First of all I want to apologize to the members that attended Carlisle this past weekend for any time that I may have come across as rude or distant. Things have been rough for me lately.
Losing my job wasn't easy - for one I enjoyed it, secondly it gave me a better standard of living than I had ever experienced before.
The interview in Chicago was somewhat of a relief but obviously very stressful and created a lot of anxiety, fear, uneasiness.
Hosting a fellow member for the Carlisle show was a lot of fun - gave me a chance to say "thanks" to at least one person who has helped me in the past, plus it made me feel like I was helping out the club in general. It presented it's own unique challenges which I hope that member will feel that I handled to the best of my abilities.
My brother's last-minute arrival caused some new tensions - mostly in managing the transport of goods and personnel between the showfield, hotel, apartment, and other venues.
But most stressful and depressing was the news of my 'Cuda and it's failed inspection. I don't need to tell any of you that I loved that car - driving it was always a totally satisfying experience - my 'Cuda, my own efforts to get it on the road and keep it running. Now that was no longer available to me - both in accordance with state safety regulations, and the simple fact that maybe it wasn't so safe to continue driving.
And so it has been especially difficult to me today as I agreed to sell my 'Cuda to a buyer on the Carlisle Fairgrounds.
It was something of a shock - my first offer was slightly below my minimum, and only minutes later I received another (while the first was still standing there) for a comfortable range above my minimum. I agreed and left it behind about a half-hour later. I'm not ashamed to admit that tears welled in my eyes long after I arrived back home.
What I love most about the Cuda-Challenger.com community is that I always felt welcomed - I always felt like a part of the group even when my 'Cuda was a dilapidated old rust-bucket. I hope and pray that the comradery will continue even as I no longer own my car.
I hope it won't be long before I take ownership of my next e-body 'Cuda. Until then I hope to stay active in this community and to welcome the friendship of all those involved.
Thank you to all of you.
Jeff
