Progress on the RETURN of the 'Man-Cave'!

 

A whole LOT of the fairly RARE amount of spare time for the 'ol Loydster lately, has been taken up with thoughts, planning, and tinkering---- concerning the return of the MAN-CAVE! A decent amount of progress has been made too!  Keep 'scrollin-&-readin' to see just how much!

While not exactly moving at any kind of 'break-neck' pace--- things ARE moving along well with the setting-up of the 'reborn' man-cave! As I mentioned last month, a good chunk of time was spent over in the storage unit, back in late July--- digging out what framed items and other various 'wall-mounted' doo-dads I had CAREFULLY mapped-out places for, here in this 'down-sized'-version of the 'Secret Sanctum'. MOST of those are parked in their designated spots, I'm glad to say!

I've also found some additional NEAT-O items online, that fit right in to the over-all ULTRA-geek-tastic theme of the room! Not to mention I've managed to thrash-out a hand-crafted thing or two here and there!

So--- that's enough of an intro! Keep scrolling & scanning on down, to check out the Loydster's progress--- with the usual comments and general GOOFINESS from yours-truly to go along with each pic.... of COURSE!!--- (AND-- apologies in advance for some of the semi-CRUMMY photography! Guess the 'ol hands aren't as steady as they USED to be!)---

What would a 'Man-Cave' be, without a 'welcome-to-the-Batcave' welcome mat? Just as you come in the doorway--natch! I snagged this particular (pre-owned / used-- but in PRIMO-shape!) model for a REALLY decent price online. When Mrs. Deb saw it, she just smiled and shook her head at my HOPELESS nerdiness!

The current view as you enter the 'cave'! Shelves and cases are all now sporting either NEW paint-- or fresh paper-- ready & waiting for all of the gee-gaws and doo-dads that'll fit into them! AND-- yes, that's the classic model of the 'Enterprise', hanging in it's rightful spot-- near the center of the room! (Just like in the previous 'Hide-out'!)

The left side of the room, after you step through the door. Again, hopefully-- despite the somewhat 'shaky' camera-work-- you can sort-of-spot just what all the items are!

Sadly--in this 'down-sized' version of the 'cave, there was NO space for the 'life-sized' stand-ups (that I've had for MANY years!) of the Duke and Mr. Spock! BUT--- not to worry! BOTH those individuals are STILL represented in the room by 8 x10 (Duke) and 5 x 7 images (Spock). The stand-ups, meanwhile... will simply STAY in storage for a while longer.... 'til I can figure exactly WHAT to do with them!

Despite spending over 3 years boxed-up in storage, BOTH the 'Batman Forever' and (HEAVILY-customized) 'Animated Series' Bat-Wings are holding up amazingly well! They now are proudly stationed at both ends of the room's left side, hanging by the usual trusty 4-pound test fishing line!

The little yellow 'Geek-out-zone' sign was a little something I put together a couple of weeks back. There's also an original pencil-drawing of Batman by my son Wade, to the right of 'Bats '89. Down by the lower right of my little (EXTRA-down-sized) desk, there's also an original piece of art by my daughter-in-law Chloe. I decided pretty early on, that I wanted each of my kids to DEFINITELY be (artistically) represented in this version of my little hang-out!

I love super-heroes, love coffee too! So-- why shouldn't I PROUDLY display six of simply the COOLEST coffee cups EVER??? Yes indeedy, that IS a CAPE on the large Bat-mug! No-- I didn't customize it, it actually came that way!

Right corner of the 'Rumpus-Room'! The Bat-Wing from last year's 'Flash' movie, sits on one the 'semi-triangular' stands I cooked-up, of course!

The 'tape-light' set-up for the 'former-closet-space', as well as some of the decor I've managed to get in there so far. As mentioned last month, this will also serve as a little 'nook' for my collection of CDs and additional books.

