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Brace yourselves, this is a VERY long one, even compared to the tomes I usually post. Long because this is a tale that has been well over a year in the making, and I didn't post anything before because I did not want to jinx it. I apologize for the length and for any rambling. This story is about a guy who just might be the Greatest Customer of All Time. We've all heard about generous tippers, customers who send flowers/chocolates/fruit baskets, or help you with menial tasks like carrying out the garbage. But has ANYONE here had or even heard of a customer giving an employee a taste of one of their dreams in life?
First, a little background about me personally to properly frame the story.
My favorite car - that I hope to buy one day - is the DeLorean.
(NO COKE JOKES PLEASE! For one thing, that whole sad incident has been twisted into an insane urban legend over the years that bears little resemblance to what actually happened; John DeLorean was in fact acquited of all charges. Second, it doesn't relate to this tale. And last but certainly not least, the man has been dead for two years. Please let him rest in peace).
Anyway, my fondness for that car goes far and above any connection to Back to the Future (though I was first exposed to it through that movie). I have done extensive research on my own about the car, own models of it, belong to the local DeLorean club, and have even journeyed halfway across the country twice to attend the DeLorean Car Show. I've even won an award at the last show, and already have reservations for the next one.
Call me a geek if you must, but that is how I feel about it. I know this car is not everyone's cup of tea, so if you wish, feel free to sub in your rare car of choice. Unfortunately, working a retail job has meant that being able to "Live the Dream" (ie. own a DeLorean, which what they said in their original TV ads back in 1981) is still far out of my reach. I have sat in them and gotten rides in them in the past, but no more.
Anyway, onto the tale itself.
Last year, around the end of August/beginning of September (I don't recall the exact date), I was working a shift at the service desk (this was before I transferred to Electronics) that was extended because someone was running late and it was too busy to go with just one cashier (I had reluctantly agreed to stay). Because it was busy, I was all the more tired and pissed off when my relief finally did show up (about 40 minutes or so late). But my mood improved considerably when I walked outside and saw a DeLorean parked directly across from the main entrance.
This was only the second time ever (out of a total of three times) that I have seen a DeLorean "in the wild" in my area (they are rare to begin with, even more so in New England); every other time I have sought them out, mainly at car shows.
Upon seeing it, I came bounding back into the store and started babbling at another cashier to look out the window (she couldn't have cared less). Rather embarassing in retrospect, but hey, I was excited. I went back out and moved my car to the space next to the DeLorean (I have a plate frame and a custom made bumper sticker that say "I'd Rather Be Driving a DeLorean") then went back in and waited for whoever had driven it in.
Judy, the electronics lead, noticed and asked what I was doing.
Me: There's a DeLorean parked outside! I'm waiting to see whose it is.
Judy *smiles knowingly*: I know whose it is; I saw it come in.
She proceeded to take me over to the copy center and introduce me to a guy we'll call R. R it turns out is an incredibly cool guy who was happy to meet a DeLorean Enthusiast (ok, Wannabe) and didn't mind talking to me. We got a good conversation going, then he took me out to the car and generously invited me to sit in the driver's seat while he gave me the dime tour of the car. I'd seen the insde of one several times before, but he pointed out the specific things he'd done or had done to the car at that point, and what he still needed to have done (he had apparently bought th car in rather rough shape and had first focused on getting it running before worrying about the cosmetics), such as fixing a burn hole in the rug which some stupid mechanic had done with a welding torch, and getting the windshield replaced (it had a nasty crack in it), plus a number of other items. He told me he was sending it out to a specialist DeLorean reapir center (PJ Grady's on Long Island) for some work the next month.
Finally though, we had to part ways. He gave me his card, and told me that if I ever wanted to come see the car, just email him in advance and it wouldn't be a problem. I did email him, but never heard back from him. Nor did he come back into the store for a long time. A little disappointing, but I shrugged it off and largely forgot about him.
