Chicago, 1968:

 

2024-
Does history repeat itself?

In 1971 my fellow Flight Commander "Harry" let everyone know his '67 427cu. in. Corvette with three two-barrel carburetors was for sale. He had received orders to return to Viet Nam for a second tour.
When I expressed interest my friend Harry said "Greybeard, you DON'T want this car... When you put your right foot to the floor the gas gauge needle moves just as quickly as the speedometer! It gets 6 miles per gallon on PREMIUM fuel."
I passed on the purchase.

Now that car, similar to the one pictured above, is valued at well over $100,000.
But it's a paperweight...
Who could afford to drive the thing today?

Jack Dempsey's Dog

My school bus driver also owned the local hardware store. He was a good guy and knew me well enough at age 9 to address me when we met. His name was "Jack".
Jack owned a little terrier that raced alongside his truck as Jack drove to the hardware store.

Pulling out of his drive one day, Jack ran over his dog. Luckily, he didn't kill him .
But the dog's injury required a trip to surgery where his right rear leg had to be amputated.
Next thing I knew the dog was back chasing after Jack's truck as he went to work. If you didn't look closely you could never tell the dog only had three legs!

I don't think I ever knew the dog's name.
My friends and I called him 'The Arithmetic Dog"-
Because he "put down three, and carried one"!