The 'side-wall' spaces, on the left and right-- inside the 'nook'.  The 'Batman: 8 decades' poster, is actually a 'combined-artwork-effort' between my daughter Shelby and I. The 3x3 inch 'boxes' with the various 'Bat-silhouettes', were put together by Shelby on cloth.
 I then went over each of the images with craft-paints, glued them onto poster-board and came up with all the graphics on the top and bottom. The end-result turned out pretty NIFTY! At least, I think so!

The ELO 'picture disc' albums, (on the 'Nook's right wall) were a Christmas gift-- also from Shelby--- who's JUST as much of  a 'music-NERD' as her old man... maybe even MORE than me, in fact!

Various items on the left-side of the large bookcase on the room's right side. Those are framed neck-ties -- (one of a good number that I've framed! Hey, I managed to collect a LOT of ties!)-- (ALL 'geeky-stuff'-related, of COURSE!) there at the bottom, from back in the days when I taught a couple of different adult Sunday school classes. A stretch of around ten years, that hold some of the HAPPIEST memories in my life-- for sure!

Autographed pics of some of my favorite HERO-portraying-actors from childhood / young-adulthood, as well as the now 'mounted-up' Bat-Wing model collection-- sitting atop the large bookcase!

Yet ANOTHER online find! This roughly 4x6 foot area-rug just HAD to wind-up on the floor of THIS room! Thanks SO much to the folks at Amazon!

Goodies to gander-at on the room's right side, as well as the back of the door. The Batman 'wall-light' does indeed STILL work! Amazing, considering it's well OVER 30 years old!

Perhaps the MOST difficult task of ALL, as I've been setting-up this room! The L.E.D. 'neon-rope-style' lighting! All the effort / sweat / aggravation was WORTH it though, after I flipped on their power for the first time! They have a 'coolness-factor' that makes ALL of that 'grunting-and-groaning' a SMALL price to pay! VERY neat-o INDEED!

             

                                                       

                                                          

The framed items, etc... on the right of the door, as you leave the room. Each of them brings a different goofy-geeky-GRIN to my face!

                                                       

   

  

A closer look, # 1--- the Way-COOL 5x7 image of the Green Hornet & KATO! Outside of 'ol Bats, (AND the 'Lone Ranger'!) The 'Hornet is probably one of my FAVORITE 'non-super-powered' characters! Also-- the '66 TV show is one of the BEST adaptions of a super-hero, PERIOD!

A closer look, # 2--- My 'scratch-built' cover for the room's light-switch. For THIS room--Just a BORING old 'plain-jane' white light-switch is simply NOT gonna cut it!

And there you have it! what's been accomplished so far--- in what's pretty much turned into a hobby itself!-- the converting of a small spare-bedroom into a 'Geek-Out-Zone' for the Loydster! In the coming weeks, I hope to start actually setting-up items into the showcases and shelves-- as well as finally digging the books out of storage too! At any rate, I'll only do it as I can CARVE-out the little chunks of spare-time here and there! 

In the meantime, I'm just having a MAJOR-amount of fun thinking it all out, planning and tinkering with it as I go along! Rest assured, there WILL be 'update' posts as I'm thrashing-away at this on-going effort!

'Til next time, then --- stay SAFE, SANE and HAPPY everybody!

The 'Cracker-Box' becomes The 'Cozy-Cottage'!

Sometimes there's things and events in life--- that just 'BLOW our BRAINS completely OUT of our ever-lovin-NOGGINS'! Developments in recent months, with our current abode-- have SURE done that to the 'ol Loydster! (AND his lovely wife, Mrs. Debbie too!!) THIS time around, (thank the good LORD!) the series of events have been positive & HAPPY!

 Just like the title for this post indicates-- The 'ol Loydster has had to do a SERIOUS amount of reconsidering! Specifically-- just how I've been referring to the little mobile home and property the wifey and I have been calling 'home', these past 3-years-plus.

For MOST of that time, I've been calling the little 3-bedroom / 2-bathroom mobile home: the 'Cracker-Box'! Not the nicest way to refer to the place one lives! It being a 'single-wide'-style mobile home though, versus the 'double-wide' that we'd previously lived in --- it WAS quite a bit smaller than what we were living in for the nearly 12 years prior to moving here!

