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Grandpa & the Elves: Part 2
In the holiday season we are surrounded by the nostalgia of traditions, celebrations and the peculiar families we’re blessed with. Carrying this spirit forward I return with another compilation of admirable ways that grandfathers have left home handiwork for us to enjoy. Grandpas, and elves, are magical creatures that have uncanny mastery of the crafts. My grandfather was part of the Great Depression generation who built the prosperous U.S. after the World War Two years. My dad is part of the infamous Boomer generation who initiated the technology age. My grandpop-days could begin within the decade and I too will partake in the GRANDPA & THE ELVES magic! Enjoy some of the interesting discoveries in workshops and basements in my home inspecting.
After you’ve finished viewing GRANDPA & THE ELVES: PART 2, reference back to the GRANDPA & THE ELVES: PART 1.
There was a day when not everyone had a dryer, or the dryer was unreliable, broken or just too expensive to use. So GRANDPA & THE ELVES (sent by Grandma of course!) would go to Sears and Roebuck for the Cordomatic Clothesline gadget. This retractable line would be strung from the house to a steel pole in the middle of the yard with 3-4 cables. The original wood clothespins would clip the damp garments to the line and by sunset underwear and shirts would be stiff and dry.
“Dinner’s ready!
“Boys you better stop fighting or I’m telling your father when he gets home!
“Did you finish your chores?
“Could someone please take the dog for a walk?
“Kids, you didn’t put your dishes in the sink!
“Turn down the TV!”
On and on the crackly calls rang out. The electronically-inclined home owners would install the Nutone Intercom system enabling inter-house communication. What makes this particular system a true GRANDPA & THE ELVES feature is the plastic red label tape. Like the Great Wizard, mothers could accurately broadcast the menacing threats, questions and reminders to the munchkins wherever they happened to be in the homeland of Oz.
This is a special GRANDPA & THE ELVES find as my Grandpa Wright served aboard the U.S.S. Astoria in 1936 as a machinist and later in Bremerton Naval shipyard during World War Two. The son of the man who made this scale model of the ship was honored to think that his father and my grandfather both served aboard the ship. This amazing display of craftsmanship has moved from a garage workshop to the new-fangled Internet with this post!
Before one assumes this is the latest IKEA design, notice the location, the sturdy solid wood material and brilliant green style. A simple and purely practical GRANDPA & THE ELVES shout out due to its brilliant design. The shelving allows organized storage for heavy and light objects alike in 30 different cubicles. So sturdy is this shelving system one could climb it like a ladder to the top! Virtually every item was removed from this garage but the seller wisely deduced that this feature may sell the house!
GRANDPA & THE ELVES needed ready-access to a rotary phone so they wouldn’t have to leave their precious project in the garage to take a phone call. Need to a take a note or jot down a phone number? A multi-size pencil sharpener was ready at hand.
Three fun facts for young’uns: 1) Land lines across the house would receive the same call at the same time permitting others to eavesdrop or participate in the same call! 2) There was no way of “texting” a message so you actually had to hand write the number down. 3) Grandpa’s pencils were wood and graphite (not lead) and still make amazing writing implements!
Three-in-one shower faucet! If someone has one of these features in their bathroom they have something truly magical. GRANDPA & THE ELVES are engineers convinced that function supersedes form. Function #1) Hand hold when climbing out of the tub. Function #2) Water faucet for tub with diverter for shower. Function #3) Soap tray conveniently located at the operational hub of the tub.
GRANDPA & THE ELVES didn’t know what they were doing when they clipped the baseball cards with clothes pins to their bike spokes! Fortunately this particular grandpa had preserved his treasured cards and allowed me to photograph a few of my favorites. A generation of kiddos are growing up to the likes of Julio Rodriguez but these were some of the great ball players.
Study this design carefully. Can you figure it out?
It is located in a parking garage under an apartment building. While not originally designed with in-unit washer and dryer units GRANDPA & THE ELVES got it figured out. The apartment owner turned to the magical expertise of a grandpa-aged handyman to make it work. The dryer exhausts through the floor, across the ceiling and dump into an old coffee can. The can fills with lint and moisture and must be regularly emptied to keep the system working. Magical!
Opening this closet took me back to the 1983 movie War Games. Would pushing a button initiate the start of global thermo-nuclear war? GRANDPA & THE ELVES had inserted the security system control panel inside a closet. While not fully functional at the time of inspection the flashing red lights certainly made me wary. I visited the rest of the house wondering what deterrents and surprises awaited.
In the spirit of global thermonuclear warfare… I found classifieds remnants from the newspaper in a 1960s attic. GRANDPA & THE ELVES were invited to apply as Minuteman System Engineers. You’ll notice the qualifications: “Ideal candidate should have extensive Field A + CO experience on the Minuteman Missile Systems including all phases of field modification particularly survivable power and environment support systems…” First, the classifieds. Second, a nuclear missile technician. Oh, how the tech world has grown!
Enjoy the holiday season and enjoy the many other delightful ways GRANDPA & THE ELVES have left their touch on your house. If you have something interesting to share take a picture and send me a caption!
