Monday, September 22, 2008

So It Turns Out I Don’t Live Down the Street From Popeye, After All

I was changing the oil in my car the other day. I needed a place to put the old oil, so I was going to drain it into my coffee pot. Problem was, the coffee pot was full of fresh spinach for some reason. Ah, well, I thought, the oil will just fill in around it. There’s room enough for both.

That’s when Popeye was walking by, and noticed what I was doing. Not Popeye the cartoon character or comic strip character, but the real Popeye, the guy who played Popeye in the black and white live-action serials of the 40s and 50s, the way Clayton Moore played the Lone Ranger. He lives around the block from me and runs a small grocery now. He saw what I was about to do and said, “Son, don’t you know anything about cars?” (I don’t.) And he showed me a better way to do an oil change. But the first thing he did—the very first thing—was to find a bowl to put the fresh spinach in, so I could drain the oil into the coffee pot more easily.

Later on, I’m looking back on my day, and I realize: Not only did I meet Popeye, but I met him in a spinach-related incident! What are the odds? I have got to blog about this, I thought.

It takes me ten minutes after I wake up to realize that a) to the best of my knowledge, no one played Popeye in live-action movies before Robin Williams in Robert Altman’s film version; b) Popeye doesn’t live down the street from me, and c) Me, changing the oil in my car? Come on, now.

Rob

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Now that was a tad surreal.

Sharon GR said...

I knew something was off when you said you were changing your oil.

Rob S. said...

That was what clued me in, too. The spinach, the coffee pot, friggin' Popeye!... nuthin'. But me, changing the oil? No way did I do that!

Ami Angelwings said...

I'm amused that in your dream you were thinking about "wait until the ppl who read my blog hear about THIS" xD

I find it amusing b/c I do that in my dreams too xD

Travis said...

I was more concerned with putting your oil in a coffee pot. I was even more concerned that after Popeye chastised you for not knowing anything about cars, was also going to put the oil in the coffee pot.

I just kept thinking, "What the hell? That coffee pot is useless now."

Rob S. said...

Yeah, Ami, when anything weird starts happening, my first instance is to remember it for my blog. Too often, things slide on out of my head anyway..

And Travis? With the way I make coffee, sometimes you'd be better off with motor oil. I'm generally good in the kitchen, but coffee somehow stymies me every time.

Anonymous said...

I know Rob's gonna come out with something strange when he gets a certain look on his face. (This is by no means a rare look.) He woke up on Saturday afternoon (also by no means rare), came downstairs, said hello, kissed me, said hello to the ferrets, and then just stood there, in front of the TV with "that look" on his face for a minute.

Once again, honey, you're head is such a strange place. And I love you in spite of it.

mrs. rob s.

Rob S. said...

Doctor Mrs. The Monarch! You posted on my blog!

You *like* me!

Sharon GR said...

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch doesn't post on just anyone's blog, you know, You should feel special.