Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Why F-Squad?




My husband LOVES cars. Not the shiny new models with the bells and whistles. Not the custom ordered top of the line just came out this year status symbols. No... he loves the fixer upper hobby type of cars. The kind you find in an alley or in someone's barn. One that hasn't been started or driven for a decade or more. The kind of cars that have "potential". We have had more than our share. Granted he has made some great finds- like our 1956 Chevy Bel Air or our cute white 1965 Mustang. Then again there have been a few lemons. Like the car that the previous owner left running while he sat in the garage and inhaled the fumes- too morbid to go into more detail. Or the huge Highway Patrol reject Fred had our teenagers driving because it was "safe". They loved the spotlights mounted on the outside of the car.

What does that have to do with F-Squad? Well these pictures are of the 12 passenger van we owned in the early 1980's. Fred bought it from a group home. The kids had a nickname the two-toned brown van with the footprints on the interior headliner- but it would not be considered very PC today so I will spare you that bit of info. (hint- it had to do with the fact that it came from a group home for adult DD clients and it wasn't a swear word- but would be considered offensive now).

Fred was so proud of this find that he promptly went to get personalized plates. He intended to get F-Troop, after an old tv comedy we watched when television was first invented. Of course the "F" would stand for Fairhurst. Unfortunately, that was taken. So he quickly came up with F-Squad as the alternative. From that day forward our family became known as the F-Sqaud. And there you have it. I hope that gives you some insight into our family nickname and to the wonderful man I married.

1 comment:

Lott said...

I don't think I ever knew that story...about our name I mean. I definitely know the many stories of charitable old cars dad has purchased.