By Frank “kiki” Baltazar
Forty years ago we took a motorcycle trip to Northern California. There was Gibby, his wife Gloria, Gibby’s brother, John and his wife, I don’t remember her name, there was also Guzman and his girlfriend, Mary Lou, and Connie and I.
A week before we were leaving my late brother-in-law Willie said he wanted to go too, one problem, Willie didn’t have a motorcycle, Gibby said to Willie:
"Willie there’s a 305 Honda in my backyard get it running and you can go with us”
Willie goes into Gibby backyard and finds the Honda in the chicken coop full of chicken poop. The Honda had been sitting for about a year, but with a bit of work/new parts Willie got it running, clean it and he was ready to go.
Memorial weekend comes, its Saturday morning, 7:00 AM, we were meeting at my place, Gibby, John and Guzman and wives/girlfriends ride up, then Willie and Annie , when they ride up I ask Willie:
“Willie, where is the Honda?”
“We are sitting on it, don’t you see it?”
“No”
Willie was a big boy, so with him and Annie on the small bike, well, you couldn’t see the bike, the handlebar’s were embedded in Willie stomach and in back of Annie you could barely see the tail light.
After having coffee we take the I-5 to the San Fernando Valley, as we reach the Valley Willie gets a flat tire, we pull into a gas station and get it fix, we get back on the I-5, now we are on the Ridge Route/Grapevine and Willie gets another flat tire, the same tire, rear. No gas stations for miles, what to do. We tried flagging down anybody driving a pickup, none would stop, finally an old ‘58 Chevy station wagon stopped, all the windows but the windshield were broken, and that one had a big crack on it, an old man and woman got out to help, but they could barely walk, they were drunk! At 10:00 AM! we didn’t have much choice, we put the Honda in the back of the wagon with Willie, Annie gets in the back seat. As we’re going down the Grapevine I could see Willie drinking the old couple’s beer, we got to a gas station, gave the old couple a few bucks and got the tire fix one more time.
We now get Highway 99, somewhere between Bakersfield and Fresno, damn if Willie didn’t get another flat, same tire. This part of Highway 99 is a freeway where the semis are going 80-85 miles per hour. We stopped and told Willie we would wait for him at the off-ramp which was about 75 yards up the freeway, Connie got of our bike and said she would walk with Annie while Willie pushed the bike. Right of the off-ramp was a gas station with a store, after all these flat tires we needed a beer. Willie comes up the ramp hopping mad and Annie and Connie behind him laughing their butts off, I looked at Willie’s bike and I could see that the handlebar on the right side is broken, the broken piece is just hanging on the brake cable, I ask Connie what happened.
“Annie and I were walking behind Willie and every time a semi passed by, the bike and Willie’s fat ass would wobble, Willie’s ass would go back and forth, we were laughing so hard he got mad, he stopped and turned around to tell us to shut up when a semi passed by and knock the bike of Willie’s hands, the handlebar broke as the bike hit the ground, that’s why he is so mad”
Damn! we had enough flat tires, I told Willie.
“Willie let’s find out why you keep getting flats”
We took the tire of the rim and found a crack inside the tire that was biting on the tube, I told Willie he needed to buy a new tire he puts his arm around my shoulder and said:
“Brother-in-law, I don’t have any money”
Kiki bought the tire.
That out of the way we go to work on the handlebar, I took the broken piece of the handlebar of the hand grip and put the grip on what remain of the handlebar on the right side, now Willie had a long handlebar on the left side and short bar on the right side.
Back on Highway 99 we travel about 50 miles when the Honda started leaking oil, it was leaking so bad that we started using nothing but STP, we pull into a gas station where Willie borrowed some tools to try and fix the leak, he took some parts of the bike but he couldn’t find where the leak was coming from, so he puts the parts back on, but something was wrong.
“Willie, that’s not right”
“Why?"
“Look at the kick start, it’s supposes to be vertical not horizontal”
The kick start was now horizontal facing forward and he was now starting the Honda like a lawn mower.
We get back on 99 and we had Willie ride in front of us, damn! we were all getting full of oil. The guys told me:
“He’s your brother-in-law, you ride behind him and we’ll ride behind you”
We finally got to Tracy, Ca. and visit with Gibby’s cousins, after drinking one or two beers we left and headed to Pittsburgh, Ca. to visit my cousin Ernie Adame. By the time we got to Pittsburgh the charging system on the Honda had gone south, that meant only one thing, Willie and Annie would have to take the bus back home, I told Willie:
“Willie, it looks like you and Annie are going to have to ride the bus back home”
"I don’t have any money for bus tickets”
“Willie, there are some people working in the fields down the road, you can work two-three days and make enough money to pay for the tickets.
