Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Christmas Car Wash

It was Friday night in late December 1979. Charlie, Rodney, several others and I had finished bowling at Seminole Bowl West, and went out to Mr. G's Pizza for dinner. We had three friends in town from Tampa, who were leaving the next day to go home and we were in no hurry for the evening to end. We were at Mr. G's until closing and then went to another friend's house where we stayed up all night and talked. The newspaper arrived at 5:30 am and we all looked it over. I was then unemployed, but a couple of months later I would begin working at Mr. G's for over two years, until shortly before it closed for good.

After bowling and pizza Friday night, I remember remarking upon what a great evening we'd had and our friends from Tampa agreed that it had been a lot of fun and said they wished they could stay longer, but  they only had enough money left for gas with which to get home. I had already spent all my money for the weekend as well, but at 6 am on a Saturday morning, the weekend was young and so was I, and I was ready to party some more.

Fall semester at Godby High School had just ended, and with it came the end of the numerous car washes that various school clubs seemed to be having every weekend. I often allowed myself to be talked into attending them because it got me out of the house. I lived in a three-bedroom house with my parents and five younger brothers and sisters.

I had the idea to call up Hardee's on West Tennessee Street at the corner of High Road when they opened for breakfast that day and ask the manager if my school club could schedule a car wash. In those days before the Internet, car washes were announced in the classified ads in the newspaper, and it was my reading through the paper that had given me the idea. When the manager said, "Sure, when?" I said "Today," and he asked if I needed a hose.

We arrived a few hours later and used their hose and brought another one and made $75 in about 4 hours on a cool winter's day. Our customers were amazed to see us washing cars so late in the year and business was brisk. One woman came back with another car after we washed her first one.

We reserved $20 for gas for our friends from Tampa and blew the rest on bowling and pizza again that evening.

It was the last school club car wash I especially remember. Several of us still stay in touch.

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