Dads Dish Retro Blog

Adventure Time - a cartoon that this 40-something Geek Dad digs

2012-02-10T15:36:00.002-07:00

One of my New Years resolutions this year was to watch more cartoons. It may sound silly to some, but this has helped me immensely in reconnecting with my kids, as well as helping me to "get over myself" and not take things so seriously.

This cartoon focuses on the adventures of two best friends, Finn the human boy and Jake the dog.. who has magical powers. They live in the land of Ooo, and are surrounded by all kinds of mystical, magical, and downright weird creatures. The lands they live in and visit are largely inspired by video games and Dungeon and Dragons games from the 1980's. Perhaps this is the reason a "Geek Dad" that's my age, gets such a kick of out of this series.

The overall concept of the cartoon is such a difficult one to explain, all one can do is watch a few episodes to get the feel for it. Some of the things the characters say and do are just SO weird, you can't help but to laugh. The thought that adults working on the series are coming up with these stories and dialogue, gives me perspective that you don't have to get all serious and stuffy as you get older.

Pendleton Ward the creator of this show, has stated that he wanted a certain physical logic to the show rather than relying in silly slapstick comedy. The main character 'Finn the Human' is an adventurer with strong morals that move him to do good. Jake the Dog's character was inspired by Bill Murray's character in the movie Meatballs. He is a laid back twenty something magical dog who jokes around an awful lot, but usually gives good advice.

Adventure Time with Finn and Jake has become an incredibly huge hit among kids and adults alike, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Toys are flying off of the shelves (I've bought a few myself) and new seasons of the show are in the works. If you ever find yourself in the mood to see something strange and wonderful at the same time, check out Adventure Time on Nickelodeon!

I leave you with a video clip from the show, where Jake and Finn find a way to travel inside of their favorite video game..

Exotica, Polka, and Cha Cha, Oh My!

2012-02-09T15:31:00.001-07:00

My retro treasure hunting paid off in a big way today in the next town over. I came across these albums in mint condition, for the cost of just 29¢ each!

This is a double album set with 20 of the greatest hits from one of the pioneers of Exotica music.. Les Baxter!

Another patriarch of Exotica music.. Arthur Lyman. I'll tell you.. there's nothing better than sitting on the patio in the summer, sipping a Mai Tai, and relaxing to the soothing sounds of Martin Denny, Les Baxter, and Arthur Lyman. I've already tested out these albums, and they play perfectly. Once I get these ripped and uploaded to my iPod, I'll be able to jump into a tropical mindset no matter the season in this land locked state of Colorado.

I bought this one for Schnitz & Giggles

Not that I'm huge fan of polka or anything, but I do dig listening to it around Oktoberfest. Ahh.. I can picture myself now filling up my Das Boot with Warsteiner Dunkel, eating Bretzels, Bock-wurst, und Sauerkraut, and listening to some good old fashioned Oompa music!

If you don't love a good Cha Cha Cha.. then you need to get your pulse checked!

I didn't buy this one,

but was perplexed by the album cover..

So there you have it. Five way cool albums that play like they're brand new. I basically got hours upon hours of listening pleasure for the cost of $1.45. Most of the time I buy maybe one out of one hundred albums I like at thrift stores, because they're so badly damaged. These albums I found today were grouped together by themselves, so I'm wondering if they were owned by the same person since they're in such pristine condition.

Oh.. and pictured below is one more throwback from the recent past for you. An album harkening back to a time when kids loved to be as active as they could. They were hyper and energetic, and it wasn't due to having A.D.D. I wonder, would the kids of today dig something like this in 2012....?

Bitchin' Retro Skateboards

2012-02-06T05:08:00.009-07:00

I saw something amazing the other day in the skateboard section of a store I frequent. Way cool skateboards that look like they're straight out of the 70's. What's more.. the grooves on the deck are styled after the grooves of an LP.

These great boards are made by STEREO and are from their vinyl cruisers line. They were inspired by three things: music, skateboarding and fun. Stereo owners Jason Lee and Chris Pastras started out riding what are affectionately called “Banana Boards” as early as 1979 and now, after professional skateboarding careers spanning two decades, they still enjoy riding their collectible versions, which inspired the “Vinyl Series” boards today. I used to mess around on these types of boards back in the late 1970's, and man did those things fly!

I never thought that at forty one years of age, I'd find myself itching to buy a skateboard. These decks are just so danged cool, I'd love to get one if for no other reason than to hang it on my office wall. Ah.. who the heck am I kidding? I'd be trying to sidewalk surf with this thing the same day I open it!

Check out the STEREO Vinyl Cruiser web-site

Thrift store curio and oddities

2012-02-03T13:05:00.001-07:00

I didn't find much that made its way home with me this week during my retro treasure hunts, but there was plenty of items that caught my eye..

Urban Cowboy (on VideoDisc)

Avacado planter (I think)

Candy jar (reminded me of my Grandma)

I dunno.. a candle castle?

Pirate themed bowling pin coin bank

Hey.. whatever it takes to get kids to save money!

You want respect? Just wear a GINORMOUS badge!

Vintage tin recipe box

I did buy this for 49¢ and plan on using it

This weeks thrift store finds..

2012-01-31T07:00:00.001-07:00

I hate having to peruse thrift stores in a rushed fashion, but it couldn't be helped this week. However, I still found a couple bargains, and spotted a few retro items that made me reminisce..

unused CRAIG handheld tape recorder $1.99

A technological device that has been far removed from society as of late. There are many applications that this can be used in this day and age (I just need to find them). My kid in college may be able to use this for recording lectures, and I might be able to utilize it if I interview anyone for a blog piece.

0.50¢ for a Frankie Yankovic polka album!
Rich and soulful Oktoberfest tunes!

1974 Avon Barber pole cologne decanter $1.99
originally held 3 ounces of 'Wild Country' aftershave

70's Nut jar

70's Handmade coaster set.

I remember all kinds of folks being pretty crafty back in the day. It's something that has made a comeback in recent years, and is pretty refreshing to see. Heck.. my daughter is making her own jewelry, crocheting hats & head bands, and is getting ready to open her own Etsy store to sell her items in.

This item reminded me of the days when I had my own calligraphy and stationary sets as a kid. This 'Gift-Maker' textile decorating paint set is just an example of how much more creative and artistic folks strived to be back in the day. With this kit, you could create beautiful designs on aprons, purses, handkerchiefs, gloves, and all kinds of other clothing.

I collect beer steins, and my heart almost skipped a beat when I saw this mug. Alas.. upon further inspection, it was made in Brazil rather than in Germany.

And finally, while it's not a retro item.. I found this Game-Boy Advance for 99 cents. I wasn't sure if it worked or not, but seeing as there was a game cartridge still inside of it, I figured it was worth the gamble.

I got it home and put batteries in it to find it worked perfectly. All I need to do is buy a battery compartment door for it. The door will cost me more than the unit and game cost, but in the end.. I'll only be into this thing for under $5.00. Pretty good deal considering I almost paid $50.00 for a used system with no game a couple of months ago for my daughter!

Not a bad outing this week, even though I was a bit rushed. It's when I'm able to take my time in thrift stores and flea markets that I can really uncover some great finds. Hopefully next week will produce even better results.

Dad's retro phrase of the week..

2012-01-30T19:06:00.001-07:00

"Crap or get off the pot"

Meaning.. hurry up! A saying that I don't often hear too much these days (at least from folks under the age of forty).

Retro action figure sightings at Toys R' Us

2012-01-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to Toys R' Us today and had just as much fun as they did. Check out some of the retro goodness I came across while browsing the action figure aisles..

I love action figures, and really dig these types of throwback toys. Did you notice how many of these toys had packaging that played up the retro aspect? It is pretty cool.. but as a toy collector and action figure aficionado, I'm hoping the toy manufacturers kind of cool their jets. I can see this trend easily getting out of hand, until all kinds of crappy toys are being produced with the hopes that playing up the retro angle will make them big bucks.

On a side note: I do realize a few of these toys are throwbacks from the 90's, but seeing as the 90's were twenty years ago.. I've recently come to the harsh realization that they are now too becoming retro.

Hastings Greeley location to close in February. Another great book, music, and movie store bites the dust.

2012-01-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

Hastings in Greeley Colorado is one of my favorite stores to frequent. They sell new and used books, music, and movies, as well as a hodgepodge of other items appealing to musicians, skaters, geeks, gamers, and pop culture fanatics. I can honestly say that there is something for everyone in this store. However.. soon I will be talking about Hastings in the past tense, because they will be closing their doors permanently next month, joining the likes of Borders who closed down last year as well.

My world was truly shaken when I learned the news that Hastings Greeley was closing. From the sound of it, employees were just as shocked by the news as I was. They were told of the bad news just two days prior to when the general public was notified. Apparently their lease was up, and the landlord found another tenant that wanted to take over the retail space. Rather than move to a new location, folks at corporate decided to cut their losses and close the store.

Conventional wisdom dictates that this is another classic case of how technology is changing the landscape of the retail market, in regards to virtually every type of media. Like everyone else, Hastings has seen their video rental business steadily decrease thanks to Red Box, Netflix, and on demand programming. Retail publication and music sales also continue to falter because of digital downloads. I guess stores like Hastings, Borders, and Barnes and Noble are becoming dinosaurs in this day and age. It's a simple fact that can't be denied, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I'm old school. I love to spend hours browsing through music, book, magazine, and movie sections in stores. However, being able to do so is becoming harder and harder to do. An e-reader just doesn't do it for me, nor does an electronic copy of an album, or streaming movies from my phone or high tech device. Mind you.. I'm not opposed to technology, I just don't believe that we need to replace all media with convenient streamlined digital alternatives.

I could go on and on forever about digital vs. traditional media, but I think I'll cool it for now. Instead.. let's take a look at a few tings that made stores like Hastings so great..

What's better than browsing through a book store, knowing that there are all kinds of hidden treasures you never knew existed just waiting to be found?

I loved taking my kids to book stores like this and letting them pick out books that we could read together. Sadly.. the feel of more and more book stores these days is not an inviting one.

These boxes contain something called "Board Games". It's a strange concept, but these are non electronic games of strategy and chance, played by following a set of pre determined rules. It's what folks used to do for fun before Angry Birds and X-Box.

A cornucopia of music that you can pick up, see, and feel. There's something to be said for a CD with it's dust jacket that can include lyrics, stories and insight from the artist's themselves, and of course.. the cover art!

I'm thinking Red Box doesn't have quite as extensive of a movie selection as this store has.

A lot of new artist's are getting their new albums pressed to vinyl these days in addition to digital and compact disc. Now that Hastings is closing, I have no idea where I'm going to find vinyl in these parts.

I am a child of the 70's and 80's, and therefore appreciate a good comic book. Hastings has a large section of floor space dedicated to new and old comics, as well as other comic related merchandise like action figures, collectibles, and apparel. The closing of Hastings basically leaves the town of Greeley Colorado without a single comic book store. Us geeks are going to have to put in some serious drive time to get our comic fix now.

I can't tell you how many oddball and wacky pop culture items I've bought from Hastings. Here are some items readily available for purchase that are simply the Bee's knees!

Cover up that nasty new car scent with bacon air freshener!

Zombie Brain and Heart gelatin molds will ensure your next after dinner party will be a hit!

A Lucha Libre wrestling mask should be a staple in every man's wardrobe

Nunzilla.. a fire breathing, spark spitting wind up toy.

One of the coolest action figures I've ever seen.

Twilight Zone "Mystic Seer"

This is just like the little fortune telling machine that William Shatner got addicted to using in the 1960 Twilight Zone episode "Nick of Time". I'd buy this cool little unit.. but it scares the crap out of me.

Wicked cool tee's are always abundant

Just a small assortment of Hastings head wear, for the discerning geek

Yes.. Hastings was way more than just a video and music store. It felt as if they went out of their way to appeal to the masses. They currently have a lot of their merchandise marked down anywhere from 10% to 30% off. Some of the deals I am getting on music and collectibles are great indeed, but the deals are bittersweet. I face the harsh reality that this great store I visit at least once a week, will soon be shutting its doors never to open again.

It truly is an end of an era, and I believe Hastings will be sorely missed by many Greeley residents for a long time to come.

Disney Steampunk pins

2012-01-23T21:13:00.003-07:00

I saw some really cool retro looking Disney pins last summer while vacationing at Disney World. I'm not sure if they'd qualify as Steampunk, but they definitely exuded that type of vibe. For those of you who may not be familiar with the term "Steampunk", here's a quick definition..

Steampunk [steam-punk]
A genre of science fiction wherein the setting of the story takes place in a time where steam power is still used, usually in Victorian or Edwardian eras. Many times stories incorporate futuristic or technological advances, during a period of time when they shouldn't exist.

Steampunk Electric Guitar

Steampunk visual elements combine simplistic looking designs, coupled with elegance and sleek craftsmanship, to create a look exclusive to the genre.

Steampunk movie examples..

The Wild Wild West

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow

Van Helsing

The Time Machine

Disney's The Rocketeer

That being said, on to the good stuff.. The Steampunk pins!!

Stitch

Mickey Mouse

Donald Duck

Mickey's face

I remember getting lost in these pins while examining them at the pin trading station in Disney World. Each one has their own distinct feel to them. Stitch has a more technologically advanced look to him, while the Mickey Mouse face looks much simpler with inner workings consisting of springs, cogs, and an exterior steam pressure gauge. Donald looks like a wind up toy, while Mickey appears to be a battery operated toy that you simply switch on.

So here I am some six months later, lamenting over the fact that I didn't actually buy these pins when I saw them. I believe these are an open ended release and not limited edition, so I shouldn't break the bank when I inevitably purchase them online somewhere next week!

Curious about Steampunk?

Check out this link at Tor.com

Every Gentlemen should be wearing one of these..

2012-01-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

A ring with a built in bottle opener..

If your bride, significant other, or those who are bottle opener-less, are in desperate need of a drink from a capped glass bottle.. you can be the exemplification of chivalry when you come to the rescue with your bottle opener ring!

brushed stainless steel
available wherever fine bottle opener rings are sold

Dad's Retro Phrase of the week..

2012-01-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

"Good riddance to bad rubbish"

A saying with European origin from what I understand. My Grandfather used this phrase on occasion, and I use it quite often.

Old Spice - a distinguished aftershave for the discerning retro Dad

2012-01-21T16:30:00.013-07:00

Old Spice aftershave is one of those products that has truly stood the test of time. Old Spice has been around since 1938, which should come as no surprise seeing as it does exactly what it's meant to do, and does so quite efficiently.

Old Spice has done a heck of a job retooling their image over the last few years. Their line of products are now viewed as hip and cool.. a far cry from just a few years ago when their products were primarily thought of as being primarily used by old guys.

While I've tried out some of their new body sprays and shower gels, the only Old Spice products I buy are their classic scent aftershave and cologne. For years however, I had an aversion to buying it because of the stigma that only old guys only wore it.

Staples in my arsenal of grooming tools

I've loved the smell of Old Spice ever since I was a young boy and my old man used it. Once I began shaving in my early teen's, I started splashing on Dad's Old Spice after every shave. The product served two purposes. It quickly acted as an astringent keeping my skin irritation free, and provided a subtle and pleasant smelling scent. My Dad used to say that Old Spice was the best aftershave ever made. He even used to keep a bottle in his barber shop for the times he'd perform straight razor shaves on his clientele.

Once I hit the age of 17, I abandoned Old Spice and opted for hipper and swankier aftershaves like "Brut". Shortly thereafter I switched to using non scented aftershave lotion, and would slather on colognes like Obsession or Polo. It wouldn't be until early 2010 that I began using Old Spice aftershave once again.

A gift any retro dad would be proud to receive

Curious to see what retro male grooming products were still available on the market, I started perusing different drugstore shelves. I came across Old Spice aftershave, immediately started to reminisce, and snatched up a bottle solely for old times sake. I fully expected to use it only one time, and then re-purpose the rest for something else like lighter fluid for the charcoal grill.

Much to my surprise, the aftershave worked way better than anything I had used in recent years. I was also impressed by the scent. Mellow, smooth, and of course.. familiar. I'm sure the ladies can attest to instances where guys smell like they've taken a shower in AXE or similar products. Some cat's just don't realize that sometimes less is more. They douse themselves with their scent of choice so heavily, that you can taste it. In this day and age of sinus twisting body sprays which linger forever even after the person wearing them has long since left the room, the mild scent of Old Spice is truly refreshing.

As for the old guy stigma attached to Old Spice? Heck.. I've already embraced my inner "Old Guy" so that's really a non issue for me now. At a time when I was wondering what reactions I would garner by wearing my new go to retro scent, something happened on two occasions which surprised me. While I was shopping one day, a gal probably in her early thirties actually expressed to me that she liked the cologne I was wearing. Also.. while at work, a co-worker said my cologne smelled pretty good, and asked what brand I wore. It seems that Classic Old Spice has been out of the mainstream for so long, that many folks from "Generation Y" very well might not be familiar with the product. Which makes me wonder, is it time for Old Spice to once again make a comeback?

The folks in marketing and advertising for Old Spice have done a superb job of generating interest in their products to a younger generation. At the same time, they may be missing a niche that other manufacturers have picked up on, which is retro and throwback merchandising. Many retro toys, clothes, food, and forms of transportation have enjoyed immense success in recent years, so it makes me wonder if Procter and Gamble could spin a retro ad campaign that could reintroduce Classic Old Spice to the masses.

Touting the retro goodness of this product could be just what it needs to reinvigorate the classic line of products. Whether it's wishful thinking on this retro Dad's part, or a real possibility.. remains to be seen. Nevertheless, I'll continue to proudly use classic Old Spice products, and sing their praises for years to come.

