First off, Merry to Christmas to all and your families as we celebrate
Christ's birthday.
I want to share this true story as it unfolded this Christmas. As many
of you know, I own the Semi BRE Datsun roadster that appeared in the
1972 Datsun TV commercial featuring the Trans Am Championship winning
BRE 510 of John Morton. That is, my car belonged to Kirk Allegro, a
mechanic and parts manager at BRE during that time, and through various
circumstances, my car ended up appearing in the BRE color scheme, in the
commercial, in lieu of the real BRE roadsters. I have had the car
painted very similar to that scheme again, minus the lettering, and with
a different size for the numbers. Currently, I keep Sadie, SRL311 00701,
on a trailer, under a cover, in the driveway. Yesterday, my son Daniel
asked to borrow my truck to help his friends mom move some furniture
while I was at my sisters house making tomales, and later at my inlays.
I said sure. What in fact he had done was gotten a friend of his to make
up the lettering and correct size numbers for the doors, fenders, hood
and trunk for me. He was going to take Sadie to his friends shop and
remove the current numbers and install the new numbers and lettering.
Then he was going to return Sadie before I got home and have me uncover
her to see the new decals installed today on Christmas. Well first off
he forgot his key to my truck, then discovered I had taken the trailer
hitch off and locked it. And Sean had left his car in the driveway in
front of Sadie. So he had to break into my house, he doesn't live with
me, to get keys. Then his friend wasn't going to be available until late
last night, so he had to wait until his friend got home. He met me at my
sisters and hadn't taken the truck/Sadie yet. So my wife and step kids
conspired with Daniel to keep me out as late as possible. I had been out
until 1:30 the night before so I was tired and wanted to get home around
11:00 pm. As we were headed home from my inlays Daniel was just arriving
at my house to get Sadie. My family had been text messaging on their
cell phones with Daniel informing him of where we were. We were within
3 minutes of home but Daniel was still hooking things up to go. My wife
acted frightened by my driving and asked me to slow down. Then seconds
later suggested we go look at Candy Cane Lane, to look at all the
decorations. Even though I wanted to get home I said ok. This bought
Daniel some precious time. Sean misdirected me slightly, so it took us a
few minutes longer. Finally I was going home. Daniel had put his car in
the driveway and put Sadies cover on it. I decided to take the short cut
home at the same moment Daniel had decided to take it from the other
end. The short cut is a narrow street slightly twisty, 1/2 mile long.
Sean text messaged him where we were so Daniel had to suddenly back into
a driveway and turn off his lights. He watched us go by. I didn't notice
him at all. We got home and Sean made me get the presents out of the
car, and stacked a big pile on me so I wouldn't notice the covered car
in the driveway wasn't on a trailer. It worked. Daniel got Sadie and the
truck back at 4 am but couldn't put them back in the driveway, because
that might wake me up. He parked in front of the house next door. But he
did have to get his car out and cover Sadie up. This morning I woke up
around 8, and decided I needed to go for a bike ride to work off some of
last nights dinner. I walked out the front door, headed to the garage
and noticed something was missing. It took me a few seconds to realize
Sadie and the trailer were missing. Oh no!! Some one stole Sadie last
night!! Wait, maybe Daniel took it to take pictures of it for our
sponsors. I reached into my pocket, got my cell phone and called him.
Hi Dan, do you have Sadie?
Hi dad, ummm no.
WHAT?? YOU DON'T HAVE SADIE?
Ah no dad, I don't. Isn't it there?
NO!! OH NO!. SOMEONE STOLE SADIE!!! SHE'S NOT HERE, THE TRAILER IS GONE,
THEY TOOK HER LAST NIGHT!!, SOMEONE TOOK SADIE!!
DAD, you are hyperventilating, breath slow, calm down.
DAN, SADIE IS GONE!! SOMEONE STOLE SADIE!!
Dad, breath slow, is your truck there?
WHAT? MY TRUCK? NO IT'S NOT HERE EITHER!! SOMEONE STOLE MY TRUCK AND
SADIE!!
Dad, calm down, breath slow. Look in front of the Bruhas (neighbors) Is
your truck there?
WHAT? MY TRUCK? OH YEAH!! Yeah, its there.
Dad, is Sadie there behind it?
WHAT? yeah, yeah, Sadie is there!!
Dad breath slow, its okay, now go uncover her.
OH MAN, I THOUGHT SOMEONE STOLE HER.
Now I realize I hear my ex-wife and oldest daughter laughing in the back
ground on Daniel's phone, and here my step daughter in her room next to
the driveway laughing. I see the lettering on the hood and the BRE
sticker on the front fenders next to the headlight.
Dad, we couldn't get the old numbers off the doors, and I notice the
hood numbers aren't the right size, so I didn't get those on either.
I'll get the right size ones okay? Merry Christmas!!
What he did get on looks great!! I will post pictures when its all done.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
David Pina
/// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
|