SUNDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 14th, 1960
Marcus Raccoon and his son, Skip, had been planning to build a tool shed since the end of July (three weeks ago). The only thing holding that project up was Dad's table saw needing a new arbor shaft assembly. That is the shaft that the circular blade bolts to...Some of the cheaper table saws are designed where the blade bolts directly onto the motor.
However, Skip's dad's table saw was a higher price model that, because it has a larger motor, the motor drives an arbor shaft assembly so the motor can sit lower in the table housing...thus the blade bolts onto an arbor shaft. One of the bearings to the arbor shaft had suddenly went bad, causing the blade to violently vibrate and wobble wildly, thus rendering the saw unusable, and unsafe, until it is fixed. Needless to say, when that happened three weeks ago, Daddy Raccoon shut that table saw off in a hurry.
Ever since Daddy Marcus Raccoon ordered the arbor shaft assembly in Santa Rosa three weeks ago, the shipping order got messed up and caused delays getting the part. Two days ago, Friday, the owner of the tool supply store in Santa Rosa, Gordon Wolf, phoned Marcus Raccoon to inform him the table saw arbor would be arriving late Saturday evening, though the store was not open on Sundays. So during that phone conversation two days earlier, Gordon promised Marcus that he would meet him, or his son Skip, at the store Sunday to sell the needed part to him...That Sunday was today.
After Mama Rosalyn, Daddy Marcus and son Skip had lunch that Sunday at their house in Moriarty, Marcus phoned Gordon Wolf to inform him that Skip was leaving right away to come to Santa Rosa to pick up the part.
"Have Skip give me a call when he gets into town and I'll be right over", Gordon Wolf assured Marcus Raccoon.
"Okay. I'm sending Skip over right now", Marcus replied.
Before they hung up, Gordon was sure to apologize to Marcus, "And I'm terribly sorry about the order getting messed up like it did".
"Oh well. Those things happen", Marcus assured Gordon.
After hanging up the phone, Gordon pawed a 10 dollar bill and the keys to the '57 Mercury to Skip, along with a business card with Gordon Wolf 's home phone number on it.
"Here are the keys to the car, Son", Marcus said to Skip. "Gordon Wolf 's phone number is on this card. So phone him when you get into Santa Rosa. And this ten should cover it".
"I got it, Dad", Skip assured his dad.
"By the way", said Marcus. "Take this old arbor with you to make sure it's the right part".
It was obvious how badly that bearing was shot. It was so bad, the outer bearing race had fallen off with bearing balls going everywhere when Marcus Raccoon removed the arbor three weeks ago. Plus the inner race still on the arbor shaft was badly chewed up. And the bearing on the other end also had play in it that was not normal.
Just before Skip left, he mentioned, "I wonder why the owners of Rockwell Power Tools make it so you have to buy a whole arbor assembly. You'd think just the bearing it needs by itself be a lot less than ten dollars".
"I went over that with Gordon when I ordered the part three weeks ago", Marcus replied to his son. "He said the bearings are pressed onto the shaft, and it takes an industrial press to do that".
"Makes sense I guess", Skip agreed.
"Right. How many of us own an industrial press?", Marcus affirmed.
"Well, you best get on to Santa Rosa", Marcus then said to Skip. "Gordon will be expecting you".
"Okay, Dad. I'm on my way", Skip replied.
"And drive safely", Mama Rosalyn said to Skip.
"I will, Mom", Skip assured his mom.
Being Skip is an only cub to Marcus and Rosalyn, Rosalyn is very protective over her "little baby". Though there are times Skip reminds his mom, "Gee, Mom. I'm already 18".
With everything said, and instructions given, Skip Raccoon was on his way to Santa Rosa to pick up the table saw arbor for his dad.
Once Skip got out on Route 66, he was careful with his driving being he was still in Moriarty among the city traffic. Then when he got out of town on open highway, he decided to floor it as that powerful 1957 Mercury Montclair rapidly accelerated from 45 mph all the way up to 120.
https://www.google.com/search?q=1957+mercury&source...
Skip does on occasion gets wild hair to hot rod Daddy's car to get that feeling of power at the push of the left foot. And a car having that much power is certainly a temptation to most teenagers, which Skip Raccoon is no exception. Skip didn't keep the car up to 120 mph very long though. Once he had satisfied his "need for speed", he slowed it down to 65 mph, which is the speed Skip normally drives.
Before long, Skip came to a stretch of the newly constructed Interstate 40 which was eventually replacing the old Route 66. After driving for quite a while along I-40, Skip arrived to where the interstate again became the old Route 66. It was marked well with big signs that read, "INTERSTATE 40 ENDS. RESUME ON ROUTE 66". Skip continued along the old Route 66, and by the time had drove past The Hop, he knew it wouldn't be very long before he would arrive in Santa Rosa.
