To keep the sun from fading the paint on the back of the refrigerator?
Foot-hold for spiders to walk up & down during their exercise routines?
To supply a good source of combustible material for when the surge protector blows up?
It was on the refrigerator during the last move/installation - it was too hard to remove - so, there it remained?
Some genius figured it was a good sound dampener to reduce the noise from the compressor?
Testing of the theory refrigerators need no ventilation?
So, that's what happened to my old drapes?

Get rid of it.

 

And here is the exact van. Oddly enough it was a Mayflower. The then current owners had a history of the truck, and at one time it belonged to a circus and they moved their horses around with it. It's a 1952 or 53 Fageol. Pronounced like fragile.

 

Mike - When I first viewed the van, before reading your posts, I said to myself that is exactly the type van Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus used to move their animals. I went to three of their circuses when I was young. They were setup just outside of Elgin, IL - man, those were cool times going to a real circus. I'd love to have that van. Killer stuff.

 

Spiders? It's gone.

 

I may have been stretching it a bit. Sure seems like a great vestibule to harbor spiders and their nests though.

 

Mike - BTW, how is that black piece of material fastened? Is it fastened to the refrigerator or to the wall? How is it fastened? Inquiring minds want to know (not necessarily need to know), just want to know.

 

As you know, Ringling et al is now no more. They were going to be [either in Atlanta or Pensacola] and I asked my Mom if she wanted to go see it since it was the last time ever they would be close. Nope, she didn't want anything to do with it. That was the last place she and my step dad had gone, and that evening he developed an aneurism in his neck and died. I thought, the circus didn't cause the aneurism, but after overthinking it I didn't go either, because I didn't want her to feel bad that I got to go and she didn't. Even though she didn't want to. It was all more complicated than it needed to be.

But that truck, very cool.

 

I saw snakes with two heads and The Alligator Woman - spooky stuff, Mike!

 

There is a cabinet above the refrigerator that does not extend all the way to the wall. The space behind the cabinet's back wall is just open, and the curtain is stapled to the outside of the back wall to this cabinet. The curtain hangs down about half way in the middle of the space. When the fridgerator is pushed into it's spot, the curtain would cover the back of it and half the top. Since these people were not big on cleaning, maybe it was to keep dust from accumulating on the top. But it would accumulate on the curtain so what's the difference?

 

Maybe it was used to stop stuff from falling off the top of the refrigerator?

 

There is no top of the refrigerator. It slides right under the cabinet and there's no space to put anything up there. It would go in the cabinet.

 

The curtain is literally stapled to the cabinet? The type of staples in a desk stapler? That's weird. Or, staples like the kind you'd staple down an electric wire/cord? Still, how weird. Maybe they actually pulled that curtain over on the "front" of the refrigerator for some reason? Had kids, or a cat, or a dog, ferret or something - hell, I don't know. Maybe it stopped them from opening the refrigerator?

 

I'm gonna vote the curtain was an object 'd'art

[previous owner was married to an inferior decorator]

 

They found Zorro's old cape and needed a place to stash it.

 

Here's a story about Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey, circa 1980. I met a girl (too long a story to tell) from the little town of Baraboo, Wisconsin. The 1st time I went there to visit her family, I found out the little town of Baraboo was what was called the Summer home/headquarters of the circus. At that time, the heiress who owned the circus lived on the French Riviera. How do I know this? The father of the girl I was dating was a local attorney and businessman that handled the local affairs of the circus there. Well the father told me the heiress still owned a mansion there in town, and she only came back to Baraboo once a year when they would hold a week long celebration of the circus coming back to town, and the rest of the year the mansion was vacant. He offered to take me there and give me a private tour which I immediately accepted. It was a huge old Victorian style mansion with the separate building for cooking, a separate 6 bay garage, a huge pool, a guest house and beautiful grounds. Absolutely beautiful, with amazing woodwork inside. Couldn't really get a great look at all the antique furniture because it all had dust covers on it, but you could see all the amazing antique wall tapestries and Persian wool rugs over the hardwood floors. I got a real taste of how the upper 1% lived back in the day.

