HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE
NUMBER 11 VOL 7
FEBURARY 11TH 2008
WEATHER; COOL, LOW HUMIDITY, 28/58 DEGREES
GAS PRICES STILL UNSTEADY
IF YOU REMEMBER I MENTIONED A HOTEL IN SAN DIEGO NEAR THE CAR FERRY DOCK AND I COULDN’T RMEMBER THE NAME? WELL I DID, IT WAS “THE CORONADO”
I FINALLY GOT THE CEILING FAN UP ON THE DECK, IT’S ALL WIRED IN AND I’LL TEST RUN IT TOMORROW! IT’S KIND OF HARD DOING THINGS LIKE THIS WITH NO FEELING IN MY HANDS I USE PLYERS AND MAGNETS TO HOLD THINGS I NEED TO. THERE AGAIN, IF I WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE STEP BY STEP DIRECTIONS I WOULDN’T OF HAD TO CLIMB UP AND DOWN SO MANT TIMES! I FIGURED I COULD DO THIS FROM MEMORY, WE PUT ONE JUST LIKE IT UP IN OUR BED ROOM BUT MY RE-CALL ISN’T WORTH A FLIP ANYMORE!
MOM HAD TO GO TO TOWN TO RUN SOME ERRANDS, THE “CHECK ENGINE” LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN! I’VE GOT TO TEST THE VOLTAGE TO THE TEMP, SENSOR, IF IT’S OVER 0.05 VOLTS I’LL HAVE TO CHANGE THE SENSOR AGAIN! WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT DOESN’T EFFECT THE OIL PRESSURE, WATER TEMP, CHARGING OR ENGINE POWER! THE ONLY INDICATION IS THE GLOWING RED WORDS; “CHECK ENGINE”!
JOKE
THIS OLD MAN GOES OUT ONE NIGHT AND GETS PLASTERED WITH A BUDDY WHILE CELEBRATING HIS BIRTHDAY! HE HAS A GLASS EYE AND PUTS IT IN A GLASS OF WATER ON THE DRESSER! WELL THIS NIGHT HE LEAVES THE GLASS ON THE NIGHT STAMD NEXT TO HIS BED! HE WAKES UP REAL THIRST AND DRINKS THE GLASS OF WATER WITH THE EYE IN IT. THE NEXT DAY HE CAN’T FIND HIS GLASS EYE AND CALLS HIS BUDDY ASKING IF HE MIGHT HAVE TAKEN IT OUT AT THE BAR AND LEFT IT THERE? HIS BUDDY DOESN’T REMEMBER, HE WAS PRETTY SMASHED HIMSELF! SO HE STARTS LOOKING AROUND THE HOUSE FOR TWO DAYS AND DOESN’T FIND IT! HE CALLS THE PLACE WHERE HE GOT THE EYE AND TELLS THEM HE LOST IT AND IS GOING TO NEED ANOTHER ONE! IT’S GOING TO COST $1500.00 SO HE TELLS THEM TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT AND TO CALL HIM WHEN IT’S READY! THE NEXT MORNING HE’S CONSTIPATED AND GOES TO HIS DOCTOR TO GET A PRESCRIPTION. THE DOCTOR HAS HIM DROP HIS PANTS AND UNDERWARE, LAY ON HIS SIDE PULLING HIS KNEES UP TO HIS CHEST SO HE CAN CHECK HIM OUT! THE DOCTOR BENDS DOWN TO LOOK AND JUMPS UP STARTLED “WHATS THE MATTER DOC?” ASKED THE MAN I’VE BEEN LOOKING IN THOSE THINGS FOR 50 YEARS BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ONE EVER LOOKED BACK AT ME AND WINKED!
HOWARD’S ACCIDENT JULY 5TH 1950
PART THREE
I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL IF I REMEMBER RIGHT FOR TWO WEEKS! WHEN I WAS TO BE RELEASED THE DOCTOR WHO TOOK CARE OF MY HEAD INJURIES CAME INTO THE ROOM WITH MY MOTHER AND DAD. HE SAID HE WANTED THEM TO BE AWARE OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO ME IF I WASN’T CAREFUL; MY BRAIN HAD BEEN KNOCKED TO ONE SIDE AND WAS SETTING ON TWO OF THE THREE PINS IT SHOULD BE ON! A SHARP BLOW TO THE BACK OF MY HEAD IN A CERTAIN SPOT COULD BE FATAL AND HE WANTED TO SEE ME ONCE A WEEK TILL HE WAS SURE THE SPOT/CRACK (THERE WERE 5 CRACKS IN MY SKULL) HAD OVERGROWN! I WAS RELEASED THAT AFTERNOON!