About ten minutes after passing The Hop, and an hour and 20 minutes after leaving the house, Skip crossed the Southern Pacific Railroad crossing, And not long after that, he made a stop at a gas station to use a pay phone upon entering Santa Rosa.
Once Skip parked the car, he walked to the pay phone and dropped in a dime, then dialed Gordon Wolf's number from the business card Daddy had given him.
After dialing the number, and hearing three ring tones, Gordon's wife picked up and greeted, "Hello".
"Oh hello", Skip replied. "This is Skip Raccoon..."
"Oh, you're Marcus' boy", the female wolf said. "I'll get Gordon on the line".
Skip could hear in the background, "Gordon, it's for you", followed by, "It must be Marcus' boy".
Gordon Wolf picked up and greeted, "Am I speaking with Skip?"
"That's me", Skip answered. "I'm calling to let you know I'm in town".
"Okay. I'm leaving now to go to the shop", Gordon Wolf said. "Meet me there".
"I'll be there", Skip replied before they hung up.
It didn't take Skip long to get to the tool supply store, being it wasn't all that far from the gas station where Skip had stopped. As Skip arrived, Gordon Wolf himself had just then arrived.
"We finally got that arbor in early last night", Gordon Wolf said to Skip as he was getting out of his car.
"My dad and I appreciate you coming out here for us being Sunday", Skip affirmed to Gordon.
"With as bad as that order got messed up, it's the least I could do", Gordon replied.
Gordon then unlocked the front door in which he and Skip entered the shop. After comparing the old part to the replacement to make sure it was the same, the transaction was ready to be made.
"That comes to 7 dollars and 21 cents", Gordon Wolf said to Skip Raccoon, with the change being 2 dollars and 79 cents.
That $7.21 in 1960 was like $72.10 would someday be in the 21st Century.
"I realize it takes a press to take bearings on and off this arbor shaft", Skip admitted to Gordon, then mentioned, "But it would have been nice if the bearings could have been available separately".
Gordon then pointed out, "Well, Skip. If the bearings didn't have to be pressed on, that would allow the arbor shaft to wander side to side. And you don't want that in a table saw".
"Gee whiz. I guess not, come to think of it", Skip admitted.
"And check out that other bearing", Gordon Wolf further explained. "When that one bearing went bad, it also took out that other bearing by allowing the shaft to wobble".
"Now that you mentioned it, I did notice that other bearing doesn't feel quite right", Skip further admitted.
"And do you have a way of knowing if the shaft didn't get slightly bent?", Gordon asked.
"I wouldn't know", Skip even further admitted.
"I wouldn't know either. No one knows", said Gordon. "But they often do get bent when a bearing goes. And a bend you can't even see will throw it out of balance".
"I have to say, I never really thought about all of that", said Skip.
Gordon Wolf then said to Skip, "Trust me. The folks at Rockwell knew what they were doing by making the arbor parts available only as a compete assembly".
After business was conducted, and after the brief conversation, Gordon Wolf and Skip Raccoon bid each other good day as Gordon locked the front door of the shop. As Gordon Wolf headed out for his drive back to the house within town, Skip Raccoon headed out for that hour and 20 minute drive back home in Moriarty.
Skip and his girl friend, Sophia, who also lived with her parents in Moriarty, had planned on a date together that night at the Comet Drive-in Santa Rosa. And as Skip drove along back home westbound on Route 66, he had an issue on his mind that he and Sophia had been discussing for some time. The issue was that both Sophia and Skip were age 18 and had already graduated from high school in the class of 1960 two and a half months earlier in the beginning of June. But yet, Sophia and Skip both felt like their parents try to treat them like they were still cubs by putting a limit on how late at night they can be out. However, this coming night would be the night that Skip and Sophia would decide to stay out as late as they wanted to, in order to show their parents they were not cubs anymore. And after all, on weekends, the Comet Drive-in stays open until midnight. And also, some of the class of 1960 alumni would be there that night, such as; Colton Fox and his girlfriend Jan, along with Danny Otter and his girlfriend Lidia, and also Guss Bear and his girlfriend Marsha. Skip knew they'll also be those teenagers at the Comet Drive-in who will be starting their junior and senior year in high school in a couple of weeks. But those teenagers, being ages 16 and 17, would be leaving the drive-in before nine o'clock pm because of Santa Rosa's underage curfew, and that the Comet Drive-in is in the city limits of Santa Rosa.
Eventually, Skip arrived to where Route 66 becomes Interstate 40, which certainly looks different from what Route 66 there had looked.
After Skip had been driving a while, it wouldn't be long before he would be approaching the exit for Clines Corners. About five minutes still away from Clines Corners, he thought of how nice a Coca-Cola and a snack cake would be about now. Presently, a recently released song was playing on the car's radio.
