I’m finally back from my long slog across America to move my partner and our nation’s premier shower-pasta enthusiast, David Tracy, across the country. I’m very happy to be home and back at my daily Autopian joyful grind, but it’s still a transition. One that was made easier by a surprise package at my door, the contents of which you can see up there.
Yes, that is a genuine, 1970s Air Jammer toy, the Air Jammer Bug Scrambler one, to be specific. I wrote about these with some awe and fascination a few weeks ago, since it’s one of my all-time favorite cars made with cutting-edge 1970s pneumatic piston tech, and sold in the most goofball ways possible.
Our own social media savant, Peter, found this one on eBay and sent it to me. What a peach!
Sure, all the air hoses are brittle and feel like uncooked pasta, but who cares? It’s fantatasic, and a great reminder of what the human spirit can accomplish.
Now I have to figure out why my laptop is refusing to work. I’m typing this up on an iPad. Ooof.
My memory is certainly not what it used to be- and it wasn’t that great earlier in life either… What were the little battery powered 4×4 trucks called? Probably late 70s or early 80s. They had great TV commercials depicting them crawling over logs, driving up little hills, etc. I absolutely loved them- made tons of “tracks” for them and God knows how many (AA?) batteries I went through. Of course they had no steering and went where they wanted, but damn if I didn’t love them anyway!
Stompers?
Your back, yay…more importantly, is Otto-pian, the heir to the land of Autopia, back and kickin’ it or did you leave him in the Golden Eagle?
My brother and I got into SSPs. We would bring them to school and let ’em rip down the corridor.
T-pulls wouldn’t last though…
My brother and I got into SSPs. We would bring them to school and let ’em rip down the corridor.
T-pulls wouldn’t last though ????
Is Otto’s middle name Mattock? Enquiring minds want to know.
I could’ve sworn it was his mother’s maiden name “Meaubeille” (moh-beal).
I had the dune buggy and motorcycle back in the early 80s. They were great fun, but did not hold up all that well when it came to road rash and crashing into curbs.
If the hoses are like uncooked spaghetti, then DT could probably get them back in shape in the shower.
I think DT is just mad that Torch told one of Dave’s dirty secrets with the spaghetti thing. We all kind of knew Dave lives a peculiarly single life based on what he’s posted over the years, and perhaps sharing that with the world was a bridge too far.
I still want to see recipes though.
Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer installs a garbage disposal in his bathtub so he could cook in there while he bathes.
I had of those! It was my favorite toy for a while! They must have kept making them well into the ’80s because I wasn’t born until ’83.
Your laptop isn’t working, but I bet the C64 still does.
LOAD”*”,8,1
Those were the days
Glad to see you’re back!
When I was a kid, the evolution of these things was around. They were called “air hogs” and there were both planes and cars. They were neat because you could see through the clear playin pump body to see the pistons work. I’d love to try track one of these down for my kids to see!
I had one of their ornithopters in the early 2000’s. It was still in my basement when moved in 2015, but has since disappeared. My kids loved chasing it down as it flapped its way across the yard.
I actually went straight to Amazon and eBay after posting that comment. Original planes are now ~$100+, BUT the company with the original patent is selling planes on Amazon for $30. Ordering one so my minions can chase it around! I forgot about the ornithopters
If I ever have another Super Beetle, it is going to get hood scoops like those.
And possibly a front bumper with those baja-style lights. Those are fantastic.
I had one of these as a kid. Pleaded with my parents for one countless times. Found out the play experience did not live up to the hype of the commercials.
Alas, so many toys were like that.
They provided this important life lesson to you at an early age
That brings back memories, my younger brother had one of those.
I remember it being fun ’til the bearings died.
Glad you made it back! And it seems you’ve doubled the number of yellow Bugs that need plumbing work!
Ever since you were waxing wistful about the old neighborhood in LA I was wondering if you had a chance to look around while you were out there, and I hope if you did you weren’t looking through too rose-tinted glasses (“Look, Otto, that’s our old house – I’d forgotten how little parking space there was. I guess pushing an inop car out of the way to get the one that starts out was easier when I was younger…and over there’s the school you’d be going to if we still lived here. Two thousand kids – did you know they were one of the first public schools in America to have uniforms? OK, we need to get the car back to Galpin’s – notice we’re almost exactly halfway between two freeway exits? Works great for a tour but it would suuuuck if I had to go into the Valley on any kind of regular basis for in-person editorial meetings…”)
Glad you survived the trip, Torch. Be sure and post some videos of that awesome little air-bug doing its thing (assuming it doesn’t explode the second you pump it up – no wait, that would be cool too). On a slightly related note: how’s the swag production line going? Have you got the minions slogging away producing t-shirts and grille badges, etc.?
I feel like shower spaghetti was never supposed to turn into the first(?) Autopian meme
Bug looks awesome! Will you replace the brittle hoses?
I feel like this shower pasta thing is a slow-burn tease. The more it is mentioned, the more I want to know. I have no idea why I want to know more and I’m kind of disgusted by that fact, but I want to know more.
I’m just here for the recipes. Are these fine homemade breakfast leftovers or pre-packaged Chef Boyardee swill? The people must know.
David just puts dry pasta into a pot, takes the pot into the shower, and the pasta cooks in the shower water.
Oh my, I think I may hurl now.
You’re alive!! Some of us were getting concerned. There was a post of DT in his new, serial killer looking apartment, but nothing from you or Otto!
In my experience, there’s nothing like an extended road trip to really test a relationship, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that somewhere between Las Vegas an LA, something… happened.
Really glad my concerns were for naught.
Cool toy, too!
Sweet!