Then, the a few months ago, I was patrolling the aisles in electronics when I heard my name being called. I looked over, and saw R approaching from the copy center. he filled me in on what had happened in the time since I saw him last. He'd gone on several LONG business trips, which is why he never got around to answering my email. Then he told me he crashed the DeLorean.
Me: Ouch! How did that happen?
R: Well, it's kind of embarassing, but here's what happened....
Apparently he'd been doing some work on the motor and found the need to move it a little from where it was parked, so he hopped in and tried to slip in reverse for second while halfway out of the car, but his foot slipped off the clutch pedal. The car took off backwards, out of his driveway, across the street, and slammed right into his neighbor's car. The neighbor's car was totalled, and significant damage was done to the DeLorean. So the car had been shipped back to PJ Grady's for more work, mere months after they had finished restoring it. Oh well. As they say, shit happens.
R: Anyway, I was talking with Rob [Grady, the owner and head mechanic at PJ Grady] about you.
Me: Oh yeah?
R: Yeah. I told him there was a guy at the Staples I shop at who was really into DeLoreans. He said he remembers you, vividly [from the DeLorean Car Show].
(That I found somewhat odd. Though I'd seen Rob Grady at the car shows, I don't recall ever talking to him. So unless he remembered me from the awards presention in 2006, then I have no idea how he could have remembered me at all, let alone "vividly.")
Me: Really?
R: Yeah!
What he said next floored me.
R: So I'll let you drive it!
Me:
<----- (That doesn't even BEGIN to describe my reaction) R-r-really?
R: Yeah! He told me I should let you drive it, that that'd really make your day, and that if I did, he'd take $100 off my next repair or something. So once it's fixed, I'll let you drive it.
Me: Th-thank you! I'd love that!
Yes, he actually told me that he would let me DRIVE HIS DELOREAN. My FAVORITE car! Assuming that he meant it, just how AWESOME is that? He didn't even KNOW me. As far as I he was concerned, I was just a friendly sales associate who happened to like the car he owned. He sure as hell didn't owe me anything (hell, letting me sit in the car that first time I met him was in and of itself beyond the call of duty). If the situation had been reversed, I don't think I would have offered to let him drive my car. Even making the offer is beyond anything I could have ever expected from anyone.
Shortly afterward he had to run, and I didn't see him again until October. During that time, I started to wonder if he was really just pulling my leg. As I mentioned, I couldn't figure out how it was possible that Rob Grady would "remember me vividly," so I thought he might have made the whole thing up just to mess with me (which would have made him a Sucky Customer). And sicne he didn't come back in for a while after that, I figured he wasn't serious and had largely put the idea out of my mind.
At the end of September, I attended the "tech session" the New England DeLorean club was holding in Rhode Island. Rob Grady - the guy who was working on R's DeLorean - was coming up from Long Island to perform thorough mechanical inspections on the 12 DeLoreans that showed up. During the break for lunch, I spoke with him, and mentioned R. Rob recognized the name at once, and commiserated about how unfortunate the accident was. (I did not ask him about anything that R had told me, mainly because I did not want to sound selfish or like i was calling anyone a liar).
Rob: I think we had just replaced that rear fascia the last time he'd had the car with us. Too bad, really. His car's actually ready now, he just hasn't been in to pick it up. I think he's out of the country on business. Europe, I think.
That was a minor revelation to me. I didn't know he'd gone out of the country because he hadn't said anything about it to me (not that I really needed to know). That's a pretty good reason for not seeing him! I later came to find out that R really get's around for his job. He lives locally, but spends a lot of time at his comany's Florida office, and had spent most of September and part of October in Italy working with a partner company.
Right around the middle of October he came back into my store.
R: Hey, Dave!
Me: R! Haven't seen you in ages!
R: Yeah. I was in Europe on business. I did get the car picked up, though.
Me: Yeah, I saw Rob last month, and he told me your car was ready.
R: Yeah? Hey, I've got something for you. It's out in the car. Come with me.
