7 4 2 6: Solving a Mystery

I've had this combination lock since I was a kid. I think I found it in a box that my dad bought at a farm auction. 

It had a paper tag wired to the shackle. The tag read "7 4 2 6." Those same numbers are written and scratched all over the lock's back cover.

7 4 2 6 has to be the numbers to the combination, right? I tried spinning the dial to 7-4-2-6 about a hundred times in my lifetime. I tried the sequence clockwise. I tried the sequence counter clockwise. I tried turning pass the 7 twice. I tried turning pass the 4 three times. It didn't matter. I'd tug on the shackle after each sequence, and the lock would not move. It was so frustrating. What were theses numbers for?

It's not that I thought about it very much. Every few years I'd find the Gougler lock sleeping in a box in the garage or our basement. I'd try those numbers again, and again I'd get the same, locked results. Then I'd put it back in the box. Ten-year-old me wouldn't let adult-me throw it away. That would be admitting defeat.

Charlotte likes to say that that if you have ever clapped your hands once, then you never really stop clapping. You just take long pauses between the claps. I guess I never stopped trying to open this lock. I just took decade-long pauses.

The last pause began when we moved in 2013, and eneded in the summer. This time technology finally caught up with me. I Googled "Gougler Keyless Lock," and I actually got results:

I learned that my padlock is a Red Dot No. 30-S. Its "touch-click" feature made it a popular lock for schools in the 1950s. You can feel ten different "clicks" as the dial rotates. If you know how many clicks you turn to in either direction, you can even open this padlock in the dark. 

So, I always had the correct combination; I just didn't know how to use it!.*slaps forehead* The numbers on the lock's face have nothing to do with it. The numbers are for "clicks" not for positions. The combination begins at 0:

Counterclockwise: 7 clicks

Clockwise: 4 clicks

Counterclockwise: 2 clicks

Counterclockwise: 6 clicks

I was stunned when the shakle opened for the first time. I felt a sense of relief, satisfaction, and wonder as I looked at the open lock in my hand. I laughed out loud and mentally gave 10-year-old me a high-five. 

We did it. After all those years, we finally did it.  

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I thought about cleaning up the lock's case, but I don't want to erase the lock's history. 

I understand the irony of writing the combination on the back of a combination lock. I also understand how forgetful kids can be. That's why I think this padlock was used in a school. I can imagine some principal in the 1950's with a black frame glasses and a buzz cut announcing to freshmen, "Everyone has a locker, and eveyone has a lock - use them both!" 

But 7426 is written in four different types of handwriting. Wouldn't one set of numbers be enough?

The scratched numbers at the top look like a child's handiwork. The same goes for the numbers on the bottom. The numbers written in the middle and on the left side appear to be written by a much surer and mature hand. 

I'm guessing the numbers were put there for a forgetful kid in a series of forgetful kids. That makes me wonder how many different kids used this lock? 

That's a mystery I'll never solve.

Better than the Alternative

"Look at this. It's worthless - ten dollars from a vendor in the street. But I take it, I bury it in the sand for a thousand years, it becomes priceless." - Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

It's too bad that people don't become more valued as they age. You don't earn your youth, but it takes a lot of effort to get old.

Awhile back I went out with some co-workers on a Friday afternoon. There were 10 young teachers (under 30) and a few lifers like me at a local dive. A retired teacher from the regulars' crowd introduced himself when he overheard us talking. He listened to a few of the teachers complain about their job, and then he tried to join the conversation, "I was at UHS in the 80’s, and our biggest problem was…” I can’t quote his whole story because none of the younger teachers were listening. Their eyes had glazed over as soon as he mentioned the 80's. The guy could sense their discomfort, and he let his story fade and fall like a dying leaf in autumn. He was back on his barstool a few minutes later. 

I winced when he left because that guy is my future. I’m almost him now. 

There are approximately 100 teachers at my school. According to the latest seniority list, there are over 30 teachers who have taught 6 years or less. If you tell a young teacher that you’ve been teaching longer than they have been alive, they’ll say something like, “Wow. That’s really impressive,” but they’ll look at you as if you’re as useful as a sundial. 

Last week a co-worker told me that his history with video games started in middle school with Halo (2001) on the Xbox. I failed to mention that I was playing Pac Man on my Atari when I was that same age. I just nodded and pretended that I played Halo back then, too. 

It's kind of possible...

The staff at UHS gets to wear jeans on Fridays if we wear a shirt that matches the chosen theme. Last Friday was "Your Favorite T-Shirt." This wasn't an easy choice for me, but I went with my '93 Lollapalooza concert shirt. It's pretty faded, but you can still read the bands names. 

I think this a cool, school appropriate shirt, even though one teacher commented, "'93? That's the year I was born!" He didn't say it like that was a compliment.

Maybe I should wear this shirt instead?

Everything I have is getting older. My body, my clothes, my music, and especially my stories. I can stop telling people that I was hired in 1992, but I'll still be 4th on that seniority list. Fashionable clothes and hair dye won't change that, so I avoid both.

I'm not complaining about being in my 50's. I bought a "Best of the 90's" CD at Goodwill for nostalgia's sake (even my technology is old.) The songs were fine, but they reminded me how miserable I was when I was in my 20s. I recycled that CD when I got home and smiled at my wife. Screw time travel.

