The year was 2008, and I noticed an ad for an auto show in Columbus, OH. I made some hotel reservations, just in case this trip became a reality. Well, when the time came to decide yes or no, the weather was basically stuck in "sunny July" mode, so I decided to drive the antique west from Maryland, alone (as was, and still is. customary for such shows.) And I chose to make it the first time I'd driven the antique car any significant distance en femme. My hesitation had been somewhat similar to Marian's concern of driving her car with a possible impending mechanical failure. Without a doubt, I'd been concerned about what happens if...(insert every possible type of calamity here - my imagination worked overtime to figure out all the things which could go wrong.) But with it's dependable history, off I went!
The first morning, I got a reasonable starting time and wore my less-femme attire. I had reservations at a Holiday Inn about 3/4 of the way to Columbus, and was looking forward to dinner in their restaurant en femme. When I finally arrived in town, I drove the entire length of town twice - only to find that there was no Holiday Inn sign. I called their phone number (and wondered why it answered Ramada). They gave me directions - which took me to a - that's right, Ramada. When I inquired, they said that a few weeks ago, they were reflagged from Holiday Inn to Ramada, but honored my reservation. Yes, I did get to enjoy a dinner en femme, in an almost empty restaurant. It was somewhat boring, but I got decent service, which was more a factor of no customers than of my attire.
Me and my small-block Buick
The above pic was taken in the parking lot at the Ramada. It was before breakfast, and a couple hours prior to my departure. The lady who was out for a walk with her little girl, saw my camera perched on a table and offered to take my picture...since I forgot my tripod. She appeared very comfortable talking with me, "woman to woman" and with no hesitation, and she was fascinated with the car. Her approximately 8 year old daughter was fine with me dressed this way...nothing was said, nothing was whispered. I had a wonderful time.
So, I got a late start (like about 10:30), and the distance to Columbus was such that I figured I could wait till I got into my room before having to visit the toilet the next time.
I thought tomatoes had been around for years....
I actually got side-tracked enroute, in the midst of some late morning fog. I detoured to some of the local sights, and enjoyed seeing the Birthplace of the Tomato in Reynoldsburg, OH. In reality, the tomato had been cultivated for many centuries, including in the southern US prior to 1870, but as of then it was not commercially grown. Yield was spotty and the tomatoes themselves reportedly did not look as appetizing as they do today.
In 1870 Alexander Livingston, a self-taught horticulturalist, stabilized the tomato, developed several different varieties, and allowed it to become a successful commercial crop, and an integral part of our diets today. A link for more of the history...http://www.roadmuseum.org/3_04_reynoldsburg,_oh.htm
What kind of a house is that? The siding looks like 2 foot square metal blocks?
The above looked like it might have been a steel house - and it was. A little checking showed that this is an example of one, built in the late 40's or early '50's, possibly made by Lustron. Based on my route, it was in a suburb east of Columbus, along US Route 40. Advantages are obvious...no termite damage, no rot, less fire threat, upkeep, etc. There reportedly were several manufacturers of them, but for some reason steel dwellings never caught on, and I had never noticed any examples before.
As luck would have it, shortly after leaving the steel house, I came across a local park with - you guessed it - a very visible porta-potty and no other "customers" in the parking lot nearby. It had been almost 3 hours since leaving the motel, so this girl wasn't about to pass up a lucky bonus. Using it was very appropriate, even though it wasn't clean. Changing to a less feminine outfit would have meant clothes touching the floor or walls as I tried to balance myself on one leg at a time to change without sitting down or touching anything. So I made an executive decision that it was better to just stay in my skirt and flats.
When I arrived at the motel, the lobby was very crowded, and I had to wait in line to check in. So I could at least wait for my room key in comfort...and as it turned out, anonymity. There was nobody I knew in the lobby - a nice reward for taking that risk, as I hadn't changed clothes!
The show itself was a big event, including Friday afternoon and Saturday itself. As usual, I enjoyed showing the car both days. There was a band in the evening, and everything. Though at that point, and for the show itself, I was a bit more conventionally dressed - shorts, sandals and a sleeveless top - no skirt. The sun sort of baked me, and the above picture was my approximate actual color - lobster red after a day in the sun! The saddest part was, my car didn't even place at the show...however, that is to be expected on occasion. And car shows are still a fun day, "win, lose or draw."
On the way eastbound after the show, again traveling en femme due to my success on the westbound trip. came my only eastbound sightseeing adventure. While cruising along I-70, I glanced north as I went across an overpass. What did I spot" A rusting line of old, decrepit city trolleys, probably from Cleveland or Columbus, sitting next to a cornfield on an abandoned rail line which passed under the interstate.
Yours truly just can't pass up getting a picture of anything railroad-related, thus I exited I-70 a few miles up the road, and went "hunting". It was a hot day, so the AC was on full blast. When I found the rail line (out in the middle of nowhere, long abandoned and overgrown, with the trolleys partially buried in foliage) I grabbed my camera and literally jumped out of the car, leaving the key in the ignition and the AC running. This was a country road, and if I flashed any panty in my haste, there was nobody around to see it...
