Sid called me one day at work. This is true. It was to
invite me down to New Orleans. I could drive their
Corvette at an autocross and stay with him and Gail.
Now, I'd only met the man a few times at Nationals in
Kansas and also at some National Tours, so all this
was a complete yet wonderful surprise. Here I am,
sitting in my dark little cube in Northern California,
and now I am being mystically teledeported straight to
New Orleans. How many times does that happen in life.
He told me all these stories. He said he and Gail
really liked my mother. My dad, too, but really, they
liked my mom. I liked hearing that. He said, "Now, in
these parts, your mother would be what we would call a
Gran Dame." I wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but
he assured me it was a good thing, like my mother is a
true lady in one sense, and yet someone you don't want
to mess with. I thought that seemed about right and
how in the heck did he know that, I wondered. And how
did he know that telling me that would make me feel so
good. Maybe that's what they mean by the Real Deal.
I never did make it to New Orleans. I haven't seen Sid
and Gail since. I've only read the reports about the
devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Now this.
My heart goes out to you Gail, if you are reading
this. I still have the photos you sent me from the
Dallas Tour. I will never forget you and Sid and the
kindness you showed me in the few times we met. You
and Sid both are the Real Deal to me.
-Katie Kelly
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