1977 Disco hit - "Ain't gonna bump no more" by Joe Tex

2012-01-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Yes friends.. it's another edition of "Crap that's stuck in my head". This tid bit comes directly from the music file in my memory banks. When I was seven years old, I vividly remember a song that took the Disco world by storm. The song is called "Ain't gonna bump no more (with no big fat woman)".

You see, back in the 70's there was a dance phenomenon known as "The Bump". This dance basically consisted of dance partners bumping their hips (and sometimes other body parts) in sync with the music they were dancing to. "Ain't gonna bump no more" was singer Joe Tex's account of what happened one night in a disco when he was doing the bump with a larger than life gal.

My friends would laugh their heads off whenever this song came on the radio. I also remember Joe Tex performing this song on all kinds of television shows of the day. My brother owned the album and we'd play it over and over, giggling for the duration of the song. Heck.. my parents would even reluctantly crack a smile when they'd hear it.

Here's a YouTube video with pretty good sound quality so you can listen to the lyrics..

And here are the lyrics, so you can memorize the song and sing it at your leisure!

Three nights ago I was at a disco
Man, I wanted to bump, I was rarin' to go
And this big fat woman, bumped me on the floor
She was rarin' to go, that chick was rarin' to go

Man she did a dip, almost broke my hip
She was gettin' down, that chick was gettin' down
She wanted to bump some more, but I told her, no
You done knocked me down once
You done knocked me down once
Said, if you want to dance
Find you a big fat man
Ya'll both can get on down
Ya'll both can get on down, huh

I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
Lord, I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman

Somebody take her
She's too big for me
She'll knock me down
She came over to me, snatched me out of my seat
She wanted to get on down, still wanted to get on down
I told her to go on and leave me alone
I ain't gettin' down
You done hurt my hip once

I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
Lord, I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman
I ain't gonna bump no more with no big fat woman

Somebody take her, I don't want her
She done hurt my hip, she done knocked me down
Done hurt my hip, she done knocked me down
Somebody take her, I don't want her
Say, Leroy, you can have this one, dude
This big fat woman, dude
I don't want her

On a side note.. Joe Tex had a distinct style of singing where he actually talked over his music. He called his style of singing "Rap". From my research, it appears that he was the first artist ever to use this word to describe this style of music.

Three music videos with a retro feel..

2012-01-15T20:01:00.002-07:00

The right kind of music can really lift ones spirits. After the Denver Broncos 55-10 loss against the New England Patriots last night, my spirits can definitely stand some lifting. While browsing through music videos ~~for the last three hours~~ today, I found three newer videos with a definite retro feel to them.

The first is a superbly done fan video of the song Just one Kiss by the British electronic dance music duo The Basement Jaxx. I actually dig this video more than the official video put out by the band. The VW bug in this video is exactly like one I had as a kid, and the groovy 70's vibe is truly "far out". Plus, if this song doesn't get you moving.. you must be dead.

I like a lot of the Foo Fighters music, and their song Rope is one of my favorites. The minimalistic style of the video shoot relies heavily on the bands performance skill, and for some reason screams 1980's to me when I watch it. This is a classic example of how sometimes.. less is more.

Remember afternoon dance shows? American Bandstand and Soul Train were pretty main stream, but when I was a teen in the 80's, there were tons of local dance shows that were broadcast in cities across the nation. I remember rushing home from school and tuning in to watch. I loved seeing all of the fashionable hip kids dancing, as well as catching up on the latest music.

This Mayer Hawthorne video below is pretty awesome. One of his newest songs called Long Time from his latest album 'How do you do?" is layed over an actual Detroit dance show filmed in the 80's! The dance moves, the clothes, and the classic dance lines where dancers showcase their best moves while they mosey between the two lines of people, gets me grinning from ear to ear every time. If nothing else.. fast forward to the two minute mark of the video to get a load of James Brown Jr.!

On a side note.. I watched this video with my daughter and bride to poke fun of the women's fashions that my wife surely had in her wardrobe back in the day. Much to my surprise, she didn't see anything wrong with most of the fashions the gals were wearing back then. Sheesh.. and I thought I was retro!

Retro Hot Wheels

2012-01-14T21:47:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why it is, but I've been on a toy buying kick lately. The flavor of the month happens to be cars like Hot Wheels. In my pursuit of cars that are unique and retro looking, I've come across quite an assortment of little cars that may be of interest to retro enthusiasts, even if they don't collect these type of toys.

Hot Wheels currently has a "Cars of the Decades" line that are supposed to be exclusively sold at Wal Mart stores. The line of cars showcases four different cars from each decade since the 30's. Here's some of the cars I've seen so far..

Next are Hot Wheels lineup of General Mills Cereal inspired cars. I bought Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula cars from this set, but am eying a couple others that are pretty cool looking.

There's also some pretty interesting Hershey's themed Hot Wheels cars out there, although.. that snowman on the backing card kind of creeps me out..

"The Hot Ones" Hot Wheels line has some pretty cool retro card art, and some pretty groovy models of cars!

Some other miscellaneous models that made their way home with me..

I'm usually not a big Matchbox fan, but I really dig their Lesney line of cars. They even come with their very own match boxes just like back in the day!

1981 Delorean

Back to the Future Delorean

I'm just glad as is my bride that this hobby is an affordable one (so far).

A retro Dad ponders.. Why do folks hate on Tim Tebow so much?

2012-01-14T17:59:00.010-07:00

As I sit here waiting for the Denver Broncos second round playoff game to begin, I can't help but wonder why so many folks despise, dislike, or have a negative view about quarterback Tim Tebow. Comedians love to make fun of him, thuggish NFL stars rip on him and mock his praying, and many simply want to see him fail.

In Colorado, people either love him or hate him, and I mean HATE him. When I ask folks who start complaining about him what it is exactly that they hate.. they usually come up with one of these three excuses:

"He sucks"
"He's overrated"
"I'm sick of hearing about him"

Well.. do you know what this retro Dad hates? He hates when sports stars who are ridiculous excuses for Men, are put up on pedestals. Let me hip you pallie..

You've got huge superstars who send picture messages of their junk to young women.. guys who don't know the meaning of "No means No".. guys who bang every pop star and hot girl they can get their paws on, and others who are physically abusive to animals and their significant others. However, since these cats are athletes who put up staggering numbers and fantasy sports points, these things are overlooked. Now let's take a look at Tim Tebow shall we?

Whatever your thoughts on Tim Tebow, no one can deny that he is a driven individual who gives 110% and STILL pushes himself to do better. The way he's inspired his team which succinctly has the second youngest offense in the NFL, is nothing short of amazing! Folks say he's not very good or that he's overrated, but really.. this is the kids very first season in the NFL as a starting quarterback. Are we now that impatient as a culture, that we need to see pro NFL skills as soon as you're out of college? Sure he's no John Elway, but folks seem to forget that it took years for John Elway to hone his skills and become the exceptional quarterback he was. In short, I see a young quarterback that keeps adapting and growing with every game he plays.

As most people know, Tim Tebow is a devout Christian.. wherein lies a big reason for much of the hating and jesting that is directed towards him. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Tim Tebow in the news doing charity work with sick kids (something he's done since college). No drama, no trash talk, only an uplifting spirit who always seems positive and inspiring. People act as if he is forcing Christianity down peoples throats because he prays on the sidelines. Others think he believes that God is winning football games for him which is ludicrous in itself.

The NFL put a mic on him during a game this season, and at one point you could overhear him praying. Rather than simply praying for a win, you could hear him saying "No matter what, win or lose, let me honor you".

You can see that video and audio of Tim Tebow here:

Part 1
Part 2

I've been a Broncos fan since the tender age of eight, and the energy and excitement Tim Tebow has brought to this franchise is like non other I've ever seen. That's saying something, considering I faithfully followed John Elway's entire career!

Now do I get upset at all of the comedic prodding the poor kid gets constantly? Not really. Tim Tebow doesn't let it bother him, so why should I? And as my Grandfather used to say.. "success is the best revenge". As this kid continues to succeed, I look forward to seeing the wind taken right out of the naysayers sails. Win or lose, I will continue to be a Tim Tebow and Denver Broncos fan. Either way, it should be a fun and exciting ride.

In closing, I leave you with this great Tebow commercial

(it must really tick the haters off!)

Not even a staunch retro Dad is immune from the Tebowing craze

2012-01-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Planking.. Owling.. Teapotting . Gosh I hate viral internet crazes. However, yesterday I put my own retro twist on the Tebowing craze, in honor of Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos second round playoff game this weekend.

Vermouth.. or no Vermouth..
THAT is the question!

Rooster's Barbershop - A retro gem amongst modern day "Chop Shops"

2012-01-11T20:56:00.003-07:00

During the decades of the 70's and 80's, I practically grew up in a barbershop. My old man was a barber by trade, and the proprietor of an honest to goodness, old school barber shop for close to thirty years. Having a barber for a father that truly took pride in every aspect of his trade, had a profound effect on me. I didn't realize it at the time, but the professionalism and skill he demonstrated, raised the bar in regards to my expectations of barbers.

In my early twenties, I moved out of state over one thousand miles away from my folks. Talk about a rude awakening. For the first time ever.. I now had to start paying for my haircuts! I quickly started learning that old school barbers like my old man weren't quite as common as they once were.

Nowadays.. I once again live in close proximity to the old man, and he still occasionally cuts my hair. He's earned his retirement and I don't like to bother him, so I spent the last several years bouncing from barbershop to barbershop, always feeling let down. After countless disappointments from visiting salons, barber shops, and franchised chop shops, I visited Roosters one Friday afternoon, and have not patronized another barber shop since.

When I walked up to Rooster's for the very first time, it didn't appear much different from your run of the mill barbershop or salon. However, I was incredibly psyched about what I saw when I walked through the door..

Rustic Manly touches and great reading material..

A cigar humidor by the cash register..

Manly programming ever present on the television..

Great hair cutting stations
with man-sized leather barber chairs

Kitschy retro touches at every turn..

Parallels to the past..

There's definitely some parallelism between my old mans barber shop and Roosters. My Dad always had ice cold drinks including a few beers stocked in a mini fridge, readily available for thirsty patrons. On several occasions, Julie (The owner of Rooster's) has offered me an ice cold drink while lounging in the waiting area. In fact, on one of the hottest days of summer last year, Julie brought me an ice cold beer that quite possibly went down smoother than any other beer I can remember drinking in 2010!

With a flat screen TV that always has something interesting to watch, comfortable leather chairs at both the hair cutting stations and the waiting room, great reading material, a super friendly staff, and finally.. an overall classic manly feel to the joint, this retro Dad truly feels at home whenever he's there.

My old man's shop had the same exact vibe. My Dad had a dart board mounted on the wall in his waiting area (a lawsuit waiting to happen in this day and age). Golden Oldies and Jimmy Buffett tunes would often emanate from his Panasonic 8-track player. Stacks of magazines like Sports Illustrated and Popular mechanics were available to pass the time while you waited. All kinds of kitschy and vintage items adorned his shop, each one surely carrying with it an intriguing and interesting story which my old man would happily tell, if one were only to ask. All of these things contributed to an almost surreal haven that men seemed to be drawn to.

While my Dad was simply "Dad" to me, I realized even at a young age, that he was much more than a barber to many of his customers. Over the years he cut the hair of politicians, sports stars, lawyers, doctors, and judges. The way these folks would open up to my old man once they were in his chair was unreal. It was as if he had slipped them some truth serum, and they in turn would spill their guts for half an hour. I realized many years later that my old man was the heart and soul of his barber shop, rather than the manly atmosphere he so skillfully crafted. While his shop was definitely a fun and relaxing place for any man to hang out at, his skills and personality were the life blood of the business.

Up and above the old fashioned feel that Rooster's has, lies what truly makes this barbershop stand out from the competition, and that is.. the people who work there. You could have all the razzle dazzle and retro goodness in the world, and it would mean nothing without good people standing behind it. Each and every member of the staff are class acts, and do a heck of a job. The owner Julie has an excellent rapport with her customers and employees alike, and seems like the kind of boss any stylist would dream of working for.

Maybe it was because I was so used to old school barbers cutting my hair, but I kind of always had an aversion to gals giving me haircuts. However, since I began patronizing Rooster's, a very nice dame named "Jo" has been my personal barber/stylist. After my first visit with her, I haven't had anyone else cut my hair since.

From the get go, Jo truly impressed.. because she actually listened to me after asking how I would like my hair cut. I told her my old man was a barber from way back, and that he always cut my hair with shears rather than electric clippers. She seemed to be channeling my old man when she uttered the exact same words he had spoken years before by saying.. "Your hair is too thin to be cut with clippers". She was absolutely right, and was the first person to make this observation since dear old Dad. While I have a full head of hair, it's thin and fine. If my hair is too long or too short, it simply doesn't look good.

Jo took several minutes to study my hair from all angles before taking a pair of shears to it. She then said, "Don't worry.. I get your style, and I've done lots of retro cuts and styles like pompadours and rockabilly cuts". At this point, I realized that I finally found a stylist that was going to give me what I wanted, and not one that was just going to try and get me out of their chair as fast as possible. She succinctly cut every section of hair on my head specifically to its needs rather uni-formally

I've had so many stylists and barbers cut my hair over the years that simply started cutting away with little or no thought to what they were doing. I've had stylists pick up a pair of clippers and say "What number do you want?" Getting scissor cuts my entire life, I initially had no clue what this meant. Upon asking for a scissor cut, several stylists and barbers have even physically shown signs of annoyance. I've had barbers comb my hair straight down over my eyes and cut it straight across like a bowl cut. Little or no care went into understanding my style, nor tailoring a haircut to match.

So many stylists prefer the ease and speed of razor cuts, that it seems like a good scissor cut is becoming a lost art. This seems to be more the case at what I now refer to as "Clip Joints" or "Chop Shops". These are the big chain shops where you're herded in and out like cattle.

The Rooster's experience

Getting a haircut at Rooster's is a pretty relaxing experience. For starters, you are guaranteed a half hour in their comfortable leather barber chairs. After your hair is cut, a hot steamed towel is gently placed over your face while your hair is washed and rinsed out. After your shampoo, you are dried off with a towel, dusted down, and your hair is styled to your liking. They do an exceptional job in this regard, because when you leave the barber shop, you don't have the typical post cut itchiness from pieces of cut hair on your neck, in your ears, on your face, etc. All of the products they use are of the highest quality, so you walk out the door smelling, feeling, and looking like a million bucks!

What's more.. between haircuts, neck trim's are always free. While I've never used any of Rooster's other services, they do offer hot towel steam shaves, body massage, shoe shine, color treatments, and basic waxing. Rooster's is a throwback to how many old school barbershop's used to operate, only updated for the 21st century male.

One things for sure.. this enlightened 20th century male has never had anything but good experiences at Rooster's, and will keep coming back for years to come.

Visit Roosters Greeley CO. online

Roosters are popping up all over
Find a location near you!

Dad's retro phrase of the week

2012-01-09T20:24:00.001-07:00

"Judas Priest!"

As a kid, I remember folks my parents age uttering this saying as an alternative to taking the Lord's name in vain. Wonder how many strange looks I'll garner from uttering this retro phrase throughout the week?

Monster Cereal Hot Wheels cars

2012-01-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have a small yet ever growing collection of Hot Wheels cars. I don't go crazy with it, and only collect models that really speak to me. Sometimes, I may even go six to nine months before buying a car to add to my collection. In recent years, MATTEL has been known to produce Hot Wheels designs that incorporate pop culture tie-ins. These are the designs that usually get my attention. Check out these gems I recently acquired over my vacation during the holidays..

Hot Wheels/General Mills Monster Cereal cars

The General Mills Monster cereals were my favorites as a kid, so I was psyched the first time I saw these new designs. This assortment includes a Boo Berry 1929 Ford pickup, a Count Chocula 1970 Chevelle station wagon, and a Franken Berry 1977 Dodge van.

I actually found the Franken Berry and Count variations first, and finally tracked down the Boo Berry car about a week later. I lucked out and walked into a store one morning while they were unpacking several cases of Hot Wheels cars to line their shelves with for the holidays. From the looks of the way the cases were packed, there were only two Boo Berry cars per case. I've seen very few of these Monster cereal cars on shelves since, and have yet to see any more Boo Berry cars anywhere.. so I'm glad I found all three for my collection.

These aren't the only great retro Hot Wheels on the shelves this year, so it looks like I'll have to do a post soon, covering some more of the great retro designs Hot Wheels has recently released.

Groucho Marx - You Bet Your Life

2012-01-05T20:28:00.004-07:00

Groucho Marx is by far the wittiest entertainer I've ever seen. Below is a full episode of his television game show "You Bet Your Life". The entire episode is pretty good, but if you don't feel like watching the whole thing, skip forward to the 17:00 minute mark, and watch the hilarity ensue!!

Groucho was a true master of improvisational comedy, and he could use any situation to his favor. I heard an interview with his daughter once, where she stated that Groucho had terrible stomach problems which kept him up every night. Since Groucho got by on naps and a couple hours of sleep a night, it made him pretty cantankerous and ornery. His comedic style evolved as a direct consequence, and the world of comedy and entertainment would be a funnier place as a result.

Dad's Retro phrase of the week

2012-01-02T21:19:00.001-07:00

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall"

Isn't this the absolute truth? From bullies to corporations, the more prominent or powerful they are.. the more difficult it is for them when they lose their power!

Dad's first retro rant of 2012 - Coffee makers aren't what they used to be

2012-01-01T20:09:00.003-07:00

Today my Keurig coffee maker broke, and it's got me super irritated (I really love my coffee). The unit simply would not power up and is now dead as a duck. Things break and I accept that. It's the fact that it broke down almost exactly one year after the factory warranty expired that has me irked. Many will undoubtedly say that I should have bought an extended warranty, but I say "phooey" to that school of thought in this instance. After all.. I spent close to one hundred and fifty dollars on the dang thing, which brings up two points that I've now begun to ponder..

