I turn 40 in June

[Taverner]

Yeah, I know, its nothing. Just a date. Just a number. Bullshit.

Ever since 35, my body has been deteriorating. Apparently, this is natural - and I should accept this.

But I don't, and in fact, I want to time-travel on my birthday. I am going back to 1963, before JFK was murdered, but after the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I am looking for a suit I can wear that day, either reminiscent of the era, or FROM that era.

I am also looking for a car rental, something that someone would drive in that era. So it doesn't have to be a 63 car.

BTW....I am hoping to get the wife and kids fairly inexpensive clothing that reflects this era.

Yes, I might be going crazy here, but its my birthday and I'll go insane if I want to ;)

...Oh did I mention I'll be taking my family out to House of Prime Rib in SF?

Meat eaters out there, do no scoff at this restarant's location. It is the PERFECT place to take the time traveling quatrogenarian. Gas lamps, two things on the menu (Prime Rib English Cut or Prime Rib American Cut) as well as the most gut busting salad, Yorkshire Pudding and Creamed Spinach.

Afterwards, yeah yeah yeah, I know, reality must go on.

But If I'm turning a page, can't I too turn a few pages, in the other direction?

[Nickster]

1. I still got 2 years to worry about that, but your crazy isn't going to touch my kinda

crazy when that happens to me.

I would say to your idea, have the entire family play it like you're in that Brendan Frasier/Christopher Walken movie where they all live underground because they thought a nuclear war happened....Blast From The Past...http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0124298/. I had to look it up. Now that would be pretty cool.

[Taverner]

8. Yeah, but there's no chance to wear the Fedora

I want to wear the Fedora. Not just Mad Men, but Revolutionary Road (the book)

[backwoodsbob]

9. 40 really is just a number

i'm 45 and do hard labor for a living..my wife laughs..I have a better body than most 20 year olds..5 foot 8..163 pounds.

My wife says if I WOULD get rid of the grey I would pass for 30..I just dont give a shit..If people dont like how I look fuck em

[Taverner]

10. Soon we all die, you, me, everyone we love, everyone we hate, everyone we know

We all die

That is what I am trying to flip the bird to with this.

Yes, my crazy is crazier than most crazies.

Cest la vie.

[TicketyBoo]

26. I figure

everybody else is so worried about what they look like that they don't much care what I look like.

I think it's the truth.

[AlienGirl]

16. Naw, pick a year and play that it actually *is* that year!

Talk about the news of the day, the popular music, and temporarily banish all talk of the actual current world. Try to get into the mindset: the optimism about technology improving all our lives, shadowed by slight worry about the Russians and the Bomb. Get really and truly timelost, it's great fun!

Tucker

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Taverner!

You sure can turn some pages in the other direction! I mean, it's YOUR birthday, for cryin' out loud!

I say, more power to you.

It's always fun to eat in SF...I haven't eaten there in years, but I remember some good times!

Have a great time traveling down Memory Lane...

:hi:

[Taverner]

5. Hey - I was born in 1970!

So I missed that lane COMPLETELY :P

But I do like the general style of that generation - the streamlined, sans serif nature of what became the early 60's.

That period between the CMC and the asassination of JFK - the last childhood this country can say it had. Since then, its been pretty dark. I should know - I was born into that kind of darkness!

Of course part of this is some seriously misdirected midlife-crisis. But hey, I just want to be able to flip my bird to the universe in my own way :)

[Taverner]

11. Besides this was my PARENTS generation

And I have been trying to understand them since the first moment I saw light...and it still doesn't make any sense!

[Art_from_Ark]

24. I think 1967 was a great year

except for the Vietnam War.

1968 was the best of times, and the worst of times.

1969 was a pretty good year, if there was no Vietnam.

[KamaAina]

3. Cool idea!

One hopes there are vintage clothing stores around that might have the suit. Or maybe even Goodwill or something like that.

edit: the House of Prime Rib might be just the thing to shut up my prime rib-loving, and California-bashing, Republican Stepdad!

[Taverner]

6. Most definitely

HOPR is an institution - and any carnivore will love it.

You step back in time there - somewhere before 1967, not sure how far back. They still use gas lighting.

And they come to your table with this:



And you are carved some off the bone, and served with horseradish, creamed spinach, salad (this is no skimpy salad either: beets, eggs, 4 kinds of lettuce, onions, 2 kinds of salad dressing (at once) and lots of things I forget) and yorkshire pudding. Oh, they give you SF Sourdough Bread too. With butter, not margarine.

[old mark]

20. Fuck margerine - enjoy the butter. You can be as crazy as you want, T -

this is America, after all.

Oh, yeah - Happy Birthday!!!!!



mark

[MiddleFingerMom]

29. I WANT TO BE BURIED IN THAT!!!!! n/t

[Urban Prairie]

4. A suit from that era?

Maybe a Nehru jacket and pointy toed black boots w/heels that have metal taps.

oh yeah, and white shirt with buttons and ruffles on the cuffs and collar.

[Taverner]

7. I might just get the Banana Republic Mad Men Inspired line

It's not outrageously expensive, fits the era, and can be used afterwards. I have no suits.

But the family - I'm sure tempting the wife with vintage clothing for her and the kids won't hurt though...

[Skittles]

12. it's natural for your body to deteriorate IF YOU DO NOTHING

get you some cardio and weight training and do it for LIFE....I did not accept it and am now the same weight at 53 I was at 20.

