Week 20: '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda

'Cuda. That's Barracuda. Like that French bread-shaped fish with the grr grr grr teeth. Nasty fast car. Nasty looking fish.

I'll get back to this car in a bit, but let's talk fish. I've only seen a real live barracuda (fish) in an aquarium, but during my honeymoon in Jamaica, my wife and I went snorkeling, and I saw a barracuda-like fish below me in the water looking up at me as I swam over. By that, I mean it was vertical, not horizontal, absolutely still, its head pointed toward up like some type of fish rocket ready to blast off.

Everything in Jamaica was more intense. Birds were brighter, insects louder, smells more fragrant, coffee stronger. I swore I had never seen the color blue before seeing it in Jamaica -- all blues back home seemed like cheap chromatic knockoffs when compared to the plumage, fin-age, and ocean-age of bird, fish and water in Jamaica. Divine.

That was the only time I have been to the tropics, and excluding a couple of trips to Canada, the only time I have been out of the country.  The Jamaica trip is legendary to my kids, however, even though Racer Z was only four and Racer A and Baby G were only not born. I'm not even sure they see Jamaica as a real place, but a mythical world, highlighted by the music of Bob Marley, which is embraced by everyone in my family all the way down to Baby G and his lil' baby roots rock skankin' to "Three Little Birds".

Do you see where this is coming from? If you're reading this and you're in the Midwest or Northern U.S., then you know -- below zero temps and the primary color outside being Grey Dirty Slush, part of the Midwestern January Palette, which also includes the popular Threatening Sky, Road Salt Stain White, and Frozen Finger Blue shades. I'm ready for color.

Which is why I love my bird feeder. Flashes of color arrive like wisps of party music from a far off house, and while many don't have the color intensities of their Jamaican brethren, the contrast of red cardinals, yellow warblers, blue bluejays, red-capped woodpeckers and even the tropical coloring of a scarlet tanager the other day are highlighted vivid against the grey of an Ohio January. How cool is to be vibrant if everything is colorful? No, Ohio is able to really give them the proper visual contrast they deserve.

So how does a birdfeeder, Jamaica and grey January even remotely relate to a 1970 Plymouth AAR Baracuda? Perhaps you are thinking my connection is nonexistant? 

Let me tell you: AAR stands for All American Racers, driver Dan Gurney's racing team; Dan was the primary driver for the 1970 Barracuda in the Trans-Am racing series. This was a fast, fast car, a three-carburetored factory-built racer.

January in Ohio may seem long, but we're almost to February, and winter is flying by, just like a 1970 Barracuda -- I'm planning my garden and exploring summer activity options for my kids. The winter is a blur, a flurry blur, and warm weather is waiting at the finish line up ahead.

Now it may also be that I simply picked the above Hot Wheels because it is a cool muscle car.

 You will have to decide.

Above is a picture taken by Jim McCormac of a scarlet tanager, from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources website.

Winter zipping picture of my 'Cuda courtesy of Phil Pekarcik - Go 'Cuda, Go! Even winter can't catch you!

For those collecting at home, the  '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda pictured is 2 of 10 of the Hot Wheels 2010 Muscle Mania Collection, and was released in a  tropical fish collection of orange, blue, yellow, white, green, and magenta. 

Week 19: '71 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

Wood Panels! So real looking, woodpeckers keep landing on that car!

That was a joke we made about a used car with wood paneling on the lot during my four-month stint as a car salesman sometime at the beginning of the 90s. I don't remember the vehicle -- I think it was a van.

My four-year-old son saw the above Matchbox before I removed it from the package and asked me why there was wood on the side. I did not have an answer for him.

The car was a novelty to my kids, not only for the seemingly pointless woodgrain strip, but also for the skylight, and because they had not heard the term "station wagon."   Station wagon sounded exotic.

But honestly, what could be more exotic than an Oldsmobile (Daddy, what is an Oldsmobile?) Vista Cruiser, a vehicle so hip Bill Gates named an operating system after it?* (*Before I get sued, I should mention that I  have no proof whatsoever that Microsoft Vista was named after this vehicle, but it's a pretty good theory, isn't it? Nonetheless, just to be safe, I moved the footnote up from the bottom to here.)

Listen, kids, let me tell you, that vehicle sported a 350 cubic inch V8 engine, and if you wanted to really out fly the woodpeckers, you could get a 455 cubic inch V8 as an option. Now I might have only been eight years old when the real thing was out, but I remember that vehicle. Oh yes, I remember.

And I remember wondering why is there wood on the side of that car?

I find this car cool now, in that awkward, kitschy kind of way, and I wonder if minivans will attain that retro cool mystique for my kids when they become adults.

I'm fairly certain they won't.

So fear not, wood-paneled Matchbox, and take your place proudly among the muscle cars and luxury vehicles in the Daddy's Matchbox lineup.

You are cool in my world, and the world of my kids.

And because I've found a Matchbox car that has little plastic dogs in the back, I am cool in theirs.


