He's back! After an absence of 4 or 5 or 9 months,  I have returned to
OLDTOOLs.
My absence was precipitated by a low life scum sucking SOB (or DOB) who stole
my computer. I bet he or she has a rusty Shelton hanging on the wall.
I am a (Ack!!) 50yr old Medical Laboratory Manager with a lovely SWMBO, Carsie
("That's not another plane is it?") Chaka and a way too lovely teenage
daugher, Kimberly ("Daddy, what do you do with all those tools") Chaka. I also
have a 26yr old son Chris living in the suburbs of DC.
    I am a Conn. Yankee who began collecting old tools when I was 10. When I
was in my 30's I saw his Royness for the first time and realized you could
actually USE these tools. Needless to say, I now have a shop with way too many
tools (Naa!) and a house with enough furniture to furnish a small town.
Speaking of whicj...  We are living in one of the worst cities in the country
- Anniston, Alabama.
No kidding, it sucks! Ask Pete Taran, he was stationed here. In a rating of
the 300 largest cites in the country (for quality of life) Anniston is rated
297th. We have the highest high school dropout rate in the state (46%). Last
year the state instituted a rule that kids had to have at least a C in all
subjects to be elgible to play sports. 69% of the Anniston kids were no longer
elgible to play. The cherry on top is we are a chemical weopons storage
center. Sounds great! Come on down! Why??, you may say,why does he stay down
there!! Because I could not afford to move 40 years worth of Rust!
Ok, I will shut up about Anniston. Aside from Rust and bitchin' about
Anniston, I enjoy driving my MG too fast in the Bama mountains and collecting
odd first names (OK, here are a few - Gilmer, Ponder and Jot (all male) and
Clyde, Janunita and a 79 yr old Xenia (all female) These are not nicknames. It
kind of makes you wonder what their parents were thinking about.
Well, I am going to shut up and step off my soapbox.
I am
Frank Chaka

Frank writes:

>No kidding, it sucks! Ask Pete Taran, he was stationed here. In a rating of
>the 300 largest cites in the country (for quality of life) Anniston is rated
>297th. We have the highest high school dropout rate in the state (46%). Last
>year the state instituted a rule that kids had to have at least a C in all
>subjects to be elgible to play sports. 69% of the Anniston kids were no longer
>elgible to play. The cherry on top is we are a chemical weopons storage
>center. Sounds great! Come on down! Why??, you may say,why does he stay down
>there!! Because I could not afford to move 40 years worth of Rust!
>Ok, I will shut up about Anniston.

I would concur with this analysis.  In the one year that I lived there, I
wondered constantly why anyone would stay there that didn't have to.  My
favorite Anniston experience was the verbal, unsolicited abuse that I got
at the local joint that passed as an antique mall.  I was buying a forge
blower made up north in Lancaster, PA (home state).  It was in great shape,
despite the fact that virtually all tools down there are covered with rust,
this one even had some of the original paint left.

So, I was wrestling this thing to the counter, when I heard one of the
locals sound off with, "Look at that damn Yankee with that blower, I bet he
doesn't know what it even is used for."  I replied, with some snide remark
about how it would go great with my anvil, swage block, and the rest of my
blacksmithing stuff.  He hurled some more abuse about how the South would
rise again, yada, yada.  I think I parted with the final jab, one that
proved prophetic, that the "Damn Yankees" would be laughing when they
closed Ft McClellan, and 60% of the local economy went further South.

Too bad I didn't know Frank then, perhaps we could have got together and
talked tools.  Apologies to those that make Anniston their home voluntarily.

Pete Taran

Just say, the guy who stole his PC probably shot out the monitor to use the
empty box for a bookshelf, etc.

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Pete Taran
2493 Foust Hill Road
Hughesville, PA  17737-8325

(717) 584-6440 Voice
(717) 584-6439 Fax

Proprietor of Independence Tool, maker of high quality backsaws for the
hobbyist and professional.
Check out our webpage at http://www.intool.com

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