12/16/09

I got a call yesterday as I was driving home. “What are your plans for this evening?” the caller asked. I replied that I had none. I was then asked if I would venture to Not Texas to pick him up. It was a rambling, roundabout request and finished with, “Wait, let me start over. Would you please bring your truck and trailer to Not Texas and pick me up? The water pump on the Saab blew up.” It was then that I was 100% certain it was Pat. Up to that point I was assuming it to be him, but wasn't sure. I asked where in Not Texas he was and said I'd have to go to the shop to get the trailer. I assured him it was no problem, while thinking to myself, “I won't get to bed until a million o’clock,” and proceeded with the plan. I went to the house, changed clothes, got my gun, and hopped in Fifi. Mom was relieved that she didn't have to worry about dinner so I wasn't in trouble, au contraire, it was a good thing. I went to the shop, grabbed the straps and come-along, tossed them in the back of Fifi and hooked up the trailer. Just before I left I called Pat to make sure I had everything. I did. It was now a solid hour after his first call to me. I rolled his way. It was another solid half hour later when I finally hit I-20. Granbury road traffic sucks. I decided to go the south route, I-20 to Spur 408 to Loop 12 to I-35E to 635 to Webb Chapel to Forrest where he was parked. It took another solid hour from the last call, so he’s now been waiting two hours. He wasn't by the car. Duh, two hours? He’s at the movie theater across the street. That also ‘splains why it took him so long to answer his phone when I'd called. OK, so we set the ramps and he fires up the Saab. It does not sound good. The water pump squealed and protested and by the time he had the car up on the trailer steam was pouring out from under the hood. We tied it down and tossed the ramps back into the bed of Fifi. Off we went, back to Texas. I made him drive because, well, I don't know why. We decided to forgo eating until after we’d dropped the trailed off since the shop gates lock at 2200 h. It was only 2000 h so we had two hundred hours, wait, no we had two hours but we didn't want to risk it. We did want to drop the car off at Gorecki’s, the local Saab guru, on the way as well. This we did. We made it to the gate before they locked and dropped off the trailer. From there we tried to go to Chicken Excess for dinner but although the sign said they closed at 2200 h, the doors were locked at 2130 h. I was a tad bummed but we went to Burger King instead and I was happy again. He dropped me at my house and while I was taking out the trash and recycle, my phone went off. I had a text message from e-Bay. I'd been outbid on the Triumph TR-3 engine in KC, MO. At least that is what I thought it said. I locked up the house and got ready for bed. So, after worrying that I wouldn't be in bed until a million o’clock, it turned out it was only a thousand o’clock after all. I fired up the laptop and sent yesterday’s rant to Spiderman, with a tease about today’s story, and then checked e-Bay. Yep, the text was correct, I had been outbid. The bid currently sits at $700.00, putting me over my $1,000.00 cap after shipping. I decided to wait until this morning to break the news to mom. I told her we’d been outbid and she asked what we could do now. I ‘splained that we could put in a higher bid, but it would mean over $1,000.00 after shipping. I told her that Ray assures me that the existing engine will break free and run, he’s seen it before. She and I agreed to not bid any higher and that while this engine might have put us a step or two ahead, it really isn't setting us back any by missing out on it. Of course it won't surprise me in the least if the high bidder “backs out” for some reason and the seller contacts me with a second chance offer. I'm not saying he had a friend bid me over to see A) how high I'd go or 2) how much more he could get for it, but I'm sure thinking it loudly. So, with that “off my plate,” I now only need $810.00 to get Shichi's engine out of hock. I'd sure rather John's buyer for Barbecue Bob would come through than lower the price on Lil' Wiggly. I know, I don't need to lower the price because I don't really want to sell it, but having that engine in my hot little hands would sure be nice. No, having that hot little engine in my Seven sure would be nice! Speaking of Sevens, the dates for the 2010 Southwest Sevens Festival, or as I like to call it, “Birkinstock,” have been announced, May 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th at the Motorsport Ranch. I will probably burn two vacation days to hang out with them on Friday and Monday. I doubt I'll do much track time though because I'm just not interested in that. I do want to join them on the road tours though. Hopefully it will be a tad warmer this year! Well, I have to go change a lamp in a projector and I'm just about out of stuff to say so I guess I'm done for the day. Toodles.