(Trivia: The vehicle that gets crushed at the beginning of the Chevy Chase classic Vacation is a 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.)


This hot ride was from the 2010 Matchbox Heritage Classics collection. Photo courtesy of Phil Pekarcik.

Memory of Childhood

I pulled into the preschool parking lot, which was fairly empty, probably due to the snow. I wondered out loud if a lot of the kids would be out today.

My four-year-old son answered. "Well, So---- is here."

Looking around, I didn't see any kids, so I asked how he knew.

"That's her red car. It's a Volkswagen."

Walking with him from the car to the door, I noticed the red car was indeed a Volkswagen, and his classmate was inside.

At age 47, I can't tell you what my most of my friends drive, and I know at age four I couldn't identify a car's brand.

The Daddy's Matchbox daddy was so proud.

Week 18: '09 Corvette Stingray Concept Car

I love concept cars, the automotive equivalent of runway fashions -- cars (and clothes) as outrageous, bold, dramatic and weird as they dare before growing up and settling down into the safety of consumer markets, where they will sport more conventional and acceptable lines, and where they will keep their creativity much more hidden.

Concept cars, to a certain extent, bring a bit of childhood dreaming to the serious business of car making. These are cars that will never hit the road exactly as displayed, and that absolutely doesn't matter. They are there to excite and amaze.

My ten-year-old inherited a huge hodge-podge of Legos from my oldest son (now 21 and living on his own) and, over time, has made his own additions to this big lime green storage container. Found in this box are bits of various Lego theme sets covering underwater adventures, the old West, Star Wars, knights and dragons, Indiana Jones and more, as well as classic Legos, all mixed together in a timewarped blending of history, pop culture, science and science fiction.

What emerges from this green box in the hands of my two sons (age four and 10), just as what emerged some  12+ years ago in the hands of another son, are creations of  pure concept -- anarchy over the once planned structure of the Lego theme, with every piece re-purposed into something else, forming machines that fly, dive, or race, creating buildings that offer tele-transporters, or travel in space, or serve ice cream and all varieties of candy, concept creations that amaze, and astonish... with lasers.

There are always lasers.

These are the concept cars of the Lego jungle, built for the sake of being built, with minimal concern for practicality.

Try to do that now.

I dare you.

Try to use Legos or some other toy set and just build something fanciful, without worrying about the details of what exactly it does or why that piece was designed for something else. Just dream and play.

My guess is that, for many of us as adults, we might find this difficult. After all, we've had many years of training in the school of practicality and acceptability.

We might even cling to the safety of the classic yellow Lego squares.

For many of us, at some point, dreaming shifts from being freeing to being scary, as the friction caused by what might be possible grinding against the limitations of our practicality sends sparks into our consciousness that we hope don't cause a mental fire.

Since losing my job, I've had the luxury, the absolute gift, of spending time with my children, of watching them learn, and talk, and imagine. I didn't see my dire situation as a gift at first, but I do now, and I am a better human being for the experience.

 For the first time in years, I'm permitting dreams to grow without being bullied by the status quo. For the first time in years, I'm seeing a world of possibilities, and, even better, a world of living, outside of the constant noise and rush of prefab ideals of success.

I might not be able to build that crazy Lego flying ice cream store yet, but, I'm able to play again, and that's a great start.

So here is to the concept car, may it live on.

Now if it only had a laser.

Photo of the Corvette Concept Car courtesy of Phil Pekarcik. 
This car is part of the 2010 Matchbox new model, so get looking if you want to still find it on the shelves.

Daddy's Matchbox Gets Some Honest Scrap

Way back when, in December 2010 (remember them times?), a Daddy's Matchbox supporter and wonderful blogger, Barbara Lambert, nominated me for an Honest Scrap Award. Barbara is the author of Notes from the Second Half  (http://notesfromthesecondhalf.blogspot.com/).

Honest Scrap is a pay-it-forward Internet meme allowing bloggers to be recognized and in return recognize other bloggers they feel demonstrate qualities of heart, soul and sincerity.

In Honest Scrap, you give credit to the blogger that nominates you and in return nominate other blogs you feel are deserving, honest, and noteworthy -- I've heard between five and ten blogs -- I'm going with five.

Additionally, you provide five (I've also heard seven and  ten) honest things about yourself.

Thank you Barbara for the Honest Scrap nomination!

Honest things about the Daddy's Matchbox daddy, Dale Luckwitz.

• My first job was as a grocery store clerk at age 14. Since then, I have worked as an editor, proofreader, English teacher, printmaker, bartender, cook, roofer assistant, garden center employee and probably some other jobs I've forgotten.
• I routinely read articles on educational theory and trends, particularly regarding technology.
• I love old black and white horror movies, particularly Vincent Price flicks.
• I am directionally challenged, and frequently get lost while driving.
• I enjoy cooking, am okay with doing dishes, but flat out dislike putting dishes away.

