When Randy read my last post about my quote, he reminded me of the time I drove his pickup truck a few times.
The first time was when we were still dating and I was down visiting him. He was showing me around his hometown, old houses he lived in, the Sonic he worked at, then his old High School.
I don't remember how the topic came up or what was said, all I know the next thing I knew was we were in the abandoned High School parking lot (it was a holiday week), and Randy's telling me to switch places. So there I was, behind the wheel of this large GMC Sierra Extended Cab Pickup truck! I probably looked like Golum, rubbing the round steering wheel "my precious!" First Randy made sure I could see the lamp posts, I could see at least 4 of them in front along the left side, common sense would dictate there's more ahead at the same equal spacing. I described what else I could see, yellow lines marking spots, a brick wall further down, a fire hydrant surrounded by bars further down on the right. After that I was allowed to start, "Put your foot on the brake and start it up" Randy instructs. I did that. "Now shift into drive", he says. I peer through the wheel at the dashboard, "Uh, how many clicks down is Drive?" I respond. A look of "Oh shit what did I get into?" flashed across his face. "Three hun, three". I shifted down three times, Randy then says "ease off the brake and press the accelerator". I responded, we were rolling along at a slow pace. "Now very gently, tap on the brake". I didn't know how gentle he meant, and thinking it's a big truck it's goiing to need big control. I pressed down on the brake. Well it wasn't gentle enough, Randy ended up smushed in the windshield and poor Jetta was thrown off his seat in the back.
After everyone was settled back in, I was allowed to go ahead and drive around a bit. I drove around in a large oval, going a bit faster each lap, did a figure eight around some light poles and then when I got my fill, I slowed down and took my foot off the gas. "There! That was fun", unbeknownst to me, we were still slowly cruising. I've driven snowmobiles, go-karts and golf carts, all I knew was if you took your foot off the accelerator it stopped! We were slowly coasting towards the brick wall, Randy starts hollering "BRAKE! BRAKE!" "I did, the foot's off the gas" "No! Step on the brake!" Again Randy's in the windshield and Jetta's on the floor.
Over the years I've driven that pickup a few more times, in abandoned dirt lots. Getting bolder each time, going faster and faster, and doing donuts with dirt flying everywhere. Randy's hanging on going "Geezus Woman!".
We've since had kids, traded in that old pickup, and moved on.
I don't have a bucket list, see no sense in keeping one, but THAT was one thing I enjoyed and can look back on with fondness. Do I miss doing it, not really, but I think Randy thinks I do, cuz sometimes I tell him how to drive Heh.
Tracy,
"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon
The first time was when we were still dating and I was down visiting him. He was showing me around his hometown, old houses he lived in, the Sonic he worked at, then his old High School.
I don't remember how the topic came up or what was said, all I know the next thing I knew was we were in the abandoned High School parking lot (it was a holiday week), and Randy's telling me to switch places. So there I was, behind the wheel of this large GMC Sierra Extended Cab Pickup truck! I probably looked like Golum, rubbing the round steering wheel "my precious!" First Randy made sure I could see the lamp posts, I could see at least 4 of them in front along the left side, common sense would dictate there's more ahead at the same equal spacing. I described what else I could see, yellow lines marking spots, a brick wall further down, a fire hydrant surrounded by bars further down on the right. After that I was allowed to start, "Put your foot on the brake and start it up" Randy instructs. I did that. "Now shift into drive", he says. I peer through the wheel at the dashboard, "Uh, how many clicks down is Drive?" I respond. A look of "Oh shit what did I get into?" flashed across his face. "Three hun, three". I shifted down three times, Randy then says "ease off the brake and press the accelerator". I responded, we were rolling along at a slow pace. "Now very gently, tap on the brake". I didn't know how gentle he meant, and thinking it's a big truck it's goiing to need big control. I pressed down on the brake. Well it wasn't gentle enough, Randy ended up smushed in the windshield and poor Jetta was thrown off his seat in the back.
After everyone was settled back in, I was allowed to go ahead and drive around a bit. I drove around in a large oval, going a bit faster each lap, did a figure eight around some light poles and then when I got my fill, I slowed down and took my foot off the gas. "There! That was fun", unbeknownst to me, we were still slowly cruising. I've driven snowmobiles, go-karts and golf carts, all I knew was if you took your foot off the accelerator it stopped! We were slowly coasting towards the brick wall, Randy starts hollering "BRAKE! BRAKE!" "I did, the foot's off the gas" "No! Step on the brake!" Again Randy's in the windshield and Jetta's on the floor.
Over the years I've driven that pickup a few more times, in abandoned dirt lots. Getting bolder each time, going faster and faster, and doing donuts with dirt flying everywhere. Randy's hanging on going "Geezus Woman!".
We've since had kids, traded in that old pickup, and moved on.
I don't have a bucket list, see no sense in keeping one, but THAT was one thing I enjoyed and can look back on with fondness. Do I miss doing it, not really, but I think Randy thinks I do, cuz sometimes I tell him how to drive Heh.
Tracy,
"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon
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