I got mine September 17, 2001. I had to fly to Texas to pick her up and drive her home to DeFuniak Springs Florida. Because of the terrorist activity the week before, the plane was nearly empty. There were only 2 other passengers and as far as I was concerned, they were both suspicious. I was sure they were thinking the same of me, so I stretched out on my empty row of seats and went to sleep. I figured it was better to die in my sleep if either of them had any untoward plans, and if they didn't, then my being asleep could only allay their concerns about me and make them less likely to kill me during of a bit of rough turbulence.
It was the longest, and happiest (up til that time) day of my life. I had to catch that plane at 5:AM, which meant getting up at at 1:AM to get to the airport by 3:00 to go thru the newly-instituted 2hr preflight anti-terrorist security check. I caught a cat-nap on the plane with my fellow-courageous, yet suspicious, co-travelers. The dealership that had my truck, sent a limo to get me from the airport. The driver was from Pakistan. He was very nice and respectful and I got the impression that he thought I might hate him for being from the same continent as the terrorists, which i didn't. I, in turn, was exceedingly polite and respectful...just in case he was.
The dealership was owned by Pakistanies and to my surprise, relief, and disappointment, they weren't any different from any other dealership trying to sell me something.
I picked up and paid for my baby, drove next door to the gas station and filled her up, then began my 8-hr drive back to Florida. I was in heaven. I don't know if it was the fact that I was living on roughly 3 hrs of disjointed sleep or that for the first time in my life a dream became reality for me, but I was wide awake and over the moon!
To this very day, almost 11 years later, even as my most precious possession sits on eBay for sale, for far less than she's worth, I still feel that way every time I look at her. I hope she ends up with someone who will love and appreciate her for all she's worth.
At the time I got her, I was living a nightmare and she gave me the light at the end of an unbelievably long, dark tunnel. My father had died in February, my brother was killed in a car wreck July 29th, and my-then-husband was busy making friends with my uncle who molested me when I was 7, and a few other little such barbs in my side. As I said, long and dark.
Today, the tunnel is gone. With therapy, a divorce from an emotionally and mentally abusive, pathological liar of 26 years, a new husband who is the most kind, loving, understanding man I ever met, I no longer need that light because the tunnel is gone. But I still love her. Yes, she is, as they say, "just a car", but to me, she will always be more than that. She was a friend who took me away from the misery, a friend I could count on to take me anywhere I wanted or needed to go to hide, a friend who played music for me to drown out the sound of my own tears. She was quietly there for me, always. She was strong when I was at my weakest. She introduced me to new friends here at this forum and the one before Moncha set this one up...thanks Moncha, you do great work.
Because of her, I got to know another kind and wonderful person, Tone. It still hurts to know he's gone.
Because of her, I learned how attentive our friends here can be because during my divorce, which took over 2 years to complete, I all but disappeared from this site and Mike Handeeman came looking for me. Thank you, sir, wherever you are.
This is the absolute best site for VehiCROSS information anywhere.
Although I won't be an owner on here anymore, I will still check in from time to time to see how everyone is doing. I trust you will all welcome my baby's new home with open arms and be kind to whoever the new owner of Ironman #46 will be. And remember, she is the one who is the member and that her owner is only on here because he/she has opposable thumbs and can type.
Finally, although I never officially posted her name on here, I called her Bertha The Beast. She was Bertha to me and a beast to the ex. He hated her. Good girl, Bertha. ;)
