Quo Vadis, Where are we going?: Happy Birthday to ME!

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Happy Birthday to ME!

July 31, 1950.

Near midnight or shortly after in the maternity ward of Mechanicsburg Hospital.

A baby cries out.

"Hey! Where's the cake and ice cream?"

Kenneth Eugene DeWalt has been hatched.

July 31, 2014.

Near 9:30 or thereabouts seated at Gunther Toody's Colorado Springs Diner. (So where DO you remember that name from? Think B & W TV)

An alledgedly grown man laughs out loud as every waitress in the place surrounds him to dance the twist (def: 1960 iconic socializing activity that involves total body oscillation, upper body in an opposite direction from lower, hence called, "the Twist"). See Mona's video on my Facebook page if you need to learn more.

Toody's is a front range Colorado wonder. Less than 12 of these fifties style diners are available in Colorado Springs and Denver but after one very filling breakfast (lunch too so brunch applies, actually) Mona and I say, "Don't miss this place when you come to town!"

Buttons was our server. None of the staff use their real name, 'to keep the innocent from becoming guilty?' And it was she who arranged the dance party, and the cool signed hat.

We shared a Chicken Fried Steak and Milkshake breakfast!

And a good time was had by ALL!

Then we went library hopping. 5 libraries and 1 Goodwill and an independent Thrift later I had two shirts, and 4 new books. Mona had 1 new book.

And on the way we found Fountain, Colorado. a small town just a few miles south of Colorado Springs where Texas cow herds were driven to market in Kansas City & east aboard one of the towns three railroad companies cars. Made old Dodge City look tame, they say.

Fountain just missed being considered as the capitol city of Colorado when in 1888 most of the town BLEW UP.

As if hundreds of cowboys, bars and brothels, and later a massive town flattening explosion, wasn't enough to put this little town on the map, check out THIS creepy story! so creepy I'm not allowed to tell you who it was who told us about this deserted, yet seemingly once somewhat elegant home on the edge of town.

THEY say that before abortions of any kind were allowed in the state of Colorado secret abortions were performed in the basement of this old house.

THEY also say that there may be hundreds of tiny bodies buried in the yard of this old house.

And THEY also say that it seems mysteriously ominous that the entrance to the house is decorated with a three dimensional rendering of the Greek God Pan and his flute, calling the little children inside to... so THEY say.

We completed our celebration of my birthday at the most unusual pizza parlor we've ever been in. Right across from the diesel truck shop where we are sleeping tonight while the coach gets its 10,000 mile once over at basement level is this highly rated, and very reasonably priced, 40 year old HUGE Italian restaurant.

Fargo's!