The Story of Lori

[Sephirah]

I watched the rally races in Germany. So much fun. Our Supply Sergeant would buy wrecked Porsches and put their engines in Volkswagons and sell them to rally drivers. He had a nice side business doing that for many years.

My brother bought a second hand Mitsubishi Evo when he got out of the army. Cost him £4000. I remember being there with him when he took it for a test drive. The acceleration was something else. My knuckles were white on the dashboard. Even the owner hunkered down in the back was like "WTF are you doing?" It had a dump valve in the gearbox and made a loud hiss every time he changed gears. We were doing like 70 down country lanes. My little bro was a bit of a maniac. I miss him.

[Lori Dee]

The acceleration was something else. My knuckles were white on the dashboard.

My Jeep can do that. But on the forest service roads, they are often single-lane and rocky. If no oncoming traffic, you could still rip out a gearbox going over some of those rocks. Sometimes erosion kicks in and washes the road away from the rocks, making them more exposed. You have to leave the road to get around them.

I'll just drive like a granny and live a little longer. 

[davina61]

One of my customers worked out that my drag car pulled 4G as it launched, best one was taking a Vauxhall Caviller SRI for a road test to see if it was okay for my sister to buy. Salesman had to come with me and his knuckles were white from gripping the seat!!

[Emma1017]

Davina, scaring the salesman on the test drive must have been so much fun!

Lori, you would laugh at all the NYC "cowboys" who have rigged out Jeeps with absolutely no scratches!

Sephirah, I have driven down several of those "cozy" British country lanes, worrying I would meet someone like your brother coming at me from the opposite direction...I always buy the extra insurance when I rent.

[Lori Dee]

Lori, you would laugh at all the NYC "cowboys" who have rigged out Jeeps with absolutely no scratches!

Tourists! LOL

That reminds me of the "campers" who come here each year.

One of my favorite places here is Sheridan Lake. It is beautiful, and the campground gives a wonderful view and a short walk downhill to the shore. The "campers" take the best camping spots with their RVs, which are bigger than my apartment. They fire up their generators and sit inside watching TV with the air conditioning on. They never go outside to look at the lake, go fishing, or go for a walk. Why?

You could do all of that at home and not take a good campsite away from us locals, or at least someone who will appreciate the proximity to a beautiful lake.

Jeeps without a scratch and trucks without rust or mud, that is heresy. 

"The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys."

[davina61]

I liked nothing better than going to a VW show and camping over, same with drag racing. You cant beat sitting round a fire pit eating barbeque and drinking beer while chatting to like minded folk.

[Lori Dee]

I liked nothing better than going to a VW show and camping over, same with drag racing. You cant beat sitting round a fire pit eating barbeque and drinking beer while chatting to like minded folk.

When I lived in Colorado, I was into van conversions. Some friends and I had a side business doing interior customization for vans and RVs. They held regular van rallies, like car shows, to show off custom work. It was interesting to see what people did and how they did it.

We would spend the weekend there. The after-hours beer, barbecue, and BS sessions were always a lot of fun.

[ChrissyRyan]

When I lived in Colorado, I was into van conversions. Some friends and I had a side business doing interior customization for vans and RVs. They held regular van rallies, like car shows, to show off custom work. It was interesting to see what people did and how they did it.

We would spend the weekend there. The after-hours beer, barbecue, and BS sessions were always a lot of fun.

Sounds like fun.

[Sephirah]

Sephirah, I have driven down several of those "cozy" British country lanes, worrying I would meet someone like your brother coming at me from the opposite direction...I always buy the extra insurance when I rent.

"Cosy" is a nice way to put it, lol. Where I live is like... it's what you picture when people talk about "Green and pleasant land" A tiny village in the middle of nowhere, with more horses than people. Literally. There are so many riding schools around here, all doing showjumping events on the weekends. Leafy country lanes with very large hedges and blind corners. It's not uncommon to turn a corner and end up behind several horses out for a jaunt with their riders. The roads are barely wide enough for one car going one way, let alone two cars going in opposite directions. How there haven't been more accidents is beyond me, lol.

[Lori Dee]

How there haven't been more accidents is beyond me, lol.

The horses will not allow it. 

