Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Cassette Tapes

You guys have heard Doc and I comment before about how the most random and bizarre things happen to us. Well here is a good example. the following story IS true. I will use our real names as it is essential for the story....


Shane (Doc) and I (Vin, The Mountain Cat) have always been into collecting music. Back in the day before CD burners and MP3, we both would make mixed cassette tapes of our favorite tunes. When we first became friends in Charlotte back in 1989, we would sometimes borrow each others music collection. I remember one particular time in school I lent Shane one of my Bad-Assed Mixed Tapes of popular tunes. I don’t recall what songs were on it, but trust me, if I made it, it was Bad-Assed!


Late morning on that Saturday, Shane and his father drove over to my house to hang out and meet my parents for the first time. They lived only a couple of miles from my house so it was convenient. Unfortunately, Shane’s mom could not come as she was running a yard sale at her home. My mom was out grocery shopping and running errands. So both our mom’s never ‘formally’ met. Shane and his dad relaxed on back porch for an hour or two and left after lunch. It was just a lazy sunny afternoon and I just relaxed around the house. My mom came home later that afternoon and called me to come to the kitchen.


‘Vin, I bought something for you’, my mom said, so I came downstairs. ‘I bought you a box of cassette tapes.’


I excitedly said thank you! I opened up the box to see about 10 various colored cassettes without their box covers.


As I rummaged though the box, one of the tapes looked very familiar.


‘Mom where did you get these tapes from?’, I asked.


‘From this woman having a yard sale near Old Concord Road for three dollars.’, she replied.


Old Concord Road?? Shane lives around there!’ At that time I pulled out one of the tapes and it was my Bad-Assed Mixed Tape!


‘Mom, this is my tape!’

Then I pulled out another tape that had ‘S. Little’ written on it (pictured below).



'Little? That’s Shane’s last name! Mom, these are Shane’s tapes! You bought these tapes from Shane’s mom!’



She essentially bought the tape that I lent to Shane for free!We were both in shock. What are the odds? This is just too surreal.


I called Shane to tell him this incredible series of events. At first he was amazed but then he got angry. Apparently, Shane had a box of stuff in his room that he wanted his mom to sell. However, she picked up the wrong box and sold his mixed tapes instead!


‘She didn’t sell what I wanted her to sell!!’, yelled Shane.


Later than evening after the drama died down, I listed to some of my new cassettes. One was an unmarked brown tape. I put it in the tape deck and pressed play. Then I heard Shane’s mom’s voice emanate from the tape reciting: ‘In the living room we have a one couch, two lamps, a radio, a TV, Encyclopedia Britannica…..’


What the heck?


The next morning I talked to Shane on the phone and asked him about the tape his mom made. He was still fuming over our moms’ transaction and said that his mom made that tape to record the inventory of their house possessions for insurance purposes just in case there was a fire. (Of course I didn’t ask why you would keep those tapes within a burning house. But that’s a question for another time).

‘Vin, can I have those tapes back please?', Shane asked.


‘No’, I said. ‘My mom bought me these fair and square.’ I may have returned the brown inventory tape only to his mom though.


To this day both our mom’s have not met each other.


Also to this day, Shane is still mad at me for not giving him his tapes back! I still have some of them. Ok, Shane, I will compromise, you can buy them off me for four dollars. What do you say? (I mean shouldn’t I make a profit?). Just kidding, Doc. In my defense I did burn several mixed CDs for Doc over the years to make up for it.


Epilogue:
My mom also bought this little porcelain trinket from Doc's mom that she still has:







- The Mountain Cat






78 comments:

Doc said...

In the interest of telling the truth yes I have always been mad that Vin wouldn't give me my tapes back...however Vin isn't telling you the actual tape that was in teh box. Yes he had mix tapes called things like "Bad Ass Mix" and stuff like that but the tape that was in the box was Falco... Rock Me Amadeus.

True Story other than that one detail... Bizare stuff like that just happens to us.

Anonymous said...

Not right, Mt. Cat...you totally should've given Doc his tapes back! What are friends for???

...but it is a great story!

Anonymous said...

I don't blame you, Doc! At that age, that might've been a deal breaker for me!!

The Mountain Cat said...

Did you all read the whole article???

....I did burn several mixed CDs for Doc over the years to make up for it. LOL

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I read that...and??? Not the point at all...a good friend would do that anyway! Bad kitty!!!

LOL!!!

Doc said...

One of the tapes was this silly DJ who did a wacky sports report every morning named Spiff Dingle, I taped it every day back when I wanted nothing more than to be a DJ on the radio as a career... Vin was nice enough to burn me a CD of those (15 years after the fact)

Doc said...

