Never the Same #68 Falling into Autumn

As the racing season drawn to an end Kirk felt pretty good, but should he worry about what’s about the corner?

 

Cue: “Mr. Blue Sky” https://youtu.be/bJ8Sz8CJY5g?si=bo9trH_yPIBWO-Gn

           

            After the Mid-Season Championships, which didn’t workout all that well for Kirk much to his disdain, he pressed on with life. The lesser than stellar results at the “big” race didn’t deter Kirk’s perseverance one bit so he continued to show up for races at both tracks to keep his point standings up there. Kirk remained persistent if anything. So summer came and waned into autumn.

            Kirk’s fixation on his ex, Dee continued, especially after her reveal that she had joined the US Navy. He had to wonder how she’d handle being a WAVE (an, improper archaic term) or more correctly a woman in the navy after being a flirty free spirit in high school. He couldn’t imagine her in naval boot camp with other young women, but he supposed they’ve been training women for decades. Kirk never considered the military option after high school and definitely not the navy with his extreme fear of the water. He never could see how anyone enjoyed being on the high seas without seeing land for days. Well, Kirk just considered “to each their own.”

            As outlined in these latest episodes, the economy of the United States and somewhat around the world remained in dire straits. For the US, the massive deficient from what was spent during the Vietnam War which Kirk gladly missed being drafted into by escaping to college. Then, there was the crippling Oil Embargo that quadrupled the price of gasoline at the pump. Along with scarce fuel supplies and the upward creeping price, President Nixon enacted the Emergency Energy Conservation Act which among other things activated the nationwide 55 mile per hour speed limit. Kirk didn’t like that at all! Inflation hit over eleven percent and the nations GDP went from a healthy plus five into sickly minus territory. Kirk’s father also felt the farmers’ pain at having a national poor grain harvest and the price of grain hence, of course, higher flour prices. 

              Well, I mentioned the loss of 2.3 million jobs across the US along with President “Tricky Dick” Nixon who resigned under pressure of an impeachment. Gerald Ford became president and pardoned Nixon. Kirk heard all this in the news and the papers, and the news didn’t bother him too much, except for the rumblings of a slump in building construction sent a shiver through the guys at the drywall plant. If houses weren’t being built, they sure wouldn’t need drywall. Kirk and everyone held on to see what would unfold. There will be more about this later and how it affected Kirk. In the meantime, Kirk kept working and saving his money.

***

            Actually, Kirk and Farah made a nice couple despite their obvious differences. They came from the same small-town background, went to the same high school, and had similar mindsets. On the other hand, Kirk had been a grease monkey, now a blue-collar factory worker, and was a motorcycle riding, hot-rodding, stock car driver. Farah, knowing her, you wouldn’t think she’d date a guy like Kirk, but maybe he could have been perceived as a “bad boy” and we all know about girls with those kinds of guys. Farah wore a warm smile and had a soft, gentle way of speaking. She was fastidious in her appearance and dress while quiet and reserved in her manner. I guess the couple shared that quiet demeanor with a dedicated and persistent manner in their work habits. Farah seldom missed a day of work which sometime interfered with going with Kirk to the races that bothered him somewhat, but then again, he couldn’t fault her because he had the tenacious gene as well.

            The couple dated as adults instead of dating “light and easy” as Kirk had practiced with Sarah Elizabeth. Kirk and Farah would watch the latest movies either before or after a real dinner. One movie that ran hot at the time was the one entitled “Earthquake” with a big all-star cast and real action-packed stunts. A very memorable movie because it used the novel special effect of “Sensurround” which involved giant bass speakers that pumped out 120 decibels of rumbles at opportune, often startling, moments like an actual earthquake. Not all theaters had this feature, so Kirk and Farah went to an old, but famous theater to witness the rumbling effect which definitely achieved its desired effect on the packed audience including the couple. In use during the movie, the effect elicited gasps from some of the audience with startled jumps from everyone. The problem at the old theater became dire over time because the old plastered walls began to crack from the off and on earthquake effect that it was subjected to.

            Later on, at dinner, Kirk asked Farah to go steady and she agreed. For the first time in his dating history, he received Farah’s ring in exchange for his which he wore on a chain around his neck. They were, indeed, a happy, serious couple. The only trouble remaining was Kirk’s enduring memory of Dee and the profound lingering affect she had on him. 

            After not seeing one another for awhile due to work and other busyness, Farah had something to show Kirk. She revealed her, new to her, used Pontiac LeMans. She was rather proud of the purchase because as she announced, she and Kirk matched! Her Lemans was green like Kirk’s green Firebird convertible. The design looked similar between the two cars with the distinctive grill, chrome nose, and quad headlights. Of course, her car was a sedan so a little larger than his ‘bird.  Kirk should have been honored that Farah wanted to have a car to sort of match his car, but he took it a bit personally that she made a car purchase without his input being her steady gear head boyfriend. Then, hurting him a bit more she had to tell him, rather proudly, happily in fact, that her stepdad helped her with the decision and purchase in general. Kirk simmered a slow burn over that. Despite this small irritation for Kirk the couple moved along with life.

***

            As mentioned earlier, there were concerns over the economy and the threat of home construction perhaps tanking.  Well, it came down the pipe from Georgia-Pacific Headquarters that Kirk’s plant, where he worked, was downsizing. The word shook all the workers with the uncertainty. So, as a first step they said that they were eliminating some jobs and for others they’d eliminate shifts. They, of course, said that they didn’t want to fire or layoff anyone. They left off the key word of “yet.” The night shift went away first. Some of the younger guys with seniority were offered hefty bonuses to relocate to the Carolinas. Some of the old guys were given a chance to retire early, but of course, losing some of their retirement money. None of this applied to Kirk who didn’t have enough seniority, nor did he have any inclination to relocate.  Kirk’s father didn’t have much seniority having been employed there only a few more years than Kirk so he hung on as well not knowing the outcome, but suspecting the worse.

