I Followed The Yellow Brick Road

I know more memories will come up about our days before February 5th 1977 here are just a few.

Sweetie had a 196? Plymouth. I think it was white but it took on an off white look to it, or maybe that was aged paint. Our first Official Date was McDonalds that was close to our work place. I am sure that we went somewhere else but I cannot recall at this time. What does stick in my mind is after dinner we had to fill up 5 empty gallons with water from the spicket outside of the restaurant. He kept in his trunk to use in the radiator. I remember on one particular date feeling hot water pour into the car above my feet. I believe it was the heater core. I think the car suffered so much because of the journey it had to take every work day. Sweeties home to the shop in Tarpon Springs was 27 miles. A large chunk of that was the treacherous ride down Countyline. It was a pot hole filled lime rock road that left the year round look of snow on the trees that lined it.

I had collected my fair share of rattles from that road. As our dating career had progressed I became a frequent guest on Sunday afternoons for Family Dinner. Sweeties Mom was a great cook (almost as good as my Mom and both always better cooks than I could ever be) Sweeties Sister always helped in the kitchen and was already an excellent cook in her young teenage years.

I remember dinner being delicious. Usually a piece of perfectly cooked beef or pork that you could break with your fork and a brown gravy to die for. Homemade unsweetened ice tea was the beverage served. I never had unsweetened tea and for the first few times I did request the use of the sugar bowl….a lot of sugar. Needless to say, I learned quickly to drink ice tea with no sugar and to this day can do just fine turning down the sweetened version.

After dinner and homemade dessert Sweetie and I would go for a drive. I remember one time sitting in the car several streets away from their home overlooking a large empty reservoir. I think we had the windows rolled down because we suddenly heard an eerie chanting noise. Not sure if it was a Satanic Ritual or Klansman Meeting but what ever it was we knew it was not good and got ourselves out of there. Whenever we are riding up in that area of the county we search for that cul-de-sac that has since been filled in with cookie cutter homes….hopefully, minus the evil spirits