Slower Traffic Keep Right...

Driving down to Omaha, NE, Suka turned to me and said that i was one of the few drivers she actually truly trusts. i replied "it's because you know how much i love my car and you know i won't do anything STUPID." Yep, she confirmed that is why. i might be aggressive, but i'm not foolish, and she knows it.

For Treffen, a BIG VW car show in the Chciago area, i spent about five hours just washing and waxing my car in one shot... detailing the exterior plastic was another hour; the interior was another couple hours (would have taken longer if i didn't keep up with it regularly) and THEN when we got to the show, i spent another hour touching up (since my car unfortunately has to be parked in the street. The initial wash & wax was a few days before the show...) Cleanign off road dust, brake dust, bird poop... and then a dusting of the interior... my GOD how good I'D look if i spent that kind of time on ME!

But driving is a joy. Unfortunately right now an EXPENSIVE joy, with premium gas still over $3 a gallon (nothing but 93+ octane in my car, with the GIAC performace chip). My drive to work is about 20 minutes, and that doesn't bother me unless we are crawling because of someone's stupidity...

Back in January i was VERY ill with god-knows-what. Let's just say that my digestive track was emptied in painful ways... i drove to the clinic, and the nurse getting my vitals was asking me standard questions... "Are you dizzy?" was one. Yes, very much so. "How did you get here to the clinic?" i drove. "That wasn't a very good idea driving yourself." well, didn't have much choice.

i thought about that conversation later when i was feeling better. i have driven in less than perfect mental/physical conditions, but picture the wounded cowboy slumped over in the saddle as his trusty horse finds the way home. That's kind of how i felt driving to the clinic. i can't stand, but i can drive, no problem.

But back to Treffen... it was last week, and the VW club that i belong to wanted to drive down together. to do so, we needed to meet at a convenient (and large) place. i don't know how many full members VENOM has, but we rolled down to Treffen with 51 cars. SHITE it was cool.

i grew up with Volkswagens. My dad had three Beetles on his lifetime (two in mine) and my mom had a Type III Squareback. The squareback got traded in for a Buick Century station wagon (i never forgave my mom for that) and in 1983 my dad traded in his 1974 Superbettle for a Honda CVCC. i cried over that one. i learned how to drive stick in his Bug (yeah i was like 11... but he had cut off his finger and i had to shift for him...). When i was 13, after my dad died i had to teach my mom how to drive stick (her car was in the shop so she had to drive the Honda). Ironically i didn't get my own license until i was 25... But i've made up for lost miles...

i've had the Corrado for just two years, but i've driven nearly 40,000 miles. The car is JUST short of 160,000 miles and still runs like a dream. i've been a VW owner for 9 years. i nursed the Rabbit GTI for seven... and that was six and a half more years than it should have lived... but the Corrado. i shall have that 'til i die. hopefully i have days past tomorrow...

oh, i don't know who took the picture of me (at the tpo of the post). it's someone from VENOM... i LOVE IT! i would have only gotten a picture that good (with the sign in the background) with a LOT of luck...