1.) When the heck did it become the norm to spend well over $100.00 on a flipping coffee maker?

and..

2.) Since when do coffee makers especially higher end units have a life of about two years?

After the coffee maker broke today, my bride and I instantly got online to see if there were any tricks or methods we could use to fix it ourselves. I finally gathered enough information to learn that my Keurig coffeemaker has an engineering flaw that allows a water tube to drip onto the machines internal power unit. The water in turn fry's said power unit, rendering it useless, and leaving the consumer with a five pound piece of landfill fodder. Can you say built in obsolescence kids?

Is it too much to ask that a coffee maker should last for longer than two years? In this day and age, I'm guessing the answer to that question is yes. Maybe I should take it to the fix-it shop and have it repaired. Oh wait a minute.. there are no such things as fix-it shops in this day and age. It's cheaper to throw items away than to have them fixed anymore. Heck.. many times, products are made so there is no possible way to repair and maintain them anyway.

A couple of years back, my folks bought a brand new coffee maker to replace their old unit of thirty five years. It wasn't that they simply wanted a newer model mind you. The burner fizzled out and they could find no one who could, or wanted to repair it. Over the years, they had the burner replaced on that old coffee maker twice. Once in the 70's, and again in the 80's. Now.. the fix-it shop that performed those repairs has been closed for years. When asked how she likes the newer coffee maker, my Mom simply replies.. "It doesn't make coffee nearly as good as our old one".

Now I have the dilemma as to what I'm going to do about a coffee maker. I would be happy buying three old identical coffee makers at thrift stores. That way, I'd have spare parts to make repairs with, if the unit ever broke down on me. Heck.. the vintage coffee maker could feasibly last me for the rest of my natural life, and I could do this all with an initial investment of no more than $15.00! While the thought of getting that much bang for my buck excites me to no end, I'm not sure if my bride will be too keen on that idea. She loved that Keurig, and I must confess that I too got used to brewing my morning coffee in less than 60 seconds. That being said.. I don't think this 20th century male is so far removed from the old days, that I couldn't muster enough patience to go back to drip brewing my coffee once again.

A 1980's escape for kids.. video arcades

2012-01-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

I was quite surprised to see my fifteen year old jump for joy yesterday because she had five dollars in her pocket. This of course was the perfect segue for me to tell her exactly what five dollars could get you back in 1982.

I explained that in the Regan era.. five dollars could buy me four hamburgers, a Big Gulp, and a few hours at the video arcade. To help drive my lesson on inflation home.. my bride who was listening in at the time, threw in her two cents by telling my daughter, "Wow! Daddy is really old".

Where have all the arcades gone?
The home video game market has all but killed video arcades. Sure there were home video game systems back in the early 80's, but the graphics and sound couldn't hold a candle to what the giant CPU's inside of the old standup arcade games produced. I saw the decline of video arcades coming a long time ago when I bought my first 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System in the late 80's. My friends and I immediately started spending more time in front of the TV, having video game tournaments for hours on end.

I can't begin to count how many quarters I pumped into video games as a kid. Seeing as twenty five cents was still a decent amount of money in the early eighties, there was plenty of motivation to improve your game play skills, in turn squeezing as much play time as you possibly could from every game. Heck.. I used to be able to play Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers for about forty minutes on one quarter, and I was by no means the best player around.

indeed it was

Most arcades had a certain feel to them, and anyone who was a kid in the 80's knows what I'm talking about. Upon crossing the arcade threshold, your senses were immediately bombarded with a multitude of sights and sounds. I can still hear the "wakka wakka wakka" blaring from the Pac Man game, the sound of pinball machine bells and bumpers going wild, and the reverberation of skee balls infinitely rolling towards their targets. Within a few minutes, the sounds slowly sorted themselves out one by one, until you were immersed in a cornucopia of harmonious intonation.

Air conditioning was a must to prolong the life of the video games, so the air temperature of most arcades was very comfortable. They were also usually dimly lit so as to reduce glare on the video game screens. Most of the arcades I visited were kept very tidy, and were always clean smelling. Arcades if designed properly, reeled you in and made you want to stay until your pockets were empty.

The very best arcades could facilitate the needs of the average kid for most of the day, as many had snack bars or concession stands. One such arcade that was a hangout of my friends and I for most of the 80's, was a joint called "W.C. Franks" in my hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado. One side of the establishment housed a kitchen that sold nachos, hot dogs, chips, etc., and an eating area with a jukebox that was always filled with the latest music. The other side of the room was dedicated entirely to video games and pinball machines.

Many an afternoon and evening was spent at W.C. Franks with my buddies during our high school years. I even took my wife there on one of our first dates. I ordered us a couple of foot-long chili dogs, and some nachos with sliced pickled jalapenos. It was the first time she had ever eaten jalapeno's, and she's been hooked on them ever since. Vivid memories such as this one are jam packed in the recesses of my mind.

I love reminiscing about the recent (and not so recent) past. In particular, memories about Americana and pop culture from my youth. Things we experience during childhood and our younger years tend to make a bigger impression on us, because so much about life is new and exciting. This helps to make for some sharp and detailed memories that stay with us for our entire lives. That being said.. I feel bad for my kids sometimes. I just don't see many parallels in this day and age to the prolific period of pop culture we experienced during the 70's and 80's.

Am I getting so old and jaded that I can't see a wondrous and exciting period of pop culture going on right in front of me? My 21 year old is already reminiscing about his childhood in the 90's, are my youngest kids going to be reminiscing about the 2010's in 10 or 15 years time? Can playing video games online with friends while sitting on the couch possibly compare to what kids had in the 80's? What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts, memories, and comments on this topic!

Good or bad.. retro cap guns are alive and well

2011-12-30T22:36:00.001-07:00

I saw this cap gun in the dollar store today. It's not too much different from the cap gun I used to play with when I was a boy. I was initially excited to see the same brand of cap gun that I bought back in the early 80's, still being made to this very day. The feelings of nostalgia began to subside however, when I realized just how realistic these guns look.

Below is a picture of my cap gun with a few "color modifications" I made as a kid to make it look more realistic..

Even with the modifications to color, this cap gun isn't too much different than the ones pictured at the top of this article. I shudder to think what might happen if a child playing with one of these cap guns were to surprise a police officer, or anyone else who was armed. Every kid I knew growing up had cap guns and water guns, and as far as I know.. none of us had any type of altercation by playing with them. Sadly.. it shows you just how far removed we are from more innocent times.

I once wrote an article that is located here, about cap guns. In said article, I talk about how my friends and I were once approached in the park, by police officers during the midst of a very spirited cap gun war. The cap gun pictured above was in my hand at the time. The police didn't scold us or confiscate the guns. In fact, they even asked us what models of guns we were playing with. Yes.. times have changed indeed.

Dad's Retro Phrase of the week - and a rant on modern day vernacular

2011-12-27T09:24:00.002-07:00

"I'm as fine as a split hair on a toad"

This one comes from my own memory banks. Whenever my Grandfather was asked how he was doing, he would often answer with this very phrase. The meaning? Well.. seeing as a toad has no hair to speak of, a split hair on said toad would be pretty fine indeed!

I've used this phrase on many occasions in the past, but stopped utilizing it many moons ago. The reason being, is that nine times out of ten, I would usually get a blank stare, and would succinctly have to explain the meaning of the phrase. In fact.. the only time the saying was understood, was when I uttered it to folks my parents age and older.

Knowing there was no way I could be the only one to remember this endangered phrase, I turned to Google and indeed found it, along a few other variations..

"finer than a split hair on a toad's back"
"finer than a frog's hair split three ways"
"finer than a frog's hair split four ways"
"finer than frog hair"

So why don't great old sayings like this work in this day and age? It's quite simple.. we're slowly but surely getting dumbed down. Many people don't want to exert too much effort when deciphering a joke, watching entertainment, reading, or writing. I'm sure I'm not the only person to see company e-mails circulate that are composed with shortened cyber words such as ROFL, THX, or IDK.

On a side note.. have you noticed that the good old fashioned double entendre is also becoming a thing of the past? (unless it's dirty or off color that is). Not that I'm opposed to such humor.. but I miss the days where I could sit down with my kids to watch a television show, and not be bombarded with vulgar punch lines and raunchy jokes at every turn. This type of raunchy humor seems to be a crutch for some of the most popular sitcoms on television these days.

Another trend is the desire to save as much time as one can while speaking. Music is where I first noticed this. When I was a kid, Bachman Turner Overdrive became known as BTO, New Kids on the Block started being referred to as "NKOTB", I also see that Lady Gaga is now becoming more widely known as "Gaga".

Advertising execs and national retailers are now getting in on the act of simplifying brand names as well. The Sci-Fi channel is now named "SyFy". Wasn't "Sci-Fi" already a shortened phrase? And how about IHOP? I don't know about you, but I personally never got winded or irritated by having to take a whole two seconds to utter the words.. "International House of pancakes", but that's just me.

I have a 1961 California school text book that is full of fairy tales, that I used in second grade. The biggest differences I notice between this book and today's books for the same grade, are pretty distinguishable. The books of today seem simpler, with shorter sentence structure and simpler use of the English language. The 1961 textbook didn't dumb anything down. The words may have been a bit more complex, and while there were times my friends and I fell a bit behind in comprehension, it ultimately made us better writers, speakers, as well as more articulate.

I wonder just how much more simplified and lazy our vernacular will get after a few more decades pass? IDK.. TTBOMK, WAD.. WAEF.. most of us WILCO.

Not current on your Cyber phrase lingo? You can decipher these abbreviations and many more at: Net Lingo

More retro finds and gift ideas this holiday season

2011-12-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the amount of retro goodness I'm stumbling upon lately while shopping. I dedicated a post here, here, and here, not too long ago about retro goodies and merchandise that have been hitting the shelves this holiday season Well, I'm happy to report that there is still a bumper crop of great items available in stores. Here's a few more items that may be just the ticket, if you're stumped about what to get that certain retro someone in your life during this holiday season..

Way cool M&M tin with a timeline of M&M's characters likenesses through the years.

Mike and Ike metal tin. Once I saw this, I'm inclined to believe that there may be a Hot Tamales tin available as well.

These limited edition Coca Cola bottles are styled after the late 1800's bottles, and appear to be available for a short time during this holiday season.

Baking mix/mitt combo with some cool retro art.

Girls kiddie beach cruiser

I posted some pics a few weeks ago of some great mini kids Schwinn Beach Cruisers. It's nice to see Schwinn has released a model for the little girls out there as well.

Dad's retro phrase of the week

2011-12-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

-Benjamin Franklin

Good old Ben sure knew what he was talking about, because when I get plenty of sleep.. I feel like a new man! I've got the "early to rise" part down pat, as I wake up between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. on most days. My "early to bed" habits however are horrid. The older I get, the more I feel the adverse effects from lack of sleep. (yet another example of how I'm slowly but surely turning into my father)

Dad's retro phrase of the week

2011-12-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

"Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."

This phrase has always been a self motivator for me..

albeit a bit cynical.

Harry Morgan of MAS*H and Dragnet fame dead at the age of 96

2011-12-07T19:52:00.004-07:00

I was pretty bummed out today when I saw the news that actor Harry Morgan of 'M*A*S*H' fame had passed away. Harry Morgan was one of those actors who was ever present in TV and movies for most of my life up until now.

While M*A*S*H was probably Harry Morgan's most recognized role, my all time favorite character he portrayed was officer Bill Gannon on the the TV show Dragnet. He added some light comedic entertainment, which softened the hard edge in this dramatic crime drama. As a kid, I thought Bill Gannon was an incredibly cool cat. I'd even mimic some of his catch phrases like "Double Sugar Double Cream".

I remember seeing Harry Morgan in my favorite Western series "Gunsmoke" on several occasions. Other series and movies I've seen him on are Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Partridge Family, The Love Boat, The Cat from Outer Space, The Apple Dumpling Gang, the Dragnet movie in 1987, and even The Simpson's. And that was just the short list! There are countless other shows and flicks that I've seen him in.. but the titles escape me at the moment.

Harry Morgan could play the part of a gruff yet endearing character just as good as any other actor I've ever seen. He undoubtedly brought millions of folks joy throughout his long and prosperous career, and will be sorely missed.

While I'm currently in the process of changing my eating habits, I believe I'll throw caution to the wind tomorrow. I'm going to prepare my first coffee of the day with "Double Sugar Double Cream" just as officer Bill Gannon used to take it, on the television series Dragnet.

Rest in peace Mr. Morgan.

The return of Dad's retro phrases

2011-12-05T19:57:00.008-07:00

Some of my readers may remember a time when I used to post random retro phrases and sayings on Twitter, Facebook, and here at DadsDish.com. Well.. I'm happy to announce that due to the urging of friends and avid readers of my blog and Twitter feed, I am bringing this feature back.

I will be posting retro phrases every Monday right here at DadsDish.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook. I am going to personally challenge myself to use these phrases at least three times during the week, in an attempt to help resurrect retro phrases that have been all but forgotten by many. I also get a kick out of being able to hip the young whipper snappers of the 21st century to the rich and unique vernacular that us "old folks" were so familiar with in years past.

If you want to join the "Retro-lution" or just spiff up and enhance your vocab, make sure to swing by every Monday to check out Dad's Retro Phase of the week. That being said, enjoy the retro phrase of the week on this fifth day of December, 2011..

Dad's retro phrase of the week..

"Don't piss down my neck and tell me it's raining"

Heh Heh.. I should have no problem rattling this phrase off at least three times before noon tomorrow!

Tis the season for retro sweets! - Part 2

2011-12-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Good Golly.. there is no shortage of great retro treats available for purchase this holiday season. Here are some more gems I came across this week while shopping..

Great retro looking Turtles tin

Knott's Berry Farm cookie tins

PEP-O-MINT and WINT-O-GREEN Lifesavers tins
(I guess I should get these to complete my set)

Like Nestle.. The MARS company also has some candy bar tins on the market this holiday season. The M&M's variety of tins were sold out already at the store where I took this picture. I was curious to see what the tins looked like, so I did a search for them on Google. The tins are dark brown, with the classic M&M's logo emblazoned on the front.

Peeps holiday tin

Whitman's Sampler tins with winter scenes.

Planters Holiday Nut Collection tins

Planters has retooled their beloved mascot Mr. Peanut, and he now has a voice courtesy of Robert Downey Jr. We used to love Mr. Peanut as kids, and I even had a few Mr. Peanut toys and collectibles during the 70's. He was always a bit of a mystery however, and I'm not sure I ever heard him talk or utter a single word. The animations that I remember seeing him in, usually showed him leaning on a cane. These short appearances almost always featured him breaking the fourth wall.. giving you a kindly nod. The new Mr. Peanut commercials are actually pretty amusing, and a couple of them have gotten a chuckle or two out of me.

2012 Schwinn and Huffy Retro Beach Cruisers

2011-11-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

The new Schwinn and Huffy models of bikes have been released for 2012, and I'm happy to say that retro goodness is abound! Retro biking must be catching on, and I for one couldn't be happier.

The Schwinn Breeze is your straight forward one speed beach cruiser. Accents like two tone paint, and Grenadine Red/Orange tires make this bike a real head turner. Rear racks are also standard this year.

Women's Schwinn Breeze

Vintage style Schwinn seats come standard on Schwinn Breeze models. These seats have the classic Schwinn look, but with all the comfort of today's newer beach cruiser seats.

Bells also come standard on many models now
(A safety must when riding around pedestrians and cyclists)

For those who don't care to be limited to just one speed, the Schwinn Point Beach Cruiser offers a 7-speed drive-train with SRAM Grip-Shift shifter for easy gear changes.

I couldn't get a real good shot of this Huffy due to the vantage point, but it's a 24 inch maroon cruiser, perfect for those from 56 to 62 inches in height.

Huffy is again releasing their "Panama Jack" edition of beach cruisers for 2012. This bike comes with an adjustable rear rack, leather handlebar bag and bottle holder, wooden frame insert, wide sweep cruiser handlebar, and a bottle cap opener which is attached to the front forks!

The Huffy "Nel Lusso" is another good looking bike, and even comes with a front basket standard. It's nice to see Huffy getting more creative with their bicycle color schemes.

Yup.. it's easy to see that Beach Cruisers are gaining popularity lately. I can't wait to see if other bicycle manufacturers follow the trend, and produce more visually appealing standout cruisers for 2012.

Wall Street Zombies

2011-11-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

I wonder if the creators of these action figures had any idea how ironic their creation would be in late 2011?

Music and memories rediscovered during this weeks Retro treasure hunt..

2011-11-25T15:57:00.002-07:00

During this weeks retro treasure hunts, I came across some interesting music. Take a gander..

The classic album with the song..
"Hello Mudduh.. Hello Fadduh"
We couldn't get enough of this tune as kids!

My brother had Streisand's SUPERMAN album when we were kids. I don't know about my brother, but I enjoyed looking at this album cover and inserts, more than listening to the music.

Andy Gibb... on 8-track nonetheless!!

John Tesh's "Monterey Nights" on cassette!

I guess John Tesh is still doing his "thang" with music these days, and touring worldwide. While most people I know scoff at the thought of John Tesh being a musical talent, just look at what he's accomplished in his career..

His radio show 'Intelligence for Your Life' reaches 14.2 Million listeners a week, is syndicated, and played on over 400 stations in US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. John Tesh has won six Emmys, has four gold albums, is a two time Grammy nominee, has an Associated Press award for investigative journalism, has sold over eight million records, has performed live concerts that have raised more than $20 million for PBS, and his NBC Basketball Theme was voted one of the top three sports themes of all time.

