I still hate the smell of “Rich Corinthian Leather.”
“Boys, guess what I drove home.”
My Dad worked for car dealers while I was growing up in Statesboro, Georgia. He began at a Toyota dealership, then transferred to another marquee, Chevrolet. Subsequent moves to the local Ford and Dodge dealers whet my appetite for automobiles. Dad would often leave with the family car in the morning and show up for supper with another ride that was a “steal of a deal” or, in other words, the used car manager knew nobody else would buy it.
AMC Pacer, AMC Gremlin, & two big arse Pontiac Woodies
We ended up with a an AMC Pacer POS, an AMC Gremlin POS, and two Pontiac Station Wagons with big V-8 engines that some college professor traded in…Dad couldn’t resist the faux wood glued to the side slabs of the tanks and came home with both of them. Those cars set him back about $150…yes, for…two…automobiles. We parked them end-to-end in the back yard in Edgewood Acres. Subsequently, Mr. Hubert Clark, our next door neighbor built a wooden fence for “privacy”…and to keep me and my brother out of his pool and from chasing his pretty daughter, Rosemary.
Keg Parties next door in Edgewood Acres
Mr. Bob Worthington, our other neighbor, took the eyesores in stride. He just invited Father Lucree and some of the (From The Land of Black Socks and Sandals) Catholic Brigade in Edgewood Acres for a keg party and 27 successive renditions of “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” on Saturday night after Mass.
Of course, I think Mr. Bob enjoyed sticking it to Dad knowing that the soft acoustic guitar and those sweet harmonies floating in through the screened-in windows were keeping the owner of Edgewood’s biggest fleet of used (and neglected) automobiles from enjoying a good night’s sleep. After all, my Baptist preacher Dad had to be ready to throw some brimstone in the fire on Sunday morning. And, after a bad night’s sleep, he had no problem throwing more wood on that smoldering pile.
“..take a ride, ride, ride, ride on Heavy Metal…(and fiberglass)”
Corvette C3 from Maxie Price Corvette World on the showroom floor
“Volare’” and…
the F-U-R-Y
1967 Mercury Cougar and 1967 Ford Mustangs…ones that got away
Here’s a commercial for the ’67 Cougar…Motor Trend’s Car of the Year. It’s got the big cat (a cougar, I guess) that growls. I always liked those ads.
Lincoln Mercury sponsored “THE FBI” with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and you have to admit the intros were good.
And for those of you who bothered to read this far, here’s a commercial for a Mercury Cougar with Farrah Fawcet Majors:
The Beaver House in Statesboro…go hungry; you won’t be disappointed.
John Conley, Linda Conley, Mark Conley, and Bob Conley at The Beaver House in Statesboro, Georgia
Man, was I stuffed and my bro even ate more than I did. How many times has that been said at The Beaver House over the years?
Yesterday, I made a quick run down to Statesboro to pick up a brand new order of notebooks from Randy Lewis at Lewis Color. This is embarrassing but I got lost leaving Waynesboro. Instead of taking 25 going south to Millen, I took another turn off the bypass at Waynesboro and after a couple of more turns ended up in Sardis. My, navigation system (aka my wife) was on the phone with me while she checked out Google Maps online back at the ranch. Sardis does have police so don’t think you can bust it through there.
The family finally sat down to lunch (here’s the menu) at The Beaver House by about 1:30 p.m. The crowd had thinned out and we had a friendly college girl wait on us. After getting some sweet tea in a real glass, here comes the homemade biscuits, the mashed potatos (and gravy…chicken or steak…I don’t know), green beans, macaroni and cheese, butter beans, and some country fried steak and fried chicken that will give your Mama’s a run for the money, honey.
Mrs. Sue and Clay are cookin’ up this grub everyday. Make sure you’re hungry.
The Chick-fil-A Spicy Sandwich
The Chick-fil-A in Loganville, Georgia’s iconic road sign.
When I was growing up in Statesboro, Hardee’s was a treat (it’s a law that every small town in South Georgia has to have a Hardee’s – look it up). I can remember the smells of the restaurant, the shakes (always strawberry), and the hamburgers had a certain flavor a little different (maybe the sauce?) from McDonalds, Burger Chef, Burger King, Dairy Queen, and Wendy’s. (That was about it for small-town South Georgia hamburger joints.)
You know that you’re home at Chick-fil-A.
I did sample the new Chik-fil-A Spicy Sandwich - it was good and had a little kick to it. I was part of a new promotion but it looked like they weren’t making a big deal of it at the Lawrenceville restaurant.
My youngest son and I had been to a car show in Loganville and stopped by Chick-fil-A on the way home to get a couple of ice Dreams to cool off.
Zaxby’s – let me know if you find a better chicken joint.
Every few months, I make the short trek to Thomson, Georgia, from Gwinnett County to meet my folks and leave one of my children for a visit to my childhood home in God’s Country, Bulloch County. We usually meet at the Zaxby’s since everybody likes the food.
When I meet my folks in Thomson, we always share a meal at the Zaxby’s right next to I-20.
This past Saturday, the day was beautiful and sunny. I took my daughter to meet Mama and Dad at the appointed Zaxby’s. When we got there at noon, fifteen or twenty people were already in line…none of them were my parents. It hadn’t been that long since I’d seen them and I think I would have recognized them. We waited about three more minutes and they pulled up in the parking lot. By the time that we got in line, only 3 or 4 people were ahead of us. The line was really moving quickly.
Mama and my daughter wanted the House Zalads with fried chicken, Dad got the #1 Chicken Finger Plate, and I got the Grilled Sandwich Sandwich Meal. I always get Sweet Tea and dilute it with some Unsweet just in case somebody dropped the sugar bowl in the tea pitcher (hello, Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s!) Note to self: buy a Zaxby’s Ice Machine…oh man, that ice is perfect!
I can’t remember anything.
Anyway, we got our order from Christian, the friendly blond behind the counter. Her manager was helping out. She was very nice as well. We didn’t talk to anybody else although I did make four trips back to the counter for the food…then ketchup that I forgot…then a Diet Coke for Dad…then a water bottle that didn’t make it on the tray. I know one brunette that I kept walking by must have thought I was hitting on her…or either she recognized me from the “Don’t Take Checks From This Man” photo on the counter next to the cash register.
Zaxby’s Tea and ICE…the ICE from Zaxby’s has it’s own Facebook Page!
Everybody gobbled up their food. My sandwich was good with the perfect amount of Zax Sauce on it. The fries were spot on…not too greasy. Dad acted surprised that he ate all five of his chicken fingers but I don’t know who he thought he was fooling. Mama and my lil’ girl must have enjoyed there Zalads since they didn’t leave hardly a crumb.
I checked the Men’s bathroom; it was clean and tidy. The music was pleasant..some eighties hits.
The Final Verdict is In
This Zaxby’s I’ll give a 9.3 on a 10 scale. The only thing that might could be improved was the room temperature. It was too cool for some patrons who had thrown on coats…in August.
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