Kitty Closeup

1997 Pontiac Sunfire Convertible

I guess I'm on a car kick here lately. So be it.

I'm not too happy with the sketch at left... it is a bit too rushed. (By the way, in the car is me and my then-fiance, soon-to-be wife.)

In any event, I bought my first "brand new" car in 1997. As I mentioned in my last post , I got a fever for convertibles after having the Suzuki Samurai. So the only brand new convertible that I could fit in my meager budget was a Pontiac Sunfire (price around $19,000?)

The convertible aspect of this car was fantastic. The top retracted in a very efficient, fun-to-watch, motorized way with the twist of a handle. The other really cool thing that I remember about it was that the stereo and CD player controls were on the steering wheel (awesome!). Other than that, the car was kind of a dog. Gas mileage was so-so (around 23 mpg?), and I had to take it into the shop a number of times for various engine warnings, etc. But the biggest pain was that the roof leaked in the driver's side corner. It would drip on my left knee, even in the lightest fog or haze. If it rained heavily, it was like a garden hose. I took it in countless times to get that fixed, but they could never take care of it. I even had the roof completely replaced. I finally gave up and just kept a towel in the car for the specific purpose of covering my knee.

I sold this car about three years later to a guy who was buying it for his college-aged daughter. I sold it for $10,500 (cash). I made the mistake of not doing the transaction right at the motor vehicle department, and as a result, she didn't register it properly.

I got her speeding and parking tickets delivered to my house for the next year or so (she got a lot of them!) and so once every few months I'd have to go into the DMV and prove the tickets weren't mine.

1987 Suzuki Samurai

After college, I bought a Suzuki Samurai. This is the car that was infamous for flipping over on any curve taken at moderate speeds. This car was also made before the days when cars were basically rust-proof.

In short, the car was a rattling death trap. But it was a total blast to drive in the summer with the top off. It was my first convertible and will likely not be my last.

I remember at times driving down the freeway, with people waving at me, trying to get my attention that a fender was about to tear off in the wind. One time, when I parked the car at work, I walked around and the front bumper basically fell off at my feet.

I sold this car to my younger brother... I forget the price. Maybe $500? He painted the entire thing camouflage and put on wooden beams for bumpers, wrapping them in barbed wire. It was the perfect north-backwoods vehicle - four wheel drive and small enough to fit on any old lumber trail, maybe even a deer path.

Batman - Detective Comics #475

The upcoming Batman movie has me thinking about my own mental image of Batman. In my pre-teen memories, he was a detective, skilled at hand to hand combat, fit and trained as any Olympic athlete... but he was less bombastic than the Hollywood version. He would rather sneak in and anonymously take down an evil-doer than smash through the front door with a tank-like, rocket fueled motorbike.

I'm not saying the new Batman movie won't be good. It will just be a different Batman than I grew up with. My Batman was much more introspective... quieter.

St. Nikola Icon

Today, July 4th, our uncle Nick passed away after a battle with cancer. One of the most important things to Nick was his Orthodox faith. In honor of that, here's a sketch of St. Nikola from the 12th century.

Strangely enough, this icon bears an astonishing resemblance to uncle Nick himself.

Rest in peace Nick.

See more information on St. Nikola at
http://www.stnedela-moc.com/services/services.php#stnikola

Hound Dog Taylor

Around 1990, I bought a cassette tape called "Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection" and heard a song called "Give Me Back My Wig". It had such a raw, ragged blues sound I loved. I went out and bought a few LP records (from a used record store) by Hound Dog Taylor and the House Rockers. That launched a life long love of the blues and personal discovery of artists like Professor Longhair, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Koko Taylor and BB King.

Hound Dog Taylor played Chicago blues through the 60s and 70s. He lived a hard, but colorful bluesman's life, drinking whiskey & chasing women. There's a tale told that he once had to spend the night hiding in Mississippi ditches to avoid the Klu Klux Klan, who were hunting him down for having an affair with a white woman. The name "Hound Dog" stuck because he was always on the hunt for romance.

In 1975, Hound Dog and his bass player Brewer Phillips, although life long friends were in another of their numerous fights. Hound Dog felt that Phillips insulted his wife Freda, and shot Phillips twice (aiming for the crotch, but hitting Phillips' arm and leg). Hound Dog was charged with attempted murder, but never made it to trial. He had fatal lung cancer from a lifetime of chain smoking cigarettes. Before the trial and at his deathbed, Phillips forgave Hound Dog for the shooting. Hound Dog died the day after getting Phillips' forgiveness.

Hound Dog's music is loud, distorted and sometimes screeching and off-key, but it has a bouncing blues beat that's irresistible. It's easy to imagine a smoky Chicago bar, the floor thumping from people keeping the beat with Hound Dog.

Some favorites in addition to "Give Me Back My Wig" (from his first album) and "See Me In the Evening", "Sadie" and "Sitting Home Alone" (from his second).

Red Tail Hawk #2 (Buteo jamaicensis)