What a career! Not bad for a cat that many folks like to poke fun at huh?

Mr. "Gomer Pyle" himself sings!

Some actors play a role so good, the role itself becomes bigger than they are. That being said, some actors can never shake the branding of the characters they played. Case in point.. Pee Wee Herman, Urkel, and Gilligan. Jim Nabors had a heck of a time being taken serious for awhile, but in regards to singing, no one could deny his talent.

With a rich baritone singing style, Nabors carved out quite the career for himself as a proven musical talent. Nabors has released 28 albums.. all of which were certified as Gold or Platinum. He's also had a gig for over 30 years singing "Back home in Indiana again" before the start of the Indianapolis 500. Listen to him belt out the song "My Cup Runneth Over", and you'll be sold on this cat's musical prowess!

Justin Wilson's Party Tape

Now this is a relic I'm truly sorry I passed up. I mean.. it's Justin Wilson (The Cooking Cajun).. and he's got a party tape!?! My research indicates that Mr. Wilson had over 25 albums released over his career, although I think many of them were anecdotal storytelling albums rather than musical. I swung by the thrift store today (black Friday) where I saw this tape, to see if it was still available for purchase, but alas.. it was long gone. I guess that'll teach me for passing up retro items that I'm on the fence about.

Tis the season.. for retro sweets!

2011-11-22T20:08:00.004-07:00

I dig this time of year when multitudes of sweets start hitting the shelves. This is especially the case with retro goodies! Here are some of the great items I've spotted over the last couple of weeks..

Something about this time of year gets folks nostalgic for collectors tins, and there appears to be no shortage of great tins this holiday season..

M&M's Tin with retro art

Very nice Whitman's Sampler Tin

Two of my all time favorite candies..

RED HOTS and BOSTON BAKED BEANS!

Great looking Nestle' Tins

Double or TRIPLE your pleasure and fun..

with these great Wrigley's tins!

"Famous Amos" cookie tin,
with great classic Disney art

I just discovered that a store in my town called Michael's has a dedicated Retro candy section. 99% of the candy they sell, are brands of candy I used to enjoy as a kid. Pictured on this shelf are Life Savers, Necco wafers, Fruit Stripe gum, Pop Rocks, and Cinnamon toothpicks.

I used to love Gold Mine bubble gum. The pieces of chewing gum resembled little gold nuggets freshly panned from a river. After they were all gone, I'd keep the miniature gunny sacks and use them to hold army men, coins, different types of candy, and all kinds of other stuff that a 10 year old boy tends to carry around. Wax Lips still appear to be popular to this day, as the display box was nearly empty.

Hot Tamales and Mike & Ike candies

Hot Tamales and Mike & Ike are both made by the "Just Born" candy company. I probably ate my weight in these things during the 70's and 80's. Depicted on the retro boxes above are the original 50's box art. The design I remember most as a kid however, was the Hot Tamale box with the little Mexican boy known as "The Hot Tamale kid". If I'm not mistaken, they even had merchandising in the form of toys or dolls of "The Kid". I believe I read somewhere that this design (much like the Frito Bandito) was deemed as being politically incorrect, and therefore was discontinued.

Just Born also had several other versions of candy that looked similar to Hot Tamales, only in different colors and flavors. For instance, one variety was called "Cool Kids", a green colored spearmint candy that featured Eskimo children on the box art. Another was "Jolly Joes", which were purple in color, and featured a clown playing a banjo on the boxes. Then you had "Root-T-Toot", a Root Beer flavored candy with a cute looking tug boat character that graced the boxes. Finally.. there was "Jack and Jill" Just Born's answer to Hershey's "Good and Plenty" licorice candy. I'd so love for every one of these flavors along with the old box art to be re-released.. even if only for a short time.

Tootsie Roll banks

It's nice to see Tootsie Roll banks still available after all of these years. However.. it obvious that they've shrunk in size. I remember these banks being almost double the height they are nowadays.

Tootsie Pop Drops

I used to really love Tootsie Pop Drops as a kid. I haven't seen them for sale in a very long time, but it appears they've released a special edition peppermint flavor for the holidays.

So that's some of the retro candy I've spotted thus far, early on in this holiday season. If I come across any more items that strike a retro chord with me, I'll make sure to write about them here.

A father and son retro bicycling excursion

2011-11-20T20:40:00.003-07:00

I'm ashamed to say that until this fall, my old man and I have never went bicycling together. The old man and I don't have an incredible amount in common, but both of us do have an immense love for bicycles. Heck.. everything I knew about repairing and maintaining bikes during my childhood was taught to me by my father.

Over the last year I've gotten back into restoring and customizing bicycles, a hobby I enjoyed throughout my entire youth. Over the last five years since his retirement, my old man has also taken up the same hobby. Therefore, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that when we get started on the subject of bikes, we can literally spend hours talking about them.

This Fall I finished customizing a 1979 Open Road 3-speed road bike. The old man was dying to see it, so on one of my days off from work, I took the bike over to his house so he could check it out. One of the longest bike trails in Colorado runs right next to my Dad's neighborhood. Seeing as we both had no plans until the afternoon, we decided to go on a nice morning bike ride.

My Dad's vintage John Deere 10-speed

Fully embracing the retro spirit, my old man dusted off his 1971 John Deere 10-speed for our bike ride. That's right.. I said a John Deere! You see, back in the day you could go to any John Deere dealership and buy their brand of bikes. His 10-speed for the most part is all original, although he's changed out the seat, goose neck, and handlebars to give it a more comfortable ride.

My old man setting the pace for our morning bike ride.

The Poudre Trail is one of the most beautiful and nicely maintained bicycle trails on the Northern Front Range of Colorado. The condition of the cement trail is superb, and is lined on both sides with beautiful scenery. The trail winds back and forth along several ponds, as well as both sides of the Cache La Poudre river.

Throughout our ride, my Dad kept asking if he was going too slow for me. Nothing of the sort! My old man who is 70 years young not only set a great pace, but had me working up a sweat. I was just glad he wasn't on his Gary Fisher 21 speed Mountain Bike, because I would have had a heck of a time keeping up with him on my vintage 3-speed.

Possibly the coolest thing about the leg of the Poudre Trail that runs near my Dad's house, is that there is a bird sanctuary at the trails end. We parked our bikes, and decided to take a gander at some raptors.

Wise Old Owl

Hawk

Bald Eagle just Chillin'

After about 15 minutes of rest and re-hydration, we headed back to my Dad's house. All in all it was a calm and relaxing morning, and the old man and I really bonded. Rest assured, it won't be another 41 years before our next biking excursion. Next time I may even make it a family affair, bringing along my bride and kids for a ride with the Grandparents.

Some Retro concepts aren't always a good idea...

2011-11-19T10:34:00.001-07:00

Retro one armed bandits (slot machines) are pretty cool. Santa in himself is retro. So what could go wrong if you combine of them into one great stocking stuffer? Plenty...

Mayer Hawthorne.. a young cat who's bringing retro soul music back

2011-11-15T21:15:00.003-07:00

If you haven't heard any of Mayer Hawthorne's music yet, do yourself a favor and listen to some. He's a hip kid who's soulful singing reminds me of Curtis Mayfield, and every one of his songs stirs me in a different way.

I was so psyched the first time I heard Mayer's music, because I thought the soul music from the 60's and 70's that I grew up on was gone forever. In this day and age of songs that are devoid of any creativity, Mayer Hawthorne's music can only open peoples eyes to what vocal talent truly is.

His songs have been getting a lot of playtime on my ipod this week, and I feel it my duty to give you a glimpse of what this cat is about. Enjoy..

Mayer Hawthorne's newest album "How Do you Do?" dropped on October 11th, 2011, and is now available at retailers, and wherever digital music is sold.

A 70's grooming retro flashback

2011-11-12T20:54:00.002-07:00

I was getting ready for work the other morning, and suddenly experienced deja vu when I looked down and saw this..

My old man used all of these items for his daily grooming regimen in the 70's and 80's. It sounds funny, but it didn't dawn on me until this week that I use the same exact items as he did all those years ago.

Clubman Talc
Made by Pinaud, Clubman talc has been around since 1810. Like baby powder, talc helps to control moisture as well as dry and itchy skin. It also works great to tame a shiny face, and hides nicks and blemishes quite well. My old man used to abundantly stock this talc in his barber shop, and there was always a bottle or two in the house as well. I started using it at a pretty young age, and have never stopped.

Aim Toothpaste
Aim came on the scene in 1975. I really dig the screw off cap which can almost be called retro in its own right these days. I've never liked the flip cap toothpaste tubes, as they tend to get gunked up pretty easily.

Old Spice
I've loved the smell of Old Spice since I was a young boy. However, I could never bring myself to use it due to the popular stigma that old guys like Dad's and Grandpas were the only men who should wear it. I bought a bottle last year for old times sake, and realized two things. One.. I still love the smell of Old Spice. And two.. it does an excellent job of doing exactly what it's meant to do, which is closing your pores effectively, and guarding against irritation and infection from cuts. As for the stigma that Old Spice is for old dudes, kids and twenty something's think of me as old anyway.. so what do I care?

Shaving Mug and soap
I've abandoned using canned shaving cream and have switched back to mug soap. The point of using the old mug and brush method is to lift the stubble from your face, so the lather can better soften it. The bristles on the brush also help to clean dirt, sweat, and grime from your pores. The whole process is very effective at helping to give you a nice clean shave.

Gillette adjustable Razor
When I say these items are the same ones my old man used to utilize, I mean it quite literally with my razor. This very razor used to belong to my Dad, and he gave it to me when I was 15. It took some adjustment time when I switched from using a five blade disposable, but my face adapted in about one weeks time. I also laugh all the way to the bank, because a three to four month supply of blades only costs about $1.50!

These products have all been around for about as long as I remember, and I've always had good experiences using them. My familiarity with the products due to growing up with them, I'm sure in part has something to do with why I'm so committed to using them. I very well may have to write another article discussing what other lifelong commitments to products I still have.

2011 Schwinn Retro Kiddie bikes

2011-11-09T21:19:00.002-07:00

I saw these way cool retro looking Schwinn kids bikes at Sam's Club the other day. You've got a mini beach cruiser, and a quite comfortable looking Roadster Trike! Oh how I wish they were making these bikes when my kids were little. I would have loved taking either one of these out of the box and putting them together for my kiddo's. Unlike the store employee who assembled these bikes however.. I would have installed the handlebars on the tricycle correctly. To get the handlebars to point the right direction for this picture, I had to turn the front wheel around backwards (Click on the picture to enlarge).

Have you ever had the urge to purchase something.. even though you had absolutely no use for it whatsoever? This is how I felt when I saw these two bikes. Hmm... wonder if I could teach my Labrador to ride a bike?

Life Savers candy - A RETROspect

2011-11-03T21:06:00.000-06:00

Many varieties of Life Saver candies have come and gone over the years. This article isn't a comprehensive history on the candy line, so much as it is about the Life Savers candies that I most fondly remember during my childhood and adult life.

I've found myself reminiscing about Life Savers a lot lately. It all started a couple of weeks ago, when I was complaining to a friend about how tough it can be to find an honest to goodness roll of Life Savers these days. You can get bags of individually wrapped Life Savers everywhere, but the rolls of candy are a real pain to track down sometimes.

Many restaurants and eating establishments used to sell mints and gum by their cash registers, and I always remember CERTS, and Wint-O-Green Life Savers being available for purchase. They were certainly available in every store's candy section, and were ever present by the gum and mints at grocery checkout stands nationwide.

Yes, I truly miss the good old days when rolls of Life Savers used to be so easy to find, so imagine my surprise when I found these at the drug store yesterday..

These are some way cool Life Savers tins I picked up at Walgreen's. They stand seven inches tall, and are available for the holidays. As you can see.. Butter Rum, Five Flavor and Wild Cherry themed tins are available. Each collectible holiday tin comes with a 7 roll assortment that includes 2 Butter Rum, 2 Wild Cherry and 3 Five Flavor rolls. While these are considered a holiday item, the only thing with a holiday feel to them is the removable plastic seal atop the tins. As you can see, I bought all three tins, and now have a nice winter cache of America's favorite "Candy with a hole".

Memories..
My good friend Chris and I were huge fans of Life Savers as kids. Our parents would allow us to sit together in church, but we had to sit in the row directly in front of them, so they could keep an eye on us. Nodding off was a constant danger for us kids who after a long day of school, had to sit through two hours in church on Thursdays, and after a play packed weekend on Sunday mornings. Therefore, we never left for church without a roll of Life Savers in our suit coat pockets.

Chris's favorite flavor was Wild Cherry, and mine was Butter Rum. We'd mix it up from time to time and buy Pep-O-Mint or Wint-O-Green flavors as well. We'd often consult each other before church to make sure we didn't bring the same flavor. Then, during church.. we'd cautiously eat our Life Savers, sharing them with one another. The candy kept us awake, and the constant danger of getting caught by our parents kept us alert. Devising a method to stay awake was a necessity, as dozing off and letting your head bob, would most certainly bring retribution in the form of a pinch, or a thump to the back of the head.

We perfected our methods of exchanging the contraband, and each had our own techniques for passing the candy to one another. My friend Chris would palm the roll of Life Savers and flick a piece of candy onto the pages of my bible or songbook. I was a bit more cautious and would keep my roll tucked tightly in my shirt sleeve, just behind my palm. My suit coat sleeve ensured the roll stayed invisible (to human eyes at least). All I had to do to remove a piece of candy, was to push the roll upwards a bit into the base of my palm, and then reach down with my middle and ring finger to pull a Life Saver from the roll. The secret exchanges we pulled off would have made the finest of spies envious. We had many ways of passing the candy, but most commonly, we'd do so by acting like we were helping each other look up scriptures, or dropping a piece of candy into the others side suit coat pocket for them to pick up at a later time when the coast was clear.

What a Life Saver!
Fast forward to 1991. I was now sitting in church on Thursday nights and Sunday mornings with a 15 month old child on my lap. A restless toddler in church who has begun to make good use of his vocal chords can make for some uncomfortable stares from certain folks, so I drew from my old playbook. When my son would act up, I'd give him a Life Saver to pacify him for awhile. And no silly.. I didn't give my 15 month old a Life Saver, or even a broken up Life Saver for that matter. No.. there was a new Life Saver in town..

In the early 90's, Life Savers came out with a variety of candy called "Life Savers Holes". They came in a real dandy plastic container, and were roughly the size of, well.. a Life Savers hole! After I had exhausted all other resources to keep my son happy and quiet, I would sneak a Life Saver Hole to my boy, and he would be calm and quiet for about ten minutes. As good as this technique was, my plan eventually backfired when he got more teeth, and could chew the little pieces of candy as fast as I could dispense them.

More Varieties of Life Saving Candies..

I also remember there being Life Savers "mini rolls" that had about four Life Savers in them. These usually were abundant around Halloween time, but I also remember teachers giving them out as rewards to the students all year round. If I'm not mistaken, you could also buy them at candy stores for around 5 or 10 cents back in the early 80's.

While most kids went crazy for Tootsie Roll Pops, Blow-Pops, and Dum-Dums, my favorite variety of suckers were Life Savers Swirled Pops. These 10 or 15 cent suckers basically looked like a big Life Saver on a stick. The lollipops had smooth and creamy flavor combos like orange & vanilla, cherry & banana, and strawberry & vanilla.

I haven't seen Life Savers Swirled Pops for years, but was pleasantly surprised to learn that they are indeed still produced, and abundantly available for purchase online at Amazon, and countless other websites.

I can't exactly remember when gummi candy got so popular, but in the 70's, our choices were kind of limited. Since the 80's however, you can find gummi candy in just about every imaginable flavor and shape. In 1992 Life Savers released Gummi Savers which have since been renamed to "Life Savers Gummies". They've came out with lots of great flavors over the years that my kids and I really enjoyed such as wild berries, island flavors, and sour varieties.

Over the course of the last few years, the Life Savers brand of candy I've bought the most, are Creme Savers. These hard candies are swirled with real creme, and come in a few different flavors like tropical, orange & creme, and butter toffee & creme just to name a few. My personal favorite are the Strawberries & Creme, although the Orange and Creme variety gives me flashbacks of eating Creamsicle's on a hot summer day. These candies are creamy and smooth with their flavors paired perfectly. It's what I consider to be more of an "adult candy" because I'm not so sure most kids can truly appreciate the decadence and creaminess this candy exudes. You can occasionally find Creme Savers packaged in rolls, and whenever I come across them, I usually buy a roll or two.

Do you live in an area where rolls of Lifesavers are still abundant? Does anyone else remember Life Savers Holes? Do you hold fond memories about this or any other candy from your youth? If so, I'd love to hear about them!

Martinelli's Apple Juice.. say it isn't so!

2011-10-31T20:00:00.003-06:00

It's been said that when Dean Martin used to perform with the Rat Pack, an ever present glass of booze was in hand while he carried on and preformed on stage. What many don't know.. is that he was actually drinking Martinelli's apple juice on the rocks, all the while playing up the drunk shtick to perfection for the crowd.

I've always loved buying Martenelli's apple juice in those cool little glass bottles, so imagine my dismay when I saw this at the store the other day..

This is a store display full of Martinelli's apple juice in PLASTIC containers! I know companies need to make a buck, and are always looking for ways to cut costs, but I hate seeing this awesome product packaged into plastic bottles. This may sound kind of crazy to younger folks, but when I was a wee lad.. many products were packaged in glass.

