It's My Buddy's Birthday!!!!

A much younger Van VanDeWalker and Rich Frost

Happy birthday, Van VanDeWalker!

Yup, my old buddy Van (who works for Animal Control in Macon, Georgia) is turning fifty-six today (which is something like three-hundred and ninety-two dog years, but who’s counting?). Van is probably going to be bombarded with birthday wishes from friends and family all day and who knows how many more people in the Macon area, that he has met in his day-to-day journeys with his famous dog, A.C. Pup, will shower him with even more love and birthday wishes. But, you wanna know something? If there’s anyone anywhere worthy of that love and attention – it’s Van VanDeWalker – who like me is proud is proud to say that he’s “from Flint, Michigan, damn it!!!”

What kind of guy is Van VanDeWalker? Well, let me put it to you this way – Van and I met each other some twenty-five plus years ago at WTAC Radio in Flint. We were both hired to work there when former newsman (now Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney) David Leyton purchased the station and switched the station’s format from country to talk. I arrived at the station at around 5:30 in the morning to find VanDeWalker already there preparing for his first newscast. After he introduced himself to me, Van asked me if I would like a cup of coffee from the pot that he just brewed up in the station’s mini-kitchen. When I told Van that I can’t drink caffeinated coffee (because of what it does to my blood pressure) and that I only drank decaf, he went on to compare decaffeinated coffee to female genitilia and it was then and there that I realized that Van and I were going to be friends forever.

Van and I have gone through a whole lot in the last twenty-five plus years. We have probably shared more good moments than we have bad and despite the fact that some eight hundred and eighty-one miles separate us -- our friendship continues to grow – thanks in a large part to the Internet. Both his wife, Traci and my girlfriend, Marty think that we are both a little nuts because we love to play Scrabble and have played it online for nearly nine years – talking trash with each other on the audio chat on Yahoo Instant Messenger as we play. And I will admit that Van is the better Scrabble player – and although I may bitch that I’m a lousy at the game – I wouldn’t mind losing every game, because it gives me a chance to be able to bond over the Internet with my buddy, Van.

Although we have never talked about it – I think that Van and I are a lot alike. If we could wave a magic wand – we would both be sharing our lives with the people that we love today but living in the town that we love and remember (Flint, Michigan), but know deep in our heart that our old hometown will never be like we remember it. And, it’s kind of frustrating that we can’t show our love ones just how great it was to live in Flint – because that city doesn’t exist anymore -- but Van and I remember and every so often it helps the both of us to keep that Flint connection going – because we’re from Flint, damn it! We feel more comfortable with a couple of coneys and a side of fries with gravy on it from Angelos than we would if we had to dine in some fancy four star restaurants.

Van and I both came from neighborhoods where people cared for each other and they watched each other’s back. We lived in neighborhoods where you knew everyone on your street and the street behind you – and if someone needed a hand – you extended yours and you helped them no questions ask. I’m sure that a lot of what Van experienced from living in the kind of neighborhoods in Flint that he lived in, has made him a better person and an even better animal control officer in Macon, Georgia.

You can’t deny it, Van….today is your birthday….and you’re from Flint, damn it! I wish I could be with your personally to celebrate your birthday and I hope you accept my virtual birthday gift of a basket filled with Koegel hot dogs, a week’s worth of Halo Burgers with olives with an endless stream of Vernor’s Crème Ales, a couple of Big John Steak and Onion barbeque steak and onion subs, and some Ya Ya chicken. And, I if you look deep in the virtual birthday gift box – there’s also all the Flint Journals that you have missed reading since you moved to Georgia and, although it’s not from Flint, I threw in a couple of can cases of Tim Horton coffee – only to satisfy your “Hockey Night In Canada” lovin’ taste buds.

Happy birthday, Van!!!

Growing Old With Colorforms

I had to laugh the other morning when I clicked on Facebook and read my friend Van’s status. You see, Van (who is the same age that I am) came to the conclusion that he’s old and it was confirmed when he discovered that one of his co-workers at Macon (Georgia) Animal Control had never heard of, and had never seen, the classic kid’s toy “Colorforms”. Naturally, Van’s co-worker was born in 1982 – which means that he probably doesn’t know that toys didn’t always come with the warnings like “Assembly required” or “Needs batteries”. You see, Colorforms was a toy that required the little ones playing with it to use their imagination….imagine that…using your imagination during playtime!

Colorforms have always had a soft spot in my heart. It’s one of the few toys that I had as a kid that I still remember to this day. For those who have never experience the joy of playing with Colorforms – let me tell you a little bit about them. Most of the big cartoon shows of the late 50s and 60s were converted into Colorforms for kids to play with. I think I got my first box of Colorforms – the Popeye the Sailor edition – from Santa Claus one Christmas.

Colorforms are little pieces of vinyl that are cut out in the shapes of cartoon characters, clothes or even things associated with the cartoon characters – such as Popeye’s can of spinach. You would take the different Colorforms character shapes and place them on this black vinyl covered piece of cardboard using while your young mind concocted some story to go with the placement of the Colorforms cartoon characters. They also made “dress up” Colorforms that you would put Colorforms clothes on a picture of a boy or a girl in their underwear on a vinyl covered piece of cardboard..

If there ever was a low tech toy – it was Colorforms. There’s another thing about Colorforms that I remember and that’s that vinyl smell you got when you opened the box. There’s no finer scent to a child growing up in the 60s than that of Colorforms (and maybe the smell of those freshly printed off ditto test sheets that your teacher passed out to you in school).

If my buddy Van really wants to feel old – maybe he could sit his young co-worker down at lunch one day and discuss another low tech toy with him –like the Slinky. Those of us old enough to remember Slinky are probably humming Slinky’s commercial jingle to yourself as you read this. Explain to a kid in 2010 – who is shouting for his parents to buy a Gameboy, Game Box or Wii that we use to play with a wound up piece of metal that would climb down steps – and I guarantee you that the kid will think you’re nuts.

And what is one of the hottest toys on the market today? It's a toy hamster that is pretty damn life-like. When we grew up – we had real hamsters and unlike the kids of today who just put batteries in theirs – our hamsters actually died and shit where he slept. And there’s the “Guitar Hero” game that make you feel like you’re playing guitar in a rock n’ roll band. When we grew up – we didn’t play guitar – we took lessons – and if we were good – we got to be in a rock n’ roll band. Imagine that concept.

Times have changed and so have the toys that we played with growing up. I’m sure that, in the not too distant future, my buddy Van is going to come across someone other than a younger co-worker, who has never heard of Colorforms, a Slinky or even Hula Hoops, and he’ll feel old once again. Admit it, Van – you’re getting old – but you’re not alone – there are a lot of us right behind you keeping a close eye on how you handle it. Maybe someday someone will cheer up a old man like you with a special Animal Control Officer Edition box of Colorforms – wouldn't that be nice?