            You might want to think that Kirk would be safe in his noisy, dirty one-man position as Rock Handler, but you’d be wrong.  There were guys that worked the swing and night shifts for years that Kirk never saw nor had met. All of sudden, positions closed up and others opened up where workers vacated the plant.  That meant there was a sudden shuffling around with positions.  An older guy with seniority who didn’t want to retire or relocate decided to “bump” Kirk from his cushy job. Was Kirk out of a job? If there wasn’t a position open, yes.

            Kirk remained well-known and appreciated by the supervisors and management within the plant as a good, dependable worker so they weren’t happy that he’d might have to be fired despite his short-time seniority. Just as the old guy was about to assume the Rock Handler, Kirk’s, job, a position appeared on the time clock board. Kirk couldn’t believe his eyes. He pulled it down and immediately put in for the choice job: Warehouse Worker. He had heard it was a cherry job, but believe it or not, paid slightly less than his Rock job because it was almost a laborer type job and it was, obviously in a cold, unheated warehouse though at the present in the autumn not a problem. He went right to work in that three-person team that used to be four.

            So. In essence, Kirk went from full responsibility in the sole operator as Rock Handler to just a team member working in the warehouse. He had, from the beginning thought that working in the warehouse would be the dream job. Well, maybe. Yeah, no major dust, no sloppy gypsum mud, and no constant big noise like in his Rock job. The old guys complained that there was manual labor involved with the warehouse job and it got cold in the winter. Not like the hot and muggy environment on the mud application jobs on the “line.” Kirk hated it. ‘Course, manual labor would keep you warm in the cold warehouse. Everyone wondered if they’d be working during the upcoming winter. Kirk took the complaints and the speculations all in stride for he had a job at the time unlike the more and more jobless people in the U.S. each and everyday in the unsteady, down-turned economic situation.  

            Well anyway, Kirk got right up to speed working in the warehouse while learning new crucial skills. There wasn’t much to learn about hefting and stacking sheets of drywall into the correct numbered piles, but he learned how to strap and cinch down the stacks using the special strap tightening tool and the clamp compressing tool for the job. Not right away, but he eventually learned how to operate the forklift that they used to stack the bundles high in the warehouse in their appropriate locations. He considered himself an authentic “wheel man” with his extensive experience with tractors, cars, motorcycles and race cars from an early age, but they didn’t know all that. The main thing with the forklift was to drive around with the forks low, and you have to be extremely careful in getting under and/or between the bundles without touching the drywall’s fragile edges. He got used to the smell of the propane exhaust of the forklift which couldn’t be healthy in the closed warehouse. Of course, they moved a lot of bundles quickly when tractor trailers came around to haul a load of drywall out. It seemed to Kirk that the warehouse remained quite full with fewer loads going out. 

            One especially useful skill Kirk learned in the warehouse was how to build from scratch and operate a tennis ball cannon. Removing the tops and bottoms from five soda pop cans and only one end from the sixth can was the first step. You then duct taped them end to end to make a pipe with the intact can end on one end of the long tube. Using a screwdriver, you poked a few holes in that last can. Squirting some lighter fluid in the end with holes you swing the cannon around to air it out, then place a tennis ball in the cannon. Aiming the cannon in a safe direction you put a match under one of the holes and POOOM! Out shoots the tennis ball across the warehouse with the cannon emitting a very impressive flame. Great fun in the warehouse and fun you could have anywhere! Well, just about anywhere. That was the entirety of work and play in the warehouse!

 

***

            The racing season continued on until it got a bit chilly with Kirk sticking with it without any major problems when just putting in laps but always trying his best to pass that other car in front of him on the track. He won a couple more heat races, got his picture taken and actually finished third in a feature toward the end of the season when rain threatened and not too many racers showed up. The crowds thinned out over the last couple weeks with foul weather threatening and chillier temperatures made it uncomfortable to sit in the stands, unless you have an abiding girlfriend that would let you put your cold hands inside her coat. Remember that? Nevertheless, none of that affected Kirk’s enthusiasm to be out there mixing up with the other boys, definitely in it full-fledged to the bitter end. The last race seemed like a sad affair for Kirk seeing the tracks didn’t have a special event or even seem to care other than to mention the fact that there wasn’t any races the following week. Green car and driver Uncle Kirk could rest. But Kirk had already pondered next season with his hopes set on an entirely new, updated car with newer suspension and other upgrades from his old, standard coupe. The thoughts of an even more powerful engine made his head swim with adrenaline.

***

            After the season ended, Farah and Kirk attended the season’s racing banquet. Kirk wasn’t into big dinner parties, but then, he was invited to attend and he might associate with his competitors. Surprisingly or probably unsurprisingly Kirk received third place points at one track, fourth at the other, and third overall in his class, which went very nicely with his number three, mythically unlucky green car. Better than that though, when they called his name Kirk strode up front of the packed crowd of fellow racers to receive Rookie of the Year trophy.

            He was especially pleased with himself and to return to his seat next to Farah his pretty, red headed girlfriend who sat close and gave him a kiss in front of everyone. Over the second half of the season, he tried his best to pay special attention to Farah despite his time-consuming, dangerous but irresistible hobby. She remained a loyal friend and sweet lover despite Kirk's shortcomings.

             Kirk enjoyed the end of the racing season much better than the beginning that began with a BANG, CRUNCH, helmet tossing incident! Though, undoubtedly, the racing season left him Never the Same.