 

 

Some of what you speak about are well-known local facts to those acquainted with Ringling Brothers & Barnum Bailey and the assembly/storage/preparations and staging of the circuses put on by RB&BB, Baraboo, WI. I'm aware of the estate you're referring to since our family traversed Wisconsin Dells & Devil's Lake State Park my entire youth with cousins residing in Baraboo and in nearly every county thereabouts. It's a very interesting story of the RB&BB circus. I've read a couple books on their beginnings and how they settled in Baraboo. I've never been inside the estate. I can recall the times when my cousins would witness the circus troops leaving and coming back into Baraboo. Pretty cool. That's a cool story you have to keep.

 

My family visited the Circus in Baraboo one year, probably summer after I was out of 6th grade. We went to Wisconsin Dells that summer so I'm sure it was the same time. I don't remember much of either one, though I still have a shirt that says Wisconsin Dells on it, you can read the newspaper through it and it's about 5 sizes too small. I have it still just because.

So Chris, if you're not going to tell us about this girl, at least tell us what became of her. You went to Baraboo all the way from Michigan? Unless you swam straight across that's quite a drive. She must have been some girl.

The only thing I did at the house today was attempt to treat the mold behind the fridge with bleach. I found a spray bottle but didn't find out it was broken until I tried squirting the bleach on the wall. So I sort of splashed it around, getting it all over the floor and all over me. I have some oddly splotched pants now. Once everything is completely dry I'll slide the fridge back and call it a day. The taking apart of the walls will have to wait.

I think I'm going to buy a Valiant in Indianapolis. This car has been for sale off and on for years. It looks solid, has power steering, and I'm just a sucker for a 4 door 68 Valiant. It's an ugly sort of green and he says it needs the wiring looked at, which is why no one wants it. There was another one up that way a few years ago that someone had stenciled skulls all over the sides. I wanted that one but couldn't ever get up there. It's 8 hours each way, which sucks, but hey the prize is a Valiant!

Got the kitchen cleaned up and everything ready for tomorrow, and I'll call my Mom in a minute. Then it will be time to hit the sack. I hope I can sleep good getting to bed so early. The last week or so it's been 11 or midnight or later. Work, can't live with it can't quit. Have a good evening everyone.

 

Mike - OK, here's the story about the girl. When I was a Junior in college in Michigan, the Geology Department (my major) organized a voluntary field trip to go see several of the unique geologic features found around Baraboo, that included: Devils Lake, Parfrey's Glen, Denzer Quarry, the Baraboo Syncline, and several glacial moraines. Friday night when we got there, two other guys and myself decide we're gonna walk from our motel into Baraboo, a couple miles away, and see if we can find any nightlife. Well, as we're walking, a car is coming and I throw my thumb out, and I'll be damned if they don't stop. Two good looking gals about our ages. We end up going into town, getting some beer, and end up going out to some park to have a few. Well I hit it off with one gal, and we end up agreeing to go out just the two of us on Saturday. That was the start of about a 3-year, long distance relationship. It might have went longer, who knows, except her parents and other family members started making all kinds of comments and suggestions about us getting married! I was nowhere near ready for that, and I broke it off. And as Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story.

 

Got out of town and off the pavement with a bunch ‘o folks from work. Spent the whole afternoon out in the wilderness exercising the 4-low gear range. I thought this was a cool picture of a friend in his ‘72 Bronco. Carbureted V-8, 3 speed manual trans.

 

Hitch hiking story

When i was on my second tour of duty [to a military school in Barnesville , GA] I was miserable, My 66 Austin Healey was garaged in Buckhead and my gal was home alone. One Friday me and another bud walked out to the Barnesville bypass and got a ride on a Peach truck headed to the Atlanta farmers market. Just out of town, we convinced the driver to stop at a beer joint and bought a 12 back of tall boys PBR's

We made to to the farmers marker, then to hitched a ride to the downtown Varsity and from their to the Varsity jr [in Buckhead] where we knew we could find friends

We hooked up with some friends found our girlfriends and had a wonderful nite and eventually made it to his brothers house to borrow his car to head back before bed check

Just south of Atlanta we blew a fan belt and pulled into a service station [that naturally didn't have the correct fan belt]

As I was standing there facing my death by firing squad for being AWOL

A black Ford county squire pulled in to refuel. Pulling a trailer

The nice couple were drag racing the Bat Mobile and traveling from California to various southern drag strips. They were on their way to Macon and [i knew] would have to drive right through the middle of down town Barnesville [before Interstates were completed]

Soooooooooooo, I axed them for a ride to Barnesville


They said " sure " so I hopped in the back seat and [with a great deal of relief] knew I might get back to school in time to make bed check


About a half a mile form leaving the service station The driver said, 'Would you mind reaching back there, behind the seat and handing me and my wife a beer out of the cooler................... get one for yourself if you want"

They drove me right to the square in downtown Barnesville, let me out and made the turn to Macon, Now all I had to do was walk a few blocks to school

Only problem, one ice cold brew turned into too many and I had to prayed no cops saw me" Tacking up the sidewalk "

Fortunately, They must have been at a coffee shop, I never saw a soul and made it back to school

 

Kenneth - Beautiful scenery, nice picture.
James - Sometimes the cards fall in your favor.

