Nick Names

The Biker and muscle car crowd all have nick names. Every once and a while your last name is what you  are known by. Since I was 17, I have been "Hoss". That name comes from the TV series Bonanza. The middle son was named  Eric "Haas" Cartright. Haas turned into Hoss, from the beginning of the show.

On Bonanza one night someone asked Little Joe why his brother was named Hoss. Little Joe said Hoss is a mountain name for a big fellow with a big heart to match. Well that was Dan Blocker and myself! Mary knows she must put Randy "Hoss" Caldwell in my obit or 9/10 of the Susquehanna Valley will not know it is me. Even at 70 years young I am still Hoss.

All the people on the loop route called me Hoss, I did not have a backer plate on my bike. From vibration the license split and fell off. I went to the Justice of  the Peace to get a replacement plate. He said it takes about 4 weeks. Back then there were no cardboard replacements like now. You just ran around with no plate.

I went to the bike shop and got a backer plate. I did not like the chrome backer plate being blank chrome, so I went to a hardware store and bought reflective stickers HOSS. I got the bigger stickers so it took up the whole plate. Four weeks later my plate came. I put it in the trash and saw JP again, paid eight dollars for another 4 weeks of Hoss license.

2nd night of Hoss plate the officer pulled me over at the square in Lancaster, took my info, said if they get a call for biker with Hoss license plate they know who it was. Police knew who Hoss was since I was 17.

Since I whisked Mary off her feet; I was delighted she had a nickname too. In nursing school, she was "SNUG" Donna was "JON" Marilyn was "MOBY" and Ruthie was "RUTHIE" For some reason Ruthie stuck too. Ruthie sounds more friendly than just plain Ruth! Our kids, Laura "Snuggle" I wanted to call her LITTLE SNUG Mary said she did not want to be called "BIG SNUG" Remember women run the world. Next in line, Tim was "TOOTER" Mary's choice. Last Jeff  "BIRDIE" Mary again, his legs real skinny like a bird.

First date Mary invited me up to her Reading apartment for home cooked supper. I worked Saturday till 2:00 PM. I rushed home to sh**, shave and shower. John wrote down directions, she knew I get lost easily. I wore real sharp pants, real shirt and real nice jacket with tie. Not Jeans and t-shirt. Yes I do own good clothes, wear them. not often!

This is the lady I was spending my life with. I wanted to impress her.OH WELL!! I parked across the street from her apartment. Got out, hit the lock button and slammed the door. As soon as I heard it slam, I realized the keys were in the ignition; AGAIN. With the flowers and wine bottle I brought for her. I got for her. This about the 20th times I did it.

I put my tail behind my legs, ran the doorbell. When she opened the door she said come in. I stopped right near the door and said, I locked my keys in the car again, I need a wire coat hanger. I straightened it out, with no post between the front and back windows, and being a convertible it was easy to get the wire  on the lock post and pull it up.

When I came in with her gifts she said you did that before. I said many times. She also said I saw the police cruiser slow down and eye you up. Why did they not stop. I did not run when they passed, they just figured another dumb kid locked his keys in the car again. So much for the first time to go to Mary's apartment.

The homemade chicken dinner was terrific. We laid on the floor listening to music. I went home about 4AM. She was coming to my parents house in two weeks. I had an apartment in the basement, and she could sleep in my 7 year old brothers room. There was 2 beds. She worked every other weekend. When they graduated from nursing school, Mary was offered a job at Reading Hospital full time. The first night working they put her in charge of a floor. The rest of her working time she was the charge nurse!

Mary since we got serious started calling me bunny. She never called me Hoss. I asked her where bunny came from. She said, your my hunnie bunnie. Than's Snug!!

On the next post you will learn how Mary ripped out my heart and and stomped on it!!!!