On A Nice Day

Friends,

It seems like forever since I’ve been able to spend a weekend at The Lodge without some pressing project or a pile of people to entertain. I found that I couldn’t simply relax and take in the post-Labor Day peacefulness, so I had to work on some projects. I also got a fun call from my nephew regarding his birthday gift. He just opened it and was thrilled. A quick trip to Target last weekend meant a great nostalgia-encrusted score that I knew he’d like and that the devious product meisters at Mattel must’ve known I’d need to pick up. Apparently, there were actual squeals of delight, which means to me “mission accomplished”.

Yep, Sizzlers are back from Mattel. They’re the fastest electric cars in the world, don’t you know. We wanted them really bad back in the early 70s, but they were expensive and the perception was that because the sets required batteries, they would break quickly. That, or they’d break the bank with battery purchases. Besides, regular Hot Wheels were good enough, weren’t they?

Maybe, but in adjusted dollars, the new sets are about half price. Naturally I had to buy much more than the Giant “O” Race Set. Oh no. I had to get another car, with a charger separate from the Juice Machine gas pump charger, plus a huge cache of batteries. And the packaging is a nostalgia fest. They’ve resurrected the 70s designs on the boxes complete with smudged-out-to-imply-speed pastel drawings of race cars (drivers have open face helmets) and boys with bowl haircuts and monster cords setting up the track on the back.

Here’s the big question though. Will he let me play?

Your pal,

bob