Just recently returned from my harrowing road trip. Thought I should share the story. So...
My stepdad came to visit for my birthday, and bought me a new tattoo machine. While we were out for a killer sushi dinner, he offered to let me have his 2000 cherry red convertible Mustang. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity. So a few days later I jumped a Greyhound: Phoenix to Albuquerque. 12hrs on a Greyhound is no treat, but had to go fetch this automobile. I stayed in ABQ for a few days to help the old man with a few things, then decided, hell, why not start my roadtrip. I was already part of the way east so why not call that the first leg?
It was about 7pm and I decided to see how far I could get without stopping, so off I went. I drove from ABQ to Dallas the first night, and had to stop for a bit of rest at some rest stop about an hour east of Dallas. It was about 11am and I slept for about three hours sprawled across the front and backseats of this cute little machine. Mustangs, not built for sleeping, but I'm cheap. So, semi-refreshed, I continued my trek, final destination South Florida.
Off through Arkansas and into Mississippi. Somewhere in the hills of Mississippi, I have no idea where, I had to lay down for a bit again, It was about 9pm, and I couldn't travel safely without some shut eye. It seems the great state of Mississippi doesn't see fit to provide rest areas for weary travelers, so while filling up, I asked the gas station attendant where one may find some shut eye. She allowed me to park behind the filling station and rest until she got off her shift at 11, then she would rouse me. Off I go to catch a few, and was awakened by the Mississippi state patrol. After only two hours, the thick-necked, jackbooted, power tripping good ol' boys decided anyone traveling from Albuquerque to South Florida in the wee hours of the night, must be carrying drugs so they asked if they could search the vehicle. I would typically cite my right against unreasonable search or seizure, but I could tell, they would detain me as long as it took to get a warrant, so not being in possession of anything illegal, I relented to their curiosity. So the bastard throw all my shit across the parking area behind this filling station in the middle of nowhere, rabid at the idea of makin a big ol' drug bust. When they realized there were no narcotics to be found in my socks and underwear, they decided to cut me loose. Gee thanks, "Don't worry", says I "I would never traffic drugs, I know the government hates competition". To which they reply "You're free to go sir". So off I go.
As soon as I fire Sally up (what else can you name your Mustang after all?), she seems a touch unhappy about being asked to perform again so soon. I apologize, but let her know, I have very little choice in the matter. It seems I wasn't far from the Alabama border, and am soon puttering through Mobile. As I make my way down to I-10, Sally is none to pleased. Having a hard time holding on to a gear and jerking around a bit. So I decide, time to get this bitch off the road before she throws a fit. By this time I am well into the Florida panhandle, it's well past midnight, and the fog has allowed me very little visibility. I'm on I-10, the fog is thick, the hallogen lights that decorate the side of the interstate are glowing bright orange, and with my car becoming increasingly hard to control, It looks and feels as if I am decending into the 9th circle of hell. Finally, through the fog I see the sign I've been looking for for the last 10 hours: Rest Stop! Sally and I limp into this rest stop for some much need respite from the road. It's probably 2am. And I can't wait to bid farewell to the waking world, and I was out.
8am and the sun is shining right into my eyes. I guess it's time to get up. So I take a leak, brush my teeth, change my clothes and start to warm Sally up as I have a smoke, and find something to listen to. Having recently installed Pandora on my Droid, this is actually turning out to be a rather enjoyable endeavor, but I must hit the road again. So Sally is warmed up and I'm raring to go, so I slide the stick into reverse and Sally ain't movin. I plead, I beg, I bribe, but to no avail... Sally refuses to move. So I get out, push her a bit and try again. Nothin doin, but she will inch forward as bit in neutral so I get her into open space and kill the engine. Time to find a mechanic. Droid tells me, I am in Ponce de Leon FL, population 536. Not good. Oh, and it's Sunday. Wonderful. Droid finds a used tire place nearby that advertises a mechanic on duty. I call and the gentleman who answers informs me that the mechanic they used to employ has been let go, but he does know a guy who fixes everybody's car in "town", and the lovely gentlemen agree to come take as gander at the stranded motorist and his unwilling steed. Sally decides to catch first gear and I crawl up to the nearest filling station. The gentlemen arrive and decide, after trying to get her moving again, that the rear end is locked up. I concur with the obvious conclusion and ask what my options are? I have very little money and I let them know. Plus, I still have to make it to South Florida at some point, so I have somewhere to sleep. We creep into this young man's yard, put the bitch up and start lookin. We drop the rear end, peek inside and sure enough, she's full of metal shards, so I'm gonna need a new rear end. The "mechanic" says he'll start looking and that I had better find myself some lodging for the night. They find me a good deal on a cheap motel. 29 dollars for the night, so I grab my bag and my phone and walk over to this "Royal Inn" for a bit of respite.
