Well, I'll be danged... I made it!

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

I'd-a never expected it.

 

But this morning, I looked in the mirror and there was an Elder Statesman lookin' back at me.  

 

Fourteen lustrum behind me.  First day of my eighth decade on the the planet.  And most of the men in my family don't make it past fifty...  

 

Dang!!  

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Better buy a lottery ticket.

[Canton Chris]

Congrats!

[Sixgun Seamus]

Nuther 8 days and I'll be joinin' ya.

 

And OH...by the way....Happy Happy

[DeaconKC]

[J-BAR #18287]

Well done, well earned.

 

Celebrate!

 

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

sure beats the alternative

 

[Alpo]

[bgavin]

Hot dang... I didn't think you were that old from the look of your photo.
I'm only in my 7th decade

[Cactus Jack Calder]

Congratulations Hardpan.

Now the easy part is over. You need to bear down and start writing more of your memoirs before they slip your mind.

Those ‘College Days’ adventures you have chronicled are a good read.

 

I know of what I speak. I’ve fifteen lustrum and one year. My Grandkids say I am starting to repeat myself.

 

CJ

[Sedalia Dave]

 

 

 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

1 hour ago, DeaconKC said:

 

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

 

 

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

Happy Birthday!  I'm not too far behind you.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Warm it up for me.  I'll join you in 6 months and 9 days.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Happy Birthday, Hardpan!

[Dawg Hair, SASS #29557]

Happy Birythday, Hardpan, ya beat me by 6 months!

[Singin' Sue 71615]

8 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

I'd-a never expected it.

 

But this morning, I looked in the mirror and there was an Elder Statesman lookin' back at me.  

 

Fourteen lustrum behind me.  First day of my eighth decade on the the planet.  And most of the men in my family don't make it past fifty...  

 

Dang!!  

Happy 'geezer' birthday!!! May you have 20 more!!!

[watab kid]

seems like only yesterday ......i still look in the mirror in the morning expecting to see that sixteen year old face looking back , 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

THANK YOU ALL!!   

 

So, Sassparilla Kid arrived late yesterday and spent the night - and late this morning, said "Dad - I got ya a birthday present - but it's down at the ranch."

 

That would be my godsons ranch - his dad was the late Hank; my college fraternity brother and essentially the big brother I never had.

 

SO....  we saddled up and headed down to the ranch.

 

An hour later, we pulled into the driveway by the tractor barn - aka "the shop."

 

"Well... do you see it?"  

 

And there it was.  A 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle.

 

Now, a digression:  "Back In the Day," I had many adventures in my 1973 Super Beetle, "Otto."  Yellow, "Texas Gelb," that li'l car served for many years as my hunting and fishing rig.  Twice I had blacktail bucks in the luggage compartment.  And, with Koni high-performance struts and shocks mated with sticky Pirelli tires, it would handle far better than a TR-6.  Otto sported a nice Blaupunkt stereo mated to ten speakers; two woofers, four mid-range and four tweeters.  I have terrific memories of bombing along forest roads blaring everything from the William Tell Overture to the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.  Wonderful times!  

 

One of the dumbest things I ever did was to sell Otto... that magnificant, "Texas Gelb" (yellow!) Volkswagen.  But I did... and ever since, I've lamented.  

 

The car that greeted me this afternoon is rough - it's going to require a LOT of work; but The Kid, my godson, and I are up for it.  There will be some welding required to replace body panels, a fair amount of mechanical work (the engine is fresh and the transmission is sound!), paint.

 

Speaking of paint!  This beast is a sad grey; she's been re-painted at least twice.  But, with part of the dash and the door panels removed, her original paint is revealed:  Texas Gelb!  

 

She will be Texas Gelb again~!!!  

 

Gotta ask - any suggestions for a name for the new "chariot??"   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is exactly what Otto looked like, except for the seat covers:  Otto's were black.

 

 

[Three Foot Johnson]

I realized at this weekend's shoots, I've been a Silver Senior for the past eight months. 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

19 minutes ago, Three Foot Johnson said:

I realized at this weekend's shoots, I've been a Silver Senior for the past eight months. 

 

Yer a kid~!!  

[Noz]

Boys I'm a year into Patron and I'm here to tell you, it don't get any easier like I had been told.

[Pat Riot]

Happy Birthday Hardpan! 

I had to go look up Lustrum. Five years. 
The word “lustrum” just sounds old timey. 
I would prefer “Celsius”. Today you are 21 in Celsius. 

[Sixgun Seamus]

22 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Happy Birthday Hardpan! 

I had to go look up Lustrum. Five years. 
The word “lustrum” just sounds old timey. 
I would prefer “Celsius”. Today you are 21 in Celsius. 

Oh come now....you should be ashamed of yourself.....anyone whoever watched "Rooster Cogburn" should know the meaning of lustrum. (When the judge told Rooster he had served the court for almost two lustrums)

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I'm surrounded by old people. 

I'm only 70 

OLG 

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Hardpan  Ive been occupying ES for almost 3 years. Welcome aboard. Now, as to the car, Jersey Bratt had a yellow 73 Super beetle that her then husband traded out from under her for a s@*tbox stationwagon, and she is still mad about that! She does love VWs. Have fun 

 

Imis

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

I had a '72 Super in "Texas Gelb". It had been ridden hard when I acquired it. Wasn't quite as dependable as my '70 standard was. The '70 was a beautiful dark green with a black interior. I also had the book on the beetle's history, "Small Wonder".

[Snakebite]

19 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

I'd-a never expected it.

 

But this morning, I looked in the mirror and there was an Elder Statesman lookin' back at me.  

 

Fourteen lustrum behind me.  First day of my eighth decade on the the planet.  And most of the men in my family don't make it past fifty...  

 

Dang!!  

Better come out and shoot our Sept match to seal the deal. Call the car Cooter.

[Cypress Sun]

Happy (belated) Birthday and congratulations on reaching a giant milestone.

 

I learned to drive a stick on a '73 Beetle....my stepfather probably still has whiplash from me figuring out how to use a clutch.

 

 

[Alpo]

Is the replacement Otto going to have a working hood I MEANT TRUNK  latch, or will you (in a fit of nostalgia) chain this one shut too?

[bgavin]

Only one problem with Otto:  it's tough to have a trunk monkey.


 

[Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme]

Happy belated Birthday!

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

By golly now proud of you!

Lead on, Pard!

[Yellowhouse Sam # 25171]

By golly welcome to the club!