Anti-Freeze…
Now, if I were a techie-type, which clearly I’m not, and if I were writing/reporting something about that subject with a more local slant, as it might pertain to riding in Florida for instance, then I would likely refer to that mystical fluid as coolant… however, I’m not attempting any of that… Nope, in fact, this whole piece is only indirectly ride or even tech related. Oh to be sure there is a serious legacy linkage to riding and especially to our girl for sure, but… OK, I reckon I’d better explain…
It started while I was seated comfortably in that recliner of mine last evening suspended in that familiar limbo-state somewhere between nodding off into a nap and actually comprehending what I was watching on an old re-run TV program, when… I heard the ‘announcement’ of a just received text message. Well, text messaging being only barely but still just within the range of my technical ability, I decided to go ahead and read it, as my curiosity had by then been aroused… That message was quite brief stating simply, “The garage is busy this evening…” A special place, that garage… Our girl has even been on the lift there several times herself. That text also included two photos, though, and those spoke volumes!
Anti-freeze…
The legendary t-man403… Terry Nickel (pic taken by Kirby)
does la croix hydrateThose photos had been taken by Kirby, a really good local friend of Terry’s, and… someone with whom I’ve also come to regard as a good friend, along with several others up there. They live in Calgary, AB, so naturally such a photo taken up there in late February would lead any softy southerner to assume that fluid must be related to a particular variety of ‘anti-freeze’ sometimes referred to as ‘fire-water’ in some fashion. It definitely was…
They proudly announced one of those ‘Chinook’ winds had swooped down upon them, and they were experiencing a slightly above ‘0c’ temp respite for the first time in a while… Naturally I inferred that then meant it must be time to take advantage of such a reprieve and deal with any latent ‘anti-freeze’ deficiency issues in preparation for again plunging temps soon to follow… They were… Just imagine…
Now ordinarily at any ‘garage wrench party’ I would feel about like a shoe salesman would if attending a conference of brain surgeons. However, in the case of ‘anti-freeze’ of that special sort, I do have a very vague familiarity, so… The effort was not totally wasted… In fact, it was plum wonderful to be even included! A marvelous interlude from another episode of ‘Perry Mason’, indeed!
Well, tech-talk being what it is, the discussion soon wandered onto other topics… and I started to feel that all too familiar ache of ‘disconnect’ arising deep within me… As an antidote to the rather expensive costs of texting on some ‘plans’, particularly on ‘international’ network connections, ‘WhatsApp’ was mentioned. Naturally that word had been heard by yours truly in some unfamiliar context or other, but like with so many modern marvels, I had no clue at all what it might be about or how on earth it might be of any use to normal human beings… (You need to be seated if you plan to continue reading…)
No, I still don’t completely understand exactly what it is or how it might be routinely utilized; however, I am, nonetheless, now a member, and I have successfully engaged through actual participation in its employment! Yep, Terry talked/texted me through the sign-up and connect processes, and somehow it all worked… for that session… I don’t know just now if I’ll ever be able to repeat that significant achievement…
This could, of course, very easily turn out to be another ‘Facebook’ disappointment, I’m afraid… See, SmokinJoe, after considerable effort and time, managed to get me hooked-up on that social platform once upon a time… Well, within three days I couldn’t recollect half of what all Joe had told me, and I certainly couldn’t figure it out for myself. I’d become extremely frustrated with all of that to the point I finally gave up and ‘unfriended’ myself… We’ll just have to wait and see how this foray into techno wizardry might play out… I am hopeful, but I’m not very optimistic…
One thing led to another, and soon enough we were having a ‘regular’ voice phone conversation! Kirby had gone home by then, but Terry’s boss, Lynda, had joined the conversation… (I forgot to ask her about her reaction to that article on marriage enhancement Terry had been reading and posting about recently…) Anyway, that was a really special event! Significant for sure in that I was engaged in some new-to-me magical tech enterprise, but that was only a very small part of the overall event surprise!!!
Many of you who’ve been around awhile may know about the time Terry rescued our girl and returned her to her heartbroken partner at the ‘14 InZane in Asheville, NC. Well, that entire adventure which has lasted long beyond the months associated with the actual beginning and her eventual return… a long story indeed, and far too long to be included here… What is important, though, is the friendships that grew from that at the very start extreme disappointment into such meaningful, life-altering relationships! It’s happened before with this slice of our lives…
Yep, hardly a day goes by without my reading a post on our board regarding the quality relationships of others formed entirely through activities and interactions within and unique to this organization. All of us have experienced this, and we all consider having found our way here to be one of the most amazing blessings in our entire lives. That ‘busy garage night’ in Calgary is but a tiny sliver of all that went into making that evening one of the best and most special contacts enjoyed by this humble non-techie in recent memory!!! ‘Wrench’ parties can be fun after all, it appears… even for us non-techies!
DDT
