Ever had one of those weeks...? You know, when one day just merges into the next punctuated only by the necessity to eat & sleep.... I can't wait to go on holiday. Where
was our summer? The weather check in LA tells me it's going to be 32 degrees C, & I can't wait to get off that plane & remember what summer weather feels like.
In the days leading up to my flight to LA, I checked in with Marco at TLG to make sure everything was going to be ready on time. There were just a few last minute jobs; odds & ends really, & everything's running to schedule. Then these photos started dropping into my inbox...:
Gloria at the Post Office
Gloria goes for coffee
Gloria in her garage...
I'm cracking up laughing, it's like that summer holiday when you & a bunch of mates think its a really good idea to steal a garden gnome & take it on holiday with you, posting pictures back to the poor, unwitting owners..... It was, however, her 'extended road test', & she performed on cue every time.
The flight was delayed, I'd let Marco know I was going to be late picking up Gloria, & thankfully, he worked round it & met me at a bus station late on in the evening.
Did I mention The Plan? Well, The Plan was: I had no plan. I'm working on a strictly agenda-free basis. I have a plane ticket, passport & credit card; plus, an awesome set of wheels when I arrive. She's insured, serviced & ready to go. I'm constrained only by the start date & end date, so I figured everything else in between could fall into place of its own accord. No map, no guide books, no hotel bookings, no route or itinerary. No plan. Oh, but, I had downloaded the American maps onto my satnav, that was my planning.
It's great to finally put a face to the voice that's been guiding me along for the last 3 months, & we head over to his workshop. It's funny, you know, laying eyes on her for the first time. There's so much that seems familiar... Perfect lines, perfect gaps, she just felt good all round. It's that smell. You know.... Warm vinyl, oil, the smell of a car that's been driven. It's all good. Now, the Porsche ownership experience can really begin....
Inevitably, Marco asks the question
"So, what's the plan?"
"Umm, there is no plan..."
"Where are you staying tonight?"
"Don't know. I thought is work it out once I got here"
"When are you leaving to start the road trip?"
"Erm, well, I have no fixed date. Like I said, I have no plan"
"Well, lets find you somewhere to stay, for starters"
Bearing in mind, I'm more than 3 hours late & the jet lag is kicking in, this seems like a very sensible idea.....
Now, I've never driven one of these cars before, but there's an awful lot that is familiar, except the gearbox. That bloody dog-leg 1st gear is a tough one to a) find & b) remember to keep finding, when your head is somewhere still over the mid-Atlantic & you know there is a duvet somewhere with your name on.
I pulled away in 2nd gear on more than one occasion, all I'll say is....It didn't go unnoticed.....
Clearly buying a US car blind is not too scary a jump for you.
