This is about a silly a statement as a covey of Chickens finding solace eating hay in an open field. The cow reference is about LPR’s upcoming autocross adventure at the Cow Palace parking lot in South San Francisco. LPR autocross has finally found a place to roost for 2020.
Yes, Virginia, there really is a place called the Cow Palace, a once thriving arena for auctioning cows to the highest bidder. This was a big part of the bay area’s booming agriculture-farming industry for many decades, but thanks to the onslaught of the computer age the vast arena hit the trail of obscurity. The cows as well went the way of the five-legged Rooster and were relegated to nest in the dust bin of history.
The bright light, once a dim bulb, still shines for LPR and the autocross crowd. Thanks to some intense negotiations over a period of time our autocross team procured an agreement with the honchos at San Mateo County who oversee the venue – and the blast around the parking lot is on, cow pies notwithstanding.
The dates are: August 30th; September 13th and October 25th which will be the annual Kill-A-Kone Autocross to benefit the Morgan Autism Center.
To register go to Motorsportreg.com, for all the details check out the LPR Facebook Autocross page. There are numerous protocols in place and if you want to participate you must abide by these rules. This isn’t your dad’s or granddad’s autocross anymore thanks to the COVID-19 and all that comes with this nasty virus.
Also on the horizon is the LPR Family Picnic on September 26th at Roaring Camp in Felton. This location was used last year with one of the highest attendance in LPR history. This year may be different with ( again) protocols in place with all of the rules, regulations and whatnot that comes with this pandemic.
We’re currently keeping our fingers and toes crossed that nothing happens that may call off this annual picnic. This is the same with autocross, tour and any other social event planned throughout the remainder of the year. It’s a wait and see, then wait and see some more.
And Now For Something Completely Different…
A few columns ago, back when sanity reigned supreme, I mentioned receiving a phone call on the Ameche and a Duck with money in its mouth.
As promised to the five or six diehard readers of this column here’s what that was all about: A movie was released in December of 1939 called The Story of Alexander Graham Bell starring Don Ameche. This movie was so wildly popular that the phrase, “Call me on the Ameche” became a part of the Americana landscape. Everyone, who could afford a telephone during the Depression, was calling their friends and relatives and using this vernacular. How do I know this? My parents and older sister always laughed and thought it was a hoot to keep using this slang throughout the 1950s. As a kid I didn’t get it, but laughed as moral support. I finally got the message as I matured, whenever that was.
Also floating around in the 1950s during the “Golden Age of Television” was a weekly program called You Bet Your Life starring Groucho Marx. Groucho, with his bushy eyebrows and cigar smoke fouling the air, would regale contestants (usually two) with questions about everyday life in America and if one answered the question before the other he or she would win a cash prize, or a toaster.
The kicker, or hook, of this program was the secret word and if it was uttered during the program a Duck, resembling Groucho, would fall from the ceiling with a $100 dollar bill waving in the breeze and dropping into the hands of the lucky contestant. A hundred bucks back then was a handsome amount and nothing to sneeze about. Today, people sneeze at a hundred bucks just to sneeze.
This, of course, was my introduction to life into the “Golden Age” age of TV. Before any of this there was a vast array of radio programs to churn a young boys’ imagination. I’m sure the younger LPR crowd doesn’t have clue about any of this, but I bet there’s a few of you out there that do. Raise your hand if Groucho, Lucy & Ricky and Gunsmoke bring back fond memories? Oh, the Porsche 356 was just beginning to come into its own during that era, another plus for the “Golden Age.”
Finally…
A Sunday drive has become our norm these past several months, usually around the valley’s seldom used back roads then back home to veg. Another treat on Sunday, when not enjoying the countryside drive, is a breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants in Santa Cruz. The Porsche gets a nice round trip over the hill workout while we get a delicious meal while gazing out at the sand and sea. Of course social distancing is in place and wearing a face mask is required. I tried to eat a pancake while wearing the mask and it provided other guests and several of the wait staff with a hearty chuckle, no one told me I had to remove it while eating, some of us old goats learn the hard way, just like growing up in the 1950s. See maturity above, then call me on the Ameche.
Stay safe and healthy during these trying times and maybe we’ll see you on…the road ahead.
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