Oh, the circumstances for our move here pretty much SUCKED too! But, I won't BORE any of you good folks out there with all the depressing details of THAT! Let's just say the relocation here was, to start-out with at least.... NOT an entirely 'happy' one!

BUT--- a couple of months back, our landlords here made us the offer to BUY this property--- at an AMAZING price! It was a TRUE 'once-in-a-life-time' opportunity! After a few days of SERIOUS thought (not to mention PRAYERS!)--- we decided to take them up on the offer! Yes, this WAS a MUCH smaller house, yes it's not exactly perfect! That's about where the 'down-side' of this all ends though!

One of the lessons that my special little lady and I have learned--- that's turned out to a BIG-time positive thing in our time living here--- is how to live a MUCH more 'streamlined' and 'lean' life! This has included multiple trips to the storage unit, where we stashed SO much material before our move here--- and 'trimming-out' / donating / getting rid of... a LOT of the excess STUFF we let accumulate / build-up over the 12 years we lived at our previous place! 

This was a painful process at first, especially for a LONG-time collector of GEEKY items, like myself! But... it's HELPED us--- to take a LONG, hard look at our life (AND our belongings!) up to this point--- and decide what REALLY matters! In MY case, the question became: Just WHAT things / 'nerd-related' stuff am I really passionate about? What items are absolute 'MUST-haves' / 'MUST-keeps'? 

Turns out, I've been able to whittle things down QUITE a bit! Though the 'sorting' and 'thinning-out' of 'Loydster-doo-dads and gee-gaws' is STILL ongoing-- and probably WILL be for another month or two! But more on THAT subject a little further down in this here post!

So.... now we're getting near to the 'closing' of all the 'mortgage-stuff' with our local bank, and it's becoming a pretty exciting time for us! Deb and I are doing LOTS of talking and throwing ideas around, about all the NIFTY things we want to do here with the place! But, along with all of that.... we're STILL kind of in a state, where our brains are not ONLY in a mode like the cartoon above... but also we're doing a TON of thinking like THIS!!----

Despite our minds being kinda twisted-out of shape about this whole thing... it's been for the MOST part an upbeat and positive time for Mrs. Deb and myself!  In fact, it was my 'better-half'--- who suggested I get going on fixing-up the smaller of the two 'spare bedrooms' into my NEW 'Secret Sanctum' / Man-Cave!

So, while we've been slogging-away at all of the financial details and 'mortgage-stuff'--- I've been slowly tinkering away on and planning -- yet ANOTHER version of the 'Loydster-Man-Cave'! The room being pretty small (a mere 8 feet wide and about 10 feet long-- pretty TINY!), the very FIRST thing I decided to do, was to come up with a 'floor-plan' of how things could be placed in it! Below is the 'blue-print' / lay-out I eventually came up with!---

After a couple of REALLY rough pencil-scribblings, THIS was the final inked-up 'lay-out' of the 'Secret Crime-Fighting-Headquarters'!)

After that, Deb and I spent most of a weekend around mid-July--- loading up my shelves, bookcases, etc... that were in storage--- and bringing them here. LOTS of clean-up (as well as both major and minor repairs!) was necessary on a majority of it all! Hey, it HAS been sitting in a storage unit for OVER 3 years! 

I then double-checked the measurements on it all (BOTH the room AND the shelves / cases!), and got down to the 'grunt-work' of putting it ALL together in the room. (WITH the PRICELESS help of my wife, of COURSE!) As you can see below, it's pretty snug! BUT-- everything in my original 'lay-out' drawing does INDEED fit!---

What you see as you enter the 'Sanctum'! The display-shelf against the wall to the right of my little desk-- the one on the left, fit better placed flat against the west-wall, instead of at an angle like in the original 'lay-out' drawing. otherwise, it's ALL just like the drawing! There's also STILL some cleaning-up & repainting to do, obviously!

