2/1/2007
WINTER WON'T LAST FOREVER
The other day I got behind the wheel of the mighty '70 Town & Country, warmed her up and got stuck in my own driveway after a terrifying slow-motion slide through (but not hitting) some very valuable cars. It came to a stop six inches away from the back corner of the '64 Plymouth Sport Fury. I shut it off, got out of the car and left it where it lay, crossed up akimbo in the middle of the driveway, the accident that almost happened. I was cursing the weather out loud and shaking my fist in the air when I fell on my ass. There's nothing like bad ice covered with fresh snow, especially when the temperatures are below 25 degrees. I staggered and wind-milled back up to the shop to cry into a beer while I waited for a friend to come and pick me up in a brand X four by so I could take care of the day's business.
I've spent a decent amount of my life in climates where it freezes and snows but I learned to drive in Florida, where I grew up. My tolerance for short days and frozen driving conditions has limitations. My favorite cars suck in these conditions even with skill and luck. I can't deny that I've had tons of fun driving in the snow with rear wheel drive Mopars
when I was young and dumb, but I've gotten to the point in my life where I drive cars that I like, that are relatively straight and stylish, and I don't want to go putting one into a ditch like the old days. I'll leave it to the next generation to find the fresh parking lots on snowy evenings.
So my cool cars all end up sitting inside, hogging space, or outside getting tortured by the elements. I drive anonymous Subarus and Toyotas and Mercedes, biding my time until conditions get better. My favorite thing about Christmas now is that it means the days are finally getting longer. It means it's time to get back to work and think about going racing! I like to go through all the different schedules that I can find and puzzle them together on my calendar before I start accommodating weddings, family gatherings, and the like. I even write down events that I don't really care about as insurance against unforeseen events that I might want to avoid. "It's on the calendar!"
