The end of summer for me

[lloyd3]

I'm packing up my big Toyota and starting the process to be away for several months.

I haven't driven the car as much as I'd hoped to this year. It's been a very long & hot summer here and the idea of driving a car that doubles as an oven in 80-degree plus weather mostly keeps it in the garage.  Fuel costs continue to be high here too (now averaging close to $5 per gallon for Premium) and the concern of the now-constant bad traffic is always a component limiting its use. People here now seem to think traffic signals are merely a suggestion.

It's still fun to take it out and row up & down through the gears but it's rapidly becoming something more of a liability to enjoy it (maybe it just doesn't fit the world I'm living-in here these days?).  Another more-obvious factor is the fact that I'll be turning 69 in January, so... it's a bit late to "live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse" any more (a fairly common & oft-repeated "light-hearted" motto from the world that I grew up in).

I'll be gone for over two months now, mostly hunting and fishing up on the Canadian border, and when I finally get back it'll be mid-November (which usually isn't much good for driving this old girl around). I'll wipe her down carefully and then properly cover her up before I make my departure (and perhaps even add some fuel stabilizer?).



I hope to do more with it next spring an summer but I'm not so sure it'll be all that different in 2027.

[Kern Dog]

I haven't driven the car as much as I'd hoped to this year. It's been a very long & hot summer here and the idea of driving a car that doubles as an oven in 80-degree plus weather mostly keeps it in the garage.

80 degree "plus" weather ?





Come on, man...I've driven mine in 110 degree Sacramento heat before I put A/C in the car. Stop making excuses.
If you still have the passion for the car and the hobby, you won't let the heat stop you.
These cars are not about gas mileage either. Even if gas were double the cost of a year ago, a man that loves the car would not let it sit until prices drop. Get out there and drive the car. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

[lloyd3]

KD:  Comfort (& AC) is seductive and disk brakes are reassuring. 

Also, I'm not shit-poor anymore and I don't do things that I don't have to. 

If it isn't fun, I simply don't do it.

This car is still beautiful to me (& great fun) but not when it's too hot and the traffic simply sucks.  Life is about timing now and you're so right, tomorrow is not guaranteed...

I have options now that I never had before.

[426HemiChick]

0235 MST, 04 Sep 2026

Hi lloyd3,

I understand the no AC issue. Born and reared in the Akron Ohio area. When the temp reached 85, so did the humidity. Average annual sunshine 67 days. Needless to say, most of my life has been spent elsewhere . . . . thankfully.

Here in Phoenix Arizona it gets hot during the day; 100+ temps are common during the spring. summer, and fall. Since our humidity is rather low, like 8% average, the heat is bearable for me.

Most folks have hot and cold running water; here we have Hot and Hotter during the summer "Hot Months". I have taken to turning the power off to our hot water heater, I only leave it on for 2 hours every other day. Seems to keep me from having my ass scalded every day. Would I go back to Texas or Ohio to live? Absolutely NOT !!!

For us car lovers, this is a great place. Rust is a non issue. Conversely, the heat is hard on the paint, interiors, plastic, tires and anything else made with rubber. We've had wiper blades go bad before the were ever used.

So, we plan to stay here. Good thing we all have different tastes or it would get kind of crowded.

Enjoy life Lloyd, you earned it !!!

God Bless,

C

[Kern Dog]

I'm almost 61 so age is probably not an issue. Get out there and experience what you love.

[will]

    My problem is I am retired and I keep picking up the phone! I have to stop doing that, although I made more money this year than ever before. Heading out to California at the end of the month for another bag of Benjamins. Hard to pass up the $$$$. I don't have but a few more weeks, by the time I get back the snow may fly and then it's over. Stupid winter!!!
    My daughter is getting married so I will bank the outage money. I figure I have a few more outages before I can start hitting the 401.

[426HemiChick]

1224 MST, 06 Sep 2026

Hi Will,

Lived in NY a couple Tims; Hicksville LI to be exact. This was back in 1967 and 1969. Somewhere on a site, I have a speeding ticket posted that I received while heading down to the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

The cop asked me when I would like to go to court. He gave me several options, I picked one and off I went to the USS Compass Island a super secret ship at that time.

As luck would have it I was ordered to head to Japan to the USNS Michelson T-AGS-23, A super secret ship at that time. Spent another three years on it, totaling about 9 years at sea.

My deployment made it impossible to meet my court date. Never heard from the court so I assume I'm in the clear. I would assume the cop is now chasing "Angels" and has no interest in the one that "got away".

Best

C

[will]

I was born in 1967 in the Bronx. My father moved us out of there to Westchester. I too am a former squid, Gas Turbine. Made 1st on the way out after 6 years. I did go to the Brooklyn navy yard one time to work on a separator in the engineroom of a tug in drydock, never made it to fleet week or anything fun like that on USS Ticonderoga. I was lucky in that I got to be part of the Pearl Harbor 50th commemoration as well as the Battle of the Coral Sea commemoration.
 I was also lucky enough to have made life long friends from both ships I was on, Uss Fletcher(DD-992) and Uss Ticonderoga(CG-47). Too bad one was sunk and the other scrapped.

[73rallye440magnum]

Lloyd, I hope your fall hunting trips provide good memories.

I am willing to bet November and December will offer a few clear road days to negate the need for any fuel stabilizer.

My father in law is 81. He still flogs his 4 speed GTO convertible. Plan on the same!