9/26/14 - On the hook again
/
We started out this morning with our usual after breakfast routine, Joe checks and packs the car. I check all the outlets for chargers of electronic items, pack them up, look for forgotten items and check out. We got in the car and buckled up in preparation for the drive to the Springfield car show where the T-Bird would be proudly displayed along with other vintage jems. The T-Bird started first try. We backed out of our parking spot, put it in drive and the engine reved but the car did not move. I tried other forward gears ,.. nothing. We added a pint of tranny fluid and got a little movement but not enough to drive on the street. The car was to make a short trip to the shop today to check out a leak at the control linkage, but we did not expect to get it there on the' hook'. Joe called AAA. I called the car rental company and after waiting for the second tow truck to show up (the first one could not get under the car) we went our separate ways. Joe and T-Bird went to the transmission shop and I went to the rental car agency.
While I was doing the paperwork for the rental car I explained to the fellow that was helping me what we are doing and asked about brew pubs in the area. He gave me some recommendations and said that we should try a Horseshoe. I didn't know what a "Horseshoe" is but he had another customer so I didn't interrupt him to get clarification.
I picked Joe up at the transmission shop and we headed for the car show to pick up our registration and look at cars. They couldn't find our registration and we were sent to the organizers motor home. When we explained our T-bird situation he agreed to refund our money if I agreed to look back on the credit card records and send a copy of the purchase. Then we were free to walk around the area and checked out some of the fine cars.
The transmission shop called and told us that the transmission needs a complete rebuild and it will take until Tuesday to get it done. We needed a beer... so we stopped in at a little restaurant to think up a plan. After a beer we went exploring again and found people were setting up there lawn chairs along a couple of streets and waiting for something, just like before the Rose Parade. A few of the curb loungers told us that the tour of vintage cars started about 6:15, a little over an hour from then. We picked a cafe with outdoor seating and a good view of the street just as a crowds started to show up also looking for a place. We could order dinner and watch the cars go by in comfort. We ordered another beer (why not) while looking over the menu. There was a menu section of Horseshoes, but it wasn't clear what they are exactly. Joe decided he would have one and I played it safe with a turkey Ruben,and we both had salads to balance out our meals. When our dinners arrived the horseshoe mystery was revealed. It is Springfield toast, (a lot like Texas Toast but tasted pretty good here) layered with boneless chicken strips done in buffalo sauce then mounded with french fries, secret beer cheese sauce and sprinkled with chopped onions and jalapenos. It was quite a taste treat! Then our salads arrived. Our waitress was a Penny clone from Big Bang Theory, younger then our kids, blond, attractive, a little overwhelmed with all of the customers. She forgot our silverware but flirted with the Old Farts on Route 66 (that's us), Maybe it was only to increase her tip...but we doubt it. We were feeling young and good lookin' until we got up from the uncomfortable chairs we were sitting in for two hours and realized how creaky we really are. After watching dinner and cars on tour we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep. The police had the streets blocked off and there still were cars in line a mile from where we had dinner waiting to cruise the strip. I heard that there were 1300 cars last year in the cruise. There's no word yet on how many came this year, but there are plenty.
The plan we decided upon is to continue to St Louis, MO in the rental car on Saturday and explore the area until the T-Bird is ready to continue on. Then we will be able to sprint ahead on the freeway to the part of Route 66 that we haven't yet seen. A good plan, we think.