After entering, here's what's on the left side. Yes, the desk is fairly DINKY--- but since MOST of what I'll be doing in this room is stuff like rattling away at posts for this here bloggy-thingy-thang-- on my trusty lap-top--- not a LOT of 'desk-space' is really needed! I do have a little fold-up 'card-table', stashed elsewhere in the house-- if I ever need more 'working / project-space'!

The former closet, on the right. The bookcase that I've put in there, (where additional books will be stashed, 'natch!) will eventually be joined by a good chunk of my CD collection, as well as some additional framed and small display-items

The view facing the door, from where the little desk sits. The shelf for the Hot Wheels collection is eventually going to be mounted to the wall, just a few inches higher than it's sitting now.

After getting all the shelves / display cases into the room and where they needed to be.... I sat down and did another kinda painful task! I figured out just exactly WHAT kind of 'wall-space' I had for 'framed items' / wall display-goodies! (As well as numerous items I had NO space for!-- the 'painful part'!)

After scribbling-out the list shown below, (which includes notes on what wall each of the items will fit! Again-- a small room, takes CAREFUL planning!) I made another trip to the storage-unit --- to dig all those items out of various boxes and totes. This alone took another good-sized CHUNK out of a Saturday morning / early afternoon!---

Keep this list in mind, for later reference! We'll see how faithful I've stayed with it-- when I eventually put up the (hopefully NEAR-future) post about the FINISHED 'Man-Cave'!

Speaking of 'display items,' I also scribbled-out---VERY crudely, I might add--- an idea for how to display my FUN little collection of 'Bat-Air-Craft'! A simple series of little 'triangle-shaped' wood-blocks-- each one around 1-by-4 inches, with a little peg wood-glued into each (the planes would then have a small hole drilled into them--VERY carefully, of COURSE!), would display each of them at an 'attack-angle' on the top edge of the large bookcase-- which will also house most of my collection of various-sized 'Bat-ride' toys / models. (As it has in the past.)

One of the 'triangle / peg' set-ups! (Complete with gray paint-job!) Also, how one of the models looks 'mounted-up'! I decided to make the 'attack-angle' a bit less steep--- so the little 'stands' are more 'semi-triangles', I guess!

And--- that's pretty much my progress so far, on the 'new hidey-hole'! Doing the tinkering as time and energy permits, means it's all coming together fairly slow! But... that's NOT at all a bad thing. This gives me time to give things more thought, and plan-out how the room should be coming together! It's been a gradually more and more FUN process, as I'm seeing things coming together! In OTHER words, I'm pretty much in the frame-of-mind of THIS guy!!---

VERY much like this fellow, I realize all of life might not be exactly perfect and 'easy'! (Notice the bags under the eyes and his 'frazzled' hair??) -- BUT-- I've STILL got LOTS of good reasons to grin a BIG-'ol -GOOFY-type grin! AND--- I'm NOW, from this point onward--- referring to our home as the 'Cozy-Cottage'! It is the 'Cracker-Box' NO LONGER!!

Of course, in upcoming posts-- I'll keep tabs on the progress I'm (SLOWLY-but-SURELY) making! In the meantime, stay SAFE, SANE, and HAPPY everybody!

Loyd's BONUS video - clip(s)!!! --- #50!! --- A couple of WAY-cool Chuck Berry tunes!

'Johnny B. Good' himself, Mr. Chuck Berry! One of the folks who pretty much put down the foundation on which the house of Rock & Roll was built!

 Not counting videos that are scattered throughout other earlier postings, here at the 'ol bloggy-woggy-thingy-thang--- this here is my 50th 'Bonus Video-Clip' post! Guess you could say I'm at least.... 'modestly proud'!

AND--- much like a number of those earlier 'clip-posts'.... I'm also popping this one up here, partially because life here at 'Supreme-Ferrell-Headquarters' has been just TOO hectic to try to put together a 'full-sized' post!

Actually, some of the stuff that's making our lives so BUSY around here... is pretty COOL / positive! More will be revealed, oh-gentle-faithful-readers--- as things develop / work-out!--- I promise!

