Nutty Buddy

Just wanted to share a story that only a handful of people I've told.

I had been an auto painter for many years and at this time was working for a mom and pop shop out in the country.  I worked for a guy who became my best friend.  Johnny was a big man, 6' 6", 250 lbs (I think he was a bit chubbier, but who's gonna argue with a 6-6 guy? lol), with hands the size of a gorilla.  A voice that was so low it was nearly off the octave scale.  His size and voice intimidated most, but he was truly a gentle giant as well as unflappable.  The guy was as "cool as a cucumber".

Johnny and I used to drive into town nearly everyday to have lunch.  It was a nice drive (8 miles) and got us away from the shop.  On this day we'd finished lunch and were headed back to the shop.  At the edge of town sits a little convenient store where we would occasionally stop for whatever it was we needed to stop for before heading back to the shop.  Today Johnny wanted to stop to buy himself a treat.  I was pretty full from lunch and decided to wait in the truck.  About 2 minutes into our stop, a car pulled up next to the truck on the drivers side.  I looked over to see an elderly woman driving and a young girl in the passenger side.  I thought nothing of it and sat back, closed my eyes while I waited for Johnny.  I no sooner closed my eyes when I heard a big "Bang".  I sat up and heard bang, bang, then some yelling, then screaming.  I then saw a guy, he'd run up on the car that the woman and girl are in and starts beating on the roof and kicking the doors yelling at the them to get out of the car.  For a second I thought "Oh Crap".  I sorta slid down in my seat peering over the dash in anticipation that someone would intervene.  Much to my dismay no one confronted this guy, they just waltzed in and out of the store like nothing was happening.  A couple people paused for a moment just to look, then continued into the store.  Now mind you, this is all happening pretty doggone fast and I'm trying to assess what to do all the while wondering "where the H is Johnny??"

At this point the guy is now trying to bust the drivers window out with his fists, the woman and girl are screaming, I hear a baby crying, it's chaos!  The store's owner comes out and goes to confront the guy and the guy shoves him back up on the walkway where he falls to the ground.  Here I go (Oh chips!), I slide out of the truck, creep around the back side of the vehicles and now see the guy has opened the left rear door and is stretched out yanking on the baby's arm trying to pull him from his car seat where he is obviously strapped in.  All I hear are screams from the gals, him yelling, and the baby crying.  Everything is happening sooooo fast.  I sneak up behind this guy, snatch him in a choke hold and pull him away and behind the car.  I'm thinking "I hope to God this guy don't have a knife", "where the H is Johnny", "is someone calling the cops?" all the while this guy is tussling, kicking at my ankles with his heels (i'm sure we looked like we were "hopscotching" for a moment there, lol) trying to break himself free.  I'm want to look around for Johnny (in hopes that he'll come HELP me), but at the same time I don't want to turn my head for a moment from this guy.  I keep trying to look around, but don't see him.  The next thing I hear is a woman shouting at me, "let him go, he's my son!"  Seconds are like minutes, time has just slowwwwed down.  I've shut out all the noise and see this woman's face angry, her mouth looks like it's moving in slow motion.  I'm thinking "this is frickin' nuts".  "COPS ARE ON THEIR WAY" breaks this silent trance i'm in and then all the noise just pops back on and hits me like when I go to start the wife's car and she's left the radio on full blast "BAM".   Within a minute it seemed, I see 2 patrol cars flying up the street towards us, lights flashing, no sirens.  This guy now starts flopping around wildly, then goes limp, and now I'm trying to hold him up without choking him to death.

I had to tell the whole story as it happened in hopes you could grasp the "intensity" of what had transpired, but I want to assure you that the true highlight of this story is what happened next...

Two officers snatch this guy from my grasp, slap cuffs on him all the while the mom's still screaming at me and the cops telling them I hurt her son.  I'm finally able to take in a deep breath, then deep sigh of relief.  I then think to myself "Johnny!"  I turn to see where or what had happened to him only to see him standing on the walkway with a crowd of people holding and licking a stupid "Nutty Buddy" ice cream!  I looked at him in amazement (more like WTF??), then felt my blood pressure skyrocket, I pointed my finger at him, then told him to get his A$% in the truck.  Not a word was spoken between us on our ride back to the shop.

We laughed and joked about it later and I will forever remember seeing him standing there enjoying his Nutty Buddy ice cream bar just as if he were enjoying it at a movie at the theater, lol.

"Johnny"

Leap Day Giveaway

Leap on over to my Artisanistas blog for your chance to win an awesome Betty Boop embroidered leather backpack.

With less than 4 days to enter at this point, your odds of winning are pretty good, lol.  Click the link below, follow the entry directions on the giveaway post.  Hope to see you there!

