The Duece and a Quarter

     When I was a child, my favorite activity in the world was riding in my dad's car.  Dad's car was not the family car.  Dad's car was his car.  It was new with a glossy coat of paint and that new car smell.  When the smell wore off, it was time for a new car.  My brother and I just couldn't go in my dad's car.  It had to be a special occasion.  The special occasion came once a year for our cross country road trips from Chicago to LA to visit my Great Aunt Alice.  Of all the cars in my childhood, my favorite was dad's 1969, Buick Electra 225, or the Deuce and a Quarter as he called it.  She was avocado green, with a black landau top, and black vinyl seats which could scorch our legs in summer.  She seemed as long as our house.  I loved every inch of her. 

     Dad had all the upgrades that were offered, including headrests which were new in 1969.  But even better was the below the dash 8-track tape deck my father installed on his own.  The player hung below the dash on brackets.  We had to be very careful if we were playing in the front seat not to scrap ourselves on any of the sharp metal corners.  The player had four buttons by which we could forward a quarter of the tape at one time.  There was no rewind button.  If we wanted to hear our favorite song again, we had to wait for at least a quarter of the tape to play then push the button to forward to our song.  The tape would take a few seconds making a whirring noise as it moved into position.  My dad had all the greats artists of the time, such as Johnny Cash singing "Ring of Fire", Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee", and even Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" for my mother.  However, the best song in my three-year old opinion was "The Unicorn Song", by the Irish Rovers, who were Canadian.  Dad would pop in his day glo orange mix-tape that he worked hours on featuring the family's favorite songs.  When "The Unicorn Song" came on, my little brother and I would hold onto the headrests and dance standing in the back seat singing at the top of our little lungs,

    "You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese 
    Some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees 
    Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born 
    You're never gonna see no unicorns"

     Words and music Shel Silverstein.  (Note the same Shel Silverstein of "Where the Sidewalk Ends.)

     Some of the happiest moments of my childhood were spent dancing in the back seat of that boat of a car while driving across county.