 

neat stories, guys.. Ahh to be young.....

 

Kenneth - Nice picture. That looks like a blast, nice way to spend a pretty day outdoors! I wish we had off-road trails with scenery like that around us, I could use my old Ford truck.

James - Great story! All the crazy $hit we pulled when we were young and thought we were indestructible, it's amazing any of us are still around!

 

Good morning guys,

Still cool this morning, right now at 0730 it's 37, but warming rapidly and supposed to reach a high of 73 with full sun. Meeting my buddy at 1000 to ride, I'll need to leave out of here about 0920 to meet him over by his house. Going to ride several hilly backroads south of us to see the Fall colors. We're planning on stopping for a leisurely lunch somewhere along the way, and probably will be home sometime around 1600. Should be a really pretty day to ride!

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

Hi everyone.

Beautiful, beautiful day out. And warm. Gonna be this way a few days then rain.

Second nice thing, there's a radio station already playing non-stop Christmas music. I love Christmas music. On the way home today, heard two of my favorites, Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives, and the Charlie Brown theme by Vince Guaraldi. Yes that's actually a Christmas song.

So while I was off, there was a Veterans Day thing going on in the hangar, and there were two F16s still here that were supposed to depart today. The big thing was they were going to go "unlimited vertical," which I don't know what unlimited means, so everyone went out to see them depart. But they were gone a long time and we missed our mark by a few and the lead got mad and dressed us down. I felt no remorse as I didn't go out to see it.

Chris that's a great story. You could have done worse than an attorney's family with connections to the Circus. But you would have had to move to Wisconsin and become a cheesehead. Hope your ride was nice today.

Jamesbo was that the real Batmobile? I believe Barris built another Batmobile as a dragster. That car is still around. You were in military school before Emory? What happened to your friend?

Kenneth that's a great picture. Love the -original- Bronco. It will never be recreated.

Norm how's the house cleaning coming?

I've got to pay a couple bills and run over to the house and get the trash out. I find this odd. The guy that drives the route on Tuesday gets done early on Monday, so he comes into the neighborhood and empties the trash on the way back to the depot. The neighbors all know this so they put the trash out Monday afternoon, and then after he leaves they fill up there cans again and put it out for Tuesday. Can't beat twice weekly trash service.

Okay here I go. Love this day.

 

[QUOTE=slantflat;1382283]HJamesbo was that the real Batmobile? I believe Barris built another Batmobile as a dragster. That car is still around. You were in military school before Emory? What happened to your friend?
/QUOT

Mike

I have no idea, it was in an enclosed trailer

Yes, I actually went to two different ones GMA [which is now Woodward] and Gordon [which is in Barnesville]That was one of my dad's favorite punishments, Remove car & remove girls Make son march in circles [ He didn't know about us painting 8's om historic cannon *****]

My friend had a pass to visit with his brother so he didn't have to be back for morning bed check. The only reason he left Atlanta was to give me a ride back to school [Isn't very far] He got a new radiator hose and drove back to return his brothers car and returned to school at the end of the weekend

 

Mike - I believe you meant to say unrestricted vertical climb (takeoff). It's when ATC provides clearance to any elevation with no restrictions (on elevation). Normally, any aircraft takeoff is restricted to elevation(s) posted w/in ATC controlled flight unless ATC provides unrestricted vertical climb. House cleaning is meh. What can I say.

I played 18 holes this morning (not at my club). It was 48°F at 9:00am with a blistering 17mph - 20mph wind (gusting 30mph - 35mph). Didn't get much warmer throughout the day - high was 57°F when we finished ~1:00pm. The wind stayed steady all day. Lots of coastal storm surge along this course which buttresses up against the Atlantic Sound - probably 2' - 4' in some areas, but it didn't hamper tee-boxes or course of play. I shot a miserable game - actually, everyone shot miserably; but, we all enjoyed ourselves.

