Well, I'm keeping a pad and pencil handy as I tinker with my new Midget.
The list of items needing attending to is growing, but most of the items
are subject to delay as opposed to must-do status.
But last night on the way back up the hill I remembered fully what owning a
little top down sports car is all about. It had been a fairly hot day for
this time of year, but cooled off rather nicely after the sun set. Sitting
at a light waiting to turn left and head for the freeway I reached up,
unlatched the top and folded it down, without even barely turning in the
seat. I'm sure I heard the guy in the car behind me think "I want one of
those" as he was sitting there in his car with his A/C on.
The light turned green and I buzzed through the intersection, turned onto
the freeway onramp - a left turn then a 180 degree loop to merge with the
traffic, I was up to speed as I merged. Half way up the hill I turned off
and zipped up a small two lane road a few miles to intersect with the
weavy-windy road that sort of parallels the general direction of the
freeway. Driving along the dark and windy, feeling the various temperature
changes between the small valleys and little rises in the road, noting
small changes in the wind, hearing the various changes in the tire noise as
the road surface changed. The moon was fairly full, stars were clearly
visible, hardly another car on this little side road.
I drove through the small town under the city street lights, then again
picked up another windy road that eventually dipped under the freeway and
after a few more transitions brought me home. Pulled up in front of the
house, shut down the engine, and just sat there for a moment feeling the
evening air, looking up at the stars and the moon, as the car tinkled and
ticked as it began to cool down. For some reason I was smiling, I never
did that when I drove the pickup. Ah yes, I remember now, top down
motoring on a nice spring evening, picking up scents of plants in bloom.
I think I'm going to like this little car.
Enjoy,
Mike Jaquet, in the foothills east of Sacramento
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