The Outer Limits of Memorabilia

For that hard-to-buy-for person, the Space Memorabilia Auction at Santa Monica’s Museum of Flying will offer numerous treasures May 5-6, including:

* Eight unopened cans of “delectable food” from a Soviet flight, including “beef stroganoff in sour cream sauce, meat in sauce and carbonade,” with labels in Russian and in English (estimated value: $150-$250). I couldn’t find any expiration dates on those labels.

* An unused “male urine collection device” that rode on another Soviet space mission ($350-$500). “An essential device for any long duration flight,” notes the Superior Galleries catalog. But could you get it by an airport’s X-ray machine?

* And a “Chuck Yeager autograph on an 8-by-10-inch color publicity photo” ($100-$150). Great, depending on your first name. Yeager signed it “To Hans.”

GUIDE TO MORE ADVENTUROUS DINING: If the space fare isn’t enough for you, consider these additional selections:

* A cruise line’s appetizer spelled by someone who didn’t exactly “devour” French in school. Sacre bleu!

* A crunchy sourdough concoction (submitted by Lorraine Marsh).

* An alternative for those tired of scrumptious dining (Ken Sutton).

* And, for those eating at home, an offering of incredible savings on a soft drink (Gary Newton).

ODD BEHAVIOR, UNEVEN TEMPERS: Mention here of the gasoline shortages of the 1970s--and the long lines at the pumps-- brought back memories for former service station owner Mike Reynolds of Manhattan Beach.

“One young man waited three hours in line, pushing his car as he inched toward the pump,” Reynolds said. “When it was his turn, he handed me 50 cents. I felt sorry for him, so I gave him $5 worth of gas.”

An odd-even system of purchasing gas was in effect, tied to the last number on the license plate. Those with “odd” plates could buy only on odd days of the month, etc., etc.

“A favorite game of the odd-even days was license plate switching,” Reynolds said. “Those families lucky enough to have two cars, with one odd and one even plate, would switch depending on the day. Some people had a problem with the game, switching only ONE plate, not BOTH. Yes, there were arguments among customers about the odd-even cars.”

L.A.--YOU CAN’T ESCAPE IT! The vacationing Harveys were 100 miles south of L.A. last week, minding their own business as they took in a San Diego Padres-Colorado Rockies game at ill-named Qualcomm Stadium.

The Padres, as usual, were losing, and fans in our section began to file out in the seventh inning. “Hey, what are you doing?” shouted one Padre fan to the deserters. Referring to a well-known L.A. custom, he added: “This isn’t Dodger Stadium.”

miscelLAny:

Back in L.A., I was stopped at a red light and noticed that the driver facing me across the intersection seemed to be signaling a left turn.

But when the light changed, she steamed straight ahead. She hadn’t been signaling. She had been gesturing to make a point while talking on her cell phone. I knew I was home again.