Sure, I now better understand Leonard Cohen's lyric, "I ache in the places where I used to play." But random body pain comes with the territory. Most of the time I'm just happy to be here. 

Charlotte is in 6th grade, and the rumor at our house is that I’ll retire when she graduates from high school. Six more years might sound like a long haul, but I’ll also be parenting, and we all know what parents say about time passing. 

I haven't really thought about what I would do if I retire in 2028, but I know one thing. I won't try talking to any young teachers at the bar. 

“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” – Andy Rooney

Not Sure About This

Charlotte surprised us when she exclaimed, "I know what I want to buy from Amazon!" Both Daphne and I were sure she was going to ask for more fidgets, but she didn't. She wanted to buy this:

"A cat backpack? Are you serious?"

"Yes! Earl will love it. I'm going to take him outside to see the world!"

I was dubious, but we couldn't say no. It's Char's money, she did the research, and she was going to be the one who wears it. When the backpack arrived, we were surprised again. It seems to be really well made. 

Earl doesn't look so sure.

Char was sure, though.

At first, Earl cried out quite a bit. His protest was expected. The only time he's in a carrier of any sort is when he goes to the vet, and he hates that.

Earl settled down about halfway through our walk. He sat up straight and seemed genuinely interested in his surroundings. 

I was sure that this was going to be a disaster, but I was wrong. I have to learn to be more trusting of Char's judgement. Char is having a lot of fun, and Earl, well, Earl is putting up with it. 

I Finally get to See the King!

I have had this VHS tape since I was a teenager.

Blow Out was written and directed by Brian De Palma. The movie stars John Travolta, Nancy Allen, and John Lithgow. With that kind of name recognition, Blow Out has been easy to find on cable, DVD, and Roku. The Criterion Collection even released a special edition Blu-ray of Blow Out ten years ago. There is no reason to own this film on VHS.

King of the Mountain was directed by Noel Nosseck. It stars Harry Hamlin, Dennis Hopper, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, and a modified Porsche 356. When HBO stopped airing King of the Mountain, my VHS tape became the only way I could watch this film for years. 

In the 2000's, I ordered a DVD copy of KOTM from ioffer.com, but that turned out to be a bootleged copy of a nice VHS tape. Every so often I'd see this DVD on my shelf and wonder, "Is there a legal DVD out, yet?" The answer was always no. I read rumblings that copyright problems with the soundtrack kept it from being released, but I don't know that for sure.

On Friday night  I was shopping eBay for spaghetti westerns, and I stumbled onto an auction that looked too good to be true.

Whaaaaat? There's a legit Blu-ray of KOTM? I checked Amazon, and yep, Scorpion Releasing (who?) put out a DVD and a Blu-ray of KOTM in Nov of 2020. How did I miss that? Well, there was a lot going on in 2020...

Anyway, I didn't mess around with an eBay seller. I punched the "Buy Now" button and let Amazon Prime work it's magic. The next day... fanfare, please!

Here's some Bootleg to Blu-ray comparisons:

I've already watched the Harry Hamlin and Noel Nossaeck interviews. They tell interesting stories of movie making in the late 70's and early 80's. This film could not be made the same way today.

Let's compare what's really importatnt: the image quality. VHS vs. Bootleg DVD vs. Blu-Ray

VHS:

Bootleg DVD:

Blu-ray:

The bootleg DVD was an improvement over my old VHS tape, but check out the Blu-ray's detail on that tree on the left. I hadn't even noticed the white lettering on the tires before. There's no way KOTM has looked better on home video.

That Porsche 356 is such a cool car. And that's really what all this is all about. I couldn't care less about the acting or the music industry storyline. This isn't a film review.

The cars in this movie are the stars. Dennis Hopper looks more dangerous than the night street racing. His alleged coke and alcohol fueled perfomance is truely unhinged, but his rat-rod 'Vette looks awesome. Joseph Bottoms's '69 Mustang is a stud. There are cameos by a Ferrari, a Superbee, a couple of Firebirds, a Datsun 240 Z, and some Porsche posers in the background at a German car repair shop. Deborah drives a cool, vintage Citroën. Even the beater pickup that Dennis races is sweet. 

These are the cars that I dreamed about when I was a kid. It's a lot to fun to see their details more clearly for the first time since then. Looks like I can finally toss my old VHS tape. 

Happy Halloween '21

Charlotte created this mini cemetery using decorations from the Dollar Tree. I like how it turned out. This display is a keeper. 

Char also used pumpkins and gourds to create this Halloween "Battle Royal." It's actually a bit graphic.

We gave out small packages of Smartfood popcorn and M&M's. That's one of our favorite movie snacks. I brought the projector back outside this year. I started with It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It's cool when parents linger in the driveway to watch Lucy snag the football back from Charlie Brown's kick. After three showings, I switched to classic Scooby Doo cartoons. 

Some trick or treaters sat down with their popcorn and M&M's and enjoyed the show.

I walked to the sidewalk to get a "wide angle" view of our house. I accidentally caught Daphne standing in the window by the front door. Looks creepy.

It was a nice night. Char had a friend to run around with, and the evening's weather was clear and cool. 

Oh, I almost forgot. Char made her own costume this year. Currently, one of her favorite YouTube clips is "Guy says "porky worky" and gets attacked by pig." ---> link. She has laughed so hard at this so many times.

So, she went as a muddy Porky Worky. 

Good times.