Road Trip Part Un: they let strelnik out to pick up benhogan's car - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

strelnik · #1 12-17-2010, 08:04 PM

The day finally came to pick up the car. I removed everything metallic on my body, and wearing just a T shirt, sweat pants and shoes, went through the bodt search in no time at Detroit Metro Airport. I removed sox etc from the bag and finished dressing before getting into a Southwest flight making one stop before ending in NC.

Southwest is NICE! The seats felt new, cushy, the stewardesses were in their thrities but very fit-looking, and the flight was not crowded. After a short delay, we left, arrived a couple minutes early and I found out I could switch seats, so I took #1 aisle and put my little bag in the bin.

We left late because Raleigh Durham, the destoination was backed up. I drank extra coffee and had to use the restroom. While I was waiting, I heard yelling coming from inside the restroom!

Some woman was using her cell phone in the restroom., which is clearly a violation of Federal law, especially when you're su[pposed to be in your seat. Plus I needed to go, so I signalled the stweardess and let her listen. She started pounding on the door. It opened. The woman was dressed and on the phone.
That's when I heard , " Do you know who I am?" coming from her lips.
The stewardess threatened to have the air marshal arrest her so she left the restroom, and I got some relief.

I really wanted to throw her cell in the crapper!

In the meantinme, the smiling stewardess also set me up for the Frequent Flyer plan for Southwest, so if I fly, it might just be with them.

I called Rod, aka benhogan, and we met outside the terminal. He proceeded to drive me to his house for the pickup.

We went over the car, which was great (I forgot how big a 126 really is!) and we went over details for about 30 minutes.

I also saw his collection of small engines, lawn mowers, gthreshing machines and woodworking tools. He must have about 50 lawn mowers on the first floor of the back porch, and another 50 in a boneyard.

he's lucky he's got all the room and the foliage hides that stuff. But then he has a huge palatial residence, with all these woods around them, so you could do just about anything there.

Time to eat, part deux after supper

suginami · #2 12-17-2010, 08:15 PM

I love stories like this.

Can't wait for the update.

strelnik · #3 12-17-2010, 08:47 PM

After leaving ben and getting on the highway, I charted my 760 mile journey and decided that a couple changes made more sense.

Plus I had to stop at another place 120 miles away in NC and pick up parts for a VW Thing. (I bought a Thing for $8.00 that no one wanted and it needs fenders). The VW Samba website has a lot of parts sellers and I made a deal with one who was glad to get rid of them, since he now only had Beetles.

I drove to Hickory, NC and waited for him in the McD's. he showed up and we had a great conversation and he invited me to come back. he would get me a VW engine which the car needs too (BTW: ALERT: I need a Type 1 1600cc VW engine, like for a Beetle, even a shell that I can rebuild, with all tin parts, so it can power my Thing).

I got back on the road and decided to travel to KNoxville and stop in a hotel just north of the city, once I got back on I-75 which would take me to Michigan.

I cannot escape the mountains and they always drain me, because so many people take chances on some of those roads. I saw a white 40 foot tractor+trailer on its side, in a ditch, in the DAYTIME, yet still these people drive like nuts. I stayed in the right lane and kept the speed limit which they all exceeded with too much slush on the ground to suit me.

After about an hour of this I got out of the mountains, through Knoxville and north of the city to Clinton, TN. While I was at the Tennessee welcome area for a map, the guide also gave me a hotel guide. I used on of the tickets to get a nice room in a Super 8 motel for 35 bucks plus tax.

The front desk was amazing. When I got there, there was a lady in attendance wearing matching Little Mermaid tops and bottoms. I guessed it was like a theme thing that some hotels have. I didn't ask, but it was late (about 10:30).

I was wrong.

When she came from around the reception desk to show me which stairs I took to my room, I saw she was wearing pink fuzzy slippers with rabit hreads on them.

"See, when I move my feet, the rabbit eyes go round and round, like the rabbit is crazy," she beamed.

I told her," Don't leave those out, someone will take them." Good night."

I barricaded myself in my room with a sandwich, had coffee from the room and watched the weather channel with a 7:00 wake-up time. I thought about how much that tractor+trailer on its side looked like a big white machine on its side, taking a nap. Then I wondered about the driver-- was he taking a nap too? a dirt nap?

Next: Day 2-- Drama all day.

t walgamuth · #4 12-17-2010, 10:01 PM

Great story! Keep it coming!

layback40 · #5 12-17-2010, 10:10 PM

Cant wait for the next episode !!
Whats this about drama all day !!

SwampYankee · #6 12-17-2010, 10:33 PM

Great story! Who was the "Don't you know who I am" lady?

Skid Row Joe · #7 12-17-2010, 11:52 PM

Hmmmmm...wonder if he broke down today further north......?