In the motel room, I watch a little football, smoke a few cigarettes, and weigh my options. There's no way I can afford to bail myself out of this dilemma, so out goes the humble request for some financial assistance to my nearest and dearest. I am incredibly lucky to have a few friends willing to have my back on this, and was wired 1000 dollars. Both of these wonderfully generous gentlemen are friends I have made through SG, and I couldn't be more thankful for this community. Up at 8am again, I put on my Johnny Cash T-Shirt, stick out my thumb and find the nearest Western Union. I ask my bank for a loan, I try to catch a loan from a local high interest lender, but no dice, I have to rely on my people. 500 acquired, I decide, I can get a bite to eat, my first meal in a few days and contact the "mechanic". The mechanic informs me he has located a part for me in a local junkyard, but we need to find a way to get there and get the part back to the car. I bribe a local man with a truck, and off we go to pull this rear end from a Mustang that had been brought into the yard not too long ago for the insanely low price of $150, SOLD. We pull it, get it back and start the procedure. Finally we get it in and it's about 11pm, not willing to spend anymore money I don't have, I pay the man $100 dollars for his effort, make sure he's satisfied, take it for a test drive, and hit the road. All seems well, until about 60 miles out of "town", Sally doesn't want to hold her gear again.
This is Chipley, FL population 5000ish, and Sally refuses to go any further. I push her into the parking lot of a Motel 8, and let the man on duty know that I am broken down, I'm in the parking lot, and I can't really afford to pay for a room. If he could be kind enough to let me be for a few hours, I'll find a mechanic in the AM and get out of his hair. No, no says he, "I call police!", I try to let the man understand my position, but he's hearing nothing. Finally I ask if paying for a room is the only way he's going to be satiated and he agrees that it is. Fuck it, what option do I have but to tangle with the local gestapo? So I pay the man for a room and pass the fuck out until he rings to inform me, it's time to check out. I catch a shower and Sally, mercifully, lets me limp her up to the nearest Chevron. There are 5 mechanics in Chipley says the Droid and I have about 800 I can afford to spend on this latest fix and I start informing the good automotive repair industry of Chipley of my dilemma. The first three flat out refuse to hear me out when they hear of my financials and my car troubles, but the forth, I'm later to find is also a deacon at his local church, has sympathy for me and agrees to come take a look. Sally can't even find neutral, so the gentleman returns with a flatbed and drags that bitch on to it. We take Sally back to his shop, get her up on the lift and pop the pan off the transmission. Out comes chunks of gears and we realize the transmission is no more. I tell the man of my situation and he says that he knows of a Mustang recently found on road dead, that probably has a good transmission, he calls and the lady in possession informs us the transmission is fine and that she would be willing to part with it for $550, I tell the man exactly what I have available to me and he agrees that for $800, he would get the transmission and put it in for me and that he could get it done by the next day. I thank him profusely for his kindness and he shuffles me off to the local cheap motel. Another night in a fleabag Florida panhandle motel and I rise early and head over to the shop. In the night the man decided to do the work for $100 dollars less and I find my way to the nearest Western Union to claim the remaining $500 I had wired to me. I pay the man, he asks to pray with me, I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea, but I accept with a smile and tell the man I hope he is blessed for his generosity.
