I first met Justin when he was about 9 years old the first time I was mowing the lawn at our new home, as pictured. He was walking down the sidewalk and stopped to watch me. I hit the kill switch on that new Murray push mower and went over to talk to him. We hit it off and I ended up giving him something like 4 bucks to mow that lawn.
Maureen and I lived on Lakeshore Drive for many years and Justin and I became pretty good buds. He would come over on Saturday morning and we would listen to "Swap Shop" and laugh at all the hoons on there. Once he and I went to Bass and Bass Junk Store and I bought a homemade 4way electrical adaptor that started on fire the first time I plugged it in.
Justin still laughs at me about that.
We have continued to keep and touch, he just called me recently to let me know he just picked up a BMW SUV. He is doing real well and travels alot with work and loves it. He counts along with us so.....Hey Dude!
Well, just after meeting Justin, I figured I should mosey on down to his house and introduce myself to his folks, Jamie and Ken. I did and it turned out Jamie, an elementary ed teacher, taught at the same school Maureen was a Speech Pathologist at. Jamie is the one who owned that 80's era Lincoln Versaille I mentioned here.
Ken is semi retired and, best of all, a true car guy. At that time, he owned something like 14 Mustangs, a 41 street rod, an Aurora, a factory built replica of a Shelby Cobra, and a bunch of other stuff. He, also, is a founding member and on the board of SAAC, the Shelby American Automobile Club. Now he has a ton of more stuff including an old Falcon Ranchero that I absolutely lust after, even though it is a shortroof.
Well, of course, we hit it off and he was gracious enough to park his Aurora in the driveway and garage of one of my model homes for the Parade of Homes in the mid 90's. I was often asked if the car was included in the price of the home. I commented it was a $75,000 option. Sadly, today, most builders would include it.
We also have stayed in touch over the years.
As an aside, he and Jamie always come up to the Turkey Run and we hook up. They have a friend who has a Palace here and they stay there. A couple years ago, it was cold and we were going to pick them up on the side of the road at the end of the driveway. thejeepjunkie and I were in the oleragtop and, on the way, we stopped and picked up hot cocoa for them, those teatotallers. We arrived with the top down but the windows up to find them shivering on the roadside. The KenMan got in back with thejeepjunkie and Jamie got up front with me. The heater was roaring, a car quilt tossed over her lap and the cocoa was passed. Jamie, as gorgeous as she is, looked at me with Thanks in her eyes and said, "It doesn't get any better than this, top down, full heat, and hot cocoa." I will always remember that moment. thejeepjunkie offered the KenMan a cold one but the KenMan was happy with his cocoa also.
A while back, he sent me a picture of him next to this old longroof he saw while vacationing out Californey way.
And when I say, picture, I mean picture. Ken has absolutely no computer savvy and, unabashedly, says he never will. I think he had so much fun blowing stuff up in Vietnam that he thinks nothing can top that. I tried until I was blue in the face to get him up to speed on the net and he is just not interested. Old school til he's gone. Although only in his early 60's, he tells me 'that stuff is for you kids'. I am 48! Love the KenMan.
As I mentioned, he is a car guy and enjoys them as much as I do. Every year, his Christmas cards are auto related. In just the last several years, I started to hang onto them. You can see a few just below.
About the name, KenMan. As Jessica was growing up, I was trying to figure out what she should call Jamie and Ken. I asked Jamie what she thought and she told me Jessica could call her Jamie around the house but at school it had to be Ms. Young. Fair enough. But with the KenMan, I knew Ken would just not work. I remembered we called by Grandpa, Man, and mentioned this once to Jessica. She said, 'Dad, I could call him KenMan', which he is to this day. He calls me either longroof or LeeMan.
As you can see, in the upper card of this image, he is putting that Ford Torino out of its misery. The lower card is a pic of the rear 1/2 of a Ford Shelby, as is evidenced by the rear 1/4 windows.
A few years ago, he visited the Salt Flats while out for the SAAC Convention.
Of course, he has to write on the card sideways. We are alot alike.
Earlier this year, the bus was looking a jeep on ebay and we were talking about it. It turns out it was located about 15 minutes from the KenMan's summer place up in Door County, Wisconsin. I mentioned to the bus I would get the KenMan to go look at it. Of course, when I contacted the KenMan, he was all for it and called the guy. It turns out the dude had it listed in the wrong section of ebay and the current bid was something ridiculous and was pissed off. He told the KenMan he was not going to give it away and removed the listing from ebay. The bus was worried the KenMan bought it for himself. I told the bus not to worry. "There is no Blue Oval on that vehicle so I know the KenMan is not interested in it." And he wasn't.
So, anyway, the KenMan has a penchant for this era Mustangs that the Florida and Georgia Highway Patrol had, at the time. Maybe other states as well? Anyway, the KenMan has one and heard of this one down near MickeyMouseLand, about 45 minutes from me.
A couple weeks ago he called me and asked me if I would run down there and check it out. Of course, as I am not so busy these days, I told him I would.
Well, unfortunately, it was a POS and I called the KenMan and told him as much. It was apparent the car had been wrecked or, at least, the hinges for the doors were shot. Just check out the gap in this above photo. The KenMan thanked me immensely and wanted to offer me some cash for running down there. I told him, due to my current situation, just drop a $20 bill in the mail for the gas. He said, 'Done deal and thanks for saving me $4,500.00'
Well I didn't hear from the KenMan for, as I mentioned, a couple weeks. Then in today's mail, I get this generic card in the mail from him.
I then knew why I didn't hear from him for such a time. He probably scoured every junk shop in the greater Wisconsin area to find this card showing a pile of large rocks on "County 'Z', Sister Bay, Door County, Wisconsin", Copyright 1984. So unlike the KenMan.
Until I opened it up. If you can't make out the text, he and a buddy were at a Pig Roast, not cop! as he mentions, and his buddy picked up a '55 Seagrave Firetruck and drove it home. He goes on to comment how they held up Labor Day traffic all over the place. See, we are alot alike.
He included a photo of him taken with "My New Friends". Probably on a recent cruise he and Jamie took.
Best of all, he included a ton of decals for the olestationbus.
Of course, he also included a check for $30.
And although he will probably never see this:
Thanks KenMan, enjoy your friendship and hope to see you at the Turkey Run this Thanksgiving.
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