Shag

Elvira

An old incident popped into my head at lunch today. Is it worth relating? Maybe yeah, maybe nay. We shall see.

Mobile Home Tractor

This was around 1970. I caught a ride with Shag and his old lady back to Newark, possibly from Columbus. Shag was a biker, as in motorcycles. He wasn't a big guy and he wasn't much older than me in years, but he was infinitely older in terms of experience. I have no idea how I was allowed in the same vehicle with him, much less seated next to his woman.

Shag made his living delivering mobile homes, and we were riding in his truck that he use for hauling these mobile homes. Anyway, we're cruising along and we see a car on fire off the other side of the road. Shag stops, grabs his fire extinguisher. runs across the road and attempts to quench the fire. It was basically hopeless, the fire was too far advanced and the fire extinguisher was too small.

We're watching Shag fight the fire and his girl steps on the gas and the engine revs up and starts roaring. This brings Shag running back, where upon the two of them have words. Shag was upset that she could be damaging his truck, the girl (I cannot remember her name) did not want him getting hurt. First time I encountered that kind of behavior.

As I remember her, Shag's girl looked a lot like Elvira (above). Her appearance, whenever I saw her, was always pitch perfect. She worked selling movie tickets at the Granville Opera House. I don't think I ever exchanged more than a couple of words with her. With that makeup and hair she was on another level.

Granville Opera House / Movie Theater

The Opera House was managed by Bob, a pothead in a tweed jacket. He kept a water pipe filled with whiskey in his office. I never understood how this place stayed in business. Maybe the college kids from Denison filled it up on the weekends.