I have vivid memories of my Grandparents from the dust-bowl and depression era's recycling glass containers, and utilizing them for all kinds of uses. My old man is the same way, and has a multitude of glass jars in about every size you could possibly imagine. He reuses them and fills them with homemade salsa's that he gives out to friends and family. There are shelves filled with glass jars in his garage, neatly arrange with all kinds of screws, bolts, and various hardware. To this day, I struggle with throwing a glass jar or container in the trash, and try my best to figure out the best way to recycle or re-purpose said receptacle.

I guess it's an end of an era.. kind of like when Listerine, ketchup, after shaves, soda's, vitamins and thousands of other consumer products switched to plastic packaging. What's next? Baby food, or dare I say it.. Beer?!? I see the writing on the wall, and realize that glass containers are an endangered species. However, a part of me is still saddened to see this happen.

Do I think plastic will eventually replace glass packaging? A few years ago I would have said no, but now.. I'm not so sure. Are you a fan of the old glass bottles that were so prevalent back in the day? If so, what were your favorite glass containers?

Book Review - The Cult of LEGO

2011-10-28T16:12:00.006-06:00

I just finished reading The Cult of LEGO. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book, but was extremely impressed by its contents.

The Cult of LEGO is a book that I am proud to adorn my coffee table with. This 304 page treasure is chock full of pictures, and a comprehensive history of LEGO from its humble beginnings.. to today's worldwide sub culture of LEGO fanatics. The Cult of LEGO is an easy and enthralling read, which opens you up to a whole world of LEGO that you may have never known to exist. Colorful pictures on practically every page pique your interest, and get you itching to turn the page to see what's next.

I was a huge LEGO fan as a kid in the 80's, and remained so during the 90's when my son started playing with them. However, this book schooled me at the turn of practically every page. Here are just a few (and I do stress a few) of the interesting facts I gleaned from this book..

There is a whole set of lingo and terminology that would suit one well to learn, if delving into the hobby and or subculture of LEGO maniacs. For instance.. if you are an adult fan of LEGO, you are an AFOL, whereas an adult female fan of LEGO is an AFFOL. The term KKK refers to a LEGO group owner and former CEO of LEGO, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. Also, if you make your own custom LEGO creations, they are referred to as MOC, meaning "My own creation".
LEGO's are helpful with autism therapy.
A LEGO brick will happily snap into almost any other brick in existence, from a 1958 brick to one fresh off of the production line today.

Architecture firms have made architectural models from LEGO's to help visualize and pitch projects.

There are LEGO conventions, user groups, robotics leagues, and artists worldwide.

Zombie Apocafest Diorama
created by 30 LEGO fans at BrickCon 2008

This book has a treasure trove of information for LEGO enthusiasts. It's not a collectors price guide or anything of the sort, but rather a detailed study of the history, culture, and hobby itself. There are tips on organizing collections, something I always had a problem with doing, collectors resources, and content that can open up doors in regards to new and exciting ways to use your LEGO's.

22 foot replica of the Japanese battleship Yamato,

weighing 330 pounds and consisting of 200,00 bricks.

Book excerpt
(click to enlarge)

The Cult of LEGO will undoubtedly reawaken the LEGO maniac in many, and transform countless others into new enthusiasts. Personally, I'm now fighting the urge to run right out and buy a Pirate LEGO playset to assemble this weekend.

Whether you're a full blown LEGO maniac, or are loosely familiar with the toy line, this book will prove to be an entertaining read for all. Content about LEGO tie ins with pop culture, history, art, and science, ensures that this book will have something for everyone, no matter where their interests lie. The beautifully illustrated pages will have you flipping through them in amazement from beginning to end

The Cult of LEGO

by John Baichtal and Joe Meno

available at No Starch Press

and fine bookstores everywhere

Hardcover, 4-Color, 8"x10"

304 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59327-391-0

About the authors..

John Baichtal is a contributor to MAKE magazine and Wired's GeekDad blog. He has also written for legendary tabletop gaming magazines Dragon and Dungeon, as well as Kobold Quarterly and 2600: The Hacker Quarterly.

Joe Meno is the founder of BrickJournal, a print and online LEGO® fan magazine. He has organized and run LEGO fan events, acted as an advisor on LEGO projects, and helped design LEGO sets.

Book review - MURDER ON TIKI ISLAND

2011-10-22T19:24:00.020-06:00

I'm absolutely in love with the state of Florida. I feel most at peace when I visit there, and this is especially the case when I'm near the ocean. I'm also a Tiki enthusiast, so I was immensely excited when I heard author Chris Pinto had written a new paranormal murder mystery, set in the backdrop of a Tiki themed resort in the Florida keys. What's more, the story falls under the genre of noir fiction, a writing style of which I've always been a huge fan of.

The story is set in 1956, and follows Detective Bill Riggins, a tough New York City cop with an affinity for jazz and bourbon, and a distaste for crooks and scum. After a spirited interrogation of a drug pusher, officer Riggins takes a forced vacation to Tiki Island, located in the Florida Keys.

During Detective Riggins excursion, he gets mixed up with the resort owners seductive daughter, as well as a blonde bombshell who isn't entirely what she appears to be. Along the way, he gets wrongfully suspected of a brutal murder, and is forced to question his core beliefs when paranormal activity starts running rampant.

While I knew this book had the makings of a great story, and covered many of my personal interests, I had no clue just how good of a read this was going to be. This is solely due to the authors imagination and storytelling abilities. He paints such a vivid and clear picture of the settings he describes, it feels as if you are truly transported to another place and time. Whether it was a cold fall day in New York, or a sultry night in the Florida keys, I clearly got a vivid sense and feel for the environments, places, and things, which were so eloquently described by the author.

It was obvious to me that Chris Pinto is well versed with the genre of pulp noir, and is an immense fan of mid century culture. Detailed descriptions of mid century cars, decor, clothes, social culture, and lingo, are all incredibly accurate and era specific. If one had to perform research for a novel like this, I could easily see it taking several years to complete. Chris Pinto is indubitably a lifelong study in regards to the aforementioned topics.

Every character is successfully brought to life by the authors storytelling, which in turn adds to the books lifeblood. In fact.. the protagonist seemed so real, I couldn't help but wonder if the author drew upon himself as the basis for the character. There are parts of this book that had me biting my nails in suspense, and others that had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.

Just as the characters are superbly written, so are the environments and situations described in the story. As an aspiring author, I would love to pick the writers brain about how the heck he could be so descriptive when describing surroundings like Key West back in the 1950's, not to mention eerie depictions of haunted houses and paranormal activity that takes place in the story.

Reading books before bedtime has long been a ritual of mine to wind down at the end of the day. However.. reading this book had the opposite effect on me. Many a night ended with me reading for an hour or two past my bedtime because I simply couldn't put it down. I truly can't remember the last time I read a page turner like Murder on Tiki Island. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of mystery, pulp noir, paranormal, and mid century retro goodness. And if you're not, you will be after reading this book!

MURDER ON TIKI ISLAND
available at:
www.keywestmurdermystery.com

$11.99 paperback
$3.99 kindle
$3.99 nook

also available at:

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble for Nook
stardustmysteries.com

Paperback: 270 pages

Size: 9 x 6 inches

ISBN-10: 1461130948

ISBN-13: 978-1461130949

A typical Saturday for me back in 1982

2011-10-21T11:36:00.000-06:00

First off, I'd like to thank all of my readers for the kind thoughts and vibes you've been sending my way. I'm happy to say my wife is on the mend, and things are finally getting back to normal. That being said, below is an article I've been sitting on for awhile. I guess it would fall under the category of retro memories. Enjoy...

A couple weekends ago, Fall finally arrived, and hit us with the first cold and rainy day of the season. I was stuck inside most of the day typing away on my laptop, and after a few hours, I couldn't help but to think about how I used to spend my Saturdays as a kid. When I reflect this way, the memories usually come flooding back quite vividly. For the sake of posterity, I decided to record these memories of how I used to spend a typical Saturday, during summer vacation at the age of twelve.

My typical day started at 7:00 a.m. I remember wishing I could sleep in until noon like many of my friends did. However.. as soon as the sun brightened my room, I could physically sleep no longer. It didn't bother me too terribly bad, because to me.. doing so was just a waste of valuable daylight.

Breakfast usually consisted of a bowl of cereal like Honey Comb, Cookie Crisp, or Franken Berry, and a tall glass of orange juice. If I was really famished, I would make a couple pieces of toast with butter and jam, or apple butter. The next obvious course of action was "planting it" on the living room couch to watch the boob tube for a few hours or so.

Cereal commercials for Franken Berry, Count Chocula, and Cap'n Crunch actually had ongoing story lines and characters that in all rights were more entertaining than many of the cartoons shown on Saturdays. The most popular prime time Saturday morning cartoons didn't start until about 8:00, but there were still plenty of good ones to watch like The Flintstones, Looney Toons, Jonny Quest, Tom and Jerry, and countless others. After cartoons were over, it was time to grab lunch and watch some monster movies.

We didn't have cable when I was a kid, so I was raised on good old fashioned local television channels. KWGN channel 2 in Denver Colorado did a bang up job with their afternoon and late night programming, especially on the weekends. After Saturday morning cartoons were over, old school monster movies and sci-fi flicks were shown until about 2:00 in the afternoon. I think I saw every classic movie monster staple throughout the 80's on channel 2. I remember watching classics like The Wolfman, Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla, The Blob, and an endless array of B-Movie goodness.

My Mom would occasionally see what I was watching, and interject on how she remembered seeing those movies in the theater or drive-in. She would comment about the way things were during the era of the 50's, as well as the surf craze that was so prevalent in many of the teen horror flicks from that time. I always loved listening to her stories and it's one of the reasons I've always been fascinated with the recent past. Whether I watched TV until 2:00 or not, next on the agenda was spending the rest of the day outside.

The Great Outdoors..
I spent many a Saturday flying kites. The kite company Gayla made a heck of a kite back in the 80's that was affordable, and barring too many crashes to the earth.. were incredibly durable. The first thing I would do when buying a new kite, was to buy two rolls of kite string and combine them into one spool. My friends and I would see just how high we could fly our kites, and there were times we'd fly them so high, they'd appear as tiny specks in the sky.

The kite of choice for my friends and I were the Gayla "Baby Bat" model of kites. They were a black kite that came with two adhesive blood shot eyeball decals. We always hoped for fast side winds so we could fly them low over the road while hiding behind fences so as to freak people out who were driving by. I'm not sure if we ever frightened anyone, but we giggled the entire time while engaging in these shenanigans.

Another favorite past time I had as a kid was fishing. Even at a young age, I appreciated the serenity and calmness I could obtain from an afternoon of angling. My friends and I took pride in our tackle boxes and would open them up to proudly display and trade different lures and tackle. Most of our fishing excursions began with trading sessions where we'd barter with one another as if we were trading baseball cards. Fishing is something I hadn't actively done in over twenty years, and have recently took up the hobby again. Just like back in the day, maybe even more so.. its proved to be a great stress reliever.

Possibly my favorite form of entertainment as a kid however, was riding my bike. I must have logged thousands upon thousands of hours pedaling through my youth. The beginning of many a Saturday afternoon began with me oiling up the chain on my BMX bike, airing up the tires, and heading out for a day of adventure. I'd ride around to my friends houses one by one to gather up the gang, and we'd cruise around the neighborhood, or go off road to have some fun.

My best friends lived across town, so many weekends I would load the bike up in the car, and my Mom would drop me off in the early morning for the day, or for sleepovers. Since they lived in the country, we had an extra fun time riding our bikes.

We'd start our day by packing lunches for ourselves that usually consisted of sandwiches, chips, and some sweets. We'd stop by the gas station to get some bottled soda, and then it was off for a day of exploring and adventure. Many times we'd also bring our fishing gear or kites with us, which insured us a full day of fun.

At the end of the day we would quickly run inside for dinner, and then it was right back outside for more playtime. We didn't think of heading back indoors until after sun set, and even then.. we'd try to stay out as late as we could. When we finally did come inside and settle down, we would sit around reading comic books or playing with Hot Wheels or STAR WARS action figures until more great programming came on TV.

Usually at about 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, wrestling and music videos ruled the airwaves. If we were lucky, we'd be able to catch a Hulk Hogan or Andre the Giant wrestling match. Afterward, we'd flip through the channels searching for the newest music videos. Finally.. we'd search for something spooky or stimulating to watch, like late night horror flicks, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, or the Benny Hill show. After the end of the broadcasting day, the old color bar test pattern would appear across the screen, and we'd finally shut the TV off. But it wasn't the end of the day for us by far.

It was like a game for my friends and I, to see exactly how late we could stay up. We'd keep each other awake by talking about the mysteries of life, future plans, and girls.. (which I guess could've qualified as one of the mysteries of life) and an infinite collection of other topics. Many a sunrise on Sunday morning is when we finally closed our eyes for some rest, only to be awakened by our folks shortly after to get ready for church.

So in short, that was the typical Saturday for me on most weekends. While I did SO many other things during my free time in the 80's, these activities are what stand out in my mind the most. There are countless other activities and fads we used to partake in as kids, all of which I'm sure I'll eventually write about sooner or later.

How about you? Does anything listed here ring a bell, or sound similar to your weekend activities as a kid?

The lack of Retro-normal activity at DadsDish.com

2011-10-16T16:48:00.000-06:00

I've been less than active here lately at Dads Dish, so I just wanted to reassure my readers that I have no plans on letting the site fall by the wayside. A death in the family during September kind of stifled my creative drive for awhile, and just when the creative juices started flowing again, my beautiful bride of 22 years has taken ill.

Life is pretty crazy right now and I really can't buy out the time to write. However.. I do have some articles in the bank that have already been drafted, and all I have to do is polish them up and post them. I will try my hardest to publish at least one of these articles per week for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks for swinging by, and I hope to be writing up a storm once again very soon.
-Darrin

Retro Cap'n Crunch t-shirt offer

2011-10-08T17:00:00.000-06:00

There's a mail away offer on boxes of specially marked Cap'n Crunch boxes right now for retro Cap'n Crunch T-shirts! With just four proofs of purchase and $3.49 shipping and handling, you can get yourself a T-Shirt with the Cap'n's retro likeness emblazoned on the front.

The tees are available in adult sizes only, meaning that this promo is being targeted towards us old folks! It makes me wonder how many kids versus adults eat this cereal? I mean, I primarily buy the cereal for my kids.. although I pilfer an occasional bowl or three per week. Also, a lot of my readers in my same age group have expressed to me that Cap'n Crunch still holds a special place in their hearts to this day.

I think I'm going to get one of these shirts for my retro tee collection. With the sales my local supermarket constantly has on these 14 ounce boxes, I figure I will probably pay about $12.00 to $14.00 for this great shirt. An added bonus is that I will err.. I mean my kids will have cereal for a few weeks.

On a side note.. there's a pretty cool retro crossword on the back of the box. I'm thinking that my three kids from ages 10 to 21 maybe could have figured out a couple of these answers, so I'm pretty sure this puzzle was geared towards us old folks as well.

Thanks to some of the useless yet interesting tidbits of retro trivia floating around in my data banks, I'm happy to say I aced the crossword! If you're an 80's retrophile like me, I've posted a picture of the crossword below for you to check out. Answers are listed below the picture.

Answers across
5-Crocodile, 6-Soggies, 8-Ninja, 9-Atari, 11-Material

Down:
1-Karate, 2-Growing, 3-Transformer, 4-Michael, 7-Macintosh, 10-Max, 11-Mullet

I'm really digging the trend of retro marketing for cereals, food, and merchandise. I can't wait to see what hits the shelves next!

Cooking tips for Retro Dad's

2011-10-08T11:35:00.000-06:00

I love to grill and cook, but 80% of the meals in our house are usually prepared by my bride. When she gets sick for a few days, it's up to me to feed my clan. Over the years, I've been faced with this dilemma a few times, and use techniques that I learned from my mother and grandmother.

It's nothing new or cutting edge.. I simply utilize the crock pot, and make good use of leftovers. I've always viewed the crock pot as a modern marvel. Prep time for your meal is usually minimal, and you can walk away and leave it alone all day with no worries. As far as leftovers go.. my parents and grandparents came from a time when they tried to conserve and reuse anything they could. Throwing out food was a sin, and as I get older.. the very thought bothers me as well.

Yesterday at 9:00 a.m., I rubbed a pork roast with crushed garlic and placed it in the crock pot. I then threw in an onion, some celery stalks, carrots, diced potatoes, and a can of beef stock. I sprinkled with various seasonings, turned the switch to high, and left it to cook for the next eight hours. At five o' clock I buttered some dinner rolls, and we had a hearty meal that was a hit with everyone.

Staying true to Mom and Grandma's frugality, I made breakfast this morning using last nights leftovers. I added oil to a frying pan and added potatoes, onion, pork, and five scrambled eggs. After cooking and seasoning, I covered the ingredients with a layer of shredded cheese, and voila.. we had the makings for some tasty breakfast burrito's. What's more, there's still enough pork to make sandwiches for lunch today.

In the end, I was able to concoct three meals for my family of five, for a total cost of about $10.00. Talk about bang for your buck! I got a great deal of satisfaction from making our family dollar stretch so far. It's got me wondering if I could undercut this number by even more. I think Mom and Grandma would be proud.

How about you? Do you have a favorite meal that gets you some serious bang for your buck as well? I'm trying to reel in our spending as of late, and would love to hear your guys tips and tricks for making healthy and affordable meals!

My 1979 WEST BEND "HOT POT" Heat 'N Server

2011-10-02T21:22:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, I collect all kinds of retro, Disney, Tiki, and pop culture treasures. My years of collecting have caught up with me however, and I need to either thin out my collection.. or risk becoming a hoarder.