I HAD TO GO TO DR. WESLEY WILSON FOR MY EYE, I HAD AND STILL HAVE A PINCHED OPTIC NERVE WHICH CUTS OFF FOCAL VISION IN MY LEFT EYE. I HAVE PERIPHERAL VISION BUT NO FOCAL VISION IN THE LEFT EYE WHICH MADE IT HARD FOR ME TO JUDGE DISTANCE BUT OVER TIME I’VE ADJUSTED TO IT AND HAVE NO TROUBLE JUDGING SOME DISTANCE, THERE ARE SOME THING I CAN’T DO LIKE DETERMINE HOW HIGH AN OBJECT IS UNLESS I HAVE ANOTHER OBJECT CLOSE TO IT THAT I KNOW THE HEIGHT OF TO COMPARE IT TO! IF THERE ARE TWO OBJECTS IN A LINE I CAN’T TELL WHICH ONE IS IN FRONT!
WHEN I WOULD FLY MY STEERMAN BY-PLANE I’D LOOK OVER THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND WATCH THE SHADOW OF THE LANDING WHEEL AND THE GROUND, WHEN IT CLOSED UP I KNEW I WAS ON THE GROUND OR NEARLY THERE SO I WOULD CUT POWER AND LET IT SETTLE! I NEVER FLEW AT NIGHT FOR THIS REASON, NO SHADOW TO WATCH! IT GOT TO SCARY SO I QUIT FLYING YEARS AGO WHICH WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST THING I EVER HAD TO STOP DOING BECAUSE OF MAKING A STUPID MISTAKE LIKE USING NO-DOZ TO STAY AWAKE! YEARS LATER I STARTED DRIVING OVER THE ROAD PULLING MANUFACTURED HOUSING AND NEVER TOOK ANY STIMULANT OTHER THAN COFFEE, IF I GOT TIRED I’D GET A MOTEL OF PULL INTO A REST STOP AND SLEEP IN THE TRUCK! I’VE SEEN THE RESULTS OF DRIVERS WHO POP BENNIES AND DON’T REALIZE WHEN THE BENNIE WEARS OFF THEY’RE ASLEEP AND SOMEBODY DIES MAYBE WITH THEM!
AFTER I GOT HOME AND HAD MADE MY TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR FOR HIM TO CHECK ON MY HEAD PROGRESS HE RELEASED ME! I WANTED TO GET STARTED ON MY CAR! BILL MASON AND MY BROTHER JERRY WENT TO THE POLICE IMPOUND LOT IN OCEANSIDE AND GOT MY CAR USING THE L.A. POLICE WRECKER! WHEN THEY GOT IT HOME JERRY DROPPED IT OUT IN THE STREET SO HE COULD PICK IT UP FROM THE REAR AND PUT IT IN FRONT OF THE GARAGE FRONTWARDS! THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CHECK AND SEE HOW MUCH DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION. ALL I COULD FIND WAS A BENT SPINDLE AND WHEEL! THE BODY FLOOR PAN WAS CRINKLED SO BAD IT COULDN’T BE FIXED WITHOUT CUTTING AND PIECING A NEW FLOOR PAN IN PLACE WHICH WOULD TAKE A TORCH AND PORT-A-POWER WHICH I HAD NEITHER ONE! THE TOP FRAME WORK WAS ALL BENT OUT OF SHAPE!