Luckily, it was pretty slow right then, so there wasn't any issue with me leaving the building for a few minutes. Tiffany - another [infamous] employee - had spotted the DeLorean and followed us out so she could see it.
R opened the car and came up with shopping bag.
R: I got this for you.
It was a PJ Grady DeLorean t-shirt! He bought me a t-shirt when he picked the car up! Sa-weeeeet!
R: I hope it's the right size. You wear XL, right?
Me: Yeah. Thank you! This is awesome!
R: Oh you're welcome, you're welcome. So anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow for Mexico.
(Did I mention this guy gets around?)
R: I'll be back on the 21st of November. Here's my card *hands me his business card* Call my office after the 21st, I'll give you directions to the house and I'll let you drive it.
Me: (though not as much as the first time)
Tiffany:
Wooooooooow............that's awesome!
Me: Ok, great!
So now I was convinced that he had meant it when he told me the first time that I could drive it. Moreover, he had said so in front of a witness (no one else had heard him the first time).
R: Yeah, and if you ever have a hot date, let me know and I'll let borrow the car for that. I promise you it'll impress her and improve your chances, you know?
Me (a little overwhelmed): Uh, ok, yeah. I'll keep that in mind.
R: Well I gotta go. Sorry I couldn't stay longer. Don't forget to call, ok?
Me: I won't.
And he drove away. Tiffany stood there almost as flabbergasted as I was. Then we went back in. I wore that t-shirt for the "t-shirt day" we had at the store that Friday (though of course he wasn't able to come in to see that, being on yet another trip).
After that, I figured I HAD to do something to repay his generosity, even if the offer to drive the car eventually fell through. I put together a gift bag of DeLorean memorbilia I'd picked up over the years but didn't need: a white DeLorean polo shirt in XL that I never wore (I'm not really into polo shirts, but it was super cheap online), a spare "I'd Rather Be Driving My DeLorean" license plate frame that I had lying around, and a DeLorean Owners Association mousepad, still in it's package (I got that for free but never used it because it was covered with glitter to represent the stainless steel body of the car, and I did not want to wreck it by actually using it. Who the hell puts glitter on a mousepad anyway? Wouldn't that just clog up a mouse?). I put the bag in my car so I would have it handy the next time I saw him. Then I realized that November 21 was the day before Thanksgiving, so I really wouldn't be able to call him until the 23rd, assuming he was even in the office that day, which I doubted.
Still, I figured it wouldn't hurt to call, so after I got home from by Black Friday shift, I got out his card and called his office. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't there. I left him a voicemail with my cell number and told him that I'd be at the store all weekend and that I'd call him on Monday if I didn't see or hear from him by then.
Monday morning my cell phone rang. It was R. At first he didn't know it was me who'd left the message, but he quickly realized who it was.
R: Oh, Dave! Yeah, I'm glad you called!
I told him I would be off on Friday.
R: Oh, perfect. Friday is great for me. So anyway, my address is [address]. Usually I don't feel like working after 3 on Fridays, so you can stop by at 3, and I'll let you drive the car. We can go out for a bite; thre's a GREAT pizza place nearby that I go to all the time. Yeah, we can do that, and I'll let you drive the car around, and you'll be in heaven!
(Yes, yes I will).
So, after several months of uncertainty, I had a firm date, time, and place to actually get to drive my dream car. I was going to Live the Dream, if only for a short while.
The next day, because he asked me to, I stopped my his office (which turned out to be his house) before I went into work. While there, we discussed what would happen that Friday, and I took the opportunity to give him the bag of items I'd set aside for him. He told me to call Thursday evening to confirm, just in case something came up in the meantime.
Thursday. He actually stopped by the store, but I did not get to speak with him because it was too busy and i was already helping another customer. I call him right after I get off shift. He tells me it's still on. Like a little kid on Christmas Eve, I couldn't sleep because I'm too keyed up with excitement.
