WLP Top 5 Saturday

Since I truly believe Whiteline  deserves this top 5 here we go. Top 5 toys I had as a kid. I will keep this to life changing toys as I have a great list.

Number 1. BMX bike- My first true taste of freedom was behind the bars of a Mongoose BMX bike. Mom took me out the the front yard and helped me up on the seat. I think she walked with me for a hundred feet then let go. I remember the feeling of flying and then looking back and for the first time in my life I was free. Free to take off and get lost in the neighborhood and explore the hills around my house. As I got older I would ride into town and get into trouble. It was a blessing and a curse. With freedom comes responsibility and I was terrible at the later. If mom said to be home when the street lights came on I would stay as far away from home till it was pitch black out and then say I came home I was just 5 miles away when the street lights came on. I fooled her once maybe.

Number 2. The Almighty Skateboard- Seeing that for my early years we live pretty far out into the boonies there was nowhere to skate. About 1986 we moved into a track home that had sidewalks and a bus actually came by that could take me to town. So from that day on I rode a skateboard like I breathed air. Every second of every day was about skating.Girls were starting to peak my interest but they only sucked valuable time away from the parking lot we always thrashed in. I think I spent half of the adolescent years hanging out in the same shitty parking lot. I ate there, kissed a few girls there, got into all out fights and ultimately got run out of town by the pigs. When ever I drove by the curb that was still battle scarred from all of us I would smile and think of all the killer times and how many hours I fucking wasted in the black top hell. 

Number 3. Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle- I was real young when I got a Evel Knievel stunt cycle. It was the most bad ass toy any kid in the 70's could get. I loved making all kinds of insane jumps and then my brother and I would take turns seeing who could get the cycle the farthest. Evel is one of my idols and though he was not a perfect man he was a absolute mans man in every way. I can't even imagine throwing myself over some of those jumps one some heavy ass motorcycle with no travel and no way to stop if you landed the damn thing upright. But the man made his career out of eating shit and then walking away and my stunt cycle was the best toy ever built. The only down side was the crank would strip out so we would go to the kmart in our town and steal just the crank. We were bad but we had daredevil things to accomplish and that was more important then getting caught stealing.

Number 4. Tool Box- I will say I did not have a lot of toys growing up. I was pretty happy just digging holes in the dirt until I got my bike. Some where along the way I got a little starter tool box. It had a hammer, pliers, screw drivers, etc etc. Just the perfect thing for a kid that took everything apart and I mean everything. I liked to see how stuff worked, so out came the tool box and I would take my bike apart and then put it back together. There has always been a instant gratification in doing this. I don't understand kids today, all the boys on our block have never even touched a tool in there life. Esther already knows every name and which drawer the tools go. I am not saying that parents are raising there kids wrong, wait yes I am. Whatever I already have started a tool box for Ian and in a year or two that will be his big Birthday present. I hope he decides to go rip his bike apart. I will truly be a proud father. 

Number 5.Record Player- Another life changing thing. For my 6th grade graduation present I got my own turntable. It had two tape decks and a radio with the turntable on top. Had a super high tec 5 band EQ and was plenty loud enough to piss of my mother and the neighbor for that matter. My mom very quickly realized I needed headphones. This started my sickness with buying records. I still have every record I have ever bought. I sold a few here or there but for the most part I have them all. I would go to garage sales and scour the yard sales for music. I got all my Beach Boys records and early Rolling Stones all back then. I would listen to Jerry Lee Lewis at 11 and just scream along to Great balls of fire. I hated disco and I knew even at 12 years old that that shit was terrible. I did steal or borrow  the first punk records from my dad. The Polices first record, The Ramones and the Clash all were on heavy rotation by 1984. I did like some new wave stuff but I knew that was a fad and the real deal shit was Rock and Roll. Later the mix tape became the staple. I got girls with mix tapes. Made friends and exchanged all the new latest and greatest hardcore bands with tapes. I record my first songs I ever wrote on guitar with the terrible mic input on that stereo. God I wish I had those tapes still. I would turn inside out probably at the noise I thought was music.

So there are 5 things that make the Anchorman the anchorman. BFFB!