Radio Free Beetus.
A couple years ago I wrote something about my friend Beetus. That's not his real name. We just always called him that. It was a post about flying the Shelby.
Me and Beetus, we go way back. Known each other since we were kids. We even worked at the same gas station where we grew up in Jersey. The guys who owned the gas station called me Gustav. That's not my real name. They just always called me that. They would drag it all out so it sounded like this. "GGOOOOOOOSTAAAAAAAV"!!!
They had a name for Beetus too. They called him The Flying Chap. It was cautionary in nature. Like when we had to take the old International Scout out to jump start some customers car. "Oh God son. Don't let him drive, he's The Flying Chap"!
So Beetus lives far away now. Me and Beetus are still tight. last week Beetus decided to buy me a CB radio that I can use at work. Since I now drive big trucks for a living, it was a very useful gift.
Beetus didn't buy me a CB radio out of the blue. It's something I've been meaning to do. The truck I usually drive has a broken old radio in it. It worked at one time. Now it's down for the count. That old radio has broadcast it's last ten-four. Not that it matters, but just for the record. I don't say ten-four on the CB radio. I find myself saying roger, received, okay or just 'kay. When I was a cop we said received. Some departments say ten-four. We just said received.
I'm going to drink some coffee and have a cigarette. I'm really not sure where this is going. I guess I'll find out when I get there. I do know that I will be traveling across waves of caffeine. Through smokey blue clouds of nicotine that will drift up from my back porch, rolling under the edge of the overhang only to ascend towards the heavens. My gift to the stars. My second hand smoke for the gods.
I'm back. That's better.
So Beetus orders the radio and antennae in a slip-seat set up. I can hook it up in any truck I drive in less than five minutes. It's good to have a CB radio in the big truck. Road conditions, construction delays, Amish buggies on the highway. You can get a good heads up on these things with a CB radio. You have to listen to a lot of nonsense as well. It just goes with the territory I guess. Today I drove with my new radio for the first time. It came U.P.S. here to this drafty old house on Wednesday. I did the overnight Pittsburgh trip Wednesday night for Thursday morning at midnight. Didn't have time to set it all up before I left.
Wednesday night's trip was odd. 102.5 FM, WDVE Pittsburgh was playing a bunch of John Lennon stuff while I was southbound on 28 approaching the city. Seems it would have been John Lennon's birthday. He would have been sixty-eight were it not for that jag off who decided to shoot him. Instant Karma was one of the songs they played. When I first heard Instant Karma, years and years ago, I thought he was saying "Mr. Carter's 'gonna get you....."... I guess I thought he was singing something about President Carter. I'm not even sure if he was still President at the time when I thought that. How's that for screwing up lyrics?
Dyer Maker as I cross the Allegheny River on The Purple Bridge after my first stop in Fox Chapel. "Oh oh oh oh oh oh"... Slowly I climb the long hill towards Oakmont. I caught the lights at the railroad tracks green but I thought they were going to be red so I was downshifting when I should have been getting on it. Fly Like An Eagle while I climb that hill.
Queer As Folk. Some of the houses on the right while me and Steve Miller slowly climb that hill remind me of that TV show. I only saw one episode when it first came out and we had one those free preview weekends for Showtime. Came out. I didn't mean nothin' by that. It seems funny now though. After I read it I mean.
Turn right at the S&T Bank. The traffic light is flashing because it's like 0230 hours and the traffic lights around there just flash that late at night. I go under the highway and over the tracks to wind down the hill as what sounds like an old iron block Harley with a big after market cam and straight pipes warming up comes rolling through the truck cab speakers. Hot For Teacher. Van friggin' Halen. It's worth turning up a little. As I round the last curve on Milltown Road I see the bright neon lights of the used car place that stands next to the Plum/Penn V.F.W. Canteen that's right across from the entrance to the Verona Community Market. I have to turn into that parking lot. I have to follow the ramp to the back of the store and make my second delivery.
Next stop is off 56 in Lower Burell Township. I stay on 56 and head back out towards route 28. First I stop at the Donut Connection. I can swing into the very large lot behind Donut Connection. The lot by the Staples. I walk across the lot and enter the Donut Connection. The Stones are playing in my head and I'm cracking myself up. You Can't Always Get What You Went. You know the line where he says something about meeting a connection. Get it? The Donut Connection.
I was never as tough as I once believed I was. The older I get, the easier that is to face. Don't let the ink on my arms fool you.
My wife had chemo today. Her next one is on Halloween. I screwed that all up in my last post. Her last chemo session will be right around Thanksgiving. So. Only two chemo sessions left. She got a free gift bag at the hospital today. A handmade bag with some cards and other sundries inside. A volunteer group from Pittsburgh put them together for the chemo patients. She was happy. It's nice.
The older baby girl is gone now. Living in the dorms in downtown Pittsburgh. She's home for the weekend. I drove down after work and picked her up, along with all her laundry. It's really good to see her. It's really good to talk to her. It's even better to listen to her talk about all the doings at the college. She loves the city. She's a city girl at heart. I love my daughters.
Thanks for the radio Beetus. Good commo is hard to come by these days.
Me and Beetus, we go way back. Known each other since we were kids. We even worked at the same gas station where we grew up in Jersey. The guys who owned the gas station called me Gustav. That's not my real name. They just always called me that. They would drag it all out so it sounded like this. "GGOOOOOOOSTAAAAAAAV"!!!
