The Burgundy Potato

 

The Baked Potato-Before

Ever since I was a child, the lowly spud has been one of all time favorite foods and it remains so today. But  the potato of which I write is not an edible variety, but rather one that was at one time mobile.

Almost a decade ago, when I was a very new rural mail carrier substitute, I needed to replace my delivery vehicle. Rural carriers deliver out of their own  vehicles and it is an ongoing struggle to find and keep transportation. At this particular time, I was fortunate to but  a vehicle from a fellow carrier who had just upgraded. Turns out that the $500 I paid was one of the smartest purchases I have ever made.

The vehicle in question was a 1979 Ford LTD, nicknamed the baked potato since  there was a small hole in the floorboard that allowed heat to enter. It had been plugged  with aluminum foil, I believe.

Not long after the purchase, I was delivering mail from tis vehicle when I was rear ended by a truck traveling at a rather high rate of speed. Although sitting still at the time, my vehicle was propelled  about 100 feet or  so down an embankment and into a tree.

To this day, I consider myself very blessed to have been uninjured except for being very shaken up. The wife still thinks I suffered a minor concussion but for some inexplicable reason, I declined medical attention. ( Duh!!)

When you view the “after” pictures you will no doubt share my amazement at being unhurt. I have never been a big fan of Ford products but I shall always

be indebted to the vehicle that became known as yes, the mashed potato!

Whither Goeth GM ?

Well, the other shoe has fallen, so speak. General or Government Motors , which it ostensibly is now, has filed for bankruptcy. It wasn’t the biggest corporate filing ever but is probably the most iconic. Time will tell us how far the rippling effects will spread. How many dealers will disappear, how many plants, how many parts suppliers, how many jobs, how many people will be be impacted.

There are many ironies and probably, significant blame to go around. A brief  perusal of Michael Moore’s website almost seemed to say, they(whoever they are) got what they deserved. A picture on Drudge showed a high flying American flag above GM’S Detroit  headquarters building, rich symbolism that. The President made the official announcement from Washington, which seemed a bit odd. He reportedly said that the government would not be involved in the day -to-day operations of the company. But , long term or major decisions were another matter entirely.

Many years ago, GM boss, Charlie Wilson,  was famously quoted before the Senate as saying what was good for GM was good fort the country. He actually said something a bit different- “…for years I thought what was good for our country was good was good for General Motors and vice versa.” That quote is officially undone.

As one whose first first car, a 1962 Chevy on up to today’s 2005 GMC Canyon( and most in between) were GM vehicles, I will confess to a bit of sadness. My dad thought Chevrolet embodied good and Ford evil. So when i bought my first non GM vehicle in 1975, I was a   bit chagrined. Later when I acquired a  Ford product, I was almost glad he wasn’t around to see it.

It is now a new era, who knows what sort of  GM will emerge or if it will last since the man the President put in charge  is  a 31 year old, almost Yale Law grad named Brian Deese. Good luck sir, you shall need it.

The Camel And The Tent

Reports are circulating that GM boss Rick Wagoner, will be soon, very soon, announcing he is resigning. So what, you say.At first glance, perhaps his resignation is a good move, considering General Motors precarious position. But that is not necessarily why he  is stepping down.Basically, he is being told to quit by his new boss, President Barack Obama.Yes, friends now the U S government is telling businesses what to do. Look for this to continue as federal money flows into companies as bailouts or stimuli. Never  for a minute think that the government will not exert some control. However, the man in this photograph still  does not look very happy, does he? Reminds me of a phrase I heard as a kid,”someone licked all the shine off his sucker”.

AP/Getty image- GM CEO Rick Wagoner

And, Politco.com as well as the WSJ are reporting other concessions and/or actions may well be required. The President told Bob Schieffer of CBS that”They’re not there yet.” Where Obama’s there is , is as yet undetermined as are the reasons for the administration asking for Wagoner to step down.

I bet that Ford is thrilled they don’t need bailout money. Let’s see, they will replace the bow tie emblem, Jeff Gordon’s car will be renumbered 1600 and oh who knows, move GM headquarters to Chicago maybe?

Listerine, Ginger Ale And Neosporin

It’s interesting to note the attachments  we have to things and examine how  we came to have them. Most of have either a favorite brand of car, of toothpaste, a university( hint, the colors are light blue and white) or any number of other products or services. Sometimes we can trace those attachments, sometimes not. And the reverse can also be true. Our major dislikes of things can often be readily traced as well.

My father was a big fan of Listerine mouthwash. He was more than willing to extol its virtues for any number of ills; sore throat or cold as well as its original use. My mother, on the other hand, was a big believer in ginger ale. Feel bad, drink this, we always have some. If I remember correctly, it had to be Canada Dry or it did not count. Similar to them, I am always willing to extol the virtues of Neosporin for cuts , scrapes, etc. We even used it to help our dog’s hurts when he was with us.

It is interesting that we still employ ginger ale today in our three collective families to  aid in curing various and sundry maladies.  My daughter has even passed the virtues down to the grandchildren. But we  are not quite  as good at always keeping it on hand. Listerine is interesting in another way. I grew in time to despise the taste while admitting the benefits. So, we kinda drifted away to first one brand, then another.When the guys at Johnson and Johnson got their act together and came up with more palatable flavors , we returned to the fold.

Without  belaboring the point, several major likes  and dislikes can be traced back to my parents. Chevrolet-yes; Ford-no . pinto beans – yes; a food which my  eastern NC born wife cannot abide yet. My sisters tell on occasion that resemble our dad, not physically, but in mannerisms( ways, the old folks called it) more and more as I age. I truly consider that  to be a compliment . They are probably not including the stubbornness and my  greater degree of  holding my opinions very, very strongly.

This is a rich vein in which to dig and perhaps it will be good to revisit at a later date and give my wife equal time. Still, I cannot help but wonder how many of our quirky ways and favs that my son and daughter’s families will adopt or have already. Truly, the  preacher wrote , “There is no new thing under the sun”.

Shalom, yall.