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As Skip finally approached the exit for Clines Corners, he pulled off of I-40 to make a stop at a gas station to get that Coca-Cola and a two pack of Hostess Twinkies. The purchase came to 15 cents. You could get a bottle of Coke for a nickel back then, and Hostess products were 10 cents. Fifteen cents wasn't even enough to charge sales tax on. The car wasn't needing any gas, thus there wasn't the need to get any.
Once back on I-40, Skip was cruising along enjoying his Coke and Twinkies. A short while later, Skip saw the big signs ahead that warned of that stretch of I-40 ending, and Route 66 resuming. Being now on that stretch of Route 66, Skip was not all that far from Moriarty.
Before long, Skip finally arrived in Moriarty, then shortly thereafter, arrived home.
When Skip presented the new replacement arbor along with the receipt, Daddy Marcus was glad to finally see it after waiting for three weeks.
"Here's the change", Skip said to his dad as he was about to paw over the $2.79.
Skip had his own money for the Coke and Twinkies he had earlier purchased at Clines Corners.
"Go ahead and keep it for making the run", Marcus said to his son.
"Oh gee. Thanks, Dad", Skip replied.
That $2.79 cent change was in 1960 what $27.90 would someday be in the 21st Century.
Late that afternoon, Skip helped his dad replace the arbor assembly in the table saw, thus when finished the saw was good as new. Marcus then tested it with a piece of scrap lumber.
"Well, we did it", Marcus said to Skip.
"It runs like a champ now, Dad", Skip replied.
"It certainly does", Marcus added, then asked Skip, "Feel up getting the tool shed started this afternoon?"
"Why not?", Skip agreed. "I know we've been waiting long enough".
"That's for sure", Marcus further added.
Thus, for a couple of hours, Marcus and Skip at least got the floor deck started, which sat on a series of concrete block foundation piers. The lumber for the tool shed had been stored in the garage for the past three weeks while waiting for the replacement arbor for the table saw.
After the floor deck was nearly complete, Marcus and Skip decided to call it a day. Not to mention that Mama Rosalyn already had supper ready. So once the saw and other tools were put away, and Marcus and Skip washed their paws, they came in to have supper.
During supper, Skip asked his dad if he had need of the car that evening.
"I take it you have a date planned with Sophia tonight", Marcus replied.
"Yea, I do", Skip answered.
"Your mother and I aren't going out anywhere tonight", Marcus assured Skip. "The car is yours for the evening".
"Thanks, Dad", Skip thanked his dad.
"But don't be out too late", Mama Rosalyn said to Skip.
"That's been something I was wanting to talk to you about", Skip said to his parents. "I'm 18 now. I'm not still a cub".
"Skip", Daddy Marcus addressed his son. "I understand you...and also Sophia, are legally adults now. I get that. But don't forget you are living in this house owned by your mother and I...Our house, our rules".
"Yea, but...", Skip began.
"No buts about it", Marcus told Skip. "You're living under our roof. And we want you in before ten".
"How does Sophia's parents feel about this?", Rosalyn asked her son.
"Sophia had the same discussion with her mom and dad", Skip answered. "She tells me her parents feel the same way as you and Dad do".
"And for good reason", Marcus replied, then mentioned to Skip, "One day, you'll have you're own place. Then you'll be in a position to make your own house rules as you see fit. But until then, it's in before ten".
"Yea, okay", Skip half heartedly replied.
Nothing more was discussed about being in before ten during the rest of supper.
After supper, Skip began to head out to Sophia's parents' house there in Moriarty to pick up Sophia to go out to the Comet Drive-in in Santa Rosa.
"Have a good time. See you tonight", Marcus said to Skip.
"See you tonight", Skip said.
"And don't stay out too late", Rosalyn said to Skip.
"Okay", Skip replied.
Skip then drove over to pick up Sophia. And as is in the proper way, Skip went up to the front door and rang the door bell where Sophia greeted Skip.
"You two enjoy the evening, and be back on time", Sophia's mom said.
"And don't do anything I wouldn't do", Sophia's dad added.
"We'll behave", Sophia promised her parents.
As Skip and Sophia walked paw in paw to Skip's dad's '57 Mercury, Skip said to Sophia, "Yea, my mom and dad lectured me about being in before ten a while ago".
"Skip, we have to convince our parents to stop treating us like cubs", Sophia affirmed.
"I know", Skip replied.
"Remember we came up with that idea that we should disobey our parents about staying out late, no matter what?", Sophia asked Skip.
"We need to really do that", Skip replied as they arrived to the car.
As Skip opened the passenger's door for Sophia to get in, Sophia said, "Tonight".
"Tonight?", Skip asked.
"Yea, tonight", Sophia affirmed. "What do you say we carry out that idea tonight".
"You got it. I'm on", Skip agreed.
"The Comet Drive-in is open until midnight tonight", Sophia said. "Let's hang out there until midnight tonight".
"Awright. Midnight it is", Skip proclaimed.
With that said, Skip and Sophia headed out on their date to the Comet Drive-in in Santa Rosa.
This along with the main story to be continued.