Very, very, long story with many trails.
Basically, I wanted to vent about not having my tank back yet, but I can’t, as you’ll see.
My painter, Billie, works for a very good friend of mine, Terry, who runs a excavating company. This February, while Terry’s business was slow, I hired Billie to do my painting on the two tone tourer I got from Maryland. He did the bags, fenders and side cover right off and was fixing the dent in the tank when we got the news.
Terry’s wife of 50 years, Rena, has the big “C”. She was diagnosed about 4 years ago with it in her lungs. Never smoked a day in her life. She has fought it tooth and nail since and was in remission until about last July, when her handlers told her it was growing again. They changed her treatments and got more aggressive in fighting.
I’m a building contractor. I buy a lot of stuff from my local Lowe’s. They treat me good and give me good service.
Just about the time Rena’s treatments were ramped up, the guys at Lowe’s asked if I would be interested in attending the “Jimmy Jam” in Boston during the week of the NASCAR’s fall race in Loudon, NH. They knew I was a Nascar fan. The “Jimmy Jam” is like a concert in different venues around the country that Lowes puts on for their customers and fans of Jimmy Johnson, Lowes sponsored driver. They hire a big place and good band and put on a great time. Oh yeah, in case you didn’t hear about it, Jimmy was in the running for his 5th championship at the time.
The establishment (bar) I hang at, which Terry just happens to own, has had a NASCAR pool going for about 10 years now and Rena picked Jimmy Johnson as soon as he started racing in 2002. She’s been a big fan from day one.
As soon as the guys from Lowe’s asked me if I would like to attend ‘Jimmy Jam” my first question was “Can I give the tickets to a friend”. I thought of Rena right off and the Lowe’s people said the tickets would be mine to do what I please with them. Cool.
I told them my plan and why I had it.
A couple of weeks later, the regional sales manager, Justin, called me and asked if I would like to go to the “Jimmy Jam” as a VIP instead of a regular invite, to which I said “of course”. I then told him of my plan to give away the tickets to Terry & Rena and he said “no problem”
I told Terry the plan and we decided we would surprise Rena.
About the middle of August the tickets from the store were delivered by Fed-ex to my home. I opened and checked them out and could see they were the regular tickets, not the VIP’s. Oh well, that would just have to be okay, I wasn’t calling to complain.
About 2 days later, another Fed-ex package showed up and low and behold, 2 VIP tickets were inside. I called both the store and Justin to find out if I needed to return some tickets and they both said I didn’t. They kinda acted like they didn’t know I was getting the others tickets, but I got the feeling it was on purpose. Double cool.
When I saw Terry the next time, I offered both sets to him and Rena, in case they wanted to bring their kids or grandkids or some long time friends. They were Terry’s tickets to do as he wanted, cause it was still a surprise to Rena.
He honored me by asking if I and my lady friend, Brenda, would accompany him and Rena. Yes was the answer.
Just about that time, Rena took a turn for the worse.
Her handlers had changed her treatment again and it was effecting her in negative ways. She was taken to a local hospital for an overnight and they did her no favors. She became dehydrated and confused and was taken by ambulance to Boston’s Dana Farber(?) Institute. We all were very worried she was down and out.
Terry and his daughters and other family spent a lot time in Boston every day for about 2 weeks.
She’s a fighter. She rallied. Most thought she was going pass in the hospital or finish out in a Hospice home. Her family was quietly looking at the options. But she rallied and fooled them all.
She came home.
Slowly she got better and was able to walk. Soon she was on the phones and back in front of the computer running the business books.
Then she was able to come out to the restaurant and be with friends.
Our plan to surprise her with seeing Jimmy Johnson was back on.
I had asked the guys at Lowe’s to reach out to Jimmy Johnson’s people to see if they could do something special for Rena. Maybe just a private meeting during the Jam, off to the side. Just something special. They said they would do what the could and we left it at that.
Sept 16th finally came around. It was a stormy, humid day we have around New England in the summer. As Brenda and I pulled up to Terry & Rena’s to pick them up, we spotted a very long and very shinny Lincoln Town Car sitting in the drive. Terry had hired a limo.
Still a surprise to Rena, we collected her and walked her out to the limo, got her in the back seat and threw her wheelchair in the trunk. Down to the restaurant to get some provisions and ice and off we go to have dinner. I’ll never forget Rena’s “What have you guys got up your sleeve” comment as she walked down the sidewalk to the car.
Terry had chosen a restaurant he and Rena had been to before, a place called “The Melting Pot” in Framingham, MA. It’s a “Fondue” place and dinner should take at least 3 hours. We had 60 minutes. We got the “look” from the wait staff when we told them we had to be out in a hour.
We got our desert while we were still eating our appetizers, but with the provisions we had in the limo earlier and the adult beverages with dinner, we didn’t care. The Melting Pot staff did a great job and got us on the road on time.
As we were cruising our way down the Mass Pike to Boston, with Rena still in the wonder of what was up, I got a phone call from Justin, the Lowes Regional guy. He said he just found out that Jimmy Johnson, was at that time, sitting on the tarmac at the airport in New York. The airport was closed down due to some micro-burst storms that had hit NY, leveled trees and done major damage. JJ had been waiting to take off for 3 hours and really was wanting to get to Boston. Justin said JJ could have called it off but was determined to get to the Jam. He also said I should consider not coming to Boston as he felt JJ would not make it. I told Jason, it was too late. We were coming anyways.
What a bummer. After all the planning and phone calls and praying for Rena’s health and her getting better and excitement that she was going to see JJ, it was all to be ruined by a storm in NYC. No wonder I hate NYC.