Anyhoo-doody-roo... I figured : what better way to celebrate this here 50th 'clip-post', than just put up some absolutely CLASSIC clips featuring the original 'duck-walker' / 'go-Johnny-go'- guy himself--- Mr. Chuck Berry!

Yes, I know he's 'lip-synching' to both of the songs featured below! But... the man could STILL put on an entertaining performance, 'live' or not! In fact, I 'double-dare' ANY of you out there to try and sit still and NOT at least bop your heads up and down and tap your feet! Bet you can't!!----

                                                                             See you all NEXT time, gang!!!

Percy the cat, R.I.P.!

 

'Percy-Boy', the BIG gray sweetheart!

Just a day before 'Dad's day', we lost yet ANOTHER special LONG-TIME-member of the 'Ferrell-brood'! Ten-year-old Percy the cat. He fell suddenly SERIOUSLY ill on the Thursday before the weekend! We had to make the TOUGH choice (yet AGAIN! --twice we've had to do this--over the past couple of months!)-- to have him gently put to rest on Saturday.

He'll SURELY be missed here at 'Ferrell-Central'! He was a 'gentle-giant' of a cat, and had a friendly, easy-going personality (unusual-- for most cats!). Rest well, old buddy! Our times of just 'lounging around' in the back yard together, will ALWAYS be remembered and treasured!

Loyd's BONUS video - clip!! --- #49!! --- Cruising around in the 'Hornet's COOL ride!!

 

Just as it has WAY too many times previously, life has went right BACK into 'MEAT-GRINDER-mode' for the 'ol Loydster! Working MONDO-extra hours on the job, and staying WAY too busy even in my 'non-working' hours--- has kept me from putting together ANY kind of 'normal-length' post this time around! Sorry gang!

BUT--- just to keep the TRUE spirit of  ULTRA-GEEKINESS alive, here in my little TEENY-TINY corner of the 'net (AND-- provide PROOF that I'm STILL in the land of the living!) -- here's an EXTREMELY fun little video! It features the 'number 2' version (there were two cars used in the classic 1966 TV series) of The Green Hornet's 'Black Beauty'!

Yes, I know I put up a 'mini-documentary' about the 'Beauty, a couple years back! BUT-- in THIS video, you get to 'virtually' sit in the passenger seat, as the car cruises around! Very NEAT-O indeed!

If you need an explanation as to WHY I think this car is SO COOL--- man, you just have NOT been paying enough attention to this here bloggy-woggy-thingy-thang!! Anyhoo--- enjoy this TRUE 'video-tid-bit-of-custom-car-NERDINESS'!----

  

              See you next time gang--- when I'll HOPEFULLY be able to put up a NORMAL-length / sized post!

Guess I have a thing for K.N.O.T.s!! (Kinda Nice 'Ol Trucks, that is!)

 

So, just WHAT is a 'kinda-nice-old-truck'? Keep readin' and scrollin' to see what MY definition is below!

Along with all of the other stuff that I'm all-the-way-GEEKY about, I've also-- without ANY shame or apology what-so-ever--- had a pretty 'head-over-heels,' life-long-love-affair-- with all sorts and brands of older-model pick-up trucks! 

Much like my pops, Loyd Sr., (more on his 'life-long-truck-passion' here in a bit!) I have NO 'brand-loyalty'! Fords, Chevys, GMCs, Datsuns, Toyotas, Dodges--- all have had (and STILL do!) some kind of special-pick'em-up-lovin-spot in my heart at one time or another!

AND-- no surprise to any of you who have been following along with me here for a while, I'm SURE-- my fairly extensive collection of (now in-deep-cold-storage) scale models and toy vehicles of COURSE includes a fair-sized number of nifty 'trucks-in-miniature'!

Of course, most of the 'miniature' / model / toy pick-ups in my collection, are 'dream trucks'! Classic examples of 40s / 50s / 60s trucks (including the Chevy ElCamino and Ford Ranchero) that (just being 100% honest with myself here!), I'll probably NEVER be able to own! Heck, that goes for MOST of the scale models and toy vehicles in my collection! Still, it's fun to look at the 'little versions' and dream! 