I asked my mom about it back then and she didn't know Vin's mom of course. She claimed not to know anything about it, she said "It was a box I sold it"... Heck I was worried of what other of my stuff she sold... because the box of things she was supposed to sell was still sitting in my room...

Unknown said...

I'm very concerned about Falco!

Unknown said...

Our mother has found some fascinating (and valuable) items at yard sales! Vince, that's a great story!

Anonymous said...

The guilt overcame him, I guess...LOL!

The Mountain Cat said...

Sis, and mom is having a yard sale this weekend. Doc, ask your mom if she wants to fly to New Jersey to buy some stuff.

Doc said...

FYI - I also wondered why we would keep the home contents tape in the house if it was going to be used if our home burned.

What was it doing in my tape box? Easy, it was a 90 minute tape (an upgrade from 60 min tapes) I had it up there ready to tape over the contents of our house with music... It wasn't supposed to be in the box either.

Anonymous said...

mTcAT
I will be joining mom in her venture this weekend...I intend to look closely at what else I might find....Are you looking for some grand Funk?

The Mountain Cat said...

Pat, Please make sure my mom doesn't sell a big box of rock records that she 'claims' she can't find in the abyss she calls her house!

Leighann said...

That's funny!

I'm an avid yard sale-er(?) and I can tell you for a fact that a box of cassette tapes today would probably be marked FREE! *giggle*

Mt Cat, you suck for not giving them back, or at least making copies of them!

Falco was/is awesome! I have 'Rock Me Amadeus' on one of my "mixed cd's"!!

Anonymous said...

you got it....If I see it I will take it and run....arent you coming..you may find some sweet stuff for the new pad......

The Mountain Cat said...

Doc, I formally apologize to you. Please forgive me.

Pat I may drive down.

Doc said...

Yeah Vin are you going to the yardsale??? ONLY with MY help will you get there buddy.... Think about it.. LOL!

Lu' said...

Heck I was worried of what other of my stuff she sold... because the box of things she was supposed to sell was still sitting in my room... I bet Doc, I'd have been freaking out. Mt Cat I agree with LOF, you should've returned then asap.

Doc said...

Mt Cat I agree with LOF, you should've returned then asap.

You obviously don't know Mt. Cat as well as I do... He refused to give them back out of sheer unadulterated stubborness. Then it ended up turning into a sort of twisted badge of honor for him. As if he had principles or something.

Karen said...

Mt. Cat - you should have given those tapes back! Meanie.

Very funny stuff.

L said...

AHAHAHHA

The Mountain Cat said...

Yeah Vin are you going to the yardsale??? ONLY with MY help will you get there buddy.... Think about it.. LOL!

I don't get it?

Aunt Becky said...

I think I just peed my pants. That's hilarious!

Unknown said...

Pat: What are you and Mom selling? I better call and get first dibs!

Lu' said...

Oh if he had principals he'd of put himself in detention.

Anonymous said...

It's true, Doc! You should've seen his face even yesterday when I first yelled at him...standing on his principle that he 'bought them fare and square'. Yet somehow I could see that deep down he knows it was wrong, but won't give in...

Well, now he's formally apologized to you for everybody to see...but will he return the tapes???

LOL!

The Mountain Cat said...

Whatever happened to the old saying that once someone admits they are wrong they are immediately forgiven? What would Jesus do?

Doc said...

Jesus would have given me my tapes back in the first place!

Doc said...

And as far as how you are going to get to the yardsale....What are you going to be driving to get there ??

Anndi said...

Jesus wouldn't be caught dead listening to Falco.

Anndi said...

All y'all realize that on many an occasion, after I finish reading through all the comments, I forget what the post was about or what it was I was going to say...

Karen said...

LOL. "What would Jesus do"???????

You are a freak!

Jahooni said...

i read the part that your mom's have never met... what? aren't you BEST Friends? Did i read that right... let me go check.

*giggles* at Leighann. People wouldn't even take the tapes these days at a yard sale even if they were marked FREE!

Knight said...

I think it's hilarious that making cd's 15 years later is supposed to make up for tapes YOU STILL HAVE. Crazy story though.
Doc- I can't believe your mom sold a list of everything valuable in the house to a stranger. Eek!

Anndi said...

Was this supposed to prove you aren't one and the same?

Leighann said...

What would Jesus do?

Strike you down with a brilliant bolt lightening for being a shmuck.

Doc said...

Jesus wouldn't be caught dead listening to Falco. - BWAAHAHAHAHAAA !!!

Doc- I can't believe your mom sold a list of everything valuable in the house to a stranger. Eek! - I never thought of it that way but true! Except it shouldn't have been sold to begin with...LOL!

The Mountain Cat said...