My habit is to always lock the car - bet you can see where this is going! True to my habit, I dutifully locked the door behind me, not even giving it a second thought. I was able to walk on the berm to get my pictures. (Wearing a skirt, flats and pantyhose, and with possible poison ivy visible by the road, it definitely wasn't worth a foray into the brush to get closer). I returned to the car, longing for the air conditioning, which I had left running. Alas, the the car door was locked. Oops....
Fortunately, I'd clipped my cell phone to the elastic waist of my skirt when I got out without my purse (a habit I've always had - I always like to have my phone with me.) I used 911 to call the local police - they said they could do nothing unless I had my ID on my person. Well, duh - it's inside my locked car, Sherlock. (Of course, I found a more polite manner to express it on the phone!) But that didn't matter to them. So, I called AAA...at least Sherlock gave me the number. The AAA needed the name of the road, and the nearest intersection to where I was - they'd get someone to help, but it might take a couple hours since it was just about time for Sunday lunch. (Remember, heartland Ohio farms...not a city.) Not a pleasant thought, in the hot sun again today, with very few places to avoid it - except the shade from the I-70 overpass a few hundred yards away.
While the AAA and I were discussing my location, I was actively suveying the area, looking for a piece of useful detritus along the road, which might help get me back in the car. I'd already convinced myself that it would be much more palatable to meet my AAA "knight in shining armor" en femme, than to walk up the road a mile or more to the nearest house, and introduce my "by-then-perspiration-soaked" girly self to John Boy, Jim Bob, Ben, Erin and the entire rest of the Walton family...who would all be at the dining room table for Sunday lunch, staring at the stranger wearing a skirt. (For those of you too young to remember the Waltons series on the Telly ('71 - '81), look it up on the internet! Good series.)
As if by destiny, I found the perfect piece of wire. So I put the dispatcher at the AAA on hold for a minute, bent the wire appropriately, and after a couple tries, was able to pop open the old-fashioned-window-sill lock pull. I was back in the drivers' seat in no time at all, with apologies to AAA. (Yes, it was cooler inside than outside - the AC had done its thing.) Soon on my way eastbound after a 20 minute delay, I was none the worse for wear, and with good pictures in the camera. I didn't do any more sightseeing. (Gee, I wonder why?!)
Nowadays, I still routinely lock any car I get out of, including the antique. But either I use its key fob if so equipped, OR for the antique, I make sure the spare key is on a safety lanyard around my neck, and bend over a bit to lock the door with the key. It's impossible to get in trouble by following those rules! And I changed the pulls on the antique's door locks to foil the old wire trick. Next time, it won't work. So I'd better not have a "next time." Lesson learned!
With apologies to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans...Happy Trails To You!
As luck would have it, shortly after leaving the steel house, I came across a local park with - you guessed it - a very visible porta-potty and no other "customers" in the parking lot nearby. It had been almost 3 hours since leaving the motel, so this girl wasn't about to pass up a lucky bonus. Using it was very appropriate, even though it wasn't clean. Changing to a less feminine outfit would have meant clothes touching the floor or walls as I tried to balance myself on one leg at a time to change without sitting down or touching anything. So I made an executive decision that it was better to just stay in my skirt and flats.
When I arrived at the motel, the lobby was very crowded, and I had to wait in line to check in. So I could at least wait for my room key in comfort...and as it turned out, anonymity. There was nobody I knew in the lobby - a nice reward for taking that risk, as I hadn't changed clothes!
Tooooo much sun!
The show itself was a big event, including Friday afternoon and Saturday itself. As usual, I enjoyed showing the car both days. There was a band in the evening, and everything. Though at that point, and for the show itself, I was a bit more conventionally dressed - shorts, sandals and a sleeveless top - no skirt. The sun sort of baked me, and the above picture was my approximate actual color - lobster red after a day in the sun! The saddest part was, my car didn't even place at the show...however, that is to be expected on occasion. And car shows are still a fun day, "win, lose or draw."
On the way eastbound after the show, again traveling en femme due to my success on the westbound trip. came my only eastbound sightseeing adventure. While cruising along I-70, I glanced north as I went across an overpass. What did I spot" A rusting line of old, decrepit city trolleys, probably from Cleveland or Columbus, sitting next to a cornfield on an abandoned rail line which passed under the interstate.
And lastly, some abandoned trolley cars in rural Ohio, near the I-70 overpass...
Yours truly just can't pass up getting a picture of anything railroad-related, thus I exited I-70 a few miles up the road, and went "hunting". It was a hot day, so the AC was on full blast. When I found the rail line (out in the middle of nowhere, long abandoned and overgrown, with the trolleys partially buried in foliage) I grabbed my camera and literally jumped out of the car, leaving the key in the ignition and the AC running. This was a country road, and if I flashed any panty in my haste, there was nobody around to see it...
My habit is to always lock the car - bet you can see where this is going! True to my habit, I dutifully locked the door behind me, not even giving it a second thought. I was able to walk on the berm to get my pictures. (Wearing a skirt, flats and pantyhose, and with possible poison ivy visible by the road, it definitely wasn't worth a foray into the brush to get closer). I returned to the car, longing for the air conditioning, which I had left running. Alas, the the car door was locked. Oops....
