San Geraldo has kindly shared his computer while mine is being repaired. I received email today from Goldenmac Service that my computer needed a new fan and not a new mother-censored board. So, they´ve replaced the fan and are spending the next couple of days testing and re-testing to ensure all is well. And the price is unbelievably inexpensive. I suppose I should just say cheap because that´s what it is. (My English brother-in-law has told me my use of the word inexpensive is an example of informal and impolite Americans being formal and polite when it´s unnecessary. Well, at least that´s what he used to say. Maybe the Brits have picked up that habit as well now.)
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| DUSSELDORF, GERMANY, CHRISTMAS 1973. YOU SEE? I ALWAYS HAD A HIGH HAIRLINE. (OK. IT´S HIGHER NOW.) |
To the great delight of Sergio at Goldenmac, I do in fact regularly back up my computer. So, I´ve got dupes of everything on an external hard drive. I also have selected documents on a flash drive I keep with me at all times. I´ve got a bunch of new photos on my camera. But, moving photos back and forth from my camera or external hard drive using Jerry´s computer is a bit much, so I pulled up another oldie from the archives.
My sister was living in Germany. The parents of my roommate lived in Belgium. And my niece had just been born a month earlier. So, my cousin and I flew to Germany for winter break and then met up with my roommate in Dusseldorf (and then on to Brussels). We did what any dippy American college students would do while in Dusseldorf (when taking a break from beer-drinking). We went antiquing. The only English the proprietor of the shop seemed to know was: “Grecianland. Veddy oldt.”
So, I bought myself two beer steins, clearly marked in German “Made in Germany”; and a hand-carved koi fish that I think was Japanese. But I was told they were all very old and made in Greece (well, at least, Grecianland). Here I am holding the carved koi fish, which it turns out was dried out and cracked and ended up splitting in two during one of our moves. I must have been into fish at the time. I´ve got a fish carved out of an olive pit (also Japanese) around my neck. I bought it at the Brooklyn Museum for 25 cents and sadly lost it about a year after this picture was taken.
Come to think of it, I also wish I still had the small sample of petrified dinosaur dung that my parents bought for me. My father attached a bell cap to the top and put it on a chain. It was charming. I used to love to watch people´s faces when they held my pendant between their fingers admiringly and asked me what it was.
Hello Mitch:
Well, let it not be said that you have only sought out 'run of the mill' collectables. We have to say that we have never heard of anyone owning a piece of petrified dinosaur dung, let alone having it fashioned into a necklace. You have always been a front runner in the fashion stakes, we imagine!!!
Jane and Lance:
My parents were rock hounds and found the dinosaur dung among the stalls at a gem and mineral show. They immediately thought of me for some reason. But I have to credit them with being fashion forward. It was actually kind of ¨tear drop" in style… with a bit of a twist (literally). I think I might look online for some more.
what a interesting collection 😉
My hippy-ish days. I was really dressed up in that photo.
When you mentioned "Grecianland" I immediately rambled sideways into the hair product Grecian 2000 and your somewhat Crystal Tipps & Alistair hair! My apologies!
The Owl Wood:
Maybe that´s what he was talking about! The Dowager Duchess has suggested that my beard is a bit too gray. I think it bugs her that her son looks older than she does!
You are the devil incarnate 😉 I swear. 1973….is the year Jim and I met….did we look like that…I know Jim did! lol Very handsome in hippie kind of way!
Ron:
Didn´t Jim post a very early photo of you one time? I thought you looked exactly the same… you little…!
I am so impressed that you sported a chunk of dinosaur dung around your neck! That is the ultimate of cool! What can a guy possibly do as a follow-up to that?
Ms. Sparrow:
I looked online and haven´t found one that looks like it. Now, I have two screws in one ear lobe. Not quite the same.
How great is that news about the computer fan, eh? Woo hoo! Maybe the fan was made in Grecianland 🙂
Judy
As to what Ron alluded, 1973 keeps popping up for us…..EVERYWHERE!!!
You look great Mitch and so depict that time!
Just heard on the CBC yesterday that 'American Engish' is the most popular form of speaking English in the world! Your cousin may CRINGE at that!!
I love your sense of humour……imagine walking around with dinosaur poop around your neck!! lol
Jim:
I wish I still had that poop! It was a great conversation starter.
Ha! I also celebrated Christmas in Germany that year. You brought back some nice memories…I'm pretty sure I don't want a necklace of dinosaur poop, but the fish carved from an olive pit sounds intriguing.
Kristi:
People loved that dinosaur poop until I told them what it was. Wow, do you think we passed each other on a train or in an airport in 1973?
One of the most delightful Christmas table adornments I saw last year was a reindeer that poos, fortunately chocolate drops! Now that is what I call tasteful???!
the cuby poet:
I don't know how tasteful chocolate-drop poo is. Maybe cinnamon drops would have been more pleasant. I had an aunt who had a plastic burro (ass) cigarette box. When you pressed down on the ears, the tail would raise and a cigarette would shoot out its butt. My father and I once replaced the real cigarettes with chocolate ones (removed from their paper wrappings). My aunt was never able to use that thing again.