Played Like A Fiddle

By kiki

In 1980, my brother Mando, his then-wife Terri, Connie, and I were on a motorcycle road trip, and one late afternoon, we pulled into a camping ground in Old Monterey Bay (California's Central Coast). And after setting up camp, we took the wives on a romantic stroll around the campground, and as we were strolling the campgrounds, we came upon some Gypsies setting up camp. We first noticed their big fancy Cadillac and brand new Chevy pickup truck. It was all good, but we couldn't take our eyes off the truck because there was a massive TV in the bed; it was one of the most prominent color TVs of the time. 

As Mando and I stared at the TV, a Gypsy Cat that was watching the TV while sitting on a chair inside the bed of the truck pointed to a Gypsy kid trying to set up a big tent and said to us, "Hey, boss, you know how to set up that tent?" "Sure," Mando and I responded. So we started helping the Gypsy kid, but soon the Gypsy kid was gone; he was also up on the pickup bed watching TV with his Gypsy brother. As Mando and I continued to set up the tent, the Gypsy Cat would now and then yell at us, "Hey, boss, you need a hammer?" That Gypsy Cat played us like a fiddle Lol!!. As Mando and I (the wives were long gone) walked back to our camp, we kept asking, "Hey, boss, how did that just happen?" Good memories (even if we were played like a fiddle) from times past 

Armando Cotero vs. Sal Flores

By Kiki

I am sure that most of us as boxing aficionados have a fight that we have watched, whether it was years ago, or yesterday that will forever be one of, if not the one fight that you will always say, "that's one of the best fights I've ever seen" - In my 70 years of watching fights I have a few fights that I can say that about. The Basilio/DeMarco fights and the Corrales/Castillo fights, et al. come to mind. But none stick in my mind like the two blood and guts wars Armando Cotero and Sal Flores fought at the Olympic Auditorium back in the early fifties. (watched the first one on TV, the second one live) Flores won both fights by stoppage, but that is not important as both men fought their hearts out as if a world title was at stake. The two journeymen fighters who will never be remembered as great fighters will nonetheless be remembered for fighting two of the greatest action fights ever fought at the Olympic Auditorium.

I was a teenager when Armando and Sal fought those memorable fights, 'memorable? You asked. I have never heard of these two guys; you say,' Well, yes, and that is the beauty of watching fighters fight on all levels for 70 years.

Armando Cotero from Los Angeles via Mexico left us a few days ago at age 88/89. May he rest in peace - Sal Flores, a local boy from La Habra: I have no idea what became of him.

Many thanks to Armando and Sal for their thrills to a young teenage kid who will never forget them.

Taking A Fall

By kiki 

While walking into the house from the patio with a basket full of clean laundry (I do the laundry), I tripped over my camping suitcase. My camping suitcase, which I had yet to completely empty, was on the floor, and as I walked by it, it moved and tripped me (I guess it was pissed off because I was just treating it like an old suitcase). Needless to say, I went down like I had been shot by a 357 pistol ( as I was going down, my dad's face flashed in front of me. He died after a fall). As I Landed on my right side, I bounced off the hardwood floor couple of times. It took me a few minutes to get up - This morning, I woke up with every bone in my body hurting and a few loose screws in my head. A question: will smoking a joint ease the pain and tighten back the screws in my head?