[Taverner]

13. Oh I've been doing that

But there is a body degeneration that takes place. The joints don't work quite as well as they used to...the back doesn't hold up as well as it used to...

[Skittles]

17. I guess I must be lucky - I'm 53 and haven't noticed any of that

maybe a bit of stiffness in my fingers but hell I've been typing for 38 years :D

[Mari333]

14. geez 40 is a FOETUS to me.

get back to me when you hit 59

[TicketyBoo]

27. 59 is where I am

since just a couple of weeks ago.

The 60s were HIGHLY overrated. I was 12 years old when JFK was shot, 17 when MLK and RFK were killed. It was an absolutely horrible time to be growing up, in my opinion. Nothing made sense — not the assassinations, not Vietnam, not the race riots, not Charles Manson, not the "mutually assured destruction" policy of the Cold War, not the murders of Freedom Riders in the South (nor the reasons they needed to be there). It was a very scary time.

If you are nostalgic for the period or want to understand it better, check out Tom Brokaw's Boom!: Voices of the Sixties Personal Reflections on the '60s and Today. It's a very good read.

http://www.amazon.com/Boom-Voices-Sixties-Personal-Reflections/dp/1400064570

[AlienGirl]

15. Ebay is a great source for old clothes

I have a closet full of pre-1945 stuff, including shoes and handbags, the most expensive of which--my "court suits"--cost $50 each.

Newer stuff, early 60s, should be even easier to get.

Tucker

[marzipanni]

18. I was just telling my 15-year-old son about 1960s narrow knit neckties w/square ends

http://www.rustyzipper.com/shop.cfm/rz/viewpartnum~144537/backtorow~5/jumpshow~0/maxshow~20/startshow~1/SIZE~Medium%20Sizes/ERA~ALL/TYPE~Neckties/SEARCH~%20flat%20bottom%20Necktie/GENDER~Mens/PRICE~ALL/SITE~rustyzipper/144537.cfm
and for 'the wife'-
http://www.rustyzipper.com/vintagedresses/1960

[SoxFan]

19. Ollie, what's the forecast?

TAVERNER'S GETTIN' OLD!

[Terra Alta]

21. I will be 29 next month...

and I am determined to hold on to my 20s as long as I can! Despite the gray hairs that are starting to show... I'm too young for that!:yoiks:

[grace0418]

22. I turn 40 two months before you. Haven't decided what I'm doing yet but I like your

idea. I hope it's fun. Happy fortieth in advance!

[Drunken Irishman]

23. I'm about to hit my mid-20s and I'm freaking out. :(

[GaYellowDawg]

33. Oh, shut up.

Freak out when you're my age. 42.

[zanana1]

25. You're still a kid. nt

[Taverner]

28. This kid wants to drive a 60's era Caddilac for an hour!

[MiddleFingerMom]

30. A worthy goal...

.
... drove a '68 Sedan de Ville for awhile (friend's car -- mine was a little
tiny 1300 CC Honda CVCC). Marshmallow cloudheaven. Demerol on wheels.
.
Still associate 'em with really old pinkish folks, though...
.
... and they're all straining to see over the dashboard.
.

[trof]

31. So...you were born in 1970? Back then I think I was wearing

Plaid, bell bottom, double knit slacks.
Paisley shirts.
WooHoo.

In suits, I probably wore a Johnny Carson tan single breasted (no vest) with W-I-D-E lapels.

[zanana1]

32. That suit looks conservative compared to what my brother wore.

Recently, we did a little remodeling and had to break through a wall. My brother used to live here, and he had done some remodeling in the 70's. Inside the wall, we found an alomost complete wardrobe of 70's gear, including really LOUD plaid pants, disco shirts by the dozen (it turns out he really, really liked purple back then), and various leisure suits. For his last birthday party, we held a surprise "fashion show" for him. It was hilarious.

[trof]

35. Carson's line of mens' wear was mainly business wear.

Suits, sportcoats, slacks.
Fairly conservative for the times, two piece and three piece.
The ending credits on the Tonight Show usually ran something like "Mr. Carson's wardrobe by Johnny Carson Men's Wear", etc.

At the time, I thought it was pretty good looking stuff.
My JC suit was a tan polyester cavalry twill.
Damn near stain and wrinkle-proof (possibly even bullet-proof?) and looked very sharp, or at least I thought so at the time and in those times.

BTW, I never got into the Nehru jacket/love beads thing, much to my credit.
I did own one leisure suit.
Again, tan (khaki) doubleknit with a safari jacket and matching slacks.
I've always liked safari jackets.
Lotsa pockets, ya know.
;-)

[zanana1]

37. I forgot to mention....

The suit jackets weren't wrinkled!

[redqueen]

34. Really?

I turned 40 last year and barely noticed. And I'm single... and female! :scared: :P

I dunno why people get so worked up about it, really. Just be careful you don't go out and buy a Corvette or something. ;)

[Darth_Kitten]

36. It is a number.......

geez.....wait until you are 80 and then think you are getting old. :)

[Kali]

38. eh, you're just a pup

but your plans sound fun and fabulous! go for it! mmmmm prime rib the old fashioned way - yeah!

[pokerfan]

39. You need to see this, then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzEhoyXpqzQ

[DFW]

40. I was 40 once. Dinosaurs roamed the earth once, too.

My immediate superior sent me a fax on the fateful day (no emails yet then) reminding me it
was better to be over the hill than under it. He wasn't wrong then, and he still isn't.

[mnhtnbb]

41. 40 freaked me out--19 years ago! I am dreading the next zero b-day in 13 months.