Friday the 13th

In our day to day lives it seems we rarely step back from ourselves.  And say "hey wow,  this is summer,  and it's a nice day".  I had a really nice day today because I spent some quality time with wife.  Breakfast on the deck with the barn cats.  Later in the day,  upstairs in the office with the window unit running long and hard,  dripping water on the butterfly bush below and keeping us cool.  I had some leftover pizza from Papa Johns and I'm not supposed to have that.  It's a lotta carbs.  I wound up falling asleep for a 90 minute nap.  The nap was more like a hyperglycemic coma.  When I awoke the sun had eased off on the windows and I didn't know where I was or whether it was morning or evening.  I shook off my sore back and went downstairs.  Wife said "I thought you were going to Denton tonight".  I said something like "Yes I am going,  where is it I'm going again?  She said it was maybe too late now,  but there was a car meet I had talked about for Friday the 13th.  I started begging her to go with me,  but alas,  she had things to do,  and didn't want to change out of her grubbies and wanted to visit and feed critters.

It was a bit too late.  I rallied and threw a foldable canvas chair into the VW.  And my decaf and a water.
There was no time to even rinse the car with the hose.  It was dusty from the ramshackle garage it hides in.
Next thing I knew I was rattling along on highway 16 for the remaining 15 miles to Denton.  The windows were down and the summer air was warm,  but not hot.

When I got to main street there was no missing where the cruise-in was.  About 20 street rods, customs and restorations were lined up along the main drag of this little town.  Beautiful.  A big bake sale.  A big inflateable movie screen ready for dark,  all the shops open, an ice cream truck, a hot dog stand.  It's like something from the fifties.  The car guys have greasy hair,  never too long,  and they smoke cigarettes.  The car girls have short shorts and makeup.  The guys and girls are like me.  Not young.

I ease the Beetle into a fine parking place.  Between an Orange Super Bird,  and a black circa 1963 T-Bird.  I wander around and and it's just so nice that I wish wife had come along.  I got to look at all the cars before they started leaving.    I bought a fine salad and set up my chair in front of my car and the outdoor movie was beginning.  Like a drive-in!  It was Tim Allen,  Star Trek,  Star wars...  or something.  Space, Comedy,  Drama.  I didn't stay to the end of the movie.  But I did stay until I was the last classic car.

The Bug seemed to like the cool ride home.  It went along without complaining.  I enjoyed the cool not cold night air and left the windows open.

There was no gate to drive thru. No entry fee.  No trophies given out.  No announcements from a loud speaker. No hot sun.  There was an outdoor movie.  On my empty passenger seat there was placed a dash plaque and a flyer.  Not a flyer for another car show someone is trying to get me to.  A flyer from this  cruise-in, as a souvenir.  My thanks to the Town of Denton.  You guys know how to do summer.

And Friday the 13th.