With what I have left, I can just make the gas to South Florida so off I go. It's about 11am and 12 hours later, I'm pulling into Havvoc 's driveway. Mission accomplished, I crash. Havvoc has work the next few days, and I'm pretty much flat broke, so we hide out for a few days, then decide, it's time to visit some friends. I meet SillyK & Havvoc for lunch and enjoy some fresh sushi for a change, then my dumbass loses my phone at the local Starbucks, so Silly and I search for a bit to no avail, and we head over to the local Verizon store to get a replacement, luckily I had paid for the insurance, and I'm thinking cool, good move, BUT it seems the insurance has a $100 deductible which is all I have left, but it must be done. A few days later, Havvoc & I decide we should go visit Space_Case and we trek across the state and get to meet the lovely Grace and the rest of the fam damily. It's not far to Annasthesia 's, and so we head that way and get in some beer pong before we head back to Havvoc's.
We were lucky enough to get to spend a lot of time with Silly and even got to hang out with ElRod , who is just too cool. ElRod decides to take all three of us to go visit Kobey , and we spend an evening at his place. Another evening we're all at Silly's and reximus informs us he is in town and would love to stop by and meet everyone, so enter Rex and we spend another lovely evening making more chat friends. My money is running thin and I ask my roommate mrbubblewrap to mail me my tattoo stuff, in case I can get some work while I'm out. Another evening Havvoc and I go to the beach so I can dip my feet in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. I stayed almost a month and had an incredible time growing to love all of these people I only knew through chat. Alas all vacations must end, and after catching another check, paying some of the money I owe for my foibles, I save just enough to head back home.
First night I stop and crash at Annasthesia's. Then off to meet Izumi who is just awesome. I get a little tipsy with Zumi and her friends, almost get a customer, but i need to leave early to make it to Xombe 's place. 11 hrs later I am meeting my good friend Xom for the first time. From there it's 12hrs to El Paso, my home town and stay with family friends there. Then the next day, El Paso to Phoenix. 6hrs. And now I am home. I want to thank everyone who paid me such kindness along the way. Havvoc , SillyK , ElRod , Kobey , Space_Case , Reximus , Annasthesia , DavieGlass , ConnellydaPerv , Tiko , Izumi , Xombe , mrbubblewrap , and all the wonderful people who aren't members who bent over backwards to make sure I was OK. I truly love you all and you can call on me anytime for damn near anything.
My stepdad came to visit for my birthday, and bought me a new tattoo machine. While we were out for a killer sushi dinner, he offered to let me have his 2000 cherry red convertible Mustang. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity. So a few days later I jumped a Greyhound: Phoenix to Albuquerque. 12hrs on a Greyhound is no treat, but had to go fetch this automobile. I stayed in ABQ for a few days to help the old man with a few things, then decided, hell, why not start my roadtrip. I was already part of the way east so why not call that the first leg?
It was about 7pm and I decided to see how far I could get without stopping, so off I went. I drove from ABQ to Dallas the first night, and had to stop for a bit of rest at some rest stop about an hour east of Dallas. It was about 11am and I slept for about three hours sprawled across the front and backseats of this cute little machine. Mustangs, not built for sleeping, but I'm cheap. So, semi-refreshed, I continued my trek, final destination South Florida.
Off through Arkansas and into Mississippi. Somewhere in the hills of Mississippi, I have no idea where, I had to lay down for a bit again, It was about 9pm, and I couldn't travel safely without some shut eye. It seems the great state of Mississippi doesn't see fit to provide rest areas for weary travelers, so while filling up, I asked the gas station attendant where one may find some shut eye. She allowed me to park behind the filling station and rest until she got off her shift at 11, then she would rouse me. Off I go to catch a few, and was awakened by the Mississippi state patrol. After only two hours, the thick-necked, jackbooted, power tripping good ol' boys decided anyone traveling from Albuquerque to South Florida in the wee hours of the night, must be carrying drugs so they asked if they could search the vehicle. I would typically cite my right against unreasonable search or seizure, but I could tell, they would detain me as long as it took to get a warrant, so not being in possession of anything illegal, I relented to their curiosity. So the bastard throw all my shit across the parking area behind this filling station in the middle of nowhere, rabid at the idea of makin a big ol' drug bust. When they realized there were no narcotics to be found in my socks and underwear, they decided to cut me loose. Gee thanks, "Don't worry", says I "I would never traffic drugs, I know the government hates competition". To which they reply "You're free to go sir". So off I go.