Friday. The Big Day. I managed a scant 7 hours of sleep before getting up around 10:30. He had asked that I show up a little early so we could clean the car first, so I arrived at about 2:40. R set me up with a can of stainless steel cleaner and some rags, then went in and left me to wash the outside of the car while he took a shower (ok, cleaning the car is a small price to pay). I used one rag for cleaning and the other, softer one for polishing, and with a great deal of care set about cleaning all the stainless panels. Then I cleaned all the glass and even had a couple minutes to apply some Tire Wet to the tires. Finally, R reappeared (took him long enough for a "quick shower!") and just said "Wow Dave, you OVER did it! Looks great!"
And finally, the moment of truth. We got in the car and I nervously turned the key. It started on the first crank, and after checking all the mirrors, I slipped it into gear and we were off. For the first (and hopefully not last) time I was actually driving the car of my dreams. All due to the enormous generosity of a truly awesome customer. And I did NOT stall it out (REALLY happy that I've spent the last 9 years driving manual transmission cars).
And oh what a blast it was. We drove through the downtown area, then over to the hobby shop where I used to work (I just HAD to see the looks on their faces when they saw me pull right up to the front door in a DeLorean!), then went to an awesome pizza place for dinner, and finally back to R's house. Even got to take it on the highway briefly. All in all, a terrific time. I Lived the Dream for 3 hours. And R told me that he'd be happy to do it again, even let me take the car out on my own if for no other reason than to exercise it, since he doesn't drive it all that much because of all the traveling he does (he leaves for China on Monday. Did I mention that he gets around?)
When we got back, I thanked him profusely, and he said "Oh it's the least I can do."
Me: This was FAR MORE than the least you could do. Thank you.
So here's to R, the Greatest Customer of All Time!!!!!! (Even though he's probably never gonna see this) THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!
And in case you don't believe me, here's a quick video I uploaded to YouTube (I look stupid in it, with my fat chin and huge teeth. I should have shot it from a more level angle. Oh well, that's what I get for not losing weight.)
http://www.youtube.com/v/VOAawB9N11Y
(And to think, none of this would have happened if not for me hainvg to work at extra 40 minutes one night over a year ago. It's funny how these things work out, isn't it?)
First, a little background about me personally to properly frame the story.
My favorite car - that I hope to buy one day - is the DeLorean.
(NO COKE JOKES PLEASE! For one thing, that whole sad incident has been twisted into an insane urban legend over the years that bears little resemblance to what actually happened; John DeLorean was in fact acquited of all charges. Second, it doesn't relate to this tale. And last but certainly not least, the man has been dead for two years. Please let him rest in peace).
Anyway, my fondness for that car goes far and above any connection to Back to the Future (though I was first exposed to it through that movie). I have done extensive research on my own about the car, own models of it, belong to the local DeLorean club, and have even journeyed halfway across the country twice to attend the DeLorean Car Show. I've even won an award at the last show, and already have reservations for the next one.
Call me a geek if you must, but that is how I feel about it. I know this car is not everyone's cup of tea, so if you wish, feel free to sub in your rare car of choice. Unfortunately, working a retail job has meant that being able to "Live the Dream" (ie. own a DeLorean, which what they said in their original TV ads back in 1981) is still far out of my reach. I have sat in them and gotten rides in them in the past, but no more.
Anyway, onto the tale itself.
Last year, around the end of August/beginning of September (I don't recall the exact date), I was working a shift at the service desk (this was before I transferred to Electronics) that was extended because someone was running late and it was too busy to go with just one cashier (I had reluctantly agreed to stay). Because it was busy, I was all the more tired and pissed off when my relief finally did show up (about 40 minutes or so late). But my mood improved considerably when I walked outside and saw a DeLorean parked directly across from the main entrance.
This was only the second time ever (out of a total of three times) that I have seen a DeLorean "in the wild" in my area (they are rare to begin with, even more so in New England); every other time I have sought them out, mainly at car shows.
