And suddenly I was eight years old again

[gridlore]

Way back when I was a kid, we'd always spend a week or two at a beach house borrowed from one of my dad's business acquaintances. Most years this was at Pajaro Dunes but a couple of times we stayed at Monterey Dunes, a bit further down the coast.

Getting to Monterey Dunes involved driving down Highway 1, passing through Moss Landing. In Moss Landing, not far from the prominent power plant, I saw what appeared to be an awesome surplus store at the side of the road. Remember that as a kid i was an absolute nut for anything military. Offer me a hundred dollars at Toy'R'Us or ten bucks at a surplus store and I'd take the surplus store in a heartbeat.

So using calm, logical arguments (pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasePLEASE!!!!!!) I got my parents to stop on the way home. We entered.

Aladdin's cave. Smaug's treasure. Insert your own metaphor for unbelievable treasure here. This place just rocked my world.

Being a big fan of General Douglas MacArthur (one guess why, and I was eight and hadn't read American Caeser yet) I mustered up the courage to ask if they had the insignia of the 42nd Infantry Division. Alas no. As i recall, I purchased something small and we left. The other times we went to Monterey Dunes demanded a stop at "the surplus store."

Today, I was doing the Santa Cruz route and was driving up 1. As I approached Moss Landing, I began thinking about the place, and then saw it. Still in the same place, still awesome. I apologized to anyone who witnessed my sudden left turn into the parking lot. Went in, and was eight again. Chatted with the owner for a bit, and told him of my quest of oh so many years ago. He checked, and still no Rainbow Division patch. "Check back in thirty years."

I think I'll be dropping in much sooner than that.

Comments

Surprisingly enough...

[dalen-talas.livejournal.com]

...I was planning to stop by a couple of local surplus stores tomorrow. I'll keep an eye out for that patch now.

Re: Surprisingly enough...

[dalen-talas.livejournal.com]

BTW, enjoy a random penguin (http://ochrejelly.deviantart.com/art/Pete-Vs-The-Grumpy-Gremlins-154594514?q=special%3Add&qo=0).

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

You've been to The Mountain House on Bascom near the Pruneyard, and the place on Stevens Creek? How about the RED store on B Street in San Mateo?

[seawasp]

I could walk down the road and ask if they have a spare patch, or would that be rude?

[jarlsberg71.livejournal.com]

that is awesome... There was a leather store up in Mayfield NY. one half was biker jackets while the other was all sorts of tanned goods. I would beg to stop in every time we went by to a camp that my family went to every year till '82.

Fast forward 21 years. Fred takes me to his family's cabin on the same lake that the jesus-camp was on. (but a good bit further (was also the same lake that X-Files had a plane crash in where they pronounced the name of the town wrong))

I see the big Paul Bunyan statute and the huge-ass whiskey barrel on it's side sticking up in the distance. I give Fred whiplash turning into the store. They still had the same moccasins, wallets, jackets, slippers, vests, you name it. I was instantly 10 again.

2 years ago while up at Fred's camp, I went by. It's a liquor store. now it's a log homes show room. (it is made of logs, but most likely not their product.

[claidheamhmor]

Sounds really cool. I love surplus stores...I just wish I knew where to find one around here. There was one around, but it closed years ago.