Sunday, August 17, 2008

New Beginning For An Old Lady

Aside from the lack of traffic and the proximity of my family, being close to my childhood friends keeps me sane during the Dog Days on the Gulf Coast.

I met Roger in the fourth grade. We played D&D, wondered who Ronald Reagan was, and planned year long vacations in Disney World. That was more than a quarter of a century ago.

Today we latched a flatbed trailer onto his New-Car-Smelling Silverado and took a slow, winding drive up to Ovett, MS. Thanks to the glorious excess of Craig's List, I hooked up with a Mister Summerall and reached an agreement to take a burden off his hands.

The burden took the form of a 1975 Super Beetle. Aside from the antique upholstery, the 8-track, and the lack of anything electric, it looked brand new. All the glass is in intact. The tires barely have any wear. The chrome still shines.

Mister Summerall, Roger, and I hoisted it on the flatbed using mostly sweat. Then filled the truck bed with ten boxes of antique engine parts. Just as we wrapped up and the neighbors' dog strolled onto the front porch for a nap, the rain came. We washed up (for the third time) drank a couple of cold cokes, and hit the road.

The Bug went into Roger's yard. The trailer went back to his Boss' Mom's House. And the nigh-dozen boxes of oil-patinaed steel went into a spare warehouse.

The adventure lasted nine hours. And it was the easy part. We'll breathe new life into this old lady. God only knows how long it will take us.

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