Mort's Shorts

We had the annual thrash. You know, the project couldn’t get started until Fathers Day and that turned out to be ample time last year, didn’t it? The Teazer didn’t have two parts bolted together on Fathers Day; we took the frame to the sandblaster the day after Fathers Day and all hell broke loose.

During that time we hastened ourselves, “Ya know, Knucklehead, you think this is fun except for the pressure, so why not start earlier next time?”

Next time was this time and…as we tweaked, jacked, tapped, bolted, and buffed…we thought the same dang thoughts. “We really dig this process…except for the time press.” Now, there’s something to be said for time management, employment of resources, juggling and prioritizing; there’s certain actualization in accomplishing all of the individual tasks…those hundreds of individual tasks….. and finally, the coup de grace, the drive, but holy frickin’ moly, why does it have to all be condensed in to about a five minute fire drill?

Because, it’s just the way we are.

It’s not like nothin’ else was going on for us before the project. Hell, there was road trips and little projects, and schemin’ and Hop Up doins but..still.

Next project is gonna be thought out in advance, started with a margin for shake-down time. Right? Right.

This time it was the push truck that had to be ready to go, and it actually had about 500 miles on it before we left. Then a short, revealed (by a small fire) at a gas stop in Fresno, just about ended the whole deal. We had visions of two tow rigs taking us back before Speedweek ever got started.

Alas, since we were heading for Sacramento, we made the obvious phone call to Rustman - keeper of all knowledge North of Inglewood (even tho he is in Mo. now!)- and he said, “No hill for a climber, Man: call Roy at California Rewire in R.C.,right by my old property. User friendly and waaay capable.” With some improvised wiring we found ourselves at California Rewire in Rancho Cordova before office hours on the next day. Roy diagnosed the situation as terminal;  as in, “It needs to be rewired.”

Figured he could name that tune in about 9 hours.

We looked at the race car on the trailer, thought about the weeks of work already invested…. and, of course, opted for the one-day delay and a chance of catching up with the boys, only having missed the Alviso Steak-Out. That was a shame, but we had to…..

Now, ya gotta know that Roy already had his day planned. Job security. Backlogue. A kind of ‘wiring monoply’ up there, ya know? Really didn’t need the money. Independent.

We went off and shopped for junk we had forgotten at home, went to Mexican lunch and a couple o’ Pacificos, took a nap, checked in with Roy, “Not quite.” Came back a little later with a credit card and a plan and at 6:00 P.M. we lit the rig, headed for Reno , got there about 10:00 P.M., wrung-out, and the next day? Got to B’ville at the same time as the rest of ‘em, escorted by three pals in roadsters that overtook us a few miles out. All because Roy ‘handled it’.

So, use California Rewire. Call ‘em. Thank them for us. Tell ‘em Hop Up sent ya.

But if you think that looking like a dying calf in a hail storm will get him to help you out of your crisis, fo-get about it: Roy does it because he’s a good human. Doesn’t require any strategy on our part.

Thanks, Bub.

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