What a total buzz kill. I decided to tell Rena the story, cause it seemed like it was not to be. She took it well, better than the rest of us, but she hadn’t been looking forward to it for months.
We went to the Jam anyway. It was held at a place called “Royale Nightclub” with some entertainers called Edwin McCain, Ken Block & Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel. Nobody I know, but they were very good.
The Royale is a nightclub on the 2nd , 3rd or 4th floor of a building and used to be a theater hall back in the day. All the seats were removed and high tables and bars installed all around and a large dance area in front of the stage. Up stairs in the old balcony area were stuffed booths and a couple of more bars. Really classy joint. No really, it is a nice place.
Justin met us at the door of the place and gave up two more VIP tickets. He told me it was set up that if Jimmy made it, he would spend a minute with Rena. Possible cool.
We got inside thru the kitchen because there wasn’t an elevator that serviced the nightclub, or so they said. So we got a tour of the kitchen and the service elevator, which did stop at the right floor.
The way it was set up, the main floor was for the regular guests and the balcony was for the VIP guests. JJ was supposed to get there an hour earlier than when the regular guests were let in, to mingle with the VIP’s for meet & greet and some pics. Then he was go down to the stage, hang with the band and the MC’s and talk with the crowd. But that plan was out the door, as he was still in NYC.
We sat at a high top table on the main floor because there was no elevator to the balcony. It was empty down there because the regular guests weren’t in yet and the VIP’S were up stairs. After a while, Terry slinks away and goes up to the balcony to check it out. Couple of minutes later, he looks over the rail and motions me up. I go up the stairs, walk into the balcony and look at one of the best looking buffets I’ve seen, outside of some wedding years ago. Plus, they had these very nice girls walking around handing out chow.
Terry and I look over the rail and try to figure how we’re getting Rena up there. I go down and make the bid to her. I suggested we carry her up in the wheelchair, but she looked at me and said something to the nature of she wasn’t letting me and Terry do that. I told her I wasn’t thinking that way and suggested we recruit the two BIG bouncers to do it, and they said they would, but Rena would have nothing to do with it.
She walked up the stairs. It wasn’t easy, but with help from us she made it up them.
We took a booth and although we were stuffed from dinner, we enjoyed some of the fair the pretty ladies were dishing out. Also, each ticket came with 3 drink tickets. Rena wasn’t drinking and with the extra door tickets, Brenda, Terry and I each had 6 drink tickets. I think I still have some of them around. (no)
About that time, Justin tells us JJ is in the air and is going to come no matter what time he gets to Boston.
AWSOME!!
The regular crowd starts to fill the dance floor, band starts up. We all hang and eat and drink and time flies. Sometime later, don’t know when, Jimmy Johnson is on stage and everyone in the place is yelling and clapping. The band stops and Jimmy, Retledge Wood from the Speed Channel and the band members sit on stage, talk and take questions. Must have been about ½ hour and Jimmy thanks the crowd and moves off to stage right and takes some stairs up to the balcony boxes.
I watch his progress as he makes his way thru the people in that area and then stops. Now I’m thinking, because he spent so much time on the tarmac, that was it, he was heading to NH. No way he was getting away without meeting Rena, that’s what I was thinking. Corse, the adult beverages didn’t cloud my thinking much. I make my way over to that area, walk up to him, and as he’s talking to one of his entourage, stand politely quite till they stop talking. They do and Jimmy looks at me and I take the opportunity to introduce myself, put out my hand which he shakes and tell him his biggest fan is here and would her take the time to meet her.
Now, I’m standing there next to the 4 time Nascar Champ that spent most of his day on a tarmac in NYC trying to get to Boston. He was on his way to Loudon to start the chase for the 5TH championship. It was late and he had practice and qualifying ahead of him the next couple a days.
Actually, if he had shot me down, I probably would have gone to jail that night for putting the champ in a headlock. In my mind, he was meeting Rena, whether he wanted to or not.
But those thoughts were unneeded. He said, “Oh yeah, I’ve got to go over there” He points across the hall to the other side of the balcony “I’ve got some pictures I need to do. Have her come over here and when I’m done with that, I’ll come see her”
Double Dog Cool!
I make my way back to the middle of the balcony and find Rena, Terry and Brenda. Just as I walk up to them, Jimmy Johnson walks up behind me, then past me and Rena, with Rena turning to follow him like a moth to a candle.
I take Rena’s hand and tell her “No Rena, he’s going to take some pictures and then meet with us over there.” She looked at me like I was lying to her, but she let me lead her to the other side.
We got over there and sat down on a couch JJ had pointed out, waiting while he stood next to about 30 people, one at a time, for photos.
He finally made it over to us, walked right up while we where talking, and sat down next to Rena for just a minute. They talked about who knows what and he signed a hat Lowe’s had given me after his 4th, that I had given to Rena. (That hat is a whole nother story).
He was very gracious and polite and stayed for some photos with her.
After he said goodbye to Rena, I walked up to him, shook his hand and said “Thank you”. Then I asked “Did she tell you how much money you won her over the years” Jimmy said she hadn’t. I said “A lot!” We both laughed and I thanked him again.
I am now a Jimmy Johnson Fan, he was that nice.
This is what is was all about!!
So what’s all this got to do with my tank and how is this Valk related?
Well, just as Billie was starting to work on my tank, we got the word that Dana Farber stated they can do no more for Rena. No more treatment.
Rena has a 85 Monte Carlo that she loved and used to tool around in before it got too ratty and put away in the garage with every intention of fixing it up some day. Some day has come and Billie is working hard to get it restored enough so she call cruise in it again.
The heck with my tank.
