HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE
NUMBER 22 VOL 13
FRIDAY AUGUST 22ND 2008
WEATHER; WARM, LOW HUMIDITY, 67/90 DEGREES
MOM WAS UP AND GONE BY 4:45AM! SHE HAD TO GET SHANNON TO THE HOSPITAL IN BONHAM, TX. FOR HER SURGERY BY 6:30AM, THEY MADE IT WITH TIME TO SPARE! MOM GOT BACK HOME AT ABOUT 2:30 PM!
I GOT UP ABOUT 9:00AM BUT WASN’T FEELING TO GOOD SO I JUST MADE IT TO MY CHAIR AND REALLY DIDN’T DO MUCH OF ANYTHING ALL DAY EXCEPT WORK WITH MY COMPUTER! I RE-READ AND MADE SOME CHANGES IN THE STORY I’M WRITING! THEN ANSWERED SOME E-MAILS AND WENT OUT AND SAT ON THE DECK FOR AN HOUR WATCHING THE HUMMINGBIRDS CHASE EACH OTHER AROUND AND THROUGH THE DECK! IT MUST BE MATING SEASON FOR THEM; ALL THREE OF THEM WERE ALL OVER THE FEEDERS AND GETTING THE NECTURE! TWICE THEY CAME AND HOOVERED NEAR ME BUT THERE WAS PLENTY OF NECTURE IN THE FEEDERS SO I ASSUMED THEY JUST WANTED ME TO SEE THAT THEY WERE HAVING A GOOD OLD TIME! IF IT’S QUIET I CAN HEAR THEM CHIRP AND THE WHIR OF THEIR WINGS! IT WAS REAL QUIET TODAY AND I HEARD THEM PLAINLY!
MOM FIXED DINNER AND HAD HER DESERT AND WENT TO BED ABOUT 9:00 PM! I WATCHED “ON THE BEACH” WITH GREGORY PECK AND AVA GARDNER, IT’S A GOOD MOVIE BUT A REAL DOWNER! IT MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF SOME DUMMY GETS UPSET AND PUSHES THE “BUTTON”! OF COURSE IN REAL LIFE IT CAN’T HAPPEN, IT TAKES MORE THAN ONE PERSON AND A SERIES OF CHECKS AND BALANCES TO LAUNCH ANY MISSILE! MOVIES LIKE “FAIL SAFE” AND “WAR GAMES” SHOW HOW IT COULD HAPPEN BUT IT REALLY CAN’T! I THINK I’LL STICK TO MY WWII MOVIES AND ALSO THE SITCOMS WE WATCH!
ANOTHER EPISODE IN THE QUIET LIFE OF HOWARD A. MAHONEY
IN 1949, A YEAR AFTER I GRADUATED FROM NORTH HOLLYWOOD HIGH I WAS RIDING A BSA GOLDEN FLASH MOTORCYCLE! I HAD JUST HAD A SET OF “CHATTANOOGA” UP SWEEP PIPES INSTALLED! THEY
WERE MADE OUT OF SOLID BRASS AND REALY CREATED AN ECHO! THEY HAVE A CAP WITH A 1 ½” PIPE WITH A BAFFELL COMING OUT OF IT SO YOU CAN RIDE WITH THEM IN TOWN, THE CAP IS HELD IN PLACE WITH THREE THUMB SCREWS!
I WAS SETTING ACROSS FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO SCHOOL AT THE FOSTER FREEZE STAND THAT WAS OWNED BY A FRIENDS FATHER! MY BUDDYS NAME WAS JERRY SMITH, HIS SON! DURING THE CONVERSATION HE BET ME $10.00 I WOULDN’T TAKE THE CAPS OFF THE PIPES AND RIDE THROUGH THE MAIN HALL FROM THE ENTRANCE ROAD TO THE ATHLETIC FIELD OUT THE MAIN ENTRANCE THAT HAD 15 STEPS FROM THE GROUND TO THE FLOOR OF THE BUILDING! I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD BE SURE THE DOUBLE DOORS ON THE LEFT WOULD BE OPENED FOR MY EXIT AND HE SAID HE WOULD! I GOT ON MY BIKE AND WENT AROUND BEHIND THE ATHELETIC FIELD, SHUT IT OFF AND PUSHED IT ABOUT 1500 FT. TO THE ROAD AND IN THE ROAD AND UP TO THE DOULBE DOORS ON THE END OF THE HALL! I LOOSENED THE THUMB SCREWS AND TOOK THE CAPS OFF AND PUT THEM ON THE HOOKS MADE FOR THEM ON EACH SIDE OF THE FRAME BELOW THE SEAT! I LOOKED DOWN THE HALL AND SAW THE DOUBLE DOORS ON THE LEFT OPEN, ONE PUSH OF THE KICK STARTER AND THE BSA ROARED TO LIFE, I PUT IT IN 1ST GEAR, LET OUT THE CLUTCH, TURNED THE ¼ TURN THROTTLE FULL OPEN AND AWAY WE WENT! I SHIFTED TO 2ND ABOUT HALF WAY AND 3RD JUST BEFORE THE MAIN DOORS! WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE DOUBLE DOORS I WAS TACHING ABOUT 3000 RPM, OR 50 MPH, I FLEW OFF THE LANDING IN FRONT OF THE DOORS AND HIT THE CONCRETE SIDEWALK AND OVER THE PARKWAY LAWN AND INTO THE STREET! I BROAD SLID THE BIKE AROUND AND HEADED DOWN MAGNOLIA BLVD. TO THE PARK WHERE I COULD LET THE PIPES COOL DOWN AS I HID IN A CLUMP OF TREES WAITING TO PUT THE CAPS BACK ON! I SAT THERE AND SMOKED 2-3 CIGARETTS AND THEN REAL QUIETLY RODE BACK TO THE FOSTER FREEZE STAND! I PUT THE KICK STAND DOWN AND SAT THERE WAITING FOR JERRY TO COME OUT! HE FINALLY CAME OUT LAUGHING SO HARD HE COULDN’T STAND UP. HE LEANED ON THE HANDLE BARS AND STARTED TELLING ME WHAT HAPPENED! IT EMPTIED THE WHOLE FIRST FLOOR AND NO BODY SAW WHAT MADE ALL THE NOISE! THERE WERE LOTS OF GUESSES BUT NOT ONE OF THEM EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEING A MOTORCYCLE!
JERRY HANDED ME MY $10.00 AND I BOUGHT A FOSTER FREEZE FROM HIM!
IT MADE THE FRONT PAGE OF THE VALLEY TIMES; “MYSTERIOUS NOISE EMPTIES OUT THE MAIN FLOOR OF NORTH HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING” POLICE AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS ARE INVESTIGATING!
OTHER THAN TELLING THIS TO NUMEROUS PEOPLE IN THE PAST 60 YEARS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE PUT IT IN WRITING! I DOUBT IF THERE ARE ANY OF THE TEACHERS OR PRINCIPALS STILL ALIVE BUT IF THERE ARE ANY ALIVE I WOULD LIKE THEM TO KNOW WHAT THE ‘MYSTERIOUS NOISE” WAS!
THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE.
HOWARD
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