As soon as I fire Sally up (what else can you name your Mustang after all?), she seems a touch unhappy about being asked to perform again so soon. I apologize, but let her know, I have very little choice in the matter. It seems I wasn't far from the Alabama border, and am soon puttering through Mobile. As I make my way down to I-10, Sally is none to pleased. Having a hard time holding on to a gear and jerking around a bit. So I decide, time to get this bitch off the road before she throws a fit. By this time I am well into the Florida panhandle, it's well past midnight, and the fog has allowed me very little visibility. I'm on I-10, the fog is thick, the hallogen lights that decorate the side of the interstate are glowing bright orange, and with my car becoming increasingly hard to control, It looks and feels as if I am decending into the 9th circle of hell. Finally, through the fog I see the sign I've been looking for for the last 10 hours: Rest Stop! Sally and I limp into this rest stop for some much need respite from the road. It's probably 2am. And I can't wait to bid farewell to the waking world, and I was out.
8am and the sun is shining right into my eyes. I guess it's time to get up. So I take a leak, brush my teeth, change my clothes and start to warm Sally up as I have a smoke, and find something to listen to. Having recently installed Pandora on my Droid, this is actually turning out to be a rather enjoyable endeavor, but I must hit the road again. So Sally is warmed up and I'm raring to go, so I slide the stick into reverse and Sally ain't movin. I plead, I beg, I bribe, but to no avail... Sally refuses to move. So I get out, push her a bit and try again. Nothin doin, but she will inch forward as bit in neutral so I get her into open space and kill the engine. Time to find a mechanic. Droid tells me, I am in Ponce de Leon FL, population 536. Not good. Oh, and it's Sunday. Wonderful. Droid finds a used tire place nearby that advertises a mechanic on duty. I call and the gentleman who answers informs me that the mechanic they used to employ has been let go, but he does know a guy who fixes everybody's car in "town", and the lovely gentlemen agree to come take as gander at the stranded motorist and his unwilling steed. Sally decides to catch first gear and I crawl up to the nearest filling station. The gentlemen arrive and decide, after trying to get her moving again, that the rear end is locked up. I concur with the obvious conclusion and ask what my options are? I have very little money and I let them know. Plus, I still have to make it to South Florida at some point, so I have somewhere to sleep. We creep into this young man's yard, put the bitch up and start lookin. We drop the rear end, peek inside and sure enough, she's full of metal shards, so I'm gonna need a new rear end. The "mechanic" says he'll start looking and that I had better find myself some lodging for the night. They find me a good deal on a cheap motel. 29 dollars for the night, so I grab my bag and my phone and walk over to this "Royal Inn" for a bit of respite.
In the motel room, I watch a little football, smoke a few cigarettes, and weigh my options. There's no way I can afford to bail myself out of this dilemma, so out goes the humble request for some financial assistance to my nearest and dearest. I am incredibly lucky to have a few friends willing to have my back on this, and was wired 1000 dollars. Both of these wonderfully generous gentlemen are friends I have made through SG, and I couldn't be more thankful for this community. Up at 8am again, I put on my Johnny Cash T-Shirt, stick out my thumb and find the nearest Western Union. I ask my bank for a loan, I try to catch a loan from a local high interest lender, but no dice, I have to rely on my people. 500 acquired, I decide, I can get a bite to eat, my first meal in a few days and contact the "mechanic". The mechanic informs me he has located a part for me in a local junkyard, but we need to find a way to get there and get the part back to the car. I bribe a local man with a truck, and off we go to pull this rear end from a Mustang that had been brought into the yard not too long ago for the insanely low price of $150, SOLD. We pull it, get it back and start the procedure. Finally we get it in and it's about 11pm, not willing to spend anymore money I don't have, I pay the man $100 dollars for his effort, make sure he's satisfied, take it for a test drive, and hit the road. All seems well, until about 60 miles out of "town", Sally doesn't want to hold her gear again.