Jim B. · #8 12-18-2010, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwampYankee

Great story! Who was the "Don't you know who I am" lady?

I would have told that "You know who I am" beech,

"You're nobody without that phoine", as I flushed the thing down the toilet.

Great story, I wish there were pic's added especially of the mermaid lady. lol

There's nothing to compare to the fee4ling a nice looking and great running W126.

Trust me.

layback40 · #9 12-18-2010, 01:48 AM

He needed one of those phone jamers , turn it on & maybe she would have been that annoyed with her dead phone that she would have flushed it.

gastropodus · #10 12-18-2010, 10:43 AM

Actually, I'd like to hear more about benhogan's threshing machines... seriously, threshing machines?! In the Carolinas?

Kurt
(who has a threshing machine himself, a little one)

KarTek · #11 12-18-2010, 11:30 AM

Dude, it's too late now but you're taking the long, long way home! Going to Knoxville probably added 3 hours to your trip.

Enjoy the ride!

strelnik · #12 12-18-2010, 11:58 AM

I woke up Friday morning, showered, drank coffee in the room and made sure I had all my stuff.

Dropped off the key card and asked if there was a Walmart in any of the nearby cities and found there was one a mile away.

The girl there was very nice, but if I didn't know better, I would SWEAR she was wearing false buck teeth.

Sat down to eat breakfast. Looked at my choices
1. No name corn flakes
2. No name multicolored froot loops
3. What appeared to be small oval loaves of a bread-like substance
4. A large pot of gravy with an oily deposit on top

Suddenly a woman of huge proportions brought out a tray with maybe 36 fresh biscuits, all smiles and laid them down on the counter.

I grabbed four and sought out some jam. Grabbed a cup of coffee.

While eating the lady came out, followed by a husband of equally large proportions. They sat in the table six feet from me and the guy shoveled about 10 of the biscuits onto a plate, and spooned a cereal bowl full of gravy, then dunked the biscuits into same before shoving them into his mouth.

Quiet slurping for a while until the silence between them was broken.
"I still say your sister is the biggest $!ut in this town, even if she does go to AA now and then."

The woman turned purple and looked at me. The man said, " He's not from around here and I bet he hasn't been here but one day, so he hasn't got a chance to know her yet, haw haw."

Sensing an argument was coming, I finished my food in a hurry, stoked up on coffee and as I left, I counted my good fortune and good timing: the guy ( I think it was the guy) let loose with a 30 psi charge of compressed gas that I could smell 15 feet away. I was tempted to leave the door open but decided not to pollute the outside.

Got in the car, it started flawlessly! and off to Walmart.

Walmart here is clean and somewhat deserted this early in the morning. I went over to Automotive to get a name-brand semi synthetic oil, a small tool kit, some wipes and some Simple Green.

That's when I met Ned.

Seventyish, dressed very neatly with a plaid vest and a matching bow tie, he asked me, " What're you looking for, young feller?" and promptly guided me to the automotive section, whereupon he proceeded to lecture me on the virtues and values of every brand of oil. At least he knew more than the parts monkeys at most auto stores.

I made my choice and started to walk away and he asked, " Have you ever heard of Clessie Cummins?"

I said, " Yes, the founder of Cummins Engine, who made a cross-country trip in a diesel car in the early 1920s."

"Well, he stopped here for the night and they have a picture of him in the museum in town."

"Well, good for you. Sorry, but I must go now."

"Wait a minute." He reached in his pocket. " You deserve a prize for getting the right answer."

Out came what looked like a Halloween sucker.

"No thanks, you can give it to a kid, he will enjoy it more."
" Well good bye, young feller and don't forget to pay for the merchandise or I'll have to tackle you and beat you up after I catch you running away, hawhawhaw."

I stopped at the cash register where what appeared to be a 19-20 year old Goth girl took my money.

"Oh wow, you bought automotive, so did you like see Ned?"

"Yep."

"Isn't he like creepy with that bow tie?" she said as she sniffed and rubbed the three rings in her nose.

" Well, it takes all kinds..." Good bye.

And I got into my car and flew down the highway in a state of W 126 Nirvana, out of Tennessee and into Kentucky. As usual, the car did not disappoint me.

While riding up and down the mountains in Kentucky, it happened.....

(continued next installment).

Hatterasguy · #13 12-18-2010, 01:06 PM

Can't wait for the next chapter! Did the W126 make it? Did he make in in time to foil the evil overlords plans! Tune in next week for more adventures!

thief · #14 12-18-2010, 01:55 PM

Let me guess, you ran into the clkman?

holly ****...that'll ruin a trip. ha ha

SwampYankee · #15 12-18-2010, 04:08 PM

Curse these To Be Continued episodes!