Speaking of my dad, and his influence on the 'ol Loydster, as well as his passing-on that 'truck-love'--- I've put together a couple of little graphics to show just how MANY of the haulers pops tooled-around in, during my time growing-up. As well as a few he owned on into my young-adult years-- and beyond! (Along with some comments about each below, of course!)---

The first truck I have memory of, and the first on the list-- the '57 Ford-- was a 'Step-side' model that dad had when I was around 5 or 6 years old. White with chrome-reverse wheels and LOUD dual pipes! The '61 Ford was one he had when I was 9. It wasn't around for very long. The '67 Chevy was around when I was in late-junior high and early high school. I actually helped dad put a transmission in that one.

The '69 Ford was our 'family truck' when I reached my mid-high-school years. It was also the FIRST family vehicle that dad actually let me drive on my own! Sporting a 'yellow-over-white' two-tone paint job and (yet again!) chrome-reverse wheels-- it was one very nifty-and-neat pick'em-up!

 

By the way, I've already referenced 'chrome-reverse' wheels a couple of times in this post, and I guess I should clue those in, that may have a 'limited-exposure' to classic-car-type lingo, to exactly WHAT they are! A picture's worth a LOT of words (so they say!)--- so here's what they look like!---

My dad's 'custom-wheels' of choice, (especially during the early-to-mid-70s!) were usually the CLASSIC 'chrome-reverse' style wheels. (He also was pretty fond of either 'black-wall' tires, or the white-raised-letter type of tire, like the one in the pic above!) At least 3 of his pick-ups, and number of his cars, either already had them when he bought them, or-- he would hunt down a set to mount them onto the rides himself! I can see why he DUG them so much! Clean & simple lines, as well as SUPER bright and shinny! What's NOT to LOVE!

The '75 Dodge wasn't the most 'attractive' of my pop's trucks, but it was a real 'work-horse'! He bought it while we lived in Colorado, which was around 1984 or so. (We transplanted an engine into that one together!) The '76 Ford was another 'brief-member' of the family-- which 'daddy-o' had for a short time while I was in the Air Force.
The '88 Chevy, on the other hand-- was a LONG-time-owned vehicle, which he held onto for several years. He even made a series of moves from California-to-Oklahoma-then-BACK-to-California with it,(LONG story!) a short while before trading it off!
Dad actually owned 3 of the 'aero-bodied' Ford trucks-- a '97, and two different '01 models. More about the 2nd '01 model down below!

Hopefully, those charts above, help explain why the enthusiasm for (older) trucks runs SO deep, in the 'ol Loydster-system! As my pops showed me over the years--- trucks are the ULTIMATE 'two-in-one' vehicle! They can be useful 'work-horses' / haulers, as well as be cool and unique cruisers! 

One thing about the above vehicles I should point-out though. NONE of those trucks that my dad owned over the years, were so-called 'show trucks'! They, for the most part-- were put to WORK! Hauling stuff, pulling travel-trailers, hauling our furniture / belongings-- as we moved the numerous times we moved around over the years, etc...! 

But-- dad ALWAYS kept those vehicles in not ONLY good running condition, but CLEAN and sharply detailed as well! They may have had some dents, scratches, and 'worn' / faded paint in places-- but dad ALWAYS went to the extra-effort to keep them ALL looking as good as possible! (Those were his standards with all of the cars we had over the years too, by the way!)

That philosophy my pops always lived by with HIS old trucks, (AND cars too, natch!) has pretty much been passed on to yours truly! Which is why I define a 'K.N.O.T.' (a 'Kinda Nice Old Truck'!), as an older pick-up, which-- while not in 'show-room-CHERRY-like-condition', AND while still being utilized as a 'working / hauling' vehicle-- can STILL be 'kinda nice'! Something that, with a little 'elbow-grease' / sweat & detail work--- can STILL be slick-enough that you don't mind being seen driving it around town!