One of my favorite retro pieces went up on eBay tonight, and I felt the need to give it a nice send off before it's gone forever. Meet my 1979 West Bend "HOT POT" Heat 'N Server..

This majestic 1970's orange colored HOT POT is unused, and as mint as it gets. These great warmers were all the rage back in the day when microwaves were still out of many peoples reach financially. I remember these along with percolators being used at practically every pot luck and party I ever attended as a kid. I'm not entirely sure why they became obsolete. No wait.. I can. Some call it convenience, but many times I consider it impatience.

Microwaves can warm a cup of anything in about a minute. This relic of a warmer could heat two to six cups of soup, water, dips, etc. in just four minutes. GASP! How did we ever manage?!? We sure lived like cavemen back then didn't we?

All joking aside, I can still see some benefits of this unit over the microwave. It's compact, and would serve you well in cramped quarters, or while traveling. Heck.. this would even work great when camping, as you can buy AC converters that plug into your cars cigarette lighter now. The only drawback.. I wouldn't want to see what happened if you forgot to turn it off.

Now you may wonder why this is one of my favorite retro pieces. Well.. a lot of it has to do with what is on the inside of the unit. Check it out..

All of the original paperwork and advertising that came new with this unit is tucked as snug as a bug in a rug inside of the HOT POT. It's got everything from the owner registration form (which needed to be sent off within 10 days of purchase) to a booklet that listed every certified repair shop in the United States (boy these are much different times we live in). Here's a closer view at some of the material that was included with every new unit..

A cookbook was included with the West Bend HOT POT that featured recipes you could make using the warmer. Below are a couple pictures of some retro recipes I've posted for your viewing pleasure. Click on the images to enlarge

Chicken Ala King and Cheese Sauce Recipe

That cheese sauce sure looks healthy huh?

Also included was a catalog that showcased West Bend's product line for the year of 1979. I love looking through this booklet and taking a stroll down memory lane..

Pizza Baker AND Grill!

Woks and Popcorn poppers

I sure did eat my share of wok prepared meals in the 80's. My favorites were Chicken Lo Mein and Egg Fried Rice.

I also ate my weight in air popped popcorn. My old man absolutely loved his popcorn popper, and he bought Orville Redenbacher popcorn like it was going out of style. He used to love popping up a big batch and filling up the biggest bowl he could find with it. We'd then gather around the T.V. and snack on it while we watched shows like Trapper John M.D., Magnum P.I., and Hardcastle and McCormick. Do they even still sell air poppers? If so.. I think it might be time for me to invest in one.

Cremora Coupon

a 75 cent coupon back in 1979 was a big deal!

Ah.. Cremora non-dairy creamer! From doughnut shops to waiting rooms, it seemed like this great Borden brand creamer was practically everywhere. I started drinking coffee back when I was 13, and remember liking this brand of creamer immensely. I remember feeling like a big shot because I took my coffee with "Double Sugar, Double Cream" just like officer Bill Gannon in the crime drama Dragnet.

Remember when "Handsome" Humidifiers were all the rage?

So this HOT POT was more to me than just some retro appliance. Owning such a pristine appliance that looks like it was teleported to me directly from 1979 was groovy enough in itself. However.. this item and all of the good stuff inside of it, gave me a connection to the past and resurrected many pleasant memories from long ago. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm prioritizing and reorganizing my life right now, and this item as cool as it is simply takes up too much valuable real estate.

If interested, you can see the auction here at eBay

Tis' the season.. For Monster Cereals! Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula

2011-10-01T14:48:00.004-06:00

I was happy last week to see that my favorite cereals as a kid are once again appearing in stores. While they're available all year round, most stores only carry them around Halloween time. I bought a box of Franken Berry last week for old times sake, and upon eating my first bowl, was taken back a bit.

Either my taste is fading due to the mountains of tongue blistering hot wings I've consumed over the years, or Franken Berry tastes less and less like Franken Berry every year. That being said, I do realize that products tend to slowly evolve over the years. Case in point, Coca Cola.. or Pepsi. Those sodas are a mere shadow of there former selves, and such is the case with Franken Berry. I would love to see a Franken Berry box from the 1970's to compare its ingredient list with the Franken Berry cereal of today. The taste is so different from when I was a kid, that I almost wonder it they changed from a wheat/rice blend to wheat/corn blend like so many other cereals have done.

As a kid, I used to grab a bowl of Frankenberry hoping that a Monster Cereal commercial would play on the television while I was eating it. No chance of this happening now, as I can't even remember the last time I saw a Monster Cereal advertised on TV or in print. It was amazing how a simple bowl of Strawberry flavored cereal made watching cartoons or old Monster Movies so much better!

Then there were the prizes that were so ingeniously made, as well as marketed. Just a mere glimpse of them on the front of the box was enough to cause any child to immediately do or say anything they could, to get their mothers to buy a box for them. Back during the Monster Cereals heyday, you could walk into any supermarket and find Monster Cereal items on the shelves like; Beach Towels, Beach Bags, School Sets, Notebooks, Dolls, etc. The General Mills Monster Cereal line permeated pop culture in the 70's, which is a feat that the cereal manufacturers of today could only dream of achieving!

I can overlook the new Monsters likenesses upon the boxes, but I truly miss the old art from the 70's and 80's. It seems as if the Monstrous trio gets a facelift every year. I had hopes that General Mills would release retro boxes like they did with some of their other cereals earlier this year, but no dice. Oh well.. maybe next year.

Even with all of the obvious changes, one thing is for sure.. the cereal still resembles its former self enough for me to still enjoy a bowl, and reminisce about the good old days. My box of Franken Berry is almost gone, so I'm off to the store to do my grocery shopping and to pick up a box of Count Chocula. Next week I imagine I'll be getting some Boo Berry

A retro review of old school bar soaps

2011-09-26T20:36:00.001-06:00

In this article, I compare the three retro bar soaps Coast, Irish Spring, and Safeguard. I thought these three brands appropriate to review, because all of them have been around for as long as I can remember. This review is a culmination of about one month's research. I came to my final determinations by showering daily with each individual brand, until the bar was rendered useless. When the soap was no longer useable, I then moved onto the next brand of soap, noting comparisons and differences during the duration of usage.

SOAP #1 - COAST

cost: $4.00 for 8 bars

produced by the Dial corporation

Back in the day, COAST was referred to as "The eye opener soap", and I've got to say.. this statement isn't too far off the mark. The soap has a light and airy scent that definitely helped to awaken my senses first thing in the morning. The suds this soap produced were abundant to say the least. The nice curved bar makes it easy to hold, and clean yourself effortlessly.

After drying off from my showers with this soap, I could faintly smell it on my skin, but not for very long. This was quite surprising for a soap that has such a bold scent straight out of the gate. I was sure the smell would prominently linger on my skin for quite some time.. but it didn't. Being a deodorant soap however, it did its job efficiently and worked quite well, even during long days that included afternoon bike rides.

I also used this soap for my hands after working with greasy bicycle parts. While I required a bristle brush to remove a few stubborn grease spots.. the soap did a bang up job of getting my hands spotless.

In the end, this bar of soap lasted exactly 7 days. When the eighth day arrived and I entered the shower only to find a piece of soap the size of a quarter, I decided it was time to move on to the next brand.

SOAP #2 - IRISH SPRING

cost $4.50 for 8 bars

produced by the Colgate company

Irish Spring has had many slogans over the years, but the most famous may be that it leaves you as fresh and clean as a whistle. It may sound a bit corny, but this is the experience I had with Irish Spring. While the soap didn't produce nearly the amount of suds that COAST did, it was incredibly efficient at removing dirt and grime. Perhaps the the lack of suds equates into the soap not breaking down as fast. The reason I lean towards that reasoning, is because my bar of Irish Spring stood up to daily showering (sometimes twice a day) for 12 days!

I used the bar for hand washing as well, and found that ink marks and grease were easily removed from my hands with minimal effort. This deodorant soap not only did a great job of lifting whatever dirt and grime it encountered, but also did an outstanding job in regards to inhibiting odor causing bacteria. The scent of Irish Spring is very pronounced, especially once the suds start foaming up. The crisp clean scent was still clearly present even after I got dressed, and was noticeable throughout most of my day, and into the afternoon.

The curved bar makes it easy to hold, and the scent of the soap never got weaker during the entire duration I used it. The only negative I could find with this soap, is that it cleans SO good, it left my skin feeling a tad bit dry. Not a problem right now, but in the winter when the air is ridiculously dry in Colorado.. this could make for dry and itchy skin.

SOAP #3 - SAFEGUARD

cost $6.09 for 8 bars
produced by Proctor and Gamble

Safeguard was the complete opposite of Coast and Irish Spring. A Safeguard bar of soap is white, with a very mild scent. When I opened the soap package and pulled the bar out, it reminded me of the Dove soap bars that my bride uses. It was very mild yet pleasant smelling, with a noticeably softer feel to the soap. Something that really caught my attention, is that the bar looked significantly smaller than the Irish Spring and Coast bars. Upon examining the packaging, I learned that these bars were almost 25% smaller, weighing in at 3.2 ounces versus the 4 ounce Irish Spring and Coast bars. My hopes that the smaller bars would hold their form adequately were ill fated, as the bar only lasted for 5 days.

After drying off from my showers, I could barely smell the faint scent of the soap on my skin, and even then.. it quickly dissipated within minutes. During one afternoon I used the soap after working on my bike for a few hours. There was plenty of dirt and grime present, and a scrub brush was needed from start to finish to aid the soap in doing its job.

In the end.. Safeguard wasn't quite my cup of tea. Nevertheless, I can see this soap working really well for people with sensitive skin. Those who tend to have problems with the ingredients and perfumes in stronger smelling and cleansing soaps, might really dig this product. It would also serve as a good soap to use if you needed a second shower during the day. The soap didn't dry out my skin, and was very mild. For my daily showers, the soap did its job.. but I didn't feel squeaky clean like I did from showering with the other two soaps.

After nearly a month of testing, I reviewed my notes and decided that my favorite retro soap is..

As I get more thrifty in my old age, I truly cherish products that give you your moneys worth. At a cost of roughly 56 cents per bar, and a shower shelf life of nearly two weeks, this soap in all rights qualifies in my book as a steal!

I also demand results from the products I use, and Irish Spring did not disappoint. An incredibly efficient deodorizing soap with a fresh clean scent that lasted most of the day, is what primarily sold me on this soap. The fact that this superior product is also very economical, was icing on the cake.

My skin gets incredibly dry during the winter months, and I fear Original Irish Spring may give me a great case of winter itch. However.. I see that there is also a variation made with aloe to help condition skin. With winter rapidly approaching, I will definitely be giving the aloe version of Irish Spring a try. Hmm.. maybe I should do a review on retro soaps that have been reloaded and improved like Irish Spring Aloe.

So are there any retro or tried and true soaps that you absolutely love? I'm always up to try new products, and would love to hear about your favorites!

Dad's Retro Bike project

2011-09-18T20:22:00.006-06:00

The bike customization project I started last month is about 98% complete. However, so many of my readers have e-mailed and asked for updates, I decided to go ahead and write about it today. Below are some pictures and info about the project. Click on any image to enlarge

This is the day I brought her home.. a 1979 Montgomery Wards Open Road 3 speed. The bike was a little rough with non working brakes and shifter, a rusted chain, and severely oxidized paint. However, if you could look past all of that.. you'd see a bike with great bones.

The bike was ride-able, so I snatched her up for only $20.00. Once I got the bike home, I immediately took it for a quick spin. I found that it rode smoothly, and all moving parts had tight tolerances. Thirty two years later, every part on the bike was original from the factory.

Sure.. it needed a little TLC to get it back to its present state, but these old bikes were built to last, and it wasn't an ordeal to get her back in tip top shape. I've bought new bikes during the last twenty years, that were worth nothing more than scrap metal in under five years. There's no doubt in my mind that if properly cared for, this bike will make it another thirty years no problem.

As soon as I saw this bike, I envisioned creating a flat black beauty with a retro feel to it, and I believe I've successfully accomplished what I set out to do. There's a few odds and ends I still plan on tweaking or replacing, and first on the list is tires. Seeing as they're 32 years old.. they don't quite hug the road as good as they should. It's not that the treads are worn.. the rubber simply has lost most of its pliability after three decades. By the looks of the bike when I found her, it appeared that she spent most of her life out in the elements.

A two mile trip marked this bikes maiden voyage yesterday, and I was very pleased with how it performed. Other than a front brake and seat adjustment, there was nothing else I needed to tweak. During the overhaul, I completely disassembled the rear wheel hub for cleaning and repacking of the bearings. I had worries in the back of my mind about how the gears would shift, but they functioned perfectly, needing no further adjustment.

While I originally wanted the bike to be entirely flat black, it just didn't look right when I started putting it back together. Therefore.. I repainted the front fender and chain guard gloss black to give the bike some subtle contrast.

Another change or lack thereof I decided to make, was in regards to the handlebars. I had an extra set of Beach Cruiser bars lying around so I installed them. After I did so, they just didn't look right, and killed the feel of the bike that I was going for.

I opted to use the original bars that came with the bike, and absolutely love the retro look of them. Now that the bike is finished, I can't believe I toyed with the idea of ditching them.

Another thing I'm leaving alone is the seat. The tattered, broken in look, lends immensely to the bikes character. The style of the seat itself adds to the bicycles slightly aggressive look.

Big fenders look cool on bikes, but even as a kid I always thought that most were overkill. I knew this bike needed fenders to pull off the look I was shooting for, and came up with a simple solution for modifying them.

The rear part of the fender with the braces is what needed to go. I took a pencil and marked off a cut point about six inches behind the mounting bracket.

I carefully trimmed along the line I drew with tin snips, and then sanded down the edge smooth.

After a quick sanding, priming, and three coats of gloss black paint.. this was the result. I'm still working on the rear fender and should get it done this week.

One of the only parts I had to totally replace, was the three speed shifter switch and cable. I rounded up an unused piece on eBay for about $9.00. The cable was a few inches longer than what I needed, but it worked just fine. As you can see.. I added a little flair to the bike with some Electra flame grips that I had lying around.

A new non-retro item I did add to this bike, was a wireless bike computer. It was actually a gift from my old man, who is also huge bicycle enthusiast. This little unit does it all! It's got a clock, an odometer, speedometer, counts calories and fat burned, tracks your workouts, top speed, and even displays the temperature. I can already tell it will prove to be invaluable for my afternoon and weekend rides.

Some retro flair in the form of snazzy valve stem caps!

Man's best friend(s)

So needless to say.. I'm pretty happy with the outcome of my latest bike project. The grand total spent on the bike thus far, is $40.00. I foresee spending another $22.00 or so to finish it up completely. This bike is going to be my daily driver, so I'll eventually spring for a seat bag, air pump to attach to the frame, and a water bottle setup.

I derived a great deal of satisfaction from this bike project, but then again.. I've always loved working on bikes. As I disassembled the bike and succinctly cleaned, greased, sanded, primed, painted, customized, and finally reassembled this beauty, every skill about bicycle mechanics I had ever learned was at the forefront of my mind. Bike restoration and customization has always been a true love of mine, and I'm glad I decided to take up the hobby once again. Rest assured that this will not be the last bicycle project you read about here!

J & D's Bacon Flavored Popcorn Review

2011-09-13T19:30:00.002-06:00

J&D's Bacon Pop - Bacon flavored popcorn

The verdict - excellent!

I've been on a bacon kick lately. Actually.. a bacon flavored kick if you want to be more specific. There are so many bacon flavored products hitting the market right now, I simply can't resist buying them when I come across something new. The company J&D's is primarily responsible for many of these great creations like their bacon flavored popcorn.

I was walking down the snack aisle at the supermarket last week, and stumbled across J&D's Bacon Pop. As soon as I saw that cute little slice of bacon smiling at me, I knew that I wasn't leaving the store without a box.

Upon getting home from the market, I opened the box and unwrapped a bag. As I readied the bag for cooking, I could already smell the aroma of bacon even before it began to cook. I threw the bag in the microwave and anxiously waited. As the kernels began to pop, the smell of bacon immediately began filling the room. I swear it smelled just like I was cooking a pan full of crispy bacon! My spousal unit and offspring started appearing out of thin air to see what kind of magic was going on in the kitchen.

As I pulled the steaming bag of popcorn from the microwave, it smelled a bit smoky, and I was afraid it was overcooked and scorched. Fortunately, the smell was that of crisp smoky bacon, and was cooked to perfection with no loose or burnt kernels. The popcorn tasted every bit as good as as it smelled, and the taste ratio was quite pleasant. The bacon flavor was neither overpowering or bold, but instead subtle and smooth. The taste of smoky bacon slowly builds as you continue to eat, and the saltiness complimented the flavor perfectly. It was a light, non greasy bag of popcorn, and quite honestly was the best microwave popcorn I've eaten in years.

Before opening the bag, you are instructed to shake and rotate the bag to evenly coat the popped kernels with flavor. I noticed upon opening the bag, that there were little black bits on the popped kernels. They looked similar to those little black bacon crumbs left over in the frying pan after you cook up your slices of swine. I'm not sure what gives this popcorn its great flavor, but it's not bacon fat.. because this popcorn is safe for vegans and vegetarians!

Healthier than your average popcorn
So not only is this popcorn safe for vegetarians and vegans, it's also Gluten-Free, has no cholesterol, and no Diacetyl. Recent studies have suggested that diacetyl, when used as a butter flavoring can be hazardous when inhaled over a long period. In fact.. many workers at microwave popcorn manufacturers have won lawsuits in regards to respiratory problems they have developed.

So there you have it! A guilt free and great tasting bacon flavored snack! J&D's also makes a cheese-bacon flavored version of this popcorn that I haven't been able to find yet. Once I track it down.. it's coming home with me, and I'll make sure to write a review after I try it.

