Death Café & Beckett

Led by Gail Rubin, the Doyenne of Death, about 20 people showed up at the monthly Death Café to talk about death and dying. Several were/are hospice workers, one a retired physician, even a few youngsters.

The hospice worker sitting next to me encouraged me to call Hi-Desert Hospice. She said they have their own physicians who support MAID and it sounded to her as if I'd qualify. I don't need a referral from my cardiologist anyone else. I'll  do that Monday.

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Damned to Fame is the only authorized biography of Samuel Beckett. As the stage is being set, we learn of Bill Beckett, Samuel's Dad, parking his sports Delage at the Royale Irish Automobile Club. Here're some pictures...

The 1930s Delage

The 2022 Delage

Gunther, Christine und Otto

A story of one of Phoebe's German siblings, the Gelandewagen or "cross-country vehicle"...

http://www.bbc.com/news/special/2014/newsspec_8703/index.html

There's a section on the Mercedes website (link below) that begins...

"Within the timeless body..."

https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/g-class/suv

There're some things that cannot be improved on.

Short sidewalls make for a bumpy ride.

In 2018, Suzuki, Phoebe's roots, reissued the two-door *Jimny.* It looks the same as the 1984 and aside from a triangle of beams to strengthen the frame, it has much the same mechanicals. Suzuki, in a concession to technology, added electric latches and L.E.D. lights thereby drawing to a close the much-loved tradition of their iconic whale-oil carriage lamps. 

The link below is to an earlier blogpost comparing (visuals) between Phoebe and the G-Wagon. 

https://newmexnomad.blogspot.com/2016/09/we-could-be-heros.html?m=1

Cars of Truth or Consequences

 Cruising the town I came across a restoration shop. The sign says it's a private collection.

The Willys Next Door

A vehicle is, to me, a conveyance; protection from the elements while providing an expeditious means of transferring one's body from one place to another. 

In my youth I drove a variety of vehicles including a 1968 GTO (at 140 mph drag-racing on Colorado Blvd in Denver at 11pm)

a 1966 Triumph TR4 (practiced "drifting" through turns)

and I put our 1964 VW bug through its paces on one of the windingest roads through the hills of Tennessee where we (unfortunately) went to live after leaving Germany.

But every now and then, as with the Auburn in California or Phil Endicott's 1932 Dodge, I see one that is worthy of note. Such was the case with this Willys in Flagstaff.

Will you LOOK at that Patina!!

That's a tachometer stuck in on the left hiding behind the steering wheel.

Double-U...for Willys

ALBUQUERQUE!!

Once you've bought all your stuff, there's NOTHING to do.

I was sitting in the Walmart parking lot on the phone with her about family issues. Suddenly, with indescribable insouciance, this yellow MG Midget appeared....flying a Day-of-the-Dead Jolly Roger.

The contrast to the conversation made me laugh out loud and prompted me to exhort Jim, the car's owner, to re-enact the event.



As mundane as the video is, I encourage you to imagine the contrast between what was happening on the phone and watching it go by.

1936 Auburn

She rented us an AirBnb in Menlo Park a few minutes from the Byers Eye Institute where I was having cataract surgery.

Menlo Park is adjacent to Palo Alto, the hub of Silicon Valley and the streets are paved with gold. Property is expensive, an average suburban home can sell for 2.4M. The place is rife with Teslas, Mercedeses, BMWs and, being aware of that, she was gonna bring the Panamera. They'd bought it a few months earlier after attending the Concours at Santa Barbara.

I protested!! EVERYone around here drives a Porsche; they're like Volkswagens! So in deference to my need for distinction, she brought the Volvo.

I'm not the best planner. So I drove to the Bay Area in order to be sure I was close enough to make my evaluation appointment before the surgery. I was camping in a different park every night --- variety is the spice of life, dontchya know -- and sightseeing as I went along.

I'd arrived early at Henry Cowell Redwood State Park and as I was leaving I noticed the Auburn. As luck would have it, Erin and Brett, it's owners, came strolling up as I was photographing it. They very kindly indulged my curiosity and told how it was one of only 58 made and they were taking the roadtrip their Dad didn't live to make.

Now THAT's distinction.

But Will It Make Your Clit Tingle?

Distasio hangs out at a boutique coffee shop where he gets his social fixes. One of the guys has a porsche which, Vince shared in a cynical tone, he said when he drove it it gave him an erection.

Today a friend of Double El stopped by in her new BMW. It happens to be Michelle's fav color and to celebrate they took off to find some pie. Before she left I had to ask the question. She acknowledged it was the most fun you could have with yer clothes on. 

It's a manual shift, six speed. When I commented she asked, "You'd buy a car like this with an automatic?!!"

Phoebe, being a stick-shift gal herself, nodded appreciatively while politely refraining from mentioning how it's pretty much limited to pavement. Still, it IS a nice color.

Phil Endicott's '32 Dodge

It was like Mulberry Street. Toodling along on the freeway with nothing but the usual. Then suddenly...a golden flash from the HEADLIGHT of a car behind me. What was this?! A turn signal the size of a cantaloupe?!!

As the radiator came along side its texture hinted at what was to come. And then, at the firewall I began to experience the excitement Marco sought; something different!

When they stopped at the Arizona line I pulled in behind.

Phil Endicott claims he's just a Missouri farmer; never thought of himself as an artist. He spent three years hammering the copper sheets that are the body, forging the myriad other accoutrements and cutting, sanding and polishing the teak that compliments the interior. (That's teak under the windshield and the sideview mirror in the photo below.)

It was hot in the sun but Wanda managed to smile. 

They were on their way to Los Angeles to take delivery on the custom front wheels to match the rears. 


Contrary to what it looks like, Phil said the interconnected triangles were personal symbols of the Dodge brothers...not the Star of David. It's use was discontinued in 1932.