Upon seeing it, I came bounding back into the store and started babbling at another cashier to look out the window (she couldn't have cared less). Rather embarassing in retrospect, but hey, I was excited. I went back out and moved my car to the space next to the DeLorean (I have a plate frame and a custom made bumper sticker that say "I'd Rather Be Driving a DeLorean") then went back in and waited for whoever had driven it in.
Judy, the electronics lead, noticed and asked what I was doing.
Me: There's a DeLorean parked outside! I'm waiting to see whose it is.
Judy *smiles knowingly*: I know whose it is; I saw it come in.
She proceeded to take me over to the copy center and introduce me to a guy we'll call R. R it turns out is an incredibly cool guy who was happy to meet a DeLorean Enthusiast (ok, Wannabe) and didn't mind talking to me. We got a good conversation going, then he took me out to the car and generously invited me to sit in the driver's seat while he gave me the dime tour of the car. I'd seen the insde of one several times before, but he pointed out the specific things he'd done or had done to the car at that point, and what he still needed to have done (he had apparently bought th car in rather rough shape and had first focused on getting it running before worrying about the cosmetics), such as fixing a burn hole in the rug which some stupid mechanic had done with a welding torch, and getting the windshield replaced (it had a nasty crack in it), plus a number of other items. He told me he was sending it out to a specialist DeLorean reapir center (PJ Grady's on Long Island) for some work the next month.
Finally though, we had to part ways. He gave me his card, and told me that if I ever wanted to come see the car, just email him in advance and it wouldn't be a problem. I did email him, but never heard back from him. Nor did he come back into the store for a long time. A little disappointing, but I shrugged it off and largely forgot about him.
Then, the a few months ago, I was patrolling the aisles in electronics when I heard my name being called. I looked over, and saw R approaching from the copy center. he filled me in on what had happened in the time since I saw him last. He'd gone on several LONG business trips, which is why he never got around to answering my email. Then he told me he crashed the DeLorean.
Me: Ouch! How did that happen?
R: Well, it's kind of embarassing, but here's what happened....
Apparently he'd been doing some work on the motor and found the need to move it a little from where it was parked, so he hopped in and tried to slip in reverse for second while halfway out of the car, but his foot slipped off the clutch pedal. The car took off backwards, out of his driveway, across the street, and slammed right into his neighbor's car. The neighbor's car was totalled, and significant damage was done to the DeLorean. So the car had been shipped back to PJ Grady's for more work, mere months after they had finished restoring it. Oh well. As they say, shit happens.
R: Anyway, I was talking with Rob [Grady, the owner and head mechanic at PJ Grady] about you.
Me: Oh yeah?
R: Yeah. I told him there was a guy at the Staples I shop at who was really into DeLoreans. He said he remembers you, vividly [from the DeLorean Car Show].
(That I found somewhat odd. Though I'd seen Rob Grady at the car shows, I don't recall ever talking to him. So unless he remembered me from the awards presention in 2006, then I have no idea how he could have remembered me at all, let alone "vividly.")
Me: Really?
R: Yeah!
What he said next floored me.
R: So I'll let you drive it!
Me:
<----- (That doesn't even BEGIN to describe my reaction) R-r-really?R: Yeah! He told me I should let you drive it, that that'd really make your day, and that if I did, he'd take $100 off my next repair or something. So once it's fixed, I'll let you drive it.
Me: Th-thank you! I'd love that!
Yes, he actually told me that he would let me DRIVE HIS DELOREAN. My FAVORITE car! Assuming that he meant it, just how AWESOME is that? He didn't even KNOW me. As far as I he was concerned, I was just a friendly sales associate who happened to like the car he owned. He sure as hell didn't owe me anything (hell, letting me sit in the car that first time I met him was in and of itself beyond the call of duty). If the situation had been reversed, I don't think I would have offered to let him drive my car. Even making the offer is beyond anything I could have ever expected from anyone.
