Driving a Dad's vette the first time.

I have daughters from two marriges. Tammy and Carri with Skip in # 1, and Jessica, Amanda, and Ashleigh with Judy from #2.
This is a story about Tammy and how she had just gotten her drivers license in Tucson Arizona. She had been after me for about a year to drive my car, a 1977 Corvette. I was hesitant but she eventually wore me down so I promised the following Saturday I would come up and go to her little brothers (Scott) soccer game and that I would let her drive me to the game in the vette. The younger girls would be visitng family so it would work out nicely.
I arrived early ( as i tend to do) and instead of waking everyone up in a dark house I chose to catch a few winks sitting in the car. Now while Corvettes may be cool, sporty, fast, and all that they are NOT comfortable to sleep in. I had cowboy boots one and can remember trying to get my feet to fit and the seat to recline and all that. It was a miserable couple of hours and when Ed (skips boyfriend who was/is the best guy she ever dated in my opinion) woke up and offerred me coffee I was most grateful.
Morning arrived in a blaze of color that you have to be in the southern desert to appreciate. It was going to be another beautiful, sunny day. A perfect day for a soccer game, and even better for a young lady to drive a cool car with the t-tops taken off.
Tammy tried to do the no brreakfast thing she was so excited to go drive the car but eventually gulped down what was required to satisfy her mom and Ed. Only then to be disappointed because she still couldnt leave until they did and there was no gulping on thier part. Scott was equally excited as he was gonna tear 'em up on the soccer field that day.
The time came, it was a sunny, warm, Saturday, and the kid was gonna drive a bright red, stingray. What could be better. She was excited and nervous at the same time.
We walked out to the car, I threw her the keys, and she stood at the door staring at me with a vacant look on her face sort of like I cant believe this is really gonna happen, and oh poop the time is here. 8)
We got in she started the car, and immediately asked if we could go by her friends house so they could see her driving the car. I relented and said sure. So to the friends house we go, she pulls up, runs to the door, knocks, and no one is home.. So, she asks to try another, we drive over there, do the alley this time, she runs to the back door, knocks, and no one is home. Friend after freind, NO ONE is home. This poor girl finally gets to drive the cool car and there is no one to show off for. We did have a long drive all over Tucson that day and did make Scotts soccer game before it ended. She had a great time and told her friends all about it on Monday.

A bunch of years later, while living in Haines Alaska Amanda got her chance to drive the 1975 Vette we had at that time. It was 40 miles from town to the house. I drove her car and she drove the vette. After 2 hours I was vacillating between worried and angry. She finally showed up and I asked (quite pointedly) where the heck have you been, what took so long. She said sorry Dad but I was so scared I would wreck the car I only drove 40 miles an hour. LOL

I had purchased an Auto/Tire repair shop as my retirement gig. I had operated with the owner for 6 months prior to his moving and my taking over to get to know how it all worked.
January 1, 2005 I retired from the Border Station in Haines Alaska which was a Saturday.
Monday I opened the shop on my own for the first time. Tuesday I had deliveries of new tires, new equipment, and two cords of wood brought in. On Wednesday morning, January 5, 2005 I looked out the office window to what I thought heavy snow blowing (it was snowing very heavily at the time) only to step out and see the shop was on fire. That June I put the car in the car show ( where it had shown every year from when I first got it wrecked, while sanded for body work etc) with the sign below leaned against it. You can see the before of the car, the fire, and the after.