Fortunately, I'd clipped my cell phone to the elastic waist of my skirt when I got out without my purse (a habit I've always had - I always like to have my phone with me.) I used 911 to call the local police - they said they could do nothing unless I had my ID on my person. Well, duh - it's inside my locked car, Sherlock. (Of course, I found a more polite manner to express it on the phone!) But that didn't matter to them. So, I called AAA...at least Sherlock gave me the number. The AAA needed the name of the road, and the nearest intersection to where I was - they'd get someone to help, but it might take a couple hours since it was just about time for Sunday lunch. (Remember, heartland Ohio farms...not a city.) Not a pleasant thought, in the hot sun again today, with very few places to avoid it - except the shade from the I-70 overpass a few hundred yards away.
While the AAA and I were discussing my location, I was actively suveying the area, looking for a piece of useful detritus along the road, which might help get me back in the car. I'd already convinced myself that it would be much more palatable to meet my AAA "knight in shining armor" en femme, than to walk up the road a mile or more to the nearest house, and introduce my "by-then-perspiration-soaked" girly self to John Boy, Jim Bob, Ben, Erin and the entire rest of the Walton family...who would all be at the dining room table for Sunday lunch, staring at the stranger wearing a skirt. (For those of you too young to remember the Waltons series on the Telly ('71 - '81), look it up on the internet! Good series.)
As if by destiny, I found the perfect piece of wire. So I put the dispatcher at the AAA on hold for a minute, bent the wire appropriately, and after a couple tries, was able to pop open the old-fashioned-window-sill lock pull. I was back in the drivers' seat in no time at all, with apologies to AAA. (Yes, it was cooler inside than outside - the AC had done its thing.) Soon on my way eastbound after a 20 minute delay, I was none the worse for wear, and with good pictures in the camera. I didn't do any more sightseeing. (Gee, I wonder why?!)
Nowadays, I still routinely lock any car I get out of, including the antique. But either I use its key fob if so equipped, OR for the antique, I make sure the spare key is on a safety lanyard around my neck, and bend over a bit to lock the door with the key. It's impossible to get in trouble by following those rules! And I changed the pulls on the antique's door locks to foil the old wire trick. Next time, it won't work. So I'd better not have a "next time." Lesson learned!
With apologies to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans...Happy Trails To You!
Regarding the locks, I used to rebuild and renovate Volvo 240s, which use a unique lock design that will not allow you to punch the lock button with the door open. You have to use the key to lock the car door. I managed to transplant a 240 lock mechanism onto a Ford van I recently parted with, and it worked equally well. It wouldn't be original on that Skylark, but you might be able to make one work with a bit of luck.
ReplyDeleteWow, great idea! Thanks for the suggestion...I certainly will look into it. Is the "non-original part" hidden, such that the only visible thing would be the inoperative lock button? Can it continue to use the standard inside and outside door handles?
DeleteAt least the good news is that my interim preventative measures have eliminated the problem - there haven't been any repeat incidents with any of my cars since then!
I find that there is something special about driving a unique car. The experience is heightened if dressed pretty. I love being out and about in my 9 year old Mustang rag top. It is even more fun to be out in a 21 year old 6 speed sports car that I stole a few years ago. Working a very firm clutch in heels is a kick.
ReplyDeletePat
I completely agree with you! It was a wonderful trip and I look forward to a couple of car shows I have planned for this year.... If they actually happen, I'll hopefully have lots to write about them!
DeleteYou may want to check out my first blog, about "a car show and a flirt or two." I was seen as a girl, even though I hadn't intentionally tried. That experience was a lot of fun!
I haven't had the pleasure of driving in heels...yet. But when it finally happens, you can be sure it won't be on a standard shift, since I don't own one of those, and don't plan to get any more old cars...I have my hands full with this one!
Hugs,
Mandy
There is a real thrill that I find in driving in heels. My house is down in a low area with a long thin uphill driveway that I have to back out of. The first time I took the 1992 six speed out while wearing 3.5" heels I thought that the calf in my left leg would explode since I had to ride the clutch in reverse the full way up the driveway.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that you will enjoy driving in heels.
Pat
Other than at the store, I haven't been out of the house in heels yet.
DeleteYesterday, I wore them around for a couple hours after the better half went to a neighborhood hen party that has been planned for six months. As near as I can tell, so far they haven't damaged the carpet, but they do leave marks, which are quite "telling" so I need to be careful. And I don't think they dimpled the hardwood like the other ones I had used to do. But before I wear them again...I'll look closer!
As far as driving in them, when I go for my makeup application in a couple months, I'll definitely be wearing them, and I'll definitely wear them at dinner as part of a car show in May (if I get the antique running well enough to make the trip - very likely to happen - I'm working on it.). But having said that, I DO intend to experience some of that fun, even though the cars I own all have automatic transmissions!
Definitely looking forward to it, and thanks for the comment!
Mandy