I OPTED TO START LOOKING FOR ANOTHER BODY IN A WRECKING YARD! AFTER ABOUT 50 CALLS TO YARD ALL OVER NORTH HOLLYWOOD, BURBANK, VAN NUYS, GLENDALE I FINALLY FOUND ONE AT A YARD IN SAN FERNANDO! IT WAS A 1940 NEW YORKER, NO DAMAGE, TOP WAS LIKE NEW UPHOLESTRY WAS LEATHER WHERE MINE HAD BEEN CLOTH WITH NAUGAHIDE INSERTS! THE CAR HAD BEEN HIT HARD ON THE RIGHT FRONT AND THE FRONT METAL WORK WAS OVER TO THE LEFT, THE LEFT FRONT FENDER WAS PERFECT AND THE AMAZING THING WAS THE CAR WAS THE SAME COLOR AS MY WINDSOR, DARK FOREST GREEN! THEY AGREED TO HOLD IT WHILE I GOT BUSY AND PULLED MINE OFF THE CHASSIS, WE JACKED IT UP AND SAT IT ON 4- 55 GALLON OIL DRUMS THEY LOANED ME! WHEN WE GOT IT UP WE PUSHED THE CHASSIS OUT AND OVER TO THE LEFT DRIVEWAY! WHEN THEY BROUGHT THE NEW BODY THEY BROUGHT TWO TRAILERS AND PICK UPS! THEY BACKED THE EMPTY TRAILER UP TO THE OLD BODY AND USED A WINCH TO PULL IT OFF THE DRUMS AND ON TO THE TRAILER. THEN PULLED IT OUT IN THE STREET AND AFTER WE ROLLED THE OIL DRUMS OUT OF THE WAY THEY BACKED THE OTHER TRAILER UP TO WHERE THEY COULD PUT PIPES UNDER THE NEW YORKER AND ROLL IT ½ WAY OFF THE TRAILER, THEN EVERYBODY EXCEPT ME LIFTED THE BODY AND THEY PULLED THE TRAILER OUT!
THEY LEFT THE OIL DRUMS SO I COULD JACK THE NEW BODY UP AND GET READY TO PUT THE CHASSIS UNDER IT THEN LET THE JACKS DOWN SLOWLY TILL IT WAS SETTING ON THE NEW RUBBER PADS/DONUTS I BOUGHT! I GOT THE LEFT FRONT FENDER, SPINDLE AND TIRE AND WHEEL FROM THE SAME CAR AT THE SAME YARD! I HAD TO GO AND GET THE UPPER CONTROL ARM FROM THE SAME CAR I DIDN’T NOTICE MINE WAS BENT WHEN I LOOKED IT ALL OVER!
IT TOOK ALMOST A MONTH TO GET EVERYTHING DONE SO I COULD DRIVE IT AGAIN, IT SURE FELT GOOD TO BE BEHIND THE WHEEL AGAIN AND PUT THE TOP DOWN AND LET THE WIND BLOW THROUGH MY HAIR!
I KEPT THE CAR TILL I JOINED THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD AND THE HUNGARIAN UPRISING TOOK PLACE AND THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS TOOK US OVER AND I WAS SENT TO MOODY AIR BASE IN VALDOSTA, GEORGIA TO REACTIVATE THE BASE, IT HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR 6 YEARS!
BEFORE I LEFT I WAS IN HOLLYWOOD ONE DAY AND SAW A 1940 LINCOLN ZEPHYR 4 DOOR THAT REALLY APPEALED TO ME! I STOPED AND TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, IT HAD A V12 ENGINE AND A COLUMBIA OVERDRIVE REAR END! AT 80 MPH YOU COULDN’T HEAR IT RUN AND IT RODE LIKE A DREAM, IT HAD ALL NEW TIRES INCLUDING THE SPARE! I FIGURED I MADE A GOOD DEAL WHEN I OFFERED TO TRADE STRAIGHT ACROSS FOR MY CHRYSLER AND I’D PAY TAX, TITLE AND TRANSFER IF THEY WOULD DO THE SAME ON MY CAR WHICH THE AGREED TO DO! I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE LOWER SPINDLE BUSHING ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THEY WEREN’T WORRIED, THEY’D HAVE IT FIXED! I WENT BY A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE I WAS LEAVING TO PICK UP THE TITLE AND THEY HAD THE CHRYSLER ON AN ELEVATED DISPLAY RACK FOR $1395.00! IT SURE WAS A BEAUTIFUL CAR! THE LINCOLN HAD BEEN DISPLAYED FOR $1295.00 WHICH DIDN’T BOTHER ME, I WAS HAPPY AS A LARK WITH THE LINCOLN! THAT PRETTY WELL COVERS THE ACCIDENT AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE BECAUSE OF IT!
THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE.
HOWARD
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