Vintage things that have REAPPEARED in your lifetime?

[tonyb]

The mercury touched 90 this afternoon when I went to fetch some takeout. For the first time since I can’t remember when I witnessed people — a pair of young men, in this case — riding in the bed of a pickup truck.

I looked into it and learned that in this state riding in the bed of a truck is legal provided the tailgate is closed and the bed is enclosed on all sides. So, no flatbeds, although it would seem a stakebed would pass muster.

I wouldn’t recommend it, but then, like lots of stuff I wouldn’t recommend, it sure can be fun. It’s among the many hazardous practices I‘ve somehow survived.

Knowing of its legality, I’m a bit surprised I don’t see it more often. I’d imagine it’s a more common sight in truly rural areas, where pickups get used routinely as actual work vehicles and where the traffic is generally slower and the roads less crowded.

(By the way, the laws vary from state to state, so before you load up the posse in the back of your F-150 you may wish to check the laws where you live.)

 

[tonyb]

I have to admit I enjoy watching some of those shows, but basically only the ones you describe about trying to preserve the original architecture and details as much as possible. One of those is shot a little down south of me in Galveston, TX, and they focus quite a bit on the Victorian homes from the late 1800s, what they call "survivors" (houses that survived the Great Hurricane of 1900). I appreciate they try to keep detail as much as they can, or even sometimes recreating those details. I realize a lot of the show is the same nonsense you see on all of them, but there is still an appreciation for the period, and I enjoy seeing that.

There was a show called “Boise Boys” that ran for a couple seasons on HGTV. It, like the shows featuring the Cordrays of Galveston and Nicole Curtis of Detroit, featured rehabs executed in a manner sensitive to the structures’ period and architectural style.

Most of what the “boys” — Luke Caldwell and Clint Robertson — did came out great. Attribute that in large part to Caldwell’s seemingly innate design sense (he acknowledges he has zip for formal training).

Since the show stopped production Caldwell has published a coffee table book, mostly pretty pictures of his projects. Just recently he has posted that he and Robertson will be returning with a program they’ll be streaming exclusively. They had to delay until their agreement with HGTV expired.

I wish them well, and I expect to be watching In the coming new year, when the show is to become available.