Visit BaconPop online!!

3 retro and soulful sweeties who's music I immensely dig..

2011-09-11T18:40:00.003-06:00

After a stressful week, I'm sitting here on this fine Sunday afternoon in my easy chair enjoying some great music. Alone with my thoughts.. I decided to write a quick post on what's streaming through the speakers and lifting my spirits. Here are the soulful Sirens I'm currently listening to as I type away..

ADELE
Adele's debut album 19 went four times platinum, and her second album 21 went ten times platinum in the UK. If you haven't heard any of her music, do yourself a favor and listen to some. She's got an amazing voice and could hold her own with any 1960's Motown songstress.

Adele has had top five hits in the Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart at the same time. She's the first to have done so since the Beatles in 1964. She also has broke a long standing UK chart record previously held by Madonna. Adele's album 21 has spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one in the UK. which succinctly is the longest ever by a female solo artist. Madonna's greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection held at number one in 1990 for nine weeks.

This is the song I just finished listening to a few minutes ago..

Amy Winehouse

Amy could have had such a stellar career and life, and it's truly a shame she wasted so much of it during her short time with us. I was a fan of Amy's early on, and below is one of my favorite songs performed by her. How she appears in these earlier videos is how I like to remember her.

Caro Emerald
This dame's music dominates my iPod jazz playlist. I'm a HUGE fan of Caro Emerald. Her voice is sultry and hypnotic, and her music is lively and fun. Her songs have a great classic sound, while adding a nice new edge that doesn't take away from the retro vibe she so effortlessly exudes.

Her debut album Deleted Scenes From the Cutting Room Floor broke a record on the Dutch album charts, and remained there for 30 weeks. This is one week longer than the previous record held by the "king of pop".. Michael Jackson. His album Thriller resided there for 29 weeks.
Below is the first single released from her debut album..

Great soulful retro sound, and an ice cold beer on a lazy Sunday afternoon. A great end to the hectic week I just endured.

A very cool retro anniversary gift

2011-09-10T12:00:00.010-06:00

I guess my bride "gets me" after 22 years of marriage, because this is what she got me as an anniversary gift yesterday..

Now.. not only can I listen to my cassettes and vinyl that have been sitting for decades, but I can also convert them to MP3's with this great unit! My folks literally have hundreds of 45 RPM records that they used to dance to in the 50's and 60's, and I can't wait to start digging through them.

Vinyl treasures that I once passed by at thrift shops and second hand stores will be finding their way home with me during my retro treasure hunts! I'm already having a blast messing around with it, and just last night set my ears on some Hawaiian delights that you can hear below..

I have some other albums itching to be played like the sound track to South Pacific, some 45's from the eighties, as well as some Disney records and cassettes. I can already see I'm going to have plenty to do during the cold winter months. Thank you honey, and happy 22nd anniversary!

Drink Review - Frozen Margarita.. Popsicles!

2011-09-09T18:58:00.003-06:00

I stopped by the liquor store on the way home from work the other day to pick up a six pack of Land Shark Lager. At the checkout stand, I came across these intriguing freezable adult treats and had to buy a couple.

Shark Attack Margarita

This Margarita comes in a 100 ml tube capable of being frozen, and then eaten in popsicle form! Not only are these Margarita's fun to eat, but they're pretty dang good as well! Ingredients are as follows..

Blue agave resposado tequila
water
lime juice
cane sugar
orange liqueur

The way you prepare and drink, err.... eat a Shark Attack Margarita, is the same as preparing a kids flavor ice freeze pop. You simply freeze them, and cut them open when you're ready to enjoy them. If the cats at Sharkbite cocktails were smart, they'd make other variations like daquiris, etc. but I'm sure they're already on this.

From what I've seen, prices range from $2.50 to $2.99 per tube, with an entire box of eight going for about $16.00. The price seemed a bit hefty to me at first, but they're a unique novelty that will surely be a hit at my next get-together or function. With no dirty glasses to worry about, and minimal effort to prepare.. these margarita's would fit the bill perfectly for any barbecue, pool party, or picnic.

Hot weather only adds to the fun and enjoyment of Shark Attack Margarita's, so I can see myself buying lots of them next summer.

Visit Shark Attack Margarita's Online

BIGS Sizzlin' Bacon flavored sunflower seeds

2011-09-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

BIGS Sizzlin' Bacon Sunflower Seeds

$1.49 for a 5.35 ounce bag

The verdict - Excellent

It was a great visit to the supermarket this week, because I stumbled across the wonder that IS.. bacon flavored sunflower seeds! A retro Dad need his bacon and salt. A retro Dad's heart and arteries.. do not. Now I've found a way to enjoy both, without getting my physician and my heart upset with me!

BIGS is a Colorado based company that operates in the city of Boulder. I've always found their jumbo sunflower seeds to be tasty and to be of the utmost quality. Now BIGS has teamed with the folks at "Bacon Salt" to come up with a snack creation that I'm not quite sure how I lived without for all of these years!
And.. if the innovation of this sunflower seed flavor wasn't enough.. the bag they come in is resealable! I can't tell you how many bags of sunflower seeds I've bought over the years that have went stale, or spilled due to their lousy packaging.

As far as I can tell, BIGS Sizzlin' Bacon seeds don't smell any different than regular sunflower seeds. However.. when you pop a handful in your mouth, a wild yet mild taste of smoky bacon slowly envelops your palate. The flavor comes on stronger after a minute or so, but by no means overpowers the taste of the seeds. On any given day, I have a hard enough time setting down a regular bag of Sunflower seeds once I start eating them. BIGS Bacon flavored seeds are crazy addicting, and once I broke into my first bag, I didn't stop until it was half gone!

I also hear rumors of a Buffalo wing flavored variation of BIGS Sunflower seeds, so I will definitely be hunting these down! If other sunflower seed companies like DAVID aren't worried about BIGS, they should be. The quality and innovation BIGS is displaying will only bring them much success in the years to come!

Visit BIGS Sunflower Seeds online

The Universal code of formerly unwritten rules

2011-08-28T16:24:00.002-06:00

Everyone complains about how uncivilized people are, yet many of these same complainers are regularly committing uncouth acts of their own. Rather than assume they're complete jerks, we've assumed that they just don't know the rules. What rules? The mostly unwritten rules we should follow in society, business, and at home.

You think all folks would simply be aware of the unwritten rules of common civility in our society. Think again my friends.. many do not. For instance, look at what I saw just yesterday while shopping..

Such a fancy car.. it needed two parking spaces

It's obvious this schmuck isn't aware of the following unwritten rule..

unwritten rule #23:
one should never park one's expensive car in two spaces taking up both of them.

Said Schmuck is probably unaware of this one as well..

unwritten rule#16:
one should never play the music in ones car at a volume discernible by other motorists.

If the lack of courtesy from your fellow man these days ticks you off, there's a book you will probably love..

The Universal code of formerly unwritten rules

From Airline - Armrest etiquette, to flushing twice,

251 Uncompromising laws of common civility

that we wish everyone knew.

This is a snarky and witty etiquette book for the clueless. I was in a restaurant the other day reading through this book and was actually bringing attention to myself. Why you ask? It's because I was slapping the table and laughing out loud at author Quentin Parker's observations, that are immediately followed up with unwritten rules everyone should follow. There were times I wanted to throw my fist up in the air and scream "YES!" in agreement with some of his observations and musings.

The lack of courtesy, manners, and respect, is an epidemic that has run rampant in American culture. For instance, one of my pet peeves are folks who are too bothered to show respect for a funeral procession. I've talked about this in past articles I've written, and the author touches on it himself. Here's an excerpt..

Funerals are sad observations of loss. So, why do you want to make things worse for those who are already grieving? Wasn't that you who cut off that funeral procession because you were in such a hurry to get to Wal-Mart? Wal-Mart! Trust us, they can take your money a few minutes later. If you think your petty errands are more important than a dead person's family and friends, then there's something seriously wrong with you.

Which brings us to..

UNWRITTEN RULE #2:

One should always be respectful of funeral processions and not interfere with their progress.

I SWEAR Quentin Parker was channeling me when he wrote this book, because practically every situation he writes about, has ticked me off at one time or another. There's a lot of great unwritten rules in this book, but my three favorites are the following..

Dad's three favorite Unwritten Rules:

#61 Employers should not "reward" good employees with extra lousy work that should be given to people who are not good employees

#164 One should always throw away a box once it's empty of food, rather than "trick" family members into thinking there actually are a few more Twinkies, cookies, etc.

#171 One should realize that ones own poop does, in fact, stink.

I'm not going to lie.. I have a huge list of people I would love to anonymously gift this book to. In fact, I think it should be mandatory for every American to own and read this book from cover to cover at least once a year! While I'm a bit perturbed, and a somewhat pessimistic about the state of affairs in regards to courtesy and manners in society, all is not lost. There are many folks who are respectable and compassionate human beings, and thank goodness they are passing on these admirable traits to their children and grandchildren.

The unwritten rules I've listed thus far, are just the tip of the iceberg of ones covered in this great guide! Here's the full spectrum of topics covered in Quentin Parker's book..

Chapter 1 - Unwritten Rules of the Road
Chapter 2 - Unwritten rules in the workplace
Chapter 3 - Unwritten rules for Men
Chapter 4 - Unwritten rules for Women
Chapter 5 - Unwritten rules for everyone
Chapter 6 - Unwritten rules in written and spoken communication
Chapter 7 - Unwritten rules in the home, with special attention to restrooms

There is something in this book for everyone (whether they know it or not). Quentin Parker just may be the savior of American society in regards to civility and manners. The Universal Code of formerly Unwritten rules is a quick, funny, and extremely entertaining read, and I highly recommend it.

The Universal Code of (Formerly) Unwritten Rules

available at Adams Media for $11.16

Page Count: 240
Size: 5-1/2 x 7-1/2
ISBN: 978-1-4405-1225-4

Retro Beverage Review - TAB Cola

2011-08-26T20:40:00.001-06:00

Hey.. a Dad's gotta watch his figure too!

wonder how this will taste with rum?

Many of my readers are well aware of the fact that I'm a sucker for retro products and packaging. Today while grocery shopping, I nearly flipped my lid when I saw a single solitary twelve pack of TAB on the store shelves all by its lonesome!

Never mind the fact that I used to turn my nose up at any kind of diet soda when I was a kid. The mere sight of TAB resurrected countless memories from my youth. I recalled the times my Mom would send me to the corner store with a couple of bucks for me to get her a TAB. She would let me use the change to buy whatever my heart desired. I remembered the girls at the neighborhood pool in the dead of summer, sunning themselves in bikini's and sipping on ice cold TAB's. And we mustn't forget about the commercials..

I always remember being disgusted with diet soda as a kid. Maybe it was because I knew they weren't made with sugar, and considered them to be an abomination. However, it's a different story today. On the rare occasion, I might buy some PEPSI throwback, or bottles of Coke that are made from real sugar. The rest of the time when I find myself craving soda, I usually buy diet versions of Coke and Dr. Pepper.

Needless to say, the 12 pack made it's way into my shopping cart. I'm gearing up for healthier lifestyle which includes more cycling and outdoor activities, so I thought I'd buy some TAB to keep on the shelf for when I inevitably start craving something sweet.

Upon cracking open my first can of TAB and pouring it over ice, it smelled like any other soda. It had a heck of a carbonated head while pouring, but quickly dissipated after the glass was full. What I was worried about, was what kind of aftertaste it would leave after drinking it. I was pleasantly surprised to find the aftertaste or "feel", that coats your mouth after drinking most diet soda's was nominal.

I was wondering how similar TAB would be to Diet Coke, but to me.. it resembles Coke Zero which I also like. I've had some terrible diet sodas in my time, but TAB is a refreshing, smooth, and tasty soda, that is enjoyable to drink. Throw in the retro angle of the cool pink can, and seventies looking logo, and I was glad that I bought this 12 pack.

I think I'll take my Mom a can of TAB next time I go to her house. I don't think she has a clue that TAB is available in stores these days, so I can't wait to see the look on her face when she see's it.

Retro Dad Rant #843... Why I miss the old school bike shops.

2011-08-24T21:53:00.002-06:00

I'm currently elbow deep in a bicycle project that I embarked upon last week. I'm tearing down and customizing a 1979 Open Road 3-speed bike. At first I wanted to build her up into a nice custom job, but as I got further along into the project, I decided to stay true to the retro vibe of the 32 year old beauty. There's a few components on the bike that need replacing, and while I can buy new parts, I thought I would check into buying vintage or used parts first. A few friends of mine that grew up in Greeley Colorado, told me about a bike shop that has been around forever called George's. They said back in the 70's and 80's, they went there for all of their bike repair needs. My reasoning was that a bike shop that's been around for that long, would surely be a great place to visit for a vintage bike enthusiast such as myself.

I got off of work at a decent time yesterday, so I made the special trip to George's in Greeley. I walked into the shop and was happily greeted by someone whom I believed to be the owner. I explained that I was in search of used or vintage parts for my project bike. I told him what kind of bike it was, and that I was in the market for a front wheel and a few other miscellaneous parts. Instantly his face went blank. With an annoyed look and tone, he said..
"Nope! I don't carry any."
He then turned and started walking away from me! I said out loud..
"ooooookay.. just thought I'd ask"
Without even turning around and still walking away, he responded by saying,
"Bikes are junk these days, and used parts from Wal Mart bikes are crap.. so why would I stock them?"

Here's a thought.. why not try to sell me a new wheel? I would have bought one in a heartbeat if it was affordable. Or how about recommending a place where I can find a new or used rim if you didn't have any in stock? I stood there for a few seconds in disbelief. What ever happened to the friendly neighborhood bike shops I used to frequent and sometimes even hang out at as a kid?

Apparently this cat has a thriving bicycle repair business that operates from the back of the store. The front of his store has all kinds of reconditioned and used bikes for sale. Looking at the price tags, it was evident that he was quite proud of them! As I walked out of the awkward and somewhat tense air of the bike shop, it became obvious to me what happened. I wasn't a big enough fish. He sized me up and realized I wasn't going to spend much money, so I wasn't worth his time.

This isn't the first time I've experienced such bike snobbery. I've been to many bike shops in the last six months that give you the cold shoulder when they find out you're into vintage, single speeds, or bike customization. If you're not a mountain biker, or don't own a fifty two friggin' speed road bike that's as light as a feather, you practically get sneered at by some of the bike snobs in these places.

I learned this pretty quick last year when I bought my single speed Schwinn. I went right out and started hunting for parts to customize her with. Shop after shop would tell me "We don't have anything like that" offering no help or suggestions on how to find the parts I was in search of. I went into one store and asked if they sold retro looking headlights for bikes. He said "No.. but if you reaaaally want one, I gueeeess I can go in the back.. find a catalog.. and we can order you one." Geez buddy.. don't hurt yourself bending over backwards for a customer!

I grew up in a college town where there was no shortage of bike shops. There were some stores I liked better than others, but most all of the owners and folks who worked at these shops always took a keen interest in our projects. They also had no qualms about sharing their knowledge and making sure we knew how to finish the tasks we were setting out to perform. Whether I was buying a new set of wheels, or a fifty cent set of bearings, the proprietors of these bike shops were truly grateful for any business that came their way. Some of the shops were so inviting and fun to be at, my friends and I actually used to hang out at a couple of them on occasion. The owners and workers at these places were happy to have us around as well. We learned a lot about the mechanics of bikes from them, and there was a camaraderie that made us feel like we were part of something important and unique.

My buddies and I could take apart and reassemble our old Schwinn's with nothing more than an adjustable wrench. Have you seen a state of the art bike these days? The average person can't tune one up, not to mention the tools that are needed to do so. The engineering of the old bikes is something I truly admire. Albeit clunky compared to the modern precision of today's designs, there's no denying that the old bikes were efficient, sound, and built to last. While the maintenance and repair of bikes is well within the reach of anyone that has the curiosity and desire to learn, bikes simply are not as easy to work on as they once were. That being said.. I've also experienced bicycle mechanics scoffing at the prospect of a person working on their own bicycle.

Last year I bought a chrome headlight for my beach cruiser. When I expressed to the person ringing me up that I was going to mount it directly onto the fender, a bike mechanic working behind the counter chuckled and spoke up saying.. "I've never seen someone able to do that yet.. but if he want's to try.. go ahead". What a jerk! I hate it when people act pompous and pretentious like this guy. It's a G.D. headlight you schmuck! Long story short.. a half hour after I got it home, the fender was drilled out and modified to accommodate the sleek looking headlight. My bride suggested that I take the bike by the shop for the cocky bike mechanic to see, but honestly.. the jabroni wasn't even worth my time.

After a 25 year hiatus of building and restoring bikes, I'm saddened to see that there seems to be more crappy bike shops than good ones. Now instead of wasting my time and gasoline looking for bike parts all over town, I primarily stick with Amazon, eBay, and a couple of other great online sources for vintage and custom parts. I also find solace in the fact that there are still a couple of great bike shops pretty close to where I live. The two shops I frequent most are located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The first is an old school bike shop called "Brave New Wheel". There's a whole corner of their shop dedicated to used and vintage bike parts that customers are welcome to dig through. If I ever need advice on tracking down specialized parts, or how to make a modification work, they're always more than happy to help. They have a great selection of vintage and retro bikes, and they constantly rotate their stock. They will even help you build a bike from scratch in house.
Visit Brave New Wheel online

The second shop I visit often, is Recycled Cycles. I remember when these guys first opened up back in the 80's. In fact.. I built many a bike as a kid, and sold them for a profit to Recycled Cycles. They have now grown into one of the towns most successful bike shops, but have not forgotten their roots. They have a nice stock of vintage and retro bikes, and cater to every type of cyclist. They even have a parts room that you can peruse through, with used and vintage parts galore.
Visit Recycled Cycles online

Older IS better in so many aspects of life, and bike shops are one example of this. I'm just glad a few people are still doing it the right way, and freely offer up their knowledge and help to anyone that loves to pedal!

