Honorary Aussies! - From Co-Pilot Jeff

Greetings family, friends and followers!

T'was the night before car show and all through the hotel, not a creature was stirring, except the Swedes, the Germans, the Slovakians, the Canadians, the Danes, the Kiwis, the Aussies and of course us Americans.

A day after arrival here in Birmingham, the order of the day was 1) brunch with Larissa's parents, 2) finding the Barber Motorsports Race Track, 3) waiting in the conga line to get to the front of the registration line (classic Mustangs overheating as we putzed in line, 4) getting lost trying to find the coin operated laundromat that Big Daddy (MAA Mustang 2) had told us was just up the road at the next exit next to the CVS drug store, 5) arguing with the GPS unit who kept telling it was recalculating and telling us to turn left or right when we know we did not come this way from the hotel earlier and 6) cleaning up and preparing the Red Pony for show the next morning. It is item 6 that I will discuss and had the most interesting and unexpected outcome as a result.

Let's set the playing field: We get back from our travels about Birmingham. The weather has been perfect since our arrival which is much improved over the "Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore" weather that we heard about on The Weather Channel while we were busy getting snowed on in Arizona. Anyway, it is late in the afternoon and our room had still not been made up by the housekeeping staff which was overwhelmed with everyone from MAA selling out the hotel. So, we went down to the lobby to wait for our room to get tended to. As Larissa and I are answering post-stay survey questions sent to us by email from the Aliante Station hotel in Las Vegas, a group of Mustang enthusiasts (and owners) from Australia showed up and plopped down in the chairs next to us waiting for friends to arrive. Extraordinarily friendly, they started chatting with us, exchanging experiences and showing pictures of their adventures traveling in our great country prior to and then during the MAA run. The pictures of one of their colleagues rolling a Hertz rental Mustang one mile from the rental office were somewhat painful but Hertz had no problem replacing their car (good thing they took out all the optional insurance). We told them that we were going to be showing our car at the celebration event. Two of the men we were chatting with, Gordon and Darrell, asked if they could catch a ride with us when we go back on Saturday for day 2 of the event as their wives would be tired of the Mustang smorgasbord after tomorrow (Friday). Sure, of course, we'd be delighted to offer a hitch. Uh, by the way, the race track is about 10 miles away and you know how tight the back seat of the Mustang is, right? Right.

The DoubleTree hotel gives out complimentary bags of chocolate chip cookies, still warm, in the hotel lobby in the late afternoon. We had just enjoyed our cookies and wrote each other's room numbers and phone numbers on cookie bags to exchange. We decided to head back up to the room where Larissa wanted to work on her Mary Kay orders and I was going to go clean the car. Gordon and Darrell offered to help me clean up the Mustang. Surprised but pleased at the offer, I accepted. Just then their friends flying in from New York walked in the front door. Big cheers and hugs. We decided to go ahead and leave and Gordon said that they would be along to give me a hand shortly.

Sure enough, I had not even finished changing into shorts when our room phone rang. It was Gordon asking where the car was so he could find it and me. We met at the car, Darrell was close behind followed by Larissa's dad who came out to see the event of me doing what I thought was going to be just a quick wipe down to get the dust and bugs off. Anything but! I had sweet talked the executive housekeeper in to loaning me a bucket for water and a few towels so I could do my thing. Gordon and Darrell would have none of that. "What cleaning supplies did you bring?" I showed them our stuff from home - Meguire's spray, glass cleaner, tire foam, vinyl & leather wipes, ShamWow! shammy things. Much better. Gordon and Darrell went to work and showed me a thing or two about detailing. By the time we were finished, the car was all gussied up and ready to show, even the tires (Wailun, you know how I feel about my dull tires). I told them how thankful I was for their help. Not at all, they said - "like a Sunday afternoon in my garage!" Gordon said. Not only that, but, since we were willing to take them to and from the show on Saturday, Gordon presented me with two small clip on Koala bears that clip on to the rear view mirror and an Australia ball point pen. He told me that Larissa and I are now "Honorary Aussies" for which I am very honored. The Koalas will be on the mirror at least throughout the car show as gratitude and friendship. We Americans could re-learn a thing or two from our friends down under.

Cheers, Mate!