Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Not so Ancient History II

I am doing great on my New Year's Resolution to start my personal history. Here it is already week 2 and I am still going strong!

The topic for this week is...

Your first car! How did you get it? What make and model was it? Any fun stories?
My first car was a truck. I think my dad arranged that on purpose. He knew I was going to need something big and beefy to survive. It is truly sad but I have no earthly idea what the make and model were. I wish my dad was alive so I could fill in that little bit of info. I do know it was a lovely shade of burgundy. I drove a burgundy truck.
One of the results of having a truck was that during my senior year I was the designated riser driver for our Madrigal group. The very first time the boys loaded them into the back they just stacked them straight up and therefore the last few risers were hanging over edge of the tailgate. I didn't realize this until I was driving home with Wendy B. I turned the corner and she started screaming that the risers were falling out! I turned to look back at them and apparently I turned the steering wheel as well. I turned back just in time to drive over the curb and ram my right headlight into a big tree!
I distinctly remember watching Wendy bounce up and hit her head on the roof of the truck. I think it broke her clip that she was wearing in her hair. I dropped her off and started to head for home. I had 2 thoughts. The first was I had avoided the wrath of Miss M. (the choir teacher) by not losing the risers out of the back of my truck. Well done on my part! The second thought was it wouldn't do me any good because my dad was going to KILL me.
I got home and as luck would have it Dad was in the garage AND he was holding a hammer. I remember getting out of that burgundy truck and just walking up to him and blurting out. "I hit a tree." He started waving the hammer around and yelling all kinds of questions and I fled into the safety of the house and had a good cry! I did go back later to get some tree pieces for my scrapbook which I have yet to put together.
One year later Dennis was driving my truck home from school at the U and a cute little old man who had no business driving pulled into our lane going about 10 miles an hour. We ran into the back of him going 50. I thought we had killed them! Dennis got out and checked on them to make sure they were ok while I sat in the truck and commenced with the freaking out! After he reported that they were fine I started to face the reality that I was going to have to tell my dad! I think Dennis was thinking about the same thing because we both start pacing up and down the median waiting for the police.
It actually worked out great for me because Dennis dropped me off at work and then went to my house to break the news to my dad. I don't think Dad yelled at him. Dad called me later at work and told me that he was glad that we weren't hurt and that we were much more important than any car or any burgundy truck for that matter. I think I liked that second accident better.
It was a good truck. But obviously not good enought to take a bunch of pictures of to share with you!

10 comments:

Tiffany said...

What a great story! And what a great way to write your history. Thanks for the inspiration!

Jacqui said...

I can just imagine Irv wielding the hammer as he showers questions on you.

I bet some brother or brother in law will be able to tell you the make, model and year of the car just by the partial photo you have. :)

Caroline said...

Good job on the history stories Kelli! I might steal your idea! I had to drive huge behemoths too. Remember the big grey van? Brian Hyer called it "the pervertable" because it had a bench in the back that turned into a bed. We had a big maroon truck like that too-- a 1976 GMC I think.

Brenny said...

I, too, have distinct visions of Uncle Irvin wielding the hammer. That truck looked pretty tough -- I can imagine it doing more damage than taking it.

Haley and Mitch said...

I'm no car freak, but the make and model is a chevy silverado and it looks like 1978 was the year. Here is a link to picture http://www.phantomprod.com/MPhMotorSilverado78.jpg. Funny, after you, Dad only bought toyota corollas for the kids to drive...so either he loved you the most or you were a horrible driver! --Mitch

Kelli said...

Of course Dad loved me the most. And I was a accident prone driver. However he did not but that truck for me. He had it sitting around for years and I happened to be the first driver and he was way to cheap to buy me anything else to drive. Thanks for the link. I am going to go look at it now.

Kelli said...

Dude that is one nasty looking truck. That was NOT like my truck.

Sheri said...

So funny and very descriptive! I felt like I was there - thankfully, I was not! Love this idea... I'm not actually putting anything inwriting...but it is making me reminise to myself!!

The Coolest Allen Family said...

Ok...I have not read this post yet (I will) but I just had to say that I had updated the blogs I read on my side column and somehow left yours out. Aack! So now I have to catch up on your blog. I am such a dork! I am sure you are so glad that I am back! :)

Jaren.Rencher said...

Dang you, Kell....
I just dropped by your blog for the first time and had to see that picture of Irv. Hit me like a ton of bricks.
Great story, though. For some reason I can picture Irv with the hammer VERY well. Oh yeah, I've seen my OWN father like that.... [grin]