[Sephirah]

The horses will not allow it. 

Horse overlords. Not even kidding. I've seen double decker buses crawling behind horses, because there are rules on what you can do on the roads when there are horses. And they literally don't care. The people on those buses must hate the horse riders with a passion, lol.

Heck there's even a Llama farm down the road from me. It's a weird, weird place.

[Lori Dee]

At Custer State Park, they have a Wildlife Loop Road that is fun to drive. It is slow-going, but nice scenery. There is a particular spot where the wild burros hang out, and children love it. Great for photos.

I was cutting through the park on one of the back roads to get to a prospecting area that I wanted to check, and encountered a traffic jam. A single-lane road with about twenty cars all stopped. Coming at us, the Park Rangers were on horseback, driving a huge herd of bison of a couple hundred head. Bison don't leave "road apples" like horses; they leave "cow pies". What a mess on that road.

Bison also have no fear. They are huge and will fight a mountain lion if provoked. The only warning you get if they are annoyed with you, or if you are between them and their baby, is that they will raise their tail like a flag. If you don't leave immediately, they will charge you. Many people have died at Yellowstone Park trying to pet the "fluffy cows".

Anyway, as this herd was meandering by all the vehicles, one of them decided they didn't like the front of my truck and tried to head-butt it. He was unsuccessful in moving my truck, so he went around me. I blew a raspberry at him as he went by. 

[Sephirah]

I am kind of envious of just how mesmerisingly beautiful a lot of the US is. Annika showed me some pictures and... we don't have anything like that in the UK. It's just so.. majestic.

One day, hopefully, I'll get to go there and see for myself.

[ChrissyRyan]

I am kind of envious of just how mesmerisingly beautiful a lot of the US is. Annika showed me some pictures and... we don't have anything like that in the UK. It's just so.. majestic.

One day, hopefully, I'll get to go there and see for myself.

Have you seen the Roman stone walls in the UK?  I am speaking of Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall. 

How about Stonehenge?

[Sephirah]

Have you seen the Roman stone walls in the UK?  I am speaking of Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall. 

How about Stonehenge?

Yeah but that's all man-made. It's not the same thing. Maybe I am just... kind of used to the things people overseas find cool about the UK. For me it isn't what people make, it's what nature makes. Give me something created by nature to be utterly breathtaking... and you have my heart. The world itself is more beautiful than the most beautiful things anyone ever created. Just my opinion.

[ChrissyRyan]

Yeah but that's all man-made. It's not the same thing. Maybe I am just... kind of used to the things people overseas find cool about the UK. For me it isn't what people make, it's what nature makes. Give me something created by nature to be utterly breathtaking... and you have my heart. The world itself is more beautiful than the most beautiful things anyone ever created. Just my opinion.

Visit Iceland or Alaska or Canada.

[Lori Dee]

For me it isn't what people make, it's what nature makes. Give me something created by nature to be utterly breathtaking... and you have my heart. The world itself is more beautiful than the most beautiful things anyone ever created. Just my opinion.

As you know, I am exactly the same way. I still marvel at what man can do, but Nature has us beat by a long shot.

"Imagine the universe beautiful and just and perfect.
Then be sure of one thing:
The [Divine] has imagined it quite a bit better than you have."


Richard Bach
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)

[ChrissyRyan]

Yeah but that's all man-made. It's not the same thing. Maybe I am just... kind of used to the things people overseas find cool about the UK. For me it isn't what people make, it's what nature makes. Give me something created by nature to be utterly breathtaking... and you have my heart. The world itself is more beautiful than the most beautiful things anyone ever created. Just my opinion.

Or visit the Grand Canyon.

[Sephirah]

Visit Iceland or Alaska or Canada.

They are on my bucket list, Chrissy. Sadly it's kind of a deep bucket at this point. But yeah... I would be over the moon to see those places.

[Sephirah]

As you know, I am exactly the same way. I still marvel at what man can do, but Nature has us beat by a long shot.

"Imagine the universe beautiful and just and perfect.
Then be sure of one thing:
The [Divine] has imagined it quite a bit better than you have."


Richard Bach
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)

I think that's why I get you, Lori. Some people never lose the wonder of an eight year old.