The two days I spent in Henderson was the longest week of my life. The real entertainment didn’t begin until after last night’s Chamber of Commerce party. We experienced setbacks and stand downs. The Zen Master’s 1909 Model T sputtered to a standstill off the side of the highway, spark plug wires fused to the engine block, as copious amounts of smoke blended with the Vegas smog. This morning we emerged united in purpose, with our eyes to the road and a true sense of adventure in the air.
John stayed with the Model T, lighted only by a full moon while I drove the Zen Master back to the U-Haul truck and trailer that he wisely brought along for just such an eventuality. We pushed the old car onto the trailer and at 9p.m. embarked upon a treasure hunt for spark plug wires. Two stops later we delivered cable and a crimping tool back to the Loews Resort and watched the Zen Master jerry rig cables only to discover that he’d cracked his engine head. Undaunted, he went to his room to contemplate his next move.
Back in the lobby we had a philosophical discussion with the event coordinator and eventually agreed to disagree. It’s funny how heat short circuits emotional connections as it unifies new compadres in purpose.
John doesn’t snore…much! Whew, and I was worried that I wouldn’t get to sleep at all last night. When we finally did get up early this morning the sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, the smog had cleared, the Zen Master had magically found not only an engine head, but a mechanic to replace it. When we bid our new friend farewell at the starting line he said that he’d buy us a drink after he joins us in Williams later tonight. You know, only a Zen Master would believe that he could drive a 100 year old car 3,500 miles across the country and have the inner peace to navigate the challenges of age and make it really happen.
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