I cut up and removed the fallen limb from the yard. I am not cleaning house this evening.

After golf I stopped at this coffee shop next door to the grocery store. I very seldom ever grab coffee at this shop since I'm rarely on this island (where we played golf). I noticed they had fresh cinnamon rolls. They are ENORMOUS. I mean GARGANTUAN. I paid $6.50 for one cinnamon roll but it's HUGE and waiting for my eager lips (after dinner, of course).

 

Nah I actually meant to say unlimited, only because that's what was written on the homepage at work and I was just repeating it. Never heard it called that before. So unrestricted is good, too.

Jamesbo I don't think Woodward is military now but they are strict. If you don't keep your grades up they kick you out. The guy I worked for at the Farmer's Market had a 7 year old daughter go there. That's a lot of pressure for a 7 year old. I also heard that if the parents are found to have done anything "unworthy" that the kid gets kicked out.

Well I'm tired so I'm going to hit the sack. The pressure is off, Monday is over. Maybe we won't get a tongue lashing tomorrow. I don't know why that guy bothers, anything he says goes in one ear and out the other. These young guys working there don't give a damn. Eh, I'm not paying their salaries.

Have a good night everyone.

 

Mike - You want to know something I find peculiar? You're beginning a work week on a Monday.

 

Norm - That sounds miserable! I never did like playing when it was cold, for two reasons. Number 1 was, it's cold; number 2, I hated playing in enough clothes to stay warm, I hate the feeling of being bound up by clothing when trying to swing. I'm sure that humongous cinnamon roll will make the whole day better!

 

Chris - I enjoy the punishment I guess.

 

Okay Norm, I won't be able to sleep until I find out why Monday isn't the beginning of the week. Yes according to the calendar Sunday is the beginning of the week, but Sunday is also the second day of the weekend. When I worked rotating days off my week could start on any day, and my weekends were primarily during the week. I found that peculiar.

 

Alright, Mike. It's most likely me, but I thought I said you were beginning the work week on a Monday i.e. like most workers. Then, you asked why Monday isn't the beginning of the week. Right, well Monday isn't the beginning of the week, Sunday is of course. I find it strange you're beginning the work week on a Monday - since most times you begin the work week on any other day than Monday.

 

Good evening guys,
We had a great ride today, sunny and 74° for a high, and the Fall colors were beautiful. We had a bit of a mistep only 10-minutes into our ride. My buddie's Harley Wideglide had a warning light come on and was throwing an error code. Luckily, he was able to find one local Harley dealer that was open, most are closed on Monday. He called the dealer and their service department said the code was a turn signal malfunction. Well, we checked them all and all 4-corners were operating correctly, so we must went on. We are lunch at a little diner in the very small town of Caledonia, MO. Quaint little place, we were the only two in there when we first arrived. They had BLT's on the menu, which I love and hadn't had in quite a while, so I ordered two. Each order came with a side, so I had fries with one and onion rings with the other. Man 'o man were they good, really good thick cut bacon piled high. Just a really nice ride to end the season. Car season done, riding season done, downright depressing, I'm already anxious for Spring to come. I'm really glad to be helping out with my grandson's basketball team though, it's a fun activity with practices once a week right now, and then will be 2-days a week when the games start the week of Dec. 4th and the games go thru February.

Hope everyone had a great day!

 

Okay I'm not following that at all. Like I said, my week used to start on any day but Monday. The current shop I'm in starts the week on Monday so that's why I start my week on Monday. I'm guessing a lot of this is semantics.

Carry on, I'll see it at 6 tomorrow. It will be a lot more interesting than my work.

I'm 10-7 off the key.

..
..

 

Chris - Sounds like a pleasant ride. Oddly enough our best riding season is right now. But, I ride quite often anyways around here. It doesn't take long for me to hop on & head down East and back several times each week; or, over to one of the islands for an ice cream cone. My rides are generally only 60-100miles/day; but, they're enjoyable.

 

Norm - That's nice that you have a long riding season, and places nearby where you can get out. Glad to see you're still out and enjoying your bike, at least for now. Are you still planning on selling it in the relative near-term, or was that just a fleeting moment? I can see the day when I sell both my really big bikes and get something smaller just to putz around locally on, maybe something like the Triumph Bobber or the Indian Scout Bobber, I really like the looks of both of those.

 

Chris - My intentions are to sell next spring.

 

x2 who's on 1st