“Do I have to do that?”
He didn’t, us guys put some money together for the tickets. Ernie then drove Willie and Annie to Stockton, Ca. to catch the Grayhound Bus.
We rode back home minus Willie and Annie.
About a week after been home I seen Willie.
“Willie, how was your bus ride?”
“Okay, but for the bus driver”
"What was wrong with the bus driver?' I asked Willie
“He wouldn't stop for a cold one, I ask him if I could drive and he pointed to a sign that read ‘do not talk to the driver when the bus is in motion’ and told me to go sit in the back”
About Me
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Going To The Fights...1951
By Frank "kiki" Baltazar
Eddie Gomez was watching a boxing match on a nineteen inch TV when his dad, Rudy, came in the house and told Eddie.
“Eddie, look what I have here”
“Pops, did you get some tickets for the title fight?”
Eddie had been bugging his pop to take him to see the Art Argon vs Jimmy Carter lightweight title fight at the Olympic Auditorium for some time, his pop thought that Eddie; been twelve years old was to young to go to the fights.
“Yes, Eddie, I bought four tickets, your uncles, Tony and Ray, will be going with us. Now I hope your mom doesn't get mad at me, she too thinks you are to young to go to the fights”.
Eddie's mom, Lupe, was not too crazy to see Eddie going to the fights, but she did agree with Rudy; that their son would be disappointed if he was not allowed to go with his pop and uncles, so she gave her okay for Eddie to go.
Eddie couldn't wait to find his best friend, Cheno Diaz, to tell him the good news. He found Cheno tending his two cows and one goat at a nearby pasture.
“Cheno, my pops is taking me to see the Aragon and Carter title fight”,
"Gee Eddie, you are lucky, I wish I could go”.
“I'll ask my pop if he can get another ticket for you. Cheno, you think your mom and pops would let you go?”.
“I'll ask them” said Cheno.,
Eddie ask his pop if he could get a ticket for Cheno.
“Yes, I'm sure I can get one, Eddie, you tell Cheno, that if his mom and pop say its okay for him to go; we'll take him with us”.
Next day in school, Eddie told Cheno the good news.
“Cheno, my pops said that he'll get you a ticket if your mom and pop say that's its okay for you to go”.
“Eddie, mom and pop said I could go as long as your father was going, they trust your father, but not your uncle Ray, they say he is crazy, that he himself will get into a fight at the fights”.
“Yeah, uncle Ray is a bit wild, especially when he is drinking beer, but pops won't let him drink too much, he'll be okay”.
Two weeks later, they all piled into Rudy's 1946 Dodge and headed west from Simons on Washington Boulevard. Eddie and Cheno were so excited that they couldn't sit still and it was starting to bug uncle Ray.
“If you kids don't sit still, we are going to stop and drop you off here; and you are going to have to wait for us to pick you up after the fights” said uncle Ray.
“Leave them alone Ray, they are just excited to be going to the fights, after all, its their first time to see boxing live. You remember when you went for the first time and you got all crazy on us?, wanting to fight everybody there” said uncle Tony.
“Yeah, but I was drunk; and let me remind you that I was doing okay until that big guy cold-cock me and knocked me on my ass” uncle Ray laughed.
The area was so pack that they had to park 3 blocks away. Eddie and Cheno were shadow boxing as they walked up 18th Avenue.
“Hey Eddie, Cheno, you two want to become fighters?, 'cause if you do, I'll train you guys” said uncle Ray.
“Ray, what the hell do you know about training fighters? asked Rudy.
“Hey, Rudy, I have fighting experience”
“Yes, you do but, its street fighting experience, an I don't think you ever won a fight”
“At least I've never been ko, always finish on my feet” laughed Ray.
As the group approached the front entrance of the Olympic, they started seeing movie and boxing celebrities hanging around the sidewalk of Grand Avenue.
“Cheno! There's John Wayne and Pedro Armendariz” said the excitable Eddie
“And over there is Rosemary Cooney and her husband Jose Ferrer” said uncle Tony
“I see Tommy Campbell, Frankie Muche, Bob Murphy, Enrique Bolanos and Freddie Babe Herman over there talking to two men” said Cheno
“That's Cal Eaton and Babe McCoy they are talking to, they are probably talking about upcoming fights” said Rudy
Before entering the Olympic, they all bought the Knockout program from Speedy Dado. Eddie and Cheno started getting autographs on their programs to show their friends in school the next day.
They found their sits in the second to last roll in the peanut gallery. No sooner had they sat down when rolls of toilet paper started flying around, soon some ladies underwear were flying by. Eddie and Cheno started making paper plane and would fly them down to the ring.