This is Chipley, FL population 5000ish, and Sally refuses to go any further. I push her into the parking lot of a Motel 8, and let the man on duty know that I am broken down, I'm in the parking lot, and I can't really afford to pay for a room. If he could be kind enough to let me be for a few hours, I'll find a mechanic in the AM and get out of his hair. No, no says he, "I call police!", I try to let the man understand my position, but he's hearing nothing. Finally I ask if paying for a room is the only way he's going to be satiated and he agrees that it is. Fuck it, what option do I have but to tangle with the local gestapo? So I pay the man for a room and pass the fuck out until he rings to inform me, it's time to check out. I catch a shower and Sally, mercifully, lets me limp her up to the nearest Chevron. There are 5 mechanics in Chipley says the Droid and I have about 800 I can afford to spend on this latest fix and I start informing the good automotive repair industry of Chipley of my dilemma. The first three flat out refuse to hear me out when they hear of my financials and my car troubles, but the forth, I'm later to find is also a deacon at his local church, has sympathy for me and agrees to come take a look. Sally can't even find neutral, so the gentleman returns with a flatbed and drags that bitch on to it. We take Sally back to his shop, get her up on the lift and pop the pan off the transmission. Out comes chunks of gears and we realize the transmission is no more. I tell the man of my situation and he says that he knows of a Mustang recently found on road dead, that probably has a good transmission, he calls and the lady in possession informs us the transmission is fine and that she would be willing to part with it for $550, I tell the man exactly what I have available to me and he agrees that for $800, he would get the transmission and put it in for me and that he could get it done by the next day. I thank him profusely for his kindness and he shuffles me off to the local cheap motel. Another night in a fleabag Florida panhandle motel and I rise early and head over to the shop. In the night the man decided to do the work for $100 dollars less and I find my way to the nearest Western Union to claim the remaining $500 I had wired to me. I pay the man, he asks to pray with me, I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea, but I accept with a smile and tell the man I hope he is blessed for his generosity.
With what I have left, I can just make the gas to South Florida so off I go. It's about 11am and 12 hours later, I'm pulling into Havvoc 's driveway. Mission accomplished, I crash. Havvoc has work the next few days, and I'm pretty much flat broke, so we hide out for a few days, then decide, it's time to visit some friends. I meet SillyK & Havvoc for lunch and enjoy some fresh sushi for a change, then my dumbass loses my phone at the local Starbucks, so Silly and I search for a bit to no avail, and we head over to the local Verizon store to get a replacement, luckily I had paid for the insurance, and I'm thinking cool, good move, BUT it seems the insurance has a $100 deductible which is all I have left, but it must be done. A few days later, Havvoc & I decide we should go visit Space_Case and we trek across the state and get to meet the lovely Grace and the rest of the fam damily. It's not far to Annasthesia 's, and so we head that way and get in some beer pong before we head back to Havvoc's.
We were lucky enough to get to spend a lot of time with Silly and even got to hang out with ElRod , who is just too cool. ElRod decides to take all three of us to go visit Kobey , and we spend an evening at his place. Another evening we're all at Silly's and reximus informs us he is in town and would love to stop by and meet everyone, so enter Rex and we spend another lovely evening making more chat friends. My money is running thin and I ask my roommate mrbubblewrap to mail me my tattoo stuff, in case I can get some work while I'm out. Another evening Havvoc and I go to the beach so I can dip my feet in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. I stayed almost a month and had an incredible time growing to love all of these people I only knew through chat. Alas all vacations must end, and after catching another check, paying some of the money I owe for my foibles, I save just enough to head back home.
First night I stop and crash at Annasthesia's. Then off to meet Izumi who is just awesome. I get a little tipsy with Zumi and her friends, almost get a customer, but i need to leave early to make it to Xombe 's place. 11 hrs later I am meeting my good friend Xom for the first time. From there it's 12hrs to El Paso, my home town and stay with family friends there. Then the next day, El Paso to Phoenix. 6hrs. And now I am home. I want to thank everyone who paid me such kindness along the way. Havvoc , SillyK , ElRod , Kobey , Space_Case , Reximus , Annasthesia , DavieGlass , ConnellydaPerv , Tiko , Izumi , Xombe , mrbubblewrap , and all the wonderful people who aren't members who bent over backwards to make sure I was OK. I truly love you all and you can call on me anytime for damn near anything.
karma:
bitten:
Hey my 98 mustang's name was Sally too!