Gee....we did a similar drive.....to the Terryville, CT, VW show (Largest VW show in the Northeast - Google 'em!!)
Packed up both Jack Russell terriers (Murphy and Sophie) and the wife into our King Ranch Diesel pickup (I have now named him, "Growler", because that's what he sounds like most of the time) and headed out to the Terryville, CT, VW show...didn't bother thinking about taking the Speedster...just too many living beings in too small a space and we all needed a day out after the rain of this past week, so we opted for the King Ranch cab of the trusty pickup and listened to "60's on 6" on the XM radio.
Weather today in New England was superb - big ol' puffy clouds all around without a hint of rain, as opposed to the rest of this wet Summer, where the New England weather has been very much like Florida in August; BIG clouds all day and a 4 o'clock thunder shower that comes on like clockwork.
The trip started out at the local teller machine, where we met a former neighbor who has moved to Naples, Florida but was back in town visiting his daughter. Even picked up an unsolicited invite to dinner (at his daughter's house!) so something to look forward to, there.
Then we headed out Southwest toward Hartford, CT (home of Mark Twain in his later years, Aetna Insurance and "the Hartford" for some of you out there, and Pratt and Whitney Aircraft), and onward through Bristol, CT (home of the "Bristol Stomp" for you oldies out there - it was a hit by the Dovells, who were actually from Philly - "The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol, when they do the Bristol stomp!")
Called Lenny C along the way and told him we would be at the show in 30 minutes and maybe we could hook up?? Cool!!
Walked the pups at a Dunkin Doghnuts coffee shop in Bristol, gave them a drink and some treats 'cuz they've been good and then headed to the Terryville show grounds. Saw a neat sign at the town hall in Terryville telling us that there was to be a "HUGE VW Show at the fairgrounds on August 10'th" Cool! Must be getting close! This is getting EXCITING!!
Turned onto Town Hill Road and headed to the fair grounds and found the grounds at the top of the hill. hmmmmmm......funny.....not a lot of cars here yet at 11am, but maybe we're on the back side of the grounds. There's supposed to be something like 300+ cars here today, and it starts at 9am.
Pulled into the grounds and looked around at a pretty empty field.
hmmmmmmmmmm...........
Pulled "Growler" over toward a couple of old guys (yes, old, even for me!) who were getting out a wide area lawn mower even older than they were, and asked if this was where the VW show was.
"YUP!" replied the one who was particularly spry compared to his co-mower guy......"but it's not until TOMORROW! Today's the 9'th!"
I was dumb-founded. Drove two hours one-way through Hartford weekend traffic only to find that we were a day early... And I had a whole list of things I wanted to buy at the VW flea market.....
$#!+
Walked the pups for a while on that big, empty show field (where we had LOTS of space to run around in and no people or cars to get in the way), got back into that big, empty truck cab and headed back on that big, empty road home.
Got about half-way back to Hartford when the phone rings....it's Lenny C.: "Hey! I'm up at the Terryville show and it's on TOMORROW, not Today!" No kidding......
The Wife's pissed for wasting her time.
The Jack's are pissed for dragging them through Connecticut and missing lunch.
I'm pissed for not getting the parts I need for the kit build.
And I'm out $50 in diesel fuel with nothing to show for it except a dinner invite (if we can even make it).
Well, the weather was really nice......
gn
