This morning I was driving to work and I started thinking about vans and their history. It seems to me that vans were the SUV of the 80s. I remember everyone having one (my mom did) and I remember taking many trips in the ole van. Now vans are mostly used to portray serial killers and the like. I think it's really because no one can see what is happening inside a van. It makes me think about limos. Since no one can see inside liimos I guess they could be a tool for mischievous acts as well. I think in the 60s vans were more of a love shack kinda thing. In the 70s they seemed to be like a Scooby Do Mystery Machine. There was this one guy a couple of apartments ago that had his van painted like the Mystery Machine. It was kinda freaky. In the 90s vans seemed to be made fun of a lot, especially the ones that were painted and decorated al la "Shaggin Wagon" on Dumb and Dumber. I always did like my mom's van. I remember trying to watch TV in that van, the reception would come in and out and occasionally I would see the Cowboys score a touchdown. The couch in the back could be made into a bed that we kids slept in on family vacations.  In 1985 when we had a huge snowstorm the van door had a sheet of ice all over it and no one could open it. I remember climbing through the front to get to the back. I am still wondering what the saying "living in a van by the river" means. In some of our vacations it seems we did live in the van. It became a second home that traveled at a max speed of 45mph. I remember seeing Semis pass us and give us the bird. Now that I think about it, maybe we did live in a van by the river.

Thought of the Day

"If this van's a rocking.."

"Don't come a knocking!"

-- Seinfeld about to open the van door