They had a name for Beetus too. They called him The Flying Chap. It was cautionary in nature. Like when we had to take the old International Scout out to jump start some customers car. "Oh God son. Don't let him drive, he's The Flying Chap"!
So Beetus lives far away now. Me and Beetus are still tight. last week Beetus decided to buy me a CB radio that I can use at work. Since I now drive big trucks for a living, it was a very useful gift.
Beetus didn't buy me a CB radio out of the blue. It's something I've been meaning to do. The truck I usually drive has a broken old radio in it. It worked at one time. Now it's down for the count. That old radio has broadcast it's last ten-four. Not that it matters, but just for the record. I don't say ten-four on the CB radio. I find myself saying roger, received, okay or just 'kay. When I was a cop we said received. Some departments say ten-four. We just said received.
I'm going to drink some coffee and have a cigarette. I'm really not sure where this is going. I guess I'll find out when I get there. I do know that I will be traveling across waves of caffeine. Through smokey blue clouds of nicotine that will drift up from my back porch, rolling under the edge of the overhang only to ascend towards the heavens. My gift to the stars. My second hand smoke for the gods.
I'm back. That's better.
So Beetus orders the radio and antennae in a slip-seat set up. I can hook it up in any truck I drive in less than five minutes. It's good to have a CB radio in the big truck. Road conditions, construction delays, Amish buggies on the highway. You can get a good heads up on these things with a CB radio. You have to listen to a lot of nonsense as well. It just goes with the territory I guess. Today I drove with my new radio for the first time. It came U.P.S. here to this drafty old house on Wednesday. I did the overnight Pittsburgh trip Wednesday night for Thursday morning at midnight. Didn't have time to set it all up before I left.
Wednesday night's trip was odd. 102.5 FM, WDVE Pittsburgh was playing a bunch of John Lennon stuff while I was southbound on 28 approaching the city. Seems it would have been John Lennon's birthday. He would have been sixty-eight were it not for that jag off who decided to shoot him. Instant Karma was one of the songs they played. When I first heard Instant Karma, years and years ago, I thought he was saying "Mr. Carter's 'gonna get you....."... I guess I thought he was singing something about President Carter. I'm not even sure if he was still President at the time when I thought that. How's that for screwing up lyrics?
Dyer Maker as I cross the Allegheny River on The Purple Bridge after my first stop in Fox Chapel. "Oh oh oh oh oh oh"... Slowly I climb the long hill towards Oakmont. I caught the lights at the railroad tracks green but I thought they were going to be red so I was downshifting when I should have been getting on it. Fly Like An Eagle while I climb that hill.
Queer As Folk. Some of the houses on the right while me and Steve Miller slowly climb that hill remind me of that TV show. I only saw one episode when it first came out and we had one those free preview weekends for Showtime. Came out. I didn't mean nothin' by that. It seems funny now though. After I read it I mean.
Turn right at the S&T Bank. The traffic light is flashing because it's like 0230 hours and the traffic lights around there just flash that late at night. I go under the highway and over the tracks to wind down the hill as what sounds like an old iron block Harley with a big after market cam and straight pipes warming up comes rolling through the truck cab speakers. Hot For Teacher. Van friggin' Halen. It's worth turning up a little. As I round the last curve on Milltown Road I see the bright neon lights of the used car place that stands next to the Plum/Penn V.F.W. Canteen that's right across from the entrance to the Verona Community Market. I have to turn into that parking lot. I have to follow the ramp to the back of the store and make my second delivery.
Next stop is off 56 in Lower Burell Township. I stay on 56 and head back out towards route 28. First I stop at the Donut Connection. I can swing into the very large lot behind Donut Connection. The lot by the Staples. I walk across the lot and enter the Donut Connection. The Stones are playing in my head and I'm cracking myself up. You Can't Always Get What You Went. You know the line where he says something about meeting a connection. Get it? The Donut Connection.
I was never as tough as I once believed I was. The older I get, the easier that is to face. Don't let the ink on my arms fool you.
My wife had chemo today. Her next one is on Halloween. I screwed that all up in my last post. Her last chemo session will be right around Thanksgiving. So. Only two chemo sessions left. She got a free gift bag at the hospital today. A handmade bag with some cards and other sundries inside. A volunteer group from Pittsburgh put them together for the chemo patients. She was happy. It's nice.
The older baby girl is gone now. Living in the dorms in downtown Pittsburgh. She's home for the weekend. I drove down after work and picked her up, along with all her laundry. It's really good to see her. It's really good to talk to her. It's even better to listen to her talk about all the doings at the college. She loves the city. She's a city girl at heart. I love my daughters.
Thanks for the radio Beetus. Good commo is hard to come by these days.
posted by Squarehead at 9:10 PM
3 Comments:
oh, shine, shine, shine. here's the way your writing shines. good stuff.
I'm glad you edited the post to include a quick update on your wife. I hope she gets through the next several days without feeling too awful. Just having your daughter visit probably makes her feel better.
Hey thanks Okay. Sometimes, when I don't try too hard, it flows. I guess. It's always easier when I'm tired.
Hey Just Me. Thank you so much for your concern. She seems to be a little better. On Saturday she was up on a ladder outside the house putting some caulk around a window.
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