Bill Bodden's Blog - Posts Tagged "nostalgia"
The Nostalgia of Molten Plastic
I came across something that caught my eye the other day. I was scrolling through Facebook, and saw an ad: "Mold-A-Rama Machines For Sale" I clicked on it. It was a business called "Moldville" that specialized in such things, and they listed a phone number with the caution in all caps: SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY. We have a small, townhouse-style condo, and a not unlimited amount of disposable income; as much as my nostalgia nerve would LOVE to own one, it's not only not practical, it's nearly impossible.
At one time in the early 1970s, Mold-A-Rama machines were ubiquitous in museums, zoos, and other attractions all over the US. They were injection molding machines, and the plexiglass bubble allowed you to see a limited part of the process - basically, the two halves of the mold coming together, and then, when they separated, you saw your molded statue in all it's shiny plastic glory, as a spatula-like device scraped the statue off the base underneath, dumping it into a slot for your convenient retrieval. There were dozens of different designs in a wide array of colors - some designs specific to the place - like Disney theme parks and Sea World - while others were more generic. There were animals, vehicles (including the Space Shuttle) and things like Santa, Christmas trees, and even the Houston Astrodome. I still have one, from the...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/12/29/the-...
Snow Day!
When I was a kid, those two words sent an electric thrill up and down my spine. Free day off from school - Yay! Of course the neighborhood kids would all get up early and congregate, hoping to make the most of a school-free weekday.
As an adult, snow days were much less exciting - usually because, instead of going to work, we have to strain our backs and risk heart attack by shoveling snow to clear the sidewalks and driveways. Wet, heavy snow is only second-worst: snow with a crust (or foundation) of ice is much more difficult to deal with, not to mention the elevated risk of...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2021/01/26/snow...
As an adult, snow days were much less exciting - usually because, instead of going to work, we have to strain our backs and risk heart attack by shoveling snow to clear the sidewalks and driveways. Wet, heavy snow is only second-worst: snow with a crust (or foundation) of ice is much more difficult to deal with, not to mention the elevated risk of...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2021/01/26/snow...
