The Glass Is Still More Than Half Full

This weekend, this olelongrooffan made the six hour trip down to FantasyLand to substitute for TheGoodAttorney in the presentation of a Construction Continuing Education Course.  (He's a new Godfather and attended a Baptism on Saturday afternoon, on the beach, in flip flops. This is Florida afterall.)

On the way out of town, I spotted this almost used up longroof and had to stop and get a few images of it for an upcoming blog.

And just down the street from it, I spotted this now rare Porsche 924.

Once this olelongrooffan had gotten down the Eisenhower Interstate System's 95 and headed east on its 75, nature took its course.  I stopped at a boat launch facility out there in the Everglades and had a meeting with Mother Nature.

While there, I captured this grainy image of Florida's other main attraction, an alligator.  That is it, just off the other bank of this canal, about 40 feet from this longrooffan.

After doing that class in Naples, I headed up to Sarasota to teach another one on Sunday.  Although this longrooffan did not have a specific motel to stay in, once I saw this one on US 41, I had no choice but to stay there. 

Hey, I'm the longrooffan, not Rockefeller!!

Anyway, as I was strolling down the Tamiami Trail find a restaurant, I looked in the parking lot adjacent and saw this image. 

Well, I am certain those of you Counting Along With Me know that this olelongrooffan was in that parking lot in an instant!

According to one of the drivers of these classic Model "A"s, the Orlando Model "A" club had ventured over to Sarasota to visit the Sarasota Auto Museum and I happened to catch them at their motel of choice this weekend.

I even spotted, what I believe to be, a 34 Ford four door ragtop.  It was beautiful.

The location where the Sarasota class was is directly across the street from the weekly swap meet the city puts on and during one of the many breaks in this class, this olelongrooffan ventured over and

picked up the three Tonka Corvettes in the above image.  These were included with a Tonka car hauler back in 60's and should bring a few bucks for Happy Hour offerings to the Taj Mahal.  No, Bus, that Chevy Stake Truck from TomP (RIP) is not leaving the Taj Mahal any time soon!!

But even better, I also picked up, from the same seller during that $20 negotiation process, these three vintage Japanese tin cars.  All of the self propelled motors work on them and other than some cosmetic issues are in great shape.  Ebay, here this olelongrooffan comes!

Now this olelongrooffan can hear all ya'll commenting the glass seems a lot more than 1/2 full.  A couple relatively lucrative days teaching those classes, a night in the Cadillac motel, scoring some easily sold toys on ebay.....Hell longroof what's up with that 1/2 full cr*p?

Well Counters, when this olelongrooffan turned off the ignition of my Comanche at my chosen place of rest that Saturday,

this usually bulletproof mechanical starter relay under the hood of that 25 year old means of transportation decided it had had enough and refused to allow this olelongrooffan to start that ride up again. 

Well, after tinkering around for an hour or so, thejeepjunkie was summoned on my massive, high tech communications system.  We strategized about the problem for another hour or so, with no success.

So, here this olelongrooffan is, 192 miles from home, unable to start my primary means of transportation and no idea what the h*ll is wrong with it.

And even though all of that above statement is true,

This is the welcome sight this olelongrooffan saw after teaching that class all morning and early afternoon long. 

That's right Counters, thejeepjunkie and TheGoodAttorney made the fire burning SUV sighting  on I-75 and the tuner car fatal accident on I-4 round trip to rescue this olelongrooffan.  Plus, thejeepjunkie was able to source the needed part at 5:30 on a Sunday afternoon and get my old Indian back on the road so this olelongrooffan can get my sorry *ss to work on time tomorrow.

That, Counters, is why the Glass Is Half Full and this olelongrooffan can still

Celebrate Life.