Running to find my wallet, I didn’t even take the time to close the door!

The trip almost failed right at the beginning. The  67 Corvette that I had test driven dozens of times before in preparation for this journey had never been driven in bumper to bumper hot temperature traffic which caused the car to overheat badly before getting out of Hampton Roads while crossing the Hampton Roads bridge tunnel. Illegally driving on the shoulder to escape burning up the engine, I stopped at AutoZone and a gas station and fabricated a cardboard fan shroud and changed the thermostat. It was the first of many maintenance stops I would have to make to complete this journey. At first upsetting, they became a critical and logical part of the book and a realistic part of what our parents faced on their cross country journeys in days past.

Finally, out of Norfolk and on the road, a quick glance at the gas gauge revealed  the corvette consumed as much gas as it did coolant. Time for a stop at the BP.  I took this opportunity to go to the Fawcett and fill up my now empty jugs of antifreeze, promptly leaving my wallet and phone on the ground next to the spigot. The only reason I figured it out that quickly was the missing music.

Dale, my electrician, had installed a “blue tooth” stereo playing oldies on my stereo from my phone. The “blue tooth” system didn’t start up. It wasn’t until 10 miles down the road that I noticed the “missing music” and reached over to turn on my phone and there it was… gone.  Racing back to the BP at over 100MPH, I prayed it was there and thankfully either due to honesty or no one noticing; it was.

Dale received a  well deserved $100.00 award for installing the “blue tooth” feature that saved my trip.

Imagine being stuck on the road with no money, credit cards, ID, or a phone…