Shortly afterward he had to run, and I didn't see him again until October. During that time, I started to wonder if he was really just pulling my leg. As I mentioned, I couldn't figure out how it was possible that Rob Grady would "remember me vividly," so I thought he might have made the whole thing up just to mess with me (which would have made him a Sucky Customer). And sicne he didn't come back in for a while after that, I figured he wasn't serious and had largely put the idea out of my mind.
At the end of September, I attended the "tech session" the New England DeLorean club was holding in Rhode Island. Rob Grady - the guy who was working on R's DeLorean - was coming up from Long Island to perform thorough mechanical inspections on the 12 DeLoreans that showed up. During the break for lunch, I spoke with him, and mentioned R. Rob recognized the name at once, and commiserated about how unfortunate the accident was. (I did not ask him about anything that R had told me, mainly because I did not want to sound selfish or like i was calling anyone a liar).
Rob: I think we had just replaced that rear fascia the last time he'd had the car with us. Too bad, really. His car's actually ready now, he just hasn't been in to pick it up. I think he's out of the country on business. Europe, I think.
That was a minor revelation to me. I didn't know he'd gone out of the country because he hadn't said anything about it to me (not that I really needed to know). That's a pretty good reason for not seeing him! I later came to find out that R really get's around for his job. He lives locally, but spends a lot of time at his comany's Florida office, and had spent most of September and part of October in Italy working with a partner company.
Right around the middle of October he came back into my store.
R: Hey, Dave!
Me: R! Haven't seen you in ages!
R: Yeah. I was in Europe on business. I did get the car picked up, though.
Me: Yeah, I saw Rob last month, and he told me your car was ready.
R: Yeah? Hey, I've got something for you. It's out in the car. Come with me.
Luckily, it was pretty slow right then, so there wasn't any issue with me leaving the building for a few minutes. Tiffany - another [infamous] employee - had spotted the DeLorean and followed us out so she could see it.
R opened the car and came up with shopping bag.
R: I got this for you.
It was a PJ Grady DeLorean t-shirt! He bought me a t-shirt when he picked the car up! Sa-weeeeet!
R: I hope it's the right size. You wear XL, right?
Me: Yeah. Thank you! This is awesome!
R: Oh you're welcome, you're welcome. So anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow for Mexico.
(Did I mention this guy gets around?)
R: I'll be back on the 21st of November. Here's my card *hands me his business card* Call my office after the 21st, I'll give you directions to the house and I'll let you drive it.
Me:
(though not as much as the first time)Tiffany:
Wooooooooow............that's awesome!Me: Ok, great!
So now I was convinced that he had meant it when he told me the first time that I could drive it. Moreover, he had said so in front of a witness (no one else had heard him the first time).
R: Yeah, and if you ever have a hot date, let me know and I'll let borrow the car for that. I promise you it'll impress her and improve your chances, you know?
Me (a little overwhelmed): Uh, ok, yeah. I'll keep that in mind.
R: Well I gotta go. Sorry I couldn't stay longer. Don't forget to call, ok?
Me: I won't.
And he drove away. Tiffany stood there almost as flabbergasted as I was. Then we went back in. I wore that t-shirt for the "t-shirt day" we had at the store that Friday (though of course he wasn't able to come in to see that, being on yet another trip).
After that, I figured I HAD to do something to repay his generosity, even if the offer to drive the car eventually fell through. I put together a gift bag of DeLorean memorbilia I'd picked up over the years but didn't need: a white DeLorean polo shirt in XL that I never wore (I'm not really into polo shirts, but it was super cheap online), a spare "I'd Rather Be Driving My DeLorean" license plate frame that I had lying around, and a DeLorean Owners Association mousepad, still in it's package (I got that for free but never used it because it was covered with glitter to represent the stainless steel body of the car, and I did not want to wreck it by actually using it. Who the hell puts glitter on a mousepad anyway? Wouldn't that just clog up a mouse?). I put the bag in my car so I would have it handy the next time I saw him. Then I realized that November 21 was the day before Thanksgiving, so I really wouldn't be able to call him until the 23rd, assuming he was even in the office that day, which I doubted.