More retro supermarket finds

2011-08-23T21:40:00.001-06:00

I get super excited when I see a product in the store that I haven't seen in awhile. So much so.. that I usually end up buying it. Here's what jumped in my shopping cart this week..

LAVA Soap

Pumice soap at its finest! I was definitely in the market for this hand soap since embarking on my latest bicycle restoration project. This soap is the way to go for removing tar, grease, paint, and any kind of filth that comes your way! Every guy should be required to keep a bar of this stuff in their house.

MAYPO Maple Oatmeal

Seeing this box brought back some memories. Back in the day, sports stars like Wilt Chamberlain and Mickey Mantle would peddle the stuff on commercials exclaiming, "I want my Maypo!". The advertising icon "Marky Maypo" still adorns the box to this day.

Hawaiian Punch and Strawberry Quik

I remember when Hawaiian Punch came in a big steel can, and Nestle' Quik came in a cardboard container with a steel top and bottom. While each products respective packaging are mere shadows of their former selves, the products still hold enough of their nostalgia, to warrant the occasional impulse buy from yours truly.

It seems like retro items are jumping out at me more and more as of late. I wonder what will find its way into my shopping cart next week?

Retro Find.. 1979 Montgomery Ward Open Road Mens bike

2011-08-20T20:44:00.009-06:00

While I love my Beach Cruiser "Brunhilde" she's not exactly the type of bike I want to use daily. She's beautiful, she turns heads, and is fun to ride, but with all the work I've done to her.. I cringe at leaving her on a public bike rack, or on the back of my car for too long. Therefore, I've resolved to bring her out for trail rides and special occasions such as bike parades and bicycle events.

I had such grandiose plans for biking this summer. Nonetheless.. I didn't do a fraction of the biking I wanted to, for the aforementioned reasons. I'm in desperate need of a bike that I can use as a daily driver. Nothing too fancy, just a well built vintage single speed or three speed bike. Yesterday.. I found one that fit the bill.

1979 Open Road Mens 3-speed

I found this gem at a thrift store for just twenty clams. She was in great shape and ride-able to boot! It was obvious from the wear, or lack thereof.. that she was only ridden occasionally. Major oxidation of the paint, gave me a clue that she had been stored outside much of her life. Thanks to the thick coats of paint they used to spray on bikes back in the day, she was only rusted where nicks and pits in the finish were present.

Open Road was a brand of bikes sold in Montgomery Ward department stores, possibly Sears, as well as others. They were immensely popular back in the day because they were a solid built bike, sold at an affordable price. Many of my friends growing up had Open Road bikes, and they all loved them.

Three speed Shimano rear hub

The three gear hub needs nothing more than cleaned and oiled. This 32 year old Shimano hub (and bike for that matter) was made back when things were built to last. This bike project I'm embarking on I guess could be classified as recycling and or re-purposing. Heck.. it can probably be considered "going green" in its own right. I can't describe how happy it makes me, to be able to buy a bike this old and be able to use the heck out of it. And.. I got it for a song! Definitely bargain of the year for me thus far!

Later in the day.. I sat in front of the bike in my garage simply to admire it. The yellow paint, the orange and brown graphics, and brown handlebar grips, all had this bike looking like it rolled straight out of 1979. I almost felt bad about what I was getting ready to do..

Single and 3-speed bikes were my life as a kid, so once I got a wrench in my hand, I had the bike stripped down to the frame in under fifteen minutes. Another clue that this bike had a pretty easy life, was the condition of the crank and fork bearings. The bearing grease on both sets of bearings was clean and translucent, and the bearings themselves showed no wear.

My vision for this bike is a cross between a road and comfort bike with a low key look to it. (Hope I don't get carried away with the customization) Flat black is the color I'm going to paint it, and I already have a few bells and whistles in my possession that I'm going to outfit her with.

After 1/2 hour, the sanded frame is ready for primer

Voila! Here she sits primed and ready for paint. If it wasn't for a busy weekend, I would have this bike painted, and put back together before Monday. However, it will probably be another week before it's finished. I want to take my time painting it, and I have a few parts I need to buy for it to make my vision a reality. I'll post a couple of pictures once she's done so you can see how it looks.

Maybe I should be more grateful for my health insurance?

2011-08-20T19:02:00.003-06:00

An eye opening survey about what folks would or wouldn't do when health insurance is or isn't involved!

Today’s single 18-30-year-olds shouldn’t shop for a sexy new outfit to attract a mate. They should consult with a health insurance broker – boring but true!

According to a national survey from eHealthInsurance.com and Kelton Research, 90 percent of students and 93 percent of grads would be more attracted to a potential mate if they knew he/she had health insurance.

Having health insurance may help move a relationship to a more intimate level: 30 percent of students and 32 percent of grads would be less likely to have sex with someone who does not have health insurance.

The survey also showed that nearly all students (97%) and grads (97%) consider health insurance important and are willing to give up some of their favorite activities so they can afford it.

Eating out:
Nearly 68 percent of students and 67 percent of recent grads would give up a weekly night out at a restaurant in order to obtain coverage.

Movie Night:
Comparable amounts of students (67 percent) and grads (64 percent) would be willing to give up a weekly night at the movies.

Daily Coffee:
Caffeine is a harder habit to break. Just over half of surveyed students (51 percent) and grads (53 percent) feel it’s worth giving up their daily coffee in order to obtain health insurance coverage.

Grads and students polled would also think twice before doing specific activities if they didn’t have insurance. This includes:

Riding a Motorcycle:

Nearly half of current students (49%) and more than four in ten grads (43%) say that they would be less likely to ride a motorcycle without health insurance.

Extreme Sports:
More than four in ten (45% of students and 47% of grads) would also be less likely to engage in dangerous athletic activities such as rock climbing or skiing if they had no health insurance.

The full survey results can be accessed at the following link: College survey

Dad's World Showcase Beer tour at Disney's EPCOT in Florida

2011-08-19T10:25:00.004-06:00

I love challenging my palate, and this is especially the case when it comes to beer! I got the idea a few years ago to do my own personal "World Beer Tour" at Disney's EPCOT World Showcase. I decided to run with this idea during our family trip to Florida last month.

The initial goal was to spend my day sampling beers in every country pavilion around EPCOT's World Showcase Lagoon. However.. I realized that if I wanted to walk out of the park under my own accord without the assistance of security guards, I needed to scale back my plan a bit. I decided to focus on trying beers I haven't sampled before, as well as revisiting a few favorites.

For those of you who have never been to EPCOT, there is a section of the park called the "World Showcase". The World showcase is situated around "World Showcase Lagoon" which has a perimeter of 1.2 miles. Situated around this lagoon are pavilions that represent 11 different Countries.

Pavilions can includes stores, shops, eateries, rides, and movies, that are staffed by folks native to these countries. Oh yeah.. and every pavilion features beer that hails from that country! Here's are photos along with some info about all of the beers I sampled around the World Showcase..

click on any picture to enlarge

Bass Ale and Harp Lager
(United Kingdom pavilion)

I decided to take my world beer tour counter clockwise around the lagoon. You see.. my son turned twenty one years old during this trip, and I thought the United Kingdom would be the perfect place to introduce my son to some old friends of mine.. British Ale and Lager! One of our favorite meals is fish and chips, so the first stop was the "Yorkshire County Fish Shop" in the United Kingdom pavilion.

I ordered two draft beers in the tall souvenir mugs you see pictured above, and let my son sample both to see which one he liked better. Much to my surprise.. he didn't care for either. I told him not to fret, because there was plenty of beer I was going to buy that day that he could sample.

In high insight, I guess I should have started him out on a lighter bodied beer. Bass can be a little tart for some, and the maltiness and hops in Harp can be somewhat shocking for a novice beer drinkers tongue. In the end, I drank my whole beer, and a little more than half of his. I was immensely grateful that I just had a nice big meal, and had taken my Drinkwel supplement before lunch. Yup.. I could already tell it was going to be a long day of imbibing!

Kronenbourg 1664

(France pavilion)

This was a slightly bitter beer with a very mild taste of hops, and subtle maltiness. This French premium beer from Braseries Kronenbourg has been produced since 1664, hence the name. The beer was light bodied, and the head seemed to retain itself quite well. I usually like a more stout beer, but this one was pretty refreshing on a hot summer day in Florida.

Casa Beer(Morocco pavilion)

I've never had Moroccan beer until this trip. In fact.. I'm pretty sure I've never heard of this nor any other brand of Moroccan beer. That being said, I was pretty excited to taste it for the first time.

This beer is actually called Casablanca Beer in Morroco, and is only labeled as "Casa Beer" in North America. The beer itself is a hazy golden color, and poured with a small head which dissipated quickly.

I expected this beer to be a lot more bitter than it was, mostly due to the hoppy aroma which grabbed my nose and wouldn't let go upon smelling it. The beer went down smooth, and was way lighter bodied than it looked. The aftertaste left me with a lingering hint of malt, and grassy flavor. Not my cup of tea.. but you never know until you try. My son didn't like this beer at all, and I was worried the samples I was letting him try would turn him off to beer all together. I can't say my bride was upset about this however.

Samurai Sword beer tap handle
(Kirin Ichiban beer at the Japan pavilion)

When I think of Japanese beers, the first thing that comes to mind is rice beer like Sapporro. I don't care for rice beer at all, so I almost passed by the beer cart in EPCOT's Japan pavilion. However, I saw that they had a lager on tap called "Kirin Ichiban" and decided to give it a try. To me personally, this beer had no hint of hops or barley, and was very malty and carbonated. It seemed like a very light bodied, middle of the road beer, but that was just fine with me. It was an incredibly hot day, and this beer went down unbelievably smooth! There was no aftertaste, and was refreshing as all get out. This is the beer to drink if you're eating a very heavy and or rich meal.

Altenmünster Oktoberfest
(Germany Pavilion)

At this point of my world beer tour, I definitely felt the need to slow it down a bit. I had already drank the equivalent to seven beers, and the heat and humidity was dehydrating me faster than all get out. I figured it was time to slowly nurse a beer, and get some food. In spite of my brilliant idea to slow my pace and get some food in me, you can see the lovely beer maiden pouring me a tall beer in another souvenir mug that I ordered up.

Eine Brezel und Bier!

Altenmünster Oktoberfest was a nice sipping beer. It pours with a lightly clouded yellow color, has a medium body, subtle notes of caramel, and a very slight tinge of hops. The fresh pretzel I got at the beer stand was just the ticket to cleanse my palate and to help soak up a little of the booze I had consumed up to this point. I took an hour and a half break from my world beer tour, and back tracked to France to get some more food in the form of a croissant and an apple tart. A combination of hydrating myself with water, walking, and eating, got my head right for the final leg of my journey.

Enjoying a Carlsberg Lager
in front of the Stave Church

(Norway Pavilion)

I've drank Carlsberg from the bottle on several occasions, and always found it to be a bit skunky. On tap, I found it to be a pretty solid beer. This medium bodied, slightly sweet and bitter lager, was way better than its green bottle counterpart I've drank in the past. As you can see.. I bought yet another souvenir mug.

Margaritas
(Mexico pavilion)

The final stop on my world beer tour was the Mexico pavilion. When we got there, my son broke the news to me that out of all the beers he sampled throughout the day, he didn't care for a single one. I told him I was going to get him something he may like, and ordered some margarita's for both of us. While he loved the taste of his margarita, he expressed that he didn't care for the way the tequila felt on his throat. Five minutes later, he firmly told me he didn't care for the feeling alcohol gave him altogether. I told him "No sweat! If it's not your thing.. it's not your thing". He wanted to go do some shopping so I told him to just leave his margarita with me and I'd "take care of it" for him. Forunately, my bride caught up with me and gladly drank the extra margarita. I was quite relieved, because I was all too ready to hang up my souvenir beer mugs for the day!

So all in all, I enjoyed a lot of good beer, and had a great time trying some new lagers. If asked to pick a favorite World Showcase pavilion for beer, it would be between The United Kingdom and Germany. Both have great beers in their own right, and have awesome atmospheres to relax and enjoy your drink.

Dad's tips for taking a World Beer Tour..

If you decide to take a similar beer tour at EPCOT, all I can say is to pace yourself. There are a ton of different beers to be enjoyed, but in the end.. it's about quality not quantity right? I personally came close to overdoing it, but headed off disaster by doing a few things..

I tried my best to stay hydrated during the day by drinking one 12 ounce bottle of water for every beer I consumed. The amount of walking I did, along with the Florida heat and humidity was a double whammy that could have easily snuck up on me with a heck of a one-two punch!
I took Drinkwel vitamins prior to, and after I was done imbibing for the day. Drinkwel vitamins replenish nutrients, support healthy liver function, and helps your body process alcohol induced toxins. I woke up the next morning with a spring in my step, ready to take on another day at the Disney Parks.
Finally, I ate plenty of food throughout the course of my world beer tour. I started out with a good sized lunch, and snacked frequently during the day to help metabolize the alcohol I was consuming.

The next day I felt no ill effects from my EPCOT World Beer Tour. Nevertheless.. I didn't consume any alcohol the next day to give my body a break. If you're a beer enthusiast, chances are that the EPCOT World Showcase will have a beer that matches your personal taste. It's a fun way to try new beers in a cultural setting of the country they hail from. I will definitely do another World Beer Tour at EPCOT in the future, perhaps scaling down my drink list a bit.

A fun filled retro family fun night at the Drive-In theatre

2011-08-13T14:25:00.007-06:00

The Drive-In movie theater is a piece of Americana that has steadily been disappearing from our nations landscape since the 1970's. In their heyday during the 1950's and 60's, there were upwards of 4,000 drive in theaters in America. As of ten years ago, there were only around 800 left, and today there are about 400 operating Drive-In's across the U.S.

The good news, is that many of the Drive-In's that do still exist, seem to be thriving. A new and resurrected interest in nostalgia has a good part to do with this. The affordability and experience is also a big draw for families and fun loving folks. In these parts.. a double feature will cost you anywhere from $2.00 to $6.00 per person depending on age. Now that's bang for your buck!

I have so many great memories of going to the Drive-In with my family as a kid. I saw Rocky, Grease, JAWS, STAR WARS, STAR TREK, and countless other classics on the outdoor big screen. The Drive-In's my family used to frequent back in the day, had playgrounds in front of the screens for us kids to ~~wear ourselves out~~ err.. entertain ourselves on, before the movie started. After the movie began, my brother and I got to lay on the roof of the old man's Ford Falcon station wagon in our sleeping bags, as we watched movies under the stars. Many a night ended with Dad putting me back in the car, and later carrying me to my bed, because I had conked out halfway through the second feature.

We're fortunate enough to have a Drive-Inn close by where we live in Northern Colorado. It's called "The Holiday Twin Drive Inn" located in the city of Fort Collins. Here's some pictures from our fun filled night, watching movies under the stars.
Click on any pic to enlarge.

The double feature we chose to see, was on screen number one. Planet of the Apes.. and Captain America. Both movies were pretty good, and were action packed enough to keep just about everyone awake. My bride fell off into slumber about halfway through the second feature.

As soon as we parked and opened up the windows, we were immediately met with the sound of pre-movie music that emits from the window speakers. It always fills my heart with excitement and nostalgia when I pull up next to those great scratchy sounding metal speaker boxes.

T-minus 1hr 45 minutes to showtime

The first order of business is setting up seating in front of the car, and then breaking out the food! As I kicked back and began to dine on my cold fried chicken, I looked down at the Throwback Dorito's and PEPSI we brought with us, and had quite the surreal retro moment! This was exactly the type of food that Mom and Dad used to pack up for our visits to the Drive-In when I was a kid.

A dang dirty Ape that stowed away
to see Planet of the Apes.

Due to what I'm sure is for insurance reasons, many Drive-In's no longer have playgrounds for the kids. To pass the time, we've always brought different games like paddle ball to keep the kids (and ourselves) entertained prior to the show.

After a few rounds of paddle ball, my son and I hit the snack bar to round up some dessert. You immediately get a retro vibe upon walking into the dated, yet delightfully retro looking concession stand.

Churro's and Pretzels and Popcorn oh my!

Old school menu board

Dig those crazy prices and great selection! I was able to get a bunch of snacks for my family of five, without breaking the bank.

Filling the air with the heavenly aroma of freshly buttered pop corn, was this old gas burning popper. A throwback to when things were engineered and built to last.

Obligatory Drive-In funnel cake I can't go without

Piping hot pretzel

its wrapper even had a retro feel to it

Getting in some reading before it got too dark

8:00 p.m. and the lot is getting full

Settling in waiting for dusk

As the sun rapidly drops behind the foothills, last minute movie goers arrive.. filling up the last available parking spaces. The end of the countdown til' showtime is near..

And... we have liftoff!

Intermission Snack Bar movie clip

So all in all, we had an incredibly fun night at the Foothills Twin Drive-Inn, and saw a couple of movies that were both entertaining and exciting. It was a nice cool night, so the mosquitoes didn't bother us, we had a clear sky above, saw several shooting stars, and the whole experience was a fulfilling, nostalgic experience for all of us. I hope my kids will have great memories and stories about going to the Drive-Inn as I do, that they can pass along to their kids someday.

How about you? Have you ever been to a Drive-In? Did you grow up on them as I did? I'd love to hear about your memories and stories!

visit The Holiday Twin online

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