Stupid Stuff from the Past

This is a post that is going to appeal to absolutely no one, except maybe ashleys.mommy. While perusing BoingBoing.com tonight, I saw another post about a topic they have been writing about from time to time: replacing the "76" balls at Unocal (formerly Union 76) stations here in SoCal with rectangular signs with a 76-ball logo on them. It isn't something I have worried too much about, except that the 76-ball was something that I grew up with, and for a lot of us, used as our first antenna-ball (they used to give them away in the 1980's -- screw you 'Jack'). There was also the big one in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium that a lot of us remember.

Anyway, when I read the first story about the 76-balls coming down, I thought about the Unocal station right next to our old apartment in Encino (near where another friend of ours now lives), and how that was the only real 76-ball remaining that I could remember. Sure enough, there it is on BoingBoing tonight, being replaced. Just west of the corner of White Oak and Ventura Blvd. I still remember having my 1984 Fiero towed in there after it died on the 101 Freeway trying to drive the two miles home from work. I also remember trying to tape my cooling system back together in that parking lot just to get to work for one more day.

This is one of those times that I think there is too much information available. No one needs to know all of this, but here it is. Just a weird intersection of memories vs. random reality poking its head in.