Welcome To Case's Column
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.
In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
Let me say a big welcome to all of you for joining me here. I'm going to call these blog meetings Case's Column. I wanted to use "Corner", but that was already taken.
Since 2008, it's been a real privilege to come on here and share some of my life with you, and it's a big world where we live.In these blogs, I'll just speak whatever is on my mind, but we will be playing within the rules here. I may pick a particular topic, point out an event, or shoot the breeze. I'm a little bit of an essayist at times, so I'll just speak what's on my mind, and I might tell a story or two. Or, I might spew out an opinion or three. There will be some serious moments, some tender, some poignant, but there will also be those moments that you'll just bust out laughing. But, hopefully, everything will be in good fun here. And, of course, there's a place below for your comments and thoughts as we go along here. So feel free to join me for the ride -- I sure as heck hope I'm doing this right and not making any mistakes.
Thanks for taking your time in reading Case's Column. Hopefully, you'll enjoy being entertained by it as much as I've enjoyed putting these writings together. And thanks for the time you spend in City-Data.com, where it's great to be alive!
Regards,
case44
Waxing More Nostalgia: Case Remembers Old Gas Stations
Whenever you'd get in your car and traverse this fruited plain, it used to be you'd often see classic signs of places where you'd get your gas pumped. Now, back in the day, before you had convenience store/gas stations/travel centers/truck stops, there was the full service gas station. You'd maybe stop inside and grab a bottle of sodie pop out of the machine, but, other than that, you basically would stay in your car while an attendant would pump your gas and clean your windshield.
Remember that?
Now, do you also remember the names of these service stations that we patronized? Oh, there were great commercials on the tube, but you saw the greatness of these classics any time you traveled. Many still exist today. You know the names. Mobil. Phillips 66. Conoco. Texaco. Chevron. Sunoco. Shell. Gulf. Unocal 76. Exxon (formerly Esso and Enco, but they still have that tiger).
But what about those that you don't see anymore?
Remember Champlin, for example? That petroleum franchise existed in Texas and Oklahoma for many years back in the 1970s, but has since gone under. Who could possibly forget Fina with "Pflash"? That group was big for many years before the Alon bunch bought it out and are now operating stations specifically in the West, including West Texas. I remember country singer Mel Tillis pitching Fina in the 1980s commercials when he wasn't pitching Whataburger.
Anyone remember when Skelly was around? Another Oklahoma-based institution, but it was bought out back in '74 by the Getty group. If you live on the East Coast, then you're likely very familiar with the Getty gas chain. And what about DX? Still another Oklahoma legend, and I loved their old signs.
Marathon ring a bell? It's based in Houston, but oddly enough, they do not have a single station in Texas. They're all scattered from Minnesota through the Appalachians down to Florida. And Coastal? They became defunct in 2001, but it had been a rare sight in Texas to find one. That chain used to be in thirty-three states.
Remember Fisca, by any chance? They weren't big around my parts, but in the Kansas City area, that franchise still has a couple of locations. By the way, you can do a Google-search for a complete search of the images of these legendary names in petroleum.
So now, we've got to deal with the present. We get our gas ourselves and use the squeegies whenever our windshields need a little scrubbing. We've got our Buc-ee's and our truck stops (Love's, Pilot, etc) and the Valero and Sinclair of our times, but it's nice to reminisce, even for just a brief moment, on how things once were in our everyday routines.
Remember that?
Now, do you also remember the names of these service stations that we patronized? Oh, there were great commercials on the tube, but you saw the greatness of these classics any time you traveled. Many still exist today. You know the names. Mobil. Phillips 66. Conoco. Texaco. Chevron. Sunoco. Shell. Gulf. Unocal 76. Exxon (formerly Esso and Enco, but they still have that tiger
). But what about those that you don't see anymore?
Remember Champlin, for example? That petroleum franchise existed in Texas and Oklahoma for many years back in the 1970s, but has since gone under. Who could possibly forget Fina with "Pflash"? That group was big for many years before the Alon bunch bought it out and are now operating stations specifically in the West, including West Texas. I remember country singer Mel Tillis pitching Fina in the 1980s commercials when he wasn't pitching Whataburger.
Anyone remember when Skelly was around? Another Oklahoma-based institution, but it was bought out back in '74 by the Getty group. If you live on the East Coast, then you're likely very familiar with the Getty gas chain. And what about DX? Still another Oklahoma legend, and I loved their old signs.
Marathon ring a bell? It's based in Houston, but oddly enough, they do not have a single station in Texas. They're all scattered from Minnesota through the Appalachians down to Florida. And Coastal? They became defunct in 2001, but it had been a rare sight in Texas to find one. That chain used to be in thirty-three states.
Remember Fisca, by any chance? They weren't big around my parts, but in the Kansas City area, that franchise still has a couple of locations. By the way, you can do a Google-search for a complete search of the images of these legendary names in petroleum.
So now, we've got to deal with the present. We get our gas ourselves and use the squeegies whenever our windshields need a little scrubbing. We've got our Buc-ee's and our truck stops (Love's, Pilot, etc) and the Valero and Sinclair of our times, but it's nice to reminisce, even for just a brief moment, on how things once were in our everyday routines.
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