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Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
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smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
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And a long groaner...
Two young men who'd recently graduated from high school were sitting on the bank of a stream near Opelika, Alabama and discussing their future plans. Billy had been working part time for an uncle at his general store, doing odd jobs and kept putting his earnings away in a sock that he kept under his bed. Jed had a job at a local gas station, pumping gas and wiping windshields for tips. His money was mostly spent on his girlfriend and he'd also recently bought a bicycle, to more easily get around. Now this was in the era of the muscle car, the late sixties. The fellas both aspired to be owners of one of them one day.
Billy said his plan was to spend some of his savings and buy a bus ticket for Pittsburgh, hopefully where he could get a job in a steel mill and bring his ambition of car ownership to a reality. He asked Jed to accompany him. Jed of course had no such nest egg and besides, he didn't want to leave his girl behind. Well, Billy one day bid his friend goodbye and boarded a bus, headed north. Jed was sad to loose his best pal, but glad at least one of them was headed for a better future. After a few months had passed Jed received a letter from his pal, it described the city and that he thought he had a good chance to be hired at a steel plant soon, meanwhile had found work at a local McDonald's. Not great money but he had high hopes. Another month went by and Jed's girl had left him for the guy who'd been the local high school football hero the year before. And another letter arrived from Billy. In it, Billy stated he'd been hired into the mill and that Jed just wouldn't believe what the wages were being paid for just sweeping floors! He stated that no matter what it took, Jed just had to get to Pittsburgh and even offered to put him up if he could only get there.
With scant reserves and now no ties to keep him, Jed decided to risk the journey, but only had the bike to use. He set off with what little money he had and a determination to make the trip. After the first day he'd managed one hundred miles and as it was getting dark he stopped at a small gas station to wash up in the restroom and relax a bit. He fell asleep with his head on his bike, tired and worried, beside the station. Awakened at sun up by the sound of a healthy V-8 exhaust, he observed a shiny new red Mustang fastback pull up to the pumps and a young, well dressed young man stepped out. Then Jed looked at the license plate. It was a Pennsylvania one. With nothing to loose he approached the young driver and asked if he was going north. The fella allowed he was, after graduating from the University of Alabama but unable to find work in the area. He was returning to his home in Pittsburgh, carrying all his possessions with him. Jed related his story, asking if there was any way he could get a lift with the young man. The guy was sympathetic, he understood the limited employment opportunities Jed had experienced. Trouble was, there was absolutely no room left in the Mustang, packed so tightly only the driver would fit. Then the young fella had an idea. He had a length of stout rope, they could tie it to Jed's bicycle. And a whistle to blow when Jed got tired and they could pull over to take a breather. With a bit of misgiving but no other option than to pedal his way another ten days at a withering pace, Jed agreed to the plan.
All went well for the first six hours, Jed would blow the whistle and the driver would pull over so they could rest, doing this about once an hour. The sun had set a couple hours before they approached Breezewood, PA, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Stopping just before the entrance to rest a bit, the young driver stated there were only about two more hours before they would be at their goal. Jed, being anxious for the ordeal to be over, agreed they should continue on. As the first hour approached, being quite tired by this time the driver had begun to feel quite groggy so he turned up the radio to keep himself awake. Then he glanced in his side mirror and saw a set of headlights approaching, getting closer rapidly. As they cleared the tunnel on the western side of the mountain, there appeared a shiny new Corvette beside the Mustang, the Corvette driver gunned his engine, downshifted to third and took the lead in a rush. Being half asleep, needing a distraction and completely forgetting about Jed, the young man cogged down and set off after it.
As luck would have it, a mile further west a State Trooper sat in his cruiser at a cut-out waiting for any midnight call on his radio as the pair went by at speed. He set off in pursuit, attaining over one hundred miles an hour but gaining only a little on the speeding pair. As he slowly gained on them he could barely make out the scene. Realizing he would be unable to catch the racers before they may be able to cross over into Ohio he made a call on his radio: “C-Troop, car1121. In pursuit of a Mustang and a Corvette racin' at high speed side-by-side, going west. Unable to apprehend... and you guys ain't gonna believe this, but there's some crazy bastage on a bicycle pedaling his A$$ off, blowin' a whistle, tryin' t' pass 'em BOTH!”
