MayYourFeetAlwaysBeSwiftVille
I try to reserve Friday afternoons for what a retired colleague used to call 'white space'.
For me, that means trying to spend a little time reading the science geek papers that have caught my eye over the previous week or seven purely because they're interesting as opposed to the stuff I absolutely have to read because it is directly in the lab's wheelhouse/field of study - papers like this.
Unfortunately, more often than not this doesn't happen because I'm forced frantically finish a whack of administrative tasks I've been putting off all week but which have finally caught up to me because they have deadlines that (hopefully!) haven't already passed. Today that included a couple of reference letters, a comprehensive exam report, the writing of a meeting abstract, contacting a bunch of colleagues in an effort to cajole them into visiting with an upcoming seminar speaker, and reading a thesis.
I was just settling in with the latter, mid-afternoon, when I heard a bunch of excited kid voices on the quad across the street from my office.
When I looked out the window I saw three young boys and their Dad running around going bonkers taking turns making a remote control car do flips off a make-shift ramp and manipulating a small, powered glider that would circle up for, maybe, thirty seconds before it gently depended back to the pavement.
I was immediately taken back 50 years to balsa wood and/or styrofoam glider throwing with my two brothers and our Dad. Of course, a little later when things got really fancy, the gliders had wind-up, rubber band-powered propellers and everything.
Anyway...
I wonder if today's Dad later later took his kids swimming at the Crystal Gardens and afterwards treated them to Nalley's Piccadilly Salt'n Vinegar chips from the concession stand before making a stop at A&W on the way home for a quart of brown fizzy stuff in a wax paper container pinched closed with staples at the top (so that we could have root beer floats after dinner).
Just saying.
.
I try to reserve Friday afternoons for what a retired colleague used to call 'white space'.
For me, that means trying to spend a little time reading the science geek papers that have caught my eye over the previous week or seven purely because they're interesting as opposed to the stuff I absolutely have to read because it is directly in the lab's wheelhouse/field of study - papers like this.
Unfortunately, more often than not this doesn't happen because I'm forced frantically finish a whack of administrative tasks I've been putting off all week but which have finally caught up to me because they have deadlines that (hopefully!) haven't already passed. Today that included a couple of reference letters, a comprehensive exam report, the writing of a meeting abstract, contacting a bunch of colleagues in an effort to cajole them into visiting with an upcoming seminar speaker, and reading a thesis.
I was just settling in with the latter, mid-afternoon, when I heard a bunch of excited kid voices on the quad across the street from my office.
When I looked out the window I saw three young boys and their Dad running around going bonkers taking turns making a remote control car do flips off a make-shift ramp and manipulating a small, powered glider that would circle up for, maybe, thirty seconds before it gently depended back to the pavement.
I was immediately taken back 50 years to balsa wood and/or styrofoam glider throwing with my two brothers and our Dad. Of course, a little later when things got really fancy, the gliders had wind-up, rubber band-powered propellers and everything.
Anyway...
I wonder if today's Dad later later took his kids swimming at the Crystal Gardens and afterwards treated them to Nalley's Piccadilly Salt'n Vinegar chips from the concession stand before making a stop at A&W on the way home for a quart of brown fizzy stuff in a wax paper container pinched closed with staples at the top (so that we could have root beer floats after dinner).
Just saying.
.
8 comments:
that there rubber band-powered propellers and everything doesn't make a sound .... is the engine ..... broken? or should musk take a look at it to make it more efficient, sound wise
NVG--
As a bicycle rider it's the relative silence of those Muskian engines that is scariest...
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If I remember, the glider was 10 cents, the more advanced propeller type was 25 cents?
Chuck--
Sounds about right...And that extra 15 cents was no small thing when a bottle of pop cost 12 cents and you got 2 cents back when you immediately took the bottle back into the corner store so you could get your penny candy to go, most often to play road hockey in the schoolyard down the street.
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The wee balsa gliders were 5 cents, the larger ones 10 cents and with a rubber band 25 cents, from the gas station/store on number 5 road in Richmond.
The big treat was a Saturday morning shopping on Fraser St. and bread from the Wonder Bakery (with a free cookie) and lunch in the car at White Spot on South West marine, now gone.
Every three months or so, the family would venture downtown to Woodwards (the best toy department in Vancouver) and the Bay, which meant a lil suit and tie and my hair Brilcreamed back. The elevators all had young blonde teen operators and announce each floor as they manipulated the operating handles, like they were driving a train.
On the way home we would top at my Grandparents for Saturday Roast Beef, finally ending up at my uncles where i got to play with their real Lionel train. My parents could only afford a much cheaper used MARX train for me, but it didn't matter as it chugged on a little oval of track, but for me we were crossing vast mountains and small stations.
Who needed remote cars?
EE--
That is some Saturday...
For me, Woodwards in Victoria was for the glazed donuts!
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For us up the road in Duncan, Peter’s Bakery had the best glazed doughnuts. Thankyou Mr and Mrs Reinhold!
Today’s best glazed doughnuts are at the Cumberland Bakery. DJF
DJF--
Excellent information for the next island road trip.
Thanks!
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