Y2K? Why Not?

Nay sayers, and soothsayers and pundits alike! Draw yourselves into a circle and hear these words of pride, these words of joy. My red and lovely Nissan Pick Up has turned the 200 K mark on the odometer!! Yep, y'all that have remarked, "Oh, is that still running?" deserve a good winter flush. She rounded that special mark last Tuesday while waiting to pick up Bubbles from Bali. She had gone down to surf mecca to be worshipped as goddess of the harvest, and came back a runner up with a t-shirt, a bag filled with bugs and a peeling nose. I wasn't worried as the luggage was in the bed of Flash and any bugs likely to be left will be eaten by what already lives back there.

Flash and I met back in October 1996. I was commuting to New Haven, CT in an older model Nissan truck named Baby. Baby had been through the mill, and one swamp, and was on last axle. The network (da fam) came through with several leads on trucks which led to the introduction of Spats and Flash. Flash had been closeted-up in nice guy's garage. With a baby on the way, and a company car, the dude's wife said, "Sell it". Uno Spats found his advertisement and hastened the introduction to nice guy. He was misty eyed when the day came and took photos to remember his pride and joy. He barely drove it, as a newlywed he had more important things to attend. There was only seven thousand miles on the day that I picked her up. He treated this little darling with such tlc, he even used q-tips on the detailing. She was a beauty, with her unblemished bed liner and toolbox/wet bar. The red paint had a yellow swoop to the side with a photon like tail at the end of the bed. Reminiscent of the Flash comic book hero, a name was born. Flash and I began our life together. And joy reigned. You'll see the photo of when Suzie Q visited out here and the truck turned 170K on the way to Santa Barbara (everyone knows what a great number 17 is).

And a joy it is to drive something red, everyone must own something red in their life in addition to wearing red on Fridays to support the troops and ALWAYS wear red when it rains. Red is good. The new black if you wish. Flash has been so good to me, granted I've rebuilt every system she has, once or twice, and spent those unfortunate 14 months with her off the road for my bad judgment (nuff said). J and I even made it across the hot south roads of Historic Route 66 to start the California chapter of our life together. Two incredible gay Italian men, in a Nissan Pickup with limited a/c and no CD player. Imagine 'Thelma and Louise' meeting 'Priscilla; Queen of The Desert'. Flash has been to paradise, and to me. Flash has been north south east and now west. Through the woods to Grandmothers house, to Home Depot for giant loads of slate. Spun out, rallied and sprung a few leaks. Flash has moved as many people as Mayflower. Flash has seen it all and I hope so much more because this little red truck is this man/child's version of a red wagon. I'm off for a holiday wreath for her grill, because more is more.