There's nothing like getting out of bed at 6 am to drive to a car show.
My best friend Jim, who drives an original 1979 MGB, called me at 6 this
morning to tell me that he and his brother were coming over so we could
drive to the show.
After imbibing too many adult beverages the night previous, I responded
to Jim's phone call by rolling over and returning to sleep. Two hours
later I was awoken as Jim and his brother Len loudly knocked at my door.
They decided to clean out their B while I showered, so I cleaned up, got
dressed, and went to the store for gas and breakfast. Before we knew it,
the time was 11:30 and we still had a 2 hour drive to the show.
Seeing as how we had no chance of making late registration, Jim decided
we could take his Uncle Joe, who is in the market for a Triumph. After
the quartet was assembled, we finally hit the road.
The highlight of my whole day was cruising down highway 98, chatting with
my friend Jim, while his bright orange MGB followed us. Time and miles
passed, until the hardships of the previous night finally caught up with
Jim. He fell asleep with his head hanging out of the window, at least
until I got behind a chicken truck. Allegedly, chicken feathers hitting
your face is a deterrent to sleep.
We found the show in the beautiful Bellingrath Gardens. There was quite
a crowd, and nearly every British marque was represented. Fellow lister
Rodney McDonald (thanks for the directions!) had his light yellow B in
the show. Quite an impressive car, especially in light of the condition
he purchased it in.
My favorite was a toss-up between a Land Rover and a Triumph Stag. This
was my first time to see a Stag, and naturally, I was perplexed by the
top arrangement. The Land Rover just kicked ass.
Time being what it is, we departed around 3. Jim's brother has coveted
my B for a long time, so I let him drive it back to Hattiesburg. I took
the passenger seat in Jim's B for some much-needed shut eye.
I was asleep in 5 minutes, until the rain drops hit. We stopped and
erected the tops on both B's, but what was the use? There was so much
water coming that Jim and I nearly split our sides laughing so hard.
The humor soon faded, as we had to spend the next 90 minutes cold, wet
and miserable. We decided our lot was better than that of Jim's brother
and Uncle, as my MGB leaks worse than a sieve.
Appropriately enough, Led Zeppelin was singing "When the Levee Breaks" as
we rolled into Hattiesburg. Completely soaked, we emerged from the B and
laughed as Jim's brother and uncle stepped out of my MGB completely dry.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas James Pokrefke, III
1995 Nissan Pathfinder (warm, dry, 4WD, imminently reliable)
1970 MGB (temporary down for repairs - clutch and new side covers)
thomas_pokrefke@juno.com
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