The Family Truckster

Greetings Readers

I want to talk about the family vehicle. Or as in the case that I can probably relate to is the "Family Truckster" as in National Lampoon's Vacation.

I think that there is a vehicle that we all remember from our youth that we took the family vacation in. I guess why I want to blog about this is that I was watching the Wonder Years and Jack was trying to keep his car, the family car, and the rest of the family wanted him to sell the car so they could get a new one.

Watching the episode last night I started to think about our "Family Truckster". Our family still has this vehicle and technically it is mine, but my brother had used the vehicle last and sort of ran her into the non-working state. So last week, I saw her. A 78 Chevrolet Blazer with the colors blue and white. Although, the blue has faded over the years and the white is now no so white and there is rust eating around the wheel wells. The rust is from the all the salt that is used during the winter months in Colorado. She is missing a Gas cap, the tires are all flat, but otherwise she is still with us. Her Odometer has been "rolled" twice and currently on, was, her third leg. This was the vehicle that I grew up in, the vehicle that our family used on our long family vacation and this was the vehicle that I used during High School.

The back windows of the Blazer is tinted. Oh, she is a full size Blazer. None of this "'Jimmy" or compact size Blazer. I used her for my first date ever. I remember the girl that I took out from High School like it was yesterday. I also remember sleeping in the back of the Blazer at home. This idea was the idea of me and my brother. I do not know the reason why nor was there a reason, but it was something neat to sleep in the back of the Blazer at home. It was not always the Blazer. Sometimes it was the other family vehicle - the Phoenix Pontiac.

I think I can remember all the times that I had with that Blazer and every time that I go and see my parents I can see that Blazer at the Ranch sitting almost next to my Chevrolet Camero. Kinda of a sight to see. Both cars are Classics (over 20 years old) and both are American Made Vehicles.

The Blazer was used during in the winter at the ranch to pull us kids in back on a sled all over the New Mexico Continental Divide. I remember the times of sleeping in the Blazer in the middle of Texas while going to and from New Mexico. I remember that one time I got the Blazer high centered and I had to go and get my dad to help me dig her out. I remember we using her, with a red trailer (yes that is also parked next to the Blazer) to go and cut and haul wood from the Rocky Mountains. I remember taking her on dates. I remember taking my friends out in High School. I remember the Blazer parked out from of the House while the other cars got the car garage. I remember her using regular gas, which now we had to convert to Unleaded 10 years or so ago. She still has her original Colorado plates on her when she got to Colorado. I think the Texas plates are somewhere also.

I do have a lot of memories and I somehow was reminded of them while watching the Wonder Years last night. Kevin had started to remember his times in the family car when the tow truck was starting to haul her away. It was sad, so to speak, but I am glad that our family still has our "Family Truckster" and guess what readers next year she turns 30 years old. Not running, but still with us, like the family member she is us other family member.

I am not sure that most of you readers can say that, but I am happy to share this tidbit of information and I hope that perhaps you may have similar feelings/memories about a your "family truckster" Although, perhaps to others a family car would not have the same effect.

Oh yes readers! I have photos of this vehicle and I think I will find some later this week. I want to share this Blazer, because I am proud of her and technically she is the next oldest thing that I own from my parents. The first thing I have is the family Toaster. Yes! The toaster is older than me and still works. There was a TV, but she died about 6 years ago.

Readers, readers, readers. It was raining like cats and dogs this morning and I was soaked to the bone after 1/2 mile of riding. By the time I got into work I was drenched and I was wet all the way to the core. I am so glad that I put my work clothes into a plastic bag otherwise my clothes would have been soaked. Anyway, after about an hour the rain changed to snow and I wish that it could have done that earlier and perhaps I would have been less wet. Who knows. By the way, I also got a flat, but amazingly enough I did not get mad. I sort of shook my head in disbelief and then smiled away to no one. Being soaked was the deal breaker and with the flat it could not get any worse.

Lamont may say that was Karma, but I would wholeheartedly disagree.

Update 8:39 PM

Gosh darn, trying to find a worthy picture of the 78 Blazer, blue and white, on the internet is sort of hard. There were some other models and design, but I did not want to use them since our "Family Truckster" is really one of a kind. I would also hate to give you readers and different view of the 1978 Blazer that we have at the Ranch.

until the next time readers

Daryl Charley
The Fallen Athlete