Tallahassee Antique Car Museum

We are in Tallahassee for the first time in some months, to see Tass, Jeremy, Caroline and Charlotte. Usually we get to see them every few weeks, but they were in England during the Olympics to visit Jeremy’s family and the girls’ grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and to take in some of the sports events; and we were busy being Summer Priest. But here we are.

“No Mercy For Savannah State” says a Tallahassee Democrat headline, and Bleacher Report says FSU is a 70-point favorite in today's "game" against this team nobody even knew existed until last week when Oklahoma State beat them 84-0. The power rankings say FSU actually will win today 80-0. There are heroes and then there are heroes. These pathetic guys from Savannah State are neither more nor less than Hessians. During our Revolutionary War with Britain, various German princes, rulers, hired out units of soldiers to come fight in America in place of British soldiers. The British government paid the German rulers, who paid their soldiers minimum wages. The German soldiers had no choice but to come and wage war, and the arrangement was highly profitable for the German princes, who kept most of the funds. In history class years ago, we young American schoolboys had terrible moral judgement against both the British monarch and the German rulers for sending soldiers off to be killed in a system that was purely for profit like that. 

Savannah State was paid $385,000 to let Oklahoma State beat up on their guys last week, and they’re guaranteed $475,000 for today’s “game.” The young college boys will give it their best for their school and get the stink kicked out of them while their coaches and administrators are counting the gate. Ancient Rome and the Coliseum, and all the Lions aren't Nittany. Comes to mind Caesar dressing little children in lamb skins, and when the crowd, who have come to enjoy a bit of bloodshed, realize that those are children and not sheep that the lions are tearing to pieces and devouring, they stand and shout "No, No, No, No." The moral difference is that Americans don't shout "No," but cheer and place our bets, and the thickest of us are proud and boast of the victory. It’s business, which builds Coliseums for both the Lions and the Lambs, and makes innocent mercenary Hessians of both teams, but there are levels of morality and shame and no room for Lion pride and any notion that this is sport is idiocy.

Bordering I-10 just one exit east of theirs is a sign, Tallahassee Antique Car Museum, that has caught my eye for years. Yesterday we visited for an hour or so and it did not disappoint.

There are a hundred cars or more, dating from the early twentieth century right up into the nineteen sixties. It’s a really good collection.

My favorite car era is the nineteen thirties up to the mid nineteen forties. There's a mid-1930s DeSoto, but a few more Chrysler products and GM cars in that range would have been nice.

For those interested, there’s also a motorcycle collection, golf clubs of famous players, and perhaps the largest collection of pocket knives anywhere. 

During my boyhood no self-respecting male would be without a pocket knife on his person. I saved up for mine and always had savings going for my next one, which was already selected and waiting in a display case in a store downtown that sold pocket knives. Honestly, I could be wrong, but it seems to me that it was Thompson Music Store on Fourth Street, that they always had a nice selection of pocket knives for sale in their glass case.

This morning we’re meeting TJC1C2 at The Village Inn, a cafe where we like to have breakfast with them a couple times a year, then a stop at Fresh Market for chard a favorite green vegetable, some whole wheat pasta, and home. 

My favorite? There are a couple of wonderful Packard cars. And the red Auburn above is a boat-tail speedster. But my favorite of everything on both floors is probably the green 1941 Ford coupe. Or maybe the '40 Ford Standard Tudor.

Tom