“This is fun, Eddie, thanks for bringing me” said Cheno
“Thank my pop, Cheno, he is the one who bought your ticket”
The fighters for the first fight came in the ring. Rudy, Tony and Ray started betting on the fights, they would bet one dollar on the white or black corner, what ever fighter went to the corner they had, that was their bet.
The first fight was won by Al Galindo over Bobby Brewer, Rudy and Tony won a dollar each, Ray lost a dollar.
Second fight was between Joey Gurrola and Sammy Figueroa.
“Cheno, see that big guy in Figueroa's corner? That's big Jake Horn, he's a great trainer” said Eddie
The fight ended in a draw.
“Guess it didn't help Figueroa having Jake Horn in the corner, did it, Eddie? Said Cheno, as he threw a roll of toilet paper.
“He didn't lose did he?” said Eddie
“Well no, he didn't”
.
After a couple of more fights it was time for the main event, Art Aragon and Jimmy Carter would be coming into the ring soon.
Aragon looking weak is the first to come into the ring.
“Aragon is going to lose” said Eddie
“How do you know? Asked uncle Ray.
“Look how pale he looks, I read in the Mirror that he was having trouble making '35” said Eddie.
Carter comes into the ring looking great. After both fighters have been gloved in the ring they are introduce by Jimmy Lennon , referee Mushy Callahan calls the fighters to the center of the ring for their instructions.
The fight started fairly even for the first four rounds, from the fifth round on it was all Carter who won an easy 15 round unanimous decision.
Right after the fight ended uncle Ray wanted to leave.
'Okay guys, our guy lost; so lets get out of here”
“No! We have to stay and watch Keeny Teran fight Bobby Garza, they are fighting a six rounder” said Eddie.
“Ray, Keeny is the toast of the town, we have to stay and watch him fight” said uncle Tony
They stayed and watch Keeny win a unanimous decision.
On the way home Uncle Ray asked Eddie and Cheno if they wanted to fight.
“Guys, if you want to fight, I'll train you, after you train for a couple of months; I'll take you to the downtown CYO where Johnny Flores run the boxing program, I'm sure we can get you some sparring. Johnny is my friend and he'll help us out.
“Ray, you don't even know Johnny Flores” said Rudy
“Well maybe not, but I know where the CYO is at” laughed uncle Ray
Next day at school Eddie and Cheno were the toast of the school as they were holding court with their friends.
“You should have seen Aragon land that left hook of his” said Cheno as he threw a left hook.
“To bad he didn't landed it enough” said Eddie
“He was too weak from making weight”
“He was” agree Eddie
“But you should have seen that little Keeny Teran” Eddie and Cheno said in unison.
“Guys, Cheno and I are going to start training next week, my uncle Ray is going to train us” said Eddie
Eddie Gomez was watching a boxing match on a nineteen inch TV when his dad, Rudy, came in the house and told Eddie.
“Eddie, look what I have here”
“Pops, did you get some tickets for the title fight?”
Eddie had been bugging his pop to take him to see the Art Argon vs Jimmy Carter lightweight title fight at the Olympic Auditorium for some time, his pop thought that Eddie; been twelve years old was to young to go to the fights.
“Yes, Eddie, I bought four tickets, your uncles, Tony and Ray, will be going with us. Now I hope your mom doesn't get mad at me, she too thinks you are to young to go to the fights”.
Eddie's mom, Lupe, was not too crazy to see Eddie going to the fights, but she did agree with Rudy; that their son would be disappointed if he was not allowed to go with his pop and uncles, so she gave her okay for Eddie to go.
Eddie couldn't wait to find his best friend, Cheno Diaz, to tell him the good news. He found Cheno tending his two cows and one goat at a nearby pasture.
“Cheno, my pops is taking me to see the Aragon and Carter title fight”,
"Gee Eddie, you are lucky, I wish I could go”.
“I'll ask my pop if he can get another ticket for you. Cheno, you think your mom and pops would let you go?”.
“I'll ask them” said Cheno.,
Eddie ask his pop if he could get a ticket for Cheno.
“Yes, I'm sure I can get one, Eddie, you tell Cheno, that if his mom and pop say its okay for him to go; we'll take him with us”.
Next day in school, Eddie told Cheno the good news.
“Cheno, my pops said that he'll get you a ticket if your mom and pop say that's its okay for you to go”.
“Eddie, mom and pop said I could go as long as your father was going, they trust your father, but not your uncle Ray, they say he is crazy, that he himself will get into a fight at the fights”.
“Yeah, uncle Ray is a bit wild, especially when he is drinking beer, but pops won't let him drink too much, he'll be okay”.
Two weeks later, they all piled into Rudy's 1946 Dodge and headed west from Simons on Washington Boulevard. Eddie and Cheno were so excited that they couldn't sit still and it was starting to bug uncle Ray.