My Honest Scrap nominations:

1.  Even though Jeannette Ordas has a bunch of awards, still, what an inspired, creative individual. This Canadian blogger gives some wisdom, some humor, and a ton of great cooking recipes and tips on
http://everybodylikessandwiches.com -- this is the kind of blog that makes life a little bit better.

2. Perhaps my favorite blog is Matt Novak's http://www.paleofuture.com. I came across this looking for retro images for a post in my humor blog Thought Bubbling a few years ago, and have been following it ever since. The blog looks at 1950s and earlier nostalgia that looked at predictions for the future, now our present. Flying cars, robots, architecture -- that type of thing. What I love about this blog, besides the great images, good writing, and thorough research, is that it exists! Matt has consistently updated and kept this blog fresh. I never tire of browsing this one.

3. Ben Szporluk, a runner and owner of an indie record label Elephant Stone Records, now works a day job, and chronicles the combination of these elements in his blog http://www.rocknrollrunner.blogspot.com. I put this blog on here for it's heart, exploration of that difficult mid-life place I am also at, and it's odd combination of running and rock and roll.

4. I wanted to add a new blog on here, so have added Louisa Blackmore's http://westegg-interiors.blogspot.com, even though this blog only has a few posts. This made my list for that intangible quality of simply being interesting. I stumbled across it without  any connection to furniture restoration or the writer, but I hope the blog continues. I am fascinating by a blog chronicling a company's birth and development and the honest discussion of the ups and downs, and on the few posts so far there are great pics. I hope this one continues.

5. http://www.baconismagic.ca is an absolute beautiful blog to look at, read, and experience, with amazing pics, of the solo travels in South America of a young lady who writes with honesty and a flair for the visual. Seriously, you'll love this one.



An odd mix up of blogs, to be sure, but all ones that have some Honest Scrap to them!


Again, thank you Barbara for the nomination!

Week 17: Toyota Prius

Daddy's Matchbox welcomes everyone to 2011!

To kick off the New Year, I selected a hybrid to represent those New Year Resolutionish commitments I have set to be less wasteful and more conservation-oriented.

On a related note, I have also begun eating healthier (although independent of any resolutions), and have gained an unlikely supporter in these efforts: Racer Z, my ten-year-old son.

My son met my healthy eating efforts with so much enthusiasm that I initially thought it was some type of trick or trap. After all, isn't his prerogative to complain? 

For whatever his reason, however, he is ready to focus on healthy, and no small part of that might be modeling, which, for the 1,057th time in my life, I need to be reminded is a hypercharged developer of the way kids think and feel. What we do and model as adults, even more than what we say, drips and drops into the internal workings of our wards, helping them to become who they are becoming. Don't you hate that!?

Obviously, there are biggies -- smoke in front of your kids, they are statistically more likely to become smokers -- but the little ones so often slip past us.

 How do we handle the frustration of a political news story we see on television? Do we grumble to ourselves? Name call?  Inadvertently make some offhand pessimistic or nihilistic comment about this person or that group screwing or getting screwed or outwardly toss society into that downward  traveling handbag? Guess what --  they see and hear not the specifics, but the way of looking at the world. They take in how we respect or disrespect, or blame, or give up. Seriously?

How about that sigh and sideways look one makes when his or her spouse says something that gets the goat? What? I'm the only one that occasionally does that? Okay, then what about how we respond when a project, say plumbing (for me, a prime example), goes horrible, sprayingly out of control? What are we teaching them about pitfalls and failures and tennacity, which we all know are the building blocks of success, but which we all forget are the building blocks of success when water is shooting out of a pipe into our eye?

Modeling is so powerful, and has a chain reaction effect. Little ones want to be like older siblings. The other day we were driving and I caught the tailend of an argument between the ten-year-old and the four-year-old in which the youngest was crying, literally crying, "I'M A CHATTERBOX TOO!!"

I must have called Racer Z a chatterbox, and the younger one, wanting so much to be on equal footing with his bigger brother, was arguing that he was also one of these chatterbox things, whatever they are. My older son was explaining that no, Racer A didn't talk nearly as much as him, so was not a chatterbox. The argument grew in intensity, finally bringing in the parents, when the little one yelled, "DADDY?? AM I A CHATTERBOX TOO? A-- SAYS I'M NOT!! I WANT TO BE A CHATTERBOX!!!"

We're all modeling behavior for someone, so for this New Year of 2011, I'm tossing this into the Toy Car Bin of Should Be Obvious Resolutions That Often Get Past Me:

Pay Attention to the WAY I handle conflict and frustration in front of my children.

And guess what? I'm going to try to not fake this, but really be more healthy in the way that I approach life. When I can't, though, faking comes in a runner-up in this modeling competition. 

Happy New Year's everyone!!

Photo and creative staging of  Matchbox Toyota Prius by Phil Pekarcik -- interpret the copper balls as you will -- for me, they represent the elegance and wealth that 2011 will bring, but if you want to see them as something else, have at it, ya chatterbox!