A series of events is and has been going on that simply was not able to get past my fingers - that is, i couldn't find the right way to tell it. Please know these are just my own thoughts and opinions so are probably a bit biased.
Some two years ago two very good friends each lost a close family member. alien joey, a member here, lost his father and my friend Eric lost his younger brother. I went to High School with Eric's older brother Jud (mannnny concerts and good times in my first Challenger) and their folks would always invite me up to their home 4th of July, Christmas, or New Year's. They were old school Southern and the meals were always home cooked.
Anyways Jud, Eric, and Joey were glad to have a person to talk at during tough times. I would listen and if asked, tell them what i learned when someone as close to me passed. Have their affairs in order and over time you'll come to grieve in your own way. May take ten months or ten years, everyone in their own time and way.
Fast forward to '06 when Jud and Eric lost their father in February. Eric is an attorney for the State of Alabama and so all legalities are well taken care of but as before i'm there for them no questions asked. In April i purchase a sweet original owner 67 Coronet R/T hoping to eventually sell it to Joey's friend Jerry who has a fondness for 66-67 B-bodies. In June Eric and Jud's mom passes away. In September Jerry purchases the the small auto body shop where Joey works and soon after that a couple of Jerry's 67 GTX's start showing up for minor work. Joey's been in the auto body business for the better part of thirty years and both he and Jerry are really happy with Mikey, their full time body man. Johnny who does most of the mechanical work for Jerry also joins the shop crew as well as Robert, a family friend of Joey's from way back who has done much work on Joey's Challengers in the past as well as most of the work on both my first '70 R/T and '70 A66 Challengers although Robert only works part time. Also about this time the first dispersement of inheritance is received by Jud and Eric. Eric tells me to take off Christmas week so that we can go to NYC with my way paid for including spending money
. He's always wanted to go but until now simply did not have the funds to pull it off. Also Jud and his wife will arrive a couple of days later so we'll all have some time together. In October i sell the Coronet to Jerry in order to buy another Challenger R/T but that didn't happen so i'm down to my one R/T SE that i've had since '94 and a fair lump of money. After Joey and Jerry have some conversations, Joey convinces me to give them my Challenger so they can restore it as both of them feel if i don't do this now i'll only find more projects and never finish this one. He's probably right. I didn't used to be onefornow, then twofornow on the forum for nothing, lol. In the middle of November my car went to the shop in line behind the Coronet that i sold Jerry (which is now freshly painted after being taken down to the metal). Two weeks later it was getting hard for me to think straight between work finally starting on my Challenger and getting to go home for the first time since '88 which is about when my last post was.
On Christmas day Eric and i flew to NYC for 8 days/7 nights at the Hotel Wolcott 5th Ave and 31st St two blocks from the Empire State Bldg. Jud and his wife arrived to stay at The Carlton (not the Ritz-Carlton but still). Great time seeing the Museum Of Natural History, doing the Liberty Helicopter Tour, Circle Line boat tour, and seeing the musical Spamalot written by Eric Idle based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. If you're any degree of Monty Python fan you won't be disappointed
Anyone who says you can't go home again is wrong - you just can't go home
as well as back in time again. Only one store in my old neighborhood remains from when i grew up there but it was still good to go back.
New Year's eve we went to the Marquee Club where i consumed 4 Screwdrivers and some Champagne in 1 1/2 hrs. Next day Eric and I had deli for lunch - which in turn gave me a twenty-four hour stomach virus - before flying back.
That's pretty much it. I think i'll concentrate on Mopars now. Oh i did see my first Maybach in person
Not a Mopar but still sweet
