Dougie the Dodge Pas Deux

Hey look, there's Dougie! I don't think I told you that my dad's name is Doug. So that's where Dougie the Dodge's name comes from. My dad never owned a truck, not to my knowledge anyways, but I'm sure he would have liked to!  Back in the day when my dad was driving us around we always had cars, BIG cars. And by big I mean with tailfins like these...

In fact, the red and white job, 3rd one down, is very much like one we had, same colours, though by the time we had it it was about 10 years out of date. We needed a large car to tote the seven of us around, if we'd had a pickup truck then all of us kids would have been rattling around in the bed of the truck. Now, hillbillies we weren't, pretty close though, we just didn't have any HILLS! 

That red and white number was the car I fell out of one time. Yes, we were driving up our street, Washington Ave., to drop in to my aunt and uncle's house, just me and dad.  These were the days before seat belts, and I guess my door wasn't properly latched. Anyhoo I can still remember (and we're talking over 50 years ago kids) my shock at the door swinging open and me tumbling out onto the gravel at the side of the street! I don't remember crying, I was more stunned than hurt, though I do remember Aunt Ruth picking the gravel out of my knees and slapping on a couple of bandaids. The thing that saved me I'm sure was the fact that my dad was driving about 5 miles per hour!!

Nowadays I probably would have been taken to an emergency room. But 50 years ago our mothers just slapped on some bright orange mercurochrome and a bandaid and then shoved us outside again. Remember that stuff? I sure hope it didn't actually contain mercury!!

Oh Lord... it did...here's what Wikipedia has to say on the subject...

Merbromin (marketed as Mercurochrome, Merbromine, Sodium mercurescein, Asceptichrome, Supercrome, Brocaseptand Cinfacromin) is a topical antiseptic used for minor cuts and scrapes. Merbromin is an organomercuric disodium saltcompound and a fluorescein. It is readily available in most countries, but because of its mercury content, it is no longer sold in the United States, Germany, or France.^{[citation needed]}

(Hmmmmm is it still used in Canada I wonder? Or is Canada just included in the 

United States???)

It was known throughout the Southern United States as "monkey blood." (Oh really??)

Uses

Merbromin's best-known use is as a topical antiseptic. When applied on a wound, it stains the skin bright red. In the United States, its use has been superseded by other agents (e.g., povidone iodine, benzalkonium chloride, chloroxylenol). It is still an important antiseptic, particularly in poorer countries, due to its “unbelievably low cost”.^[1]

Oh my goodness!! Did you read that last line?? Gee, I wonder why it is so cheap?? Because we're still unloading our stock on the POOR COUNTRIES??

Sorry, I got a little off topic there.... as I was saying I think my dad would approve of Dougie the Dodge. I also think he would have enjoyed having a pickup truck of his own, though I'm sure my mother would have had something to say about it! I can't see her in a pickup truck but maybe she just never had the chance!  Or she did, loved it and I just never knew about it. As I'm starting to ramble again I think I'll call it a day. Needless to say I'm enjoying Dougie the Dodge very much:)!