Two young men who'd recently graduated from high school were sitting on the bank of a stream near Opelika, Alabama and discussing their future plans. Billy had been working part time for an uncle at his general store, doing odd jobs and kept putting his earnings away in a sock that he kept under his bed. Jed had a job at a local gas station, pumping gas and wiping windshields for tips. His money was mostly spent on his girlfriend and he'd also recently bought a bicycle, to more easily get around. Now this was in the era of the muscle car, the late sixties. The fellas both aspired to be owners of one of them one day.
Billy said his plan was to spend some of his savings and buy a bus ticket for Pittsburgh, hopefully where he could get a job in a steel mill and bring his ambition of car ownership to a reality. He asked Jed to accompany him. Jed of course had no such nest egg and besides, he didn't want to leave his girl behind. Well, Billy one day bid his friend goodbye and boarded a bus, headed north. Jed was sad to loose his best pal, but glad at least one of them was headed for a better future. After a few months had passed Jed received a letter from his pal, it described the city and that he thought he had a good chance to be hired at a steel plant soon, meanwhile had found work at a local McDonald's. Not great money but he had high hopes. Another month went by and Jed's girl had left him for the guy who'd been the local high school football hero the year before. And another letter arrived from Billy. In it, Billy stated he'd been hired into the mill and that Jed just wouldn't believe what the wages were being paid for just sweeping floors! He stated that no matter what it took, Jed just had to get to Pittsburgh and even offered to put him up if he could only get there.
With scant reserves and now no ties to keep him, Jed decided to risk the journey, but only had the bike to use. He set off with what little money he had and a determination to make the trip. After the first day he'd managed one hundred miles and as it was getting dark he stopped at a small gas station to wash up in the restroom and relax a bit. He fell asleep with his head on his bike, tired and worried, beside the station. Awakened at sun up by the sound of a healthy V-8 exhaust, he observed a shiny new red Mustang fastback pull up to the pumps and a young, well dressed young man stepped out. Then Jed looked at the license plate. It was a Pennsylvania one. With nothing to loose he approached the young driver and asked if he was going north. The fella allowed he was, after graduating from the University of Alabama but unable to find work in the area. He was returning to his home in Pittsburgh, carrying all his possessions with him. Jed related his story, asking if there was any way he could get a lift with the young man. The guy was sympathetic, he understood the limited employment opportunities Jed had experienced. Trouble was, there was absolutely no room left in the Mustang, packed so tightly only the driver would fit. Then the young fella had an idea. He had a length of stout rope, they could tie it to Jed's bicycle. And a whistle to blow when Jed got tired and they could pull over to take a breather. With a bit of misgiving but no other option than to pedal his way another ten days at a withering pace, Jed agreed to the plan.
All went well for the first six hours, Jed would blow the whistle and the driver would pull over so they could rest, doing this about once an hour. The sun had set a couple hours before they approached Breezewood, PA, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Stopping just before the entrance to rest a bit, the young driver stated there were only about two more hours before they would be at their goal. Jed, being anxious for the ordeal to be over, agreed they should continue on. As the first hour approached, being quite tired by this time the driver had begun to feel quite groggy so he turned up the radio to keep himself awake. Then he glanced in his side mirror and saw a set of headlights approaching, getting closer rapidly. As they cleared the tunnel on the western side of the mountain, there appeared a shiny new Corvette beside the Mustang, the Corvette driver gunned his engine, downshifted to third and took the lead in a rush. Being half asleep, needing a distraction and completely forgetting about Jed, the young man cogged down and set off after it.
As luck would have it, a mile further west a State Trooper sat in his cruiser at a cut-out waiting for any midnight call on his radio as the pair went by at speed. He set off in pursuit, attaining over one hundred miles an hour but gaining only a little on the speeding pair. As he slowly gained on them he could barely make out the scene. Realizing he would be unable to catch the racers before they may be able to cross over into Ohio he made a call on his radio: “C-Troop, car1121. In pursuit of a Mustang and a Corvette racin' at high speed side-by-side, going west. Unable to apprehend... and you guys ain't gonna believe this, but there's some crazy bastage on a bicycle pedaling his A$$ off, blowin' a whistle, tryin' t' pass 'em BOTH!”
