Well, been a long weekend but I'm vertical again for a change. Wife came down with some kind of virus a couple weeks ago and of course she decided to share it with me around last Thursday, I started to feel some pre-virus issues start to pop up then. I had also had made plans all weekend to be with my kids and grandkids at my home town county fair because they were all in town. Went down Friday evening and let the grandkids loose at the fair. There was a hairband concert Saturday night after the grandkids spent more time at the carnival, the band was Hairball. Grandkids went home and we stayed for the concert. Very good band if you don't know who they are. I was still able to be around everyone as I didn't feel that bad, but my voice was pretty obviously going south. Not fun when you're at a hairband concert and can't help sing with everyone. Then Sunday I had planned to drive thru the fair parade with Grape. I had a special reason for that and we kept it from my dad. My sister rode with and helped me throw out the candy. My dad's business was a service station that his dad had bought for him and his brother, Bob. My grandpa had also owned a dead animal rendering service that was suppose to go to dads other brother, Donny. Unfortunately Donny got killed when he was 25 in a trucking accident I believe was in 1955. That was the same year dad and my grandpa took the station over and Bob took the rendering service. Then in 1971, my dad took the station over himself and hired a spare hand when he could. That eventually was me in the early 1980's. Then in 1992, the people that owned the building told my dad that they weren't renewing his lease so he had to get out. In a smal town like that of 1300 people, it wasn't a very popular decision with some and we all knew who was behind it all because everyone knows everyone there. I had planned on taking the business over from him whenever he wanted to retire just like he did with his dad when he retired. But we all know that didn't work out and I wound up working on aircraft, which was really fun and the reason I was able to retire early too. So it worked out okay. The old station was called Hilltop Service and as you can probably tell by the name, it was actually on the top of the hill along the highway that went thru town. It was a great spot. So I wanted to reminisce a little and I made a sign for the doors on my car. You'll see in the photos below what it looked like. My oldest sister and my mom told me he actually got teary eyed when he saw the car and read what it said. So I'm very happy I could make his day with it. Sorry for the long post, but wanted you all to know a little about the back story of it. Then Monday came and I was totally sick. Went to the doctor and I have a bacterial virus and I'm on antibiotics now for 5 days. Doing better today though so hopefully won't be down for to much longer.

Now for the pics.

Saturday evening Hairball as KISS. Their generator shut down midway thru the 2nd song but they were back at it after 15 minutes. Funny story with this concert too. My youngest daughter was sitting down 3 chairs from me and a lady approached her and talked to her. She told her to go talk to me I guess. She came up from behind and said, I'm sorry to bother you, but could I get your autograph? We all have a bet going on behind you and nobody was brave enough to come up and talk to you....but, are you Sammy Hagar by chance? I had to inform her that I wasn't but maybe wish I was now. When she left she said, you wear it very well and you look great, keep it. I just told her thanks and considered it a compliment. Then my daughter told me they were all taking pictures of me and she showed them to her before she told her to go talk to me herself. Then a guy walked in front of where I was sitting about a half hour later and said, hey look, Sammy Hagar is here. He knew I wasn't but gave me the compliment anyway and had no idea what that other lady said to me before. I told him thanks, I'll take it.



Grape before the parade started on Sunday evening. Hilltop Service Sinclair station was my dad's old business and my sponsor.



All my Stromquist cousins vehicles that were in the parade. 6 total, the pickup behind me wasn't part of the clan.



My 2nd cousin, Logan. My sister wanted this photo because of our hair.



My youngest sister and I just before the parade started.



My dad raised his hands when he read the door placard and saw my car.



My Grandkids chasing our candy.



My dad and I after the parade. Wanted to get a photo with him with the car. He told me I made his day with it so it was worth the effort. He had no idea I was in the parade and wondered where I was when they all sat down for it.



So that was my weekend. Had a ton-o-fun and hope to be able to do it again next year. If you made it thru the whole post, congrats and thanks. Now I just need to recover a little more before I'm around other people again. Car ran great too. Took the top off, turned on the AC and just cruised nice and slow. DeWitts setup with fans kept it a cool 190 the whole way thru. I was impressed.