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I'm sure many of you out there have
seen the commercials for Intel entitled "Our people are not like
your people". I have sad news for the pitchmen over at Intel, we
in the car community have known this probably before the
personal computer was ever born.
With the holiday season now fully upon us, I cannot help but be
reminded of how the car-guy's holidays will differ greatly from
mainstream America. Its not that we don't want to participate in
"everybody's holidays", but the fact remains that if we try and
celebrate the "normal holidays" it tends to make things pretty
busy when we try and include ours as well.
Most holidays find us simply taking some time out from our
fervent hobby to spend time with our loved ones. This is handled
in most cases with little complaint since we know our real
priorities down inside. Some of us may go kicking and screaming
mind you, but that can be traced to the boy that remains inside
of us despite our advancing years. Those of us who have been so
blessed with a significant other that willingly gives us room to
play in our little world, deserves to get our time and attention
when they do ask (and even when they don't, and we just know
better) At the end of the day we don't want to spoil a good
thing so we get on board.
The calendar holidays come almost once a month, and depending on
your particular car-guy flavor, ours can roll around just about
as often. The North American International Auto Show rolls out
the red carpet in January, followed shortly thereafter by the
Autorama. The Daytona 500 heralds the opening of the NASCAR
season every February, and the list grows ever longer from
there. The 12 hours of Sebring, Opening Day at Watkins Glen, The
Drags at Raceway Park in historic Englishtown, NJ, The Indy 500,
The Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise, The Hot Rod Power Tour, any
Good Guys event, The brand loyal weekend of choice at Carlisle,
PA, Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Hot August Nights
in Reno NV, SEMA in Las Vegas, and that barely scratches the
surface. There will be literally hundreds of other local and
Nationally sanctioned events all over the country.
Unlike the calendar holidays, where each carries a certain
theme, the car-guy days have one common thread. We always like
to get together and show off, be it looks or speed or cheering
for our favorite car and driver, each event can be quite unique
but the core of our enjoyment always remains.
Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, the car-guy faces a time of
transition. The cool, crisp fall days have given way to colder
temperatures in most cases, and the play-toys have been
carefully sheltered away in their garages or lovingly wrapped in
their covers. Some will now begin upgrades and renovations in
preparation for next spring, while others are strictly in
hibernation.
This time of year also brings another holiday to perplex the
car-guy, easily the most daunting of all the others,Christmas
Day. This is the time of year when the car-guy is constantly
asked; "What do you want for Christmas?"
As we all well know, the list of things we would love to find
wrapped (or unwrapped for that matter) under the tree would
easily stretch around the house. However we have learned through
hard experience that these are things you just don't ask for, as
its about the rough equivalent of requesting your very own
military fighter jet. Oh you can ask mind you, but be brutally
prepared to be greeted with either a head scratching facsimile
of your dream part or tool, or simply the next in a long line of
various shaving products.
Lets not be too hard on the poor unsuspecting family members
though, since most of them would have an easier time
understanding what we were talking about if we just spoke Greek
to begin with. Here is another area where I thank my lucky stars
for my beloved wife. She is a photographer, and as such is as
picky about her equipment as I am about my automotive items. I
learned pretty early on in our relationship that I was expressly
forbidden to purchase anything camera related without her prior
stamp of approval. Now this may seem like an undramatic way to
shop for Christmas presents, but I can tell you the itch of
waiting for your gift when you know its exactly what you
wanted can be nerve racking all the same. Any poor schmuck
who has ever waited to have a custom car built an tell you all
about this level of agony.
Luckily over time I have discovered a list of things that are
always worth getting. Jugs of Meguiar's car wash, bottles of Hot
Shine, shop rags and wax applicator pads never go out of style.
Occasionally I run across an item that I point out with giddy
boyhood glee, and my wife will oblige in the same fashion as her
own camera equipment, by snapping it up for me and whisking it
away until Christmas morning. This must be how Santa feels when
Mrs. Claus picks his gift out.
None of this is put forth as any kind of complaint, but more as
an acknowledgement the car-guy orbits in a different path from
most. We as a group are okay with that because we are very glad
to participate in both our holidays and yours. We are thankful
we have a wonderful place where we can pursue this passionate
hobby, and even more thankful we have family and friends who
help us do so.
For these things alone we will happily accept all the after
shave you give us by default. Especially since when we get
finished working on our toys, we need to clean up before we can
fix yours.
God Bless America...and the wives of car-guys.
Timmy
www.tobthebat.wordpress.com
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