Doc, Ok NOW I understand. I can still take a train though
:)~


Anndi, Falco is dead. So Jesus gets to hear him live.

Leighann said...

Is that little porceline trinket Elvis??

Anonymous said...

Christine:
your mom ia out of control....I think she is selling your father too.....Im looking around the place today in the garage and stuff...not really sure...tell me what you need and it is yours

The Mountain Cat said...

Leighann, Not Elvis but it is cute. I think he's a hobo.

Pat, You are right. I did notice that tattoo my dad has on his forearm that says '$9.99'.

Lu' said...

I think the trinket is a sailor. Was anyone in your family in the navy?

The Mountain Cat said...

Anndi, Yes this blog proves that we are not the same person because of that two different mom thingy.

The Mountain Cat said...

Lu',
My dad was in the Army. But I have a couple of cousins who may have 'hung around' with the Navy. LOL

Lu' said...

Maybe your mom/moms has a dual personality and she bought the tapes from herself, hmmmm.

Leighann said...

A hobo?? He's a sailor you twerp! :p

Leighann said...

Hey watch it my dad was in the Navy....

wait, nevermind.

Doc said...

Is that little porceline trinket Elvis??

Not Elvis or a Hobo... It's a sailor possibly from Old Spice aftershave.

Ken said...

I'd like to be clear on this:

Spiff Dingle tapes into a single Spiff Dingle CD repaired the friendship 15 years later?

Lu' said...

Mic what's a spiff dingle or who is a spiff dingle?

Lu' said...

I've heard of dingle berries but then we'd be talking about Dana's blog.

Ken said...

Lu- He's an idol of Docs!

Lu' said...

Oh, that's another name for Yo Gabba Gabba?

Doc said...

ROTFL !!

SPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIF DINGLE SPORTS !!!


(and no Mic that part of our relationship has and never will be healed...there is a permanent fissure there)

The Mountain Cat said...

Yeah Doc, If I gave you those tapes back I would have been your only best man and did not have to share the title with Absolutgator!

Bimbo Baggins said...

OMG, what are the chances that your mom would buy them from his mom! That's hilarious!!

Doc said...

Vin... If you had given me back those tapes the whole course of humankind may have been changed. I may have gone on to be a radio talk show host and never have met Absolut. Who knows....I am still not saying you were right in keeping them but at least I got Absolutgator out of the deal. Him and Paulie (the soap nazi) of course.

Hey DPH... whassssup?

Bimbo Baggins said...

Hi Doc! I have to go power walking because I'm a huge bag o' douche...I hate power walking...

Anndi said...

Anndi, Falco is dead. So Jesus gets to hear him live.

Vincent dear... Did we not have Easter? Jesus is risen! You're lucky the Pope didn't hear you say that, he'd have flogged you with the Pope on a Rope... or at the very least he'd sit you down in the comfy chair. ;)

Anndi, Yes this blog proves that we are not the same person because of that two different mom thingy.

and I'm supposed to believe everything on the internets?

Anndi said...

Maybe your mom/moms has a dual personality and she bought the tapes from herself, hmmmm.

what she said....

Doc said...

I like Anndi's way of thinking...

Unknown said...

Ya know, that is just WRONG in so many ways. I would have given them back, or at least copied them! What kind of friend are you!!!!! LOL

But man oh man, what are the freaking odds on that??

Anndi said...

I like Anndi's way of thinking...

smooch

Jay said...

I would have put one of his tapes in my boom box each day and called him up and said "Guess what I'm listening to?" and then held the receiver up to the speakers. ;-)

Miss Merry Sunshine said...

Jay is evil...I like it.

I'm thinking his Mom sold those on purpose to help out his street cred.

Anndi said...

LOL @ Jay!

Sitting In Silence said...

How funny is that....Love the post !

The Mountain Cat said...

Thanks everyone for your comments. More crazy storys to come. Stay tuned....

Anonymous said...

Amen!

Jahooni said...

is it thursday yet? ;)~

Anonymous said...

lol @ Jahooni.. It is over here..

Anonymous said...

By the way Mt. Cat maybe you could give Doc 1 tape?

Doc said...

Lesley... He ain't never giving any tapes up...

The Mountain Cat said...

I feel aweful now. *sob*

As American as Apple Pie said...

Well, gee! Sorry I missed this whole conversation yesterday.

TMC--Give back the tapes! Bow to the masses.

Doc--I feel so sorry for the traumatized boy who lost his mixed tape collection. It obviously haunts you to this day.

Doc said...

It's ok Vin... however if I had known that alls I needed to do to get my tapes back was to create a blog and find some good blog friends to have my back I would have done it years ago... LOL!

Ginormous Boobs said...

I love random events like this! Great story!