Artisanistas

Two Tickets Update

After receiving the two citations I wrote about a few weeks ago I decided to submit a written plea and explanation on each of the two counts.  I received response from the Municipal Court Judge yesterday.  Here were his findings....

Count 1:  Failure to provide proof of insurance.

Verdict:  DISMISSED!

Count 2:  Operating a motorvehicle while using a communication device.

Verdict: 

Cell Phone Class!!

I had no idea.  Boy, they think of everything, no?

Happy Valentine's Day



If I love you, what business is it of yours?

A Tale Of Two Tickets



After over 35 years of driving without a single traffic violation or ticket (well, there have been a few violations, without the ticket as no coppers were around at that moment, teehee.) I received not one, but two tickets yesterday, ugh! 

I was running errands and while I keep my cell phone with me at all times I never (ok, rarely) use it while driving.  I'm one of those guys that even with a bluetooth device I'm liable to crash into something.  I'm the type of guy who can't talk on a phone (landline) and listen to a conversation as I'll lose what both are saying, the one on the phone and the one trying to talk to me, lol.

Well, I was downtown and approaching a traffic light that had just turned red.  As I came to a stop my phone rang.  Normally I would have just let it ring then looked at who had called after I reached my destination, but nooooooo, I answered it (knowing this light takes FOREVER to change).  At the very moment I answered it, a police officer on bicycle (BICYCLE!!) came around the corner, saw me on the phone and rode straight up to my window.  I closed the phone, rolled down the window and politely said "hello officer" (more like "What?").  Cordials were'nt gonna cut it with this copper, he said to me "When the light turns green I want you to pull over by the curb across the street".  Without another word (having the right to remain silent ya know) I rolled up my window and looked blankly at the red traffic light. 

The light turned green and for a split second I thought "He's on a bike, I can out run him".  Then I envisioned myself in a gawd-awlful chase with helicopters and squad cars reminiscent of the OJ chase of '94.

I pulled over.



Through my sideview mirror I could see the law abiding officer walk his bike across the crosswalk, park it behind my truck, and begin to walk towards me.  I knew my ____ was in a ringer.  Without hesitation, he said "license, registration, proof of insurance".  I handed him my license, then the registration, and at the moment I went to give him my insurance card I realized that my new card was sitting on the counter at home and I could hear my wife saying "Here, you NEED to put this in your truck".  I thought, 2 outta 3 ain't so bad, right?  WRONG!  The officer returned to the cab and started to recite the laws "The State of Oregon requires motorists to carry proof of insurance in their vehicles at all times.  The fine for failure to provide proof of insurance is a max $260.00", I gave you the max" (I thought aren't I special).  He went on, "The operation a vehicle while using a communications device is a misdemeanor and the fine is $110.00" (there goes 2 rounds of golf!).  "Do you have any questions for me sir?" (again with the right to remain silent treatment) I just shook my head.  "You have a pleasant day sir".  For a split second (I think in those split seconds often) I thought about backing up over his bike, but somehow the picture I drew in my head of sitting in that jail cell awaiting arraignment just didn't look or feel good.

  

      

 Lesson learned.

With No Further Ado...



I would first like to ask you to scroll slowly through this post so as to not reveal the winner immediately, hehe.  Also, I'd like to thank all of you once again for joining in on the Valentine's Giveaway.  It was awesome to read your comments and to hear which of the items in my shops you liked.  A special thanks to my new blog followers as well.

My "State of Art" random selecting method consisted of the following....

Your names were printed on a sheet of paper (each exactly equal in size and weight)

All the names were then placed in my "high tech" selecting device....

The lid was applied and the shaking began....

A single name dropped from the device....

Who could it be I wondered?

The excitement was unbearable as I had to wait a minute before I unfolded it completely....

Then, the moment of truth....

Winner of my 2012 Valentine's Giveaway and Vintage Sweater Guard....





CONGRATULATIONS!



Potterygirl1

 



The Fun Never Ends



Hi all,

Just wanted to share my deal of the day (actually last Saturday) in which I happened upon this awesome little vintage chest of drawers and vanity.  I'd been on the hunt for such as the granddot is making that transition from lil girl to fashionista and had been begging me to find her a vanity (no makeup included! ha!!).  Cruisin' the thrift stores I came across this pair of vintage gems....

This little pair circa 1940's was too adorable to pass up and when I inquired as to the price, I couldn't believe nor pass it up.  Twenty bucks for the pair!! (yeah, that's what I thot too!!)  The chest is 36" tall x 24" wide x 13" deep and the vanity measures 28" tall (57 to top of mirror) x 39" wide x 16" deep.  The drawers are all dove tailed and overall in exceptional condition.  I'm still trying to determine what type of wood it's made of.  Now that I've happened upon the style of furniture I'll be on the hunt for a matching bed and bookcase.  Hopefully I'll be able to sell the current bed/bookcase to help pay for the new.  The fun never ends!