DIY 8

 It's no fun being shiftless

    Today I am blending two incidents.

    One involves flowers.  One doesn't.

    I'll start with the one that doesn't.

    I was working in Oregon.   Illinois, not the state. The junker I was driving finally gave up the ghost and we needed a car.

    I went to the local dealer but he would not help me.

    So I went to a dealer in Oregon.

    I told him I would like a Chevy Chevette, but my total price would be $4,000.

    He found one, in banana yellow, with stick shift.

    We bought it.  As we were at the dealers, Jackie and I talked about who was driving the car home.  She said she should because she had been to second gear.  I had only been to first.

    The salesman thought we were joking.  He laughed along with us as we signed papers.  When it was all done, he asked if we needed anything else.  

    We told him:  Yes, turn the car around and point it to the road.

    He realized then that neither one of us could drive stick shift.

    So, he turned it, Jackie pulled out in a series of jerks and stops, and eventually got on the road.  I followed, at a safe distance.

    We were in Oregon at a red light.  It turned green, Jackie killed the car.  It turned red.  When it turned gree again, she killed the car.

    Now there was traffic lining up behind us.  Third green light they started honking.

    Fourth green light I started honking.

    Eventually she got going and made it through the interesection.

    When it was my turn to learn to drive it, I got so frustrated I actually abandoned the car and started to walk home.

    Eventually we both mastered the art of stick shift.  I had several vehichles after that with stick and even taught the girls how to drive a stick.

    A Chevette was a small car.  Very small. It had a back seat, but I don't know if anyone over 3 feet tall could sit in it.  The seat folded down.

    It also had a hatch back.  

    I decided to plant flowers along the south side of the tri-level.   I figured railroad ties would make a good edge for the garden.

    In those days railroads would give away ties.  So I got permission to visit a tie dump site and pick up ties.

    They are quite heavy.  I somehow managed to get an end up, and shove one into the car.  Then another.  Then another.

    As I started to drive home I noticed the front end was significantly higher and the car was a little more difficult to steer.  The back end also seemed to be almost hitting the ground.

    I made three trips like that.  That poor car was starting to sag and I do believe I developed a hernia doing the project.

    My lesson learned was:  Never again.

Peace and Love