Parts Falling Apart
03/30/08 02:32 PM | Up Chucks
Car Part: It is all hurry up and wait. It is all, "On Your Marks, Get Set....." There is no go. Not yet. My anxious nature is not capable of handling this much longer. The BMW parts world has all but abandoned me. The folks in California have been given two chances to send me a list of parts available and prices based on a master list of needs I have faxed to them. They have all my digits, my e-mails and my desires. They have not contacted me as of yet in any way. "They say that patience is a virtue, but I haven't got the time", "Psycho Killer", David Byrne and the Talking Heads, 1977. My other contact person, Bruce C. a recommendation from LeAnne Bailey has not come through for me yet either. I have spoken to him multiple times on the phone and given him my requested parts needs, but as yet he has failed to be available on three occasions when I was able to drive the 45 miles to see him, and he has yet to return one of my calls. I'm starting to think that this may be a "One Sided Love Affair". (Re: Elvis Presley: 1956, side 1 track 4; Written by Bill Campbell, with the musical greats Floyd Cramer, Chet Atkins and Scotty Moore, Shorty Long, Bill Black and D.J.Fontana among others). I contacted Bruce C. at 12:01 this afternoon (one digit after noon, none the less after noon) as yet here at 2:45 he has yet to call back.
Bowling Part: There is just three weeks between me and not bowling anymore I fear. The eight year love/hate relationship with kegling may be nearing a divorce, if not at least a self-restraining order. Jenni and I stopped at the Chatterbox last night hoping to have a run in with the Gary's CC girls and a couple of Betties. Well if they showed up it was after we gave up. After an Hour and a half of being inert, inertia held sway without swaying and we went to Bazbeaux Pizza just a few scant yards from the "Box" (note: the only yards that are near the "Box" are Paved ones, an enterprising youth with his own lawn cutting company would starve to death in the Art & Theatre District). Once inside the pizza emporium we were ushered to the subterranean chambers where we ordered a Hawaiian Pizza for two, and got to hear some of the worlds loud and clueless expound upon the virtues of Mark getting drunk and arrested. Apparently in some diction circles "Oh my God" has replaced "Uh" as the filler of choice, while the brain catches up with the steam of expelled verbiage at a volume level sufficient enough to have every table looking at the one just behind and to the left of mine. The culprit was a twenty something co-ed with eight of her friends (I didn't notice if the others were wearing ear-protection like Rich and I wear when we are in Bristol, or not). To my Great Expectation those little Dickens' left as we did so we got to hear and share in the telling of Mark's arrest twice. To clear the air we headed towards home, and stopped at the All Star Bowl on the East side (only 3.8 miles from the World HQ I might add) just to look around. It is big, 48 non-synthetic lanes, but I don't know if I have the desire to start over in a new house, and I don't want to patronize the Royal Pain Bowlin' Sinners again after my tenure is up at Sport Bowl. I will go for the car give-away tournament since I am registered for that, and will gladly take their Mustang if I am lucky enough to make it to the final round and dinner, but as far as giving them my hard earned entertainment dollars. They get bubkis! I may be rolling my last league ball in three weeks, If I am even in town.
Vacation Part: Well with all this strife in my life I may have to let down myself and my wife. Times and travels, money and misfortune may have me calling to cancel my Mystery Vacation plans for the near & foreseeable future. The death of the Mädchen and the search for a few parts for the Blue Frankenstein in the garage on jack stands have left me motivationally and financially immobilized. My vacation starts on my birthday, April 14th: a day truly blessed with history.
Happened on April 14th: The day the Donner Party departed Springfield Illinois in 1846, the Titanic strikes an iceberg in 1912, the Assassination of Lincoln in 1865, Black Sunday; when 20 Dust Storms laid siege to the great Plains and turned day into night in 1945. Also the day that Don Ho(2007), Burl Ives(1995), Anthony Newley (1999), Pete Farndon of the Pretenders (1983), and Frederic March (1975) died. And still more on April 14th, that day that Rod Steiger, Kenneth Marrs, Erich VonDäniken, Pete Rose (baseball scoundrel), Richard Jenni (comedian, suicide 07), Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple), Greg Maddux and "Buffy The Vampier Slayer;"Sarah Michelle Geller (1977) was born.
I am in a sort of stasis, Neither stopping or going, incapable of moving, while around me, I can't stop plans or things from falling apart. I think Jenni and I are going to head out to the parts Farm and see if we can see the Mystery Mr.C, and drop some green for my Blue Frankenstein who was needed to be reborn on the day of my Valentine.
Chuck Pace © 2008