Still, I figured it wouldn't hurt to call, so after I got home from by Black Friday shift, I got out his card and called his office. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't there. I left him a voicemail with my cell number and told him that I'd be at the store all weekend and that I'd call him on Monday if I didn't see or hear from him by then.
Monday morning my cell phone rang. It was R. At first he didn't know it was me who'd left the message, but he quickly realized who it was.
R: Oh, Dave! Yeah, I'm glad you called!
I told him I would be off on Friday.
R: Oh, perfect. Friday is great for me. So anyway, my address is [address]. Usually I don't feel like working after 3 on Fridays, so you can stop by at 3, and I'll let you drive the car. We can go out for a bite; thre's a GREAT pizza place nearby that I go to all the time. Yeah, we can do that, and I'll let you drive the car around, and you'll be in heaven!
(Yes, yes I will).
So, after several months of uncertainty, I had a firm date, time, and place to actually get to drive my dream car. I was going to Live the Dream, if only for a short while.
The next day, because he asked me to, I stopped my his office (which turned out to be his house) before I went into work. While there, we discussed what would happen that Friday, and I took the opportunity to give him the bag of items I'd set aside for him. He told me to call Thursday evening to confirm, just in case something came up in the meantime.
Thursday. He actually stopped by the store, but I did not get to speak with him because it was too busy and i was already helping another customer. I call him right after I get off shift. He tells me it's still on. Like a little kid on Christmas Eve, I couldn't sleep because I'm too keyed up with excitement.
Friday. The Big Day. I managed a scant 7 hours of sleep before getting up around 10:30. He had asked that I show up a little early so we could clean the car first, so I arrived at about 2:40. R set me up with a can of stainless steel cleaner and some rags, then went in and left me to wash the outside of the car while he took a shower (ok, cleaning the car is a small price to pay). I used one rag for cleaning and the other, softer one for polishing, and with a great deal of care set about cleaning all the stainless panels. Then I cleaned all the glass and even had a couple minutes to apply some Tire Wet to the tires. Finally, R reappeared (took him long enough for a "quick shower!") and just said "Wow Dave, you OVER did it! Looks great!"
And finally, the moment of truth. We got in the car and I nervously turned the key. It started on the first crank, and after checking all the mirrors, I slipped it into gear and we were off. For the first (and hopefully not last) time I was actually driving the car of my dreams. All due to the enormous generosity of a truly awesome customer. And I did NOT stall it out (REALLY happy that I've spent the last 9 years driving manual transmission cars).
And oh what a blast it was. We drove through the downtown area, then over to the hobby shop where I used to work (I just HAD to see the looks on their faces when they saw me pull right up to the front door in a DeLorean!), then went to an awesome pizza place for dinner, and finally back to R's house. Even got to take it on the highway briefly. All in all, a terrific time. I Lived the Dream for 3 hours. And R told me that he'd be happy to do it again, even let me take the car out on my own if for no other reason than to exercise it, since he doesn't drive it all that much because of all the traveling he does (he leaves for China on Monday. Did I mention that he gets around?)
When we got back, I thanked him profusely, and he said "Oh it's the least I can do."
Me: This was FAR MORE than the least you could do. Thank you.
So here's to R, the Greatest Customer of All Time!!!!!! (Even though he's probably never gonna see this) THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!
And in case you don't believe me, here's a quick video I uploaded to YouTube (I look stupid in it, with my fat chin and huge teeth. I should have shot it from a more level angle. Oh well, that's what I get for not losing weight.)
http://www.youtube.com/v/VOAawB9N11Y
(And to think, none of this would have happened if not for me hainvg to work at extra 40 minutes one night over a year ago. It's funny how these things work out, isn't it?)
. You look quite happy in the video!
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