“If you kids don't sit still, we are going to stop and drop you off here; and you are going to have to wait for us to pick you up after the fights” said uncle Ray.
“Leave them alone Ray, they are just excited to be going to the fights, after all, its their first time to see boxing live. You remember when you went for the first time and you got all crazy on us?, wanting to fight everybody there” said uncle Tony.
“Yeah, but I was drunk; and let me remind you that I was doing okay until that big guy cold-cock me and knocked me on my ass” uncle Ray laughed.
The area was so pack that they had to park 3 blocks away. Eddie and Cheno were shadow boxing as they walked up 18th Avenue.
“Hey Eddie, Cheno, you two want to become fighters?, 'cause if you do, I'll train you guys” said uncle Ray.
“Ray, what the hell do you know about training fighters? asked Rudy.
“Hey, Rudy, I have fighting experience”
“Yes, you do but, its street fighting experience, an I don't think you ever won a fight”
“At least I've never been ko, always finish on my feet” laughed Ray.
As the group approached the front entrance of the Olympic, they started seeing movie and boxing celebrities hanging around the sidewalk of Grand Avenue.
“Cheno! There's John Wayne and Pedro Armendariz” said the excitable Eddie
“And over there is Rosemary Cooney and her husband Jose Ferrer” said uncle Tony
“I see Tommy Campbell, Frankie Muche, Bob Murphy, Enrique Bolanos and Freddie Babe Herman over there talking to two men” said Cheno
“That's Cal Eaton and Babe McCoy they are talking to, they are probably talking about upcoming fights” said Rudy
Before entering the Olympic, they all bought the Knockout program from Speedy Dado. Eddie and Cheno started getting autographs on their programs to show their friends in school the next day.
They found their sits in the second to last roll in the peanut gallery. No sooner had they sat down when rolls of toilet paper started flying around, soon some ladies underwear were flying by. Eddie and Cheno started making paper plane and would fly them down to the ring.
“This is fun, Eddie, thanks for bringing me” said Cheno
“Thank my pop, Cheno, he is the one who bought your ticket”
The fighters for the first fight came in the ring. Rudy, Tony and Ray started betting on the fights, they would bet one dollar on the white or black corner, what ever fighter went to the corner they had, that was their bet.
The first fight was won by Al Galindo over Bobby Brewer, Rudy and Tony won a dollar each, Ray lost a dollar.
Second fight was between Joey Gurrola and Sammy Figueroa.
“Cheno, see that big guy in Figueroa's corner? That's big Jake Horn, he's a great trainer” said Eddie
The fight ended in a draw.
“Guess it didn't help Figueroa having Jake Horn in the corner, did it, Eddie? Said Cheno, as he threw a roll of toilet paper.
“He didn't lose did he?” said Eddie
“Well no, he didn't”
.
After a couple of more fights it was time for the main event, Art Aragon and Jimmy Carter would be coming into the ring soon.
Aragon looking weak is the first to come into the ring.
“Aragon is going to lose” said Eddie
“How do you know? Asked uncle Ray.
“Look how pale he looks, I read in the Mirror that he was having trouble making '35” said Eddie.
Carter comes into the ring looking great. After both fighters have been gloved in the ring they are introduce by Jimmy Lennon , referee Mushy Callahan calls the fighters to the center of the ring for their instructions.
The fight started fairly even for the first four rounds, from the fifth round on it was all Carter who won an easy 15 round unanimous decision.
Right after the fight ended uncle Ray wanted to leave.
'Okay guys, our guy lost; so lets get out of here”
“No! We have to stay and watch Keeny Teran fight Bobby Garza, they are fighting a six rounder” said Eddie.
“Ray, Keeny is the toast of the town, we have to stay and watch him fight” said uncle Tony
They stayed and watch Keeny win a unanimous decision.
On the way home Uncle Ray asked Eddie and Cheno if they wanted to fight.
“Guys, if you want to fight, I'll train you, after you train for a couple of months; I'll take you to the downtown CYO where Johnny Flores run the boxing program, I'm sure we can get you some sparring. Johnny is my friend and he'll help us out.
“Ray, you don't even know Johnny Flores” said Rudy
“Well maybe not, but I know where the CYO is at” laughed uncle Ray
Next day at school Eddie and Cheno were the toast of the school as they were holding court with their friends.
“You should have seen Aragon land that left hook of his” said Cheno as he threw a left hook.
“To bad he didn't landed it enough” said Eddie
“He was too weak from making weight”
“He was” agree Eddie
“But you should have seen that little Keeny Teran” Eddie and Cheno said in unison.
“Guys, Cheno and I are going to start training next week, my uncle Ray is going to train us” said Eddie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)