW YOU GET THE HELL BACK OVER HERE AND DO THE SAME THING.

BEFORE HE COULD GET IN THE PASSENGER DOOR I TOOK OFF LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL AND HE FELL IN THE ROAD, I DIDN’T KNOW HE WAS STANDING ON THE RUNNING BOARD. I HEARD HIM YELLING AND TURNED AROUND TO SEE WHERE HE WAS AND RAN OFF THE ROAD INTO THAT DITCH AGAIN.

AFTER GETTING THE CAR OUT OF THE DITCH FOR THE THIRD TIME HE GOT OUT AND TOLD ME TO GET IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, HE GOT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND QUIETLY TOLD ME TO PUSH IN ON THE CLUTCH, I CAREFULLY PUSHED IN ON THE CLUTCH AND PUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN 1^ST GEAR, NO GRINDING, I WAS PROUD, ALL THE TIME HERB IS SAYING, GENTLY, LET THE CLUTCH OUT GENTLY AND WHEN YOU FEEL THE CAR START TO MOVE LET IT ALL THE WAY OUT AND TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF IT WHICH I DID AND GOT MOVING REAL SMOOTHLY. HERB TOLD ME TO EASE IN ON THE GAS PEDEL AND I DID THAT. ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS DRIVING AT 15 MPH AND GOING PRETTY STRAIGHT BUT NOT LOOKING AHEAD AND DROVE OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD, HERB GRABBED THE WHEEL AND BROUGHT IT BACK AND TOLD ME TO STOP. HE GOT OUT AND I’VE NEVER SEEN HERB DAVIS THAT RED, HE WALKED SLOWLY AROUND TO THE DRIVERS DOOR AND OPENED IT THEN VERY QUIETLY SAID, PLEASE GET OUT OF MY CAR. WHICH I DID AND HE GOT IN AND WORKED THE CAR BACK ON THE ROAD, I WALKED AROUND TO THE DRIVERS DOOR THINKING HE WANTED ME TO DRIVE SOME MORE BUT HE WAS JUST STARING STRAIGHT AHEAD AND SAID, GET IN THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY, MAYBE WE’LL TRY IT AGAIN TOMORROW AND WE DID.

AFTER DINNER HERB AND I WENT OUT AND SAT ON THE FRONT PORCH AND HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME ABOUT HAVING A KILLING MACHINE IN MY HANDS WHEN I’M DRIVING AND HOW TO CONTROL IT. WHEN I WENT TO BED IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR ME TO GO TO SLEEP THINKING ABOUT WHAT HE SAID AND I’VE NEVER FORGOTTEN IT.

WE GOT UP THE NEXT MORNING AND WENT TO CHURCH IN VAN NUYS, AFTER MASS WE WENT AND ATE AT THEIR FRIENDS RESTAURANT THEN WENT HOME AND RUTH PUT TOMMY AND DIANE DOWN FOR A NAP AND HERB AND I WENT BACK OUT TO THE ROAD FOR SOME MORE DRIVING LESSONS!

HE PULLED THE CAR OUT ON THE ROAD. HE SAID OK, NOW WERE GOING TO SHIFT FROM 1^ST TO 2^ND THEN 3^RD AND I’LL HAVE MY HAND ON YOURS TO LET YOU FEEL HOW TO MOVE THE SHIFT STICK, WE’LL PRACTICE REVERSE LATER ON. OF COURSE I’M LOOKING AT THE SHIFTER AND RUN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT HE KEEPS ME FROM GOING IN THE DITCH AGAIN. WE GET GOING AND I KEPT MY EYES ON THE ROAD WHEN HE SAID SHIFT I FORGOT TO PUT THE CLUTCH IN, AGAIN ALL THE GRINDING SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME,  HE YELLED PUT THE G__ DAMN CLUTCH IN AND I YELLED BACK , YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THE CLUTCH WHEN YOU TOLD ME TO PUSH ON THE SHIFT STICK, HE APPOLOGIZED AND WE TRIED IT AGAIN AND IT WORKED EVEN THOUGH I WASN’T LOOKING AT THE SHIFT STICK I FELT HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE AND FROM THEN ON WE HAD A REAL NICE DRIVE, ALL OVER THE ROAD BUT NICE I THOUGHT.

 

I’LL FINISH THIS TOMORROW.

THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE.

HOWARD

I HEARD A NEWS REPORT YESTERDAY THAT,  FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SPACE HISTORY A WOMAN IS IN CHARGE OF THE SHUTTLE AND THE SPACE STATION. IF THEY CAN TRUST THOSE TWO MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR ITEMS TO A WOMAN IT SEEMS LIKE WE COULD TRUST A WOMAN TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE MESS OUR COUNTRY IS IN, RIGHT!