Now, compared to my dear-'ol-daddy-o, my list of past-pick'em-ups is really on the SKINNY side! Nonetheless, here's a look at the 'rides-with-beds-and-tail-gates' I've owned in years gone by.---

This little '79 model Dodge D-50, was in my life for a good chunk of time! I actually traded an '81 Mustang to my dad for it, in fact. The 'Stang was a DUD, which my pops immediately sold off ! It (the little Dodge, that is!) was SUPER-fun to drive, peppy and dependable (with it's little Mitsubishi 4-banger engine)! I ended up having the little truck for around 3 years or so-- from around late '88, until after Debbie and I married (1990, of course!).

A 'roll-over' accident put it out of commission, unfortunately! (Deb and I weren't injured in the wreck, thank goodness!) I ended up selling it (for FAR too cheap!) to a wrecking yard for scrap!

 

Despite spending a good amount of time looking, I could NOT dig up an actual pic of the REAL '73 Datsun I owned, shortly after moving to Oklahoma. (late '92 - early '93) It first belonged to my daddy-in-law, who worked out a deal with me for it on payments. Not exactly the 'prettiest' truck-- it was painted in 'basic-black-primer' twice while I owned it!-- But like the little Dodge, it was REALLY good on gas, and dependable!

Utilizing this little beast--I actually moved EVERYTHING we owned from Okemah (where we lived when we first moved back here to Okie-land) to Bristow Oklahoma-- a 32-mile-one-way trip! The truck only had about a 6-foot bed, so the move took nearly 5 TRIPS! The little truck handled it ALL really well though! I ended up chugging along in it for my 'back-and-forth-to-work' vehicle for around 2 years, until the transmission went out in it.

Ah, 'old Blue'! That's the nickname my wife and I gave to our LONG-time-owned '93 model GMC. Pretty much the longest-owned of ALL of our vehicles, 'blue was a member of the 'Ferrell-work-and-transport-system' for just over 12 years! (2008 - 2021)
Just after getting us moved here to the 'Cracker-box' (our current residence), the water-pump suddenly gave out, and the engine burned-up in the 'ol girl! Almost as if it died from 'a broken heart'!

As many years of dependability that it gave us, I can't really complain, nor be TOO upset, about it FINALLY breaking down! If anything, I sure wish I'd had the ways and means to get the 'ol gal back on the road! Unfortunately, it just wasn't possible!

The 2001 Ford Super-Cab! Just looking at the few pics I have of it, brings mixed feelings! About the closest I've ever came to owning an 'almost-show-truck'! This, by the way-- was the 2nd '01 model pops owned. It was also the last vehicle he and my mom bought together, before her passing in 2018.

 After some pretty serious health issues, and trouble with his eyesight (which eventually caused him to pretty much give up driving altogether, sadly!)--- along with knowing I was in need of a 2nd 'getting-back-and-forth-to-work' vehicle-- dad signed over the title to me! Free and clear, I had another pick-up AT LAST! The catch? I had to fly down to San Antonio Texas (where pops lives with my sister), and DRIVE it back here to Okie-land! UURRRGH!!!
More of a kind of 'cross-over' vehicle, than an actual truck (the fiberglass bed-cover and SUPER-short bed-length didn't make it practical for hauling much!)--- the 'Supey-cab' was STILL a great 2nd vehicle for Deb and I! It made several runs up to Missouri, and carted me back & forth to work, for close to a year and half.
A collision with a GIANT-sized deer put the 'Supey off the road! There was SO much damage to the front-end, and repairing it would've been SO expensive, I ended up putting it on Craig's List 'as is'! A Latino guy from Texas bought it, and his brother (a 'body-and-fender' man) had it back on the road in about 2 weeks!
That's where my 'mixed-feelings' come in! I SURE wish I would've had the cash AND know-how to get it fixed-up! It was something of a reminder of BOTH: my pop's love for nifty-trucks, as well as my mom, who was something of a 'K.N.O.T'. fan herself!

So, I guess I'll ALWAYS have a special place in my heart for K.N.O.T.s of  ALL kinds! As well as my dad-- who passed on that love to me!