It’s Tech Week…

As we approached the Huntsville exit, I mentioned that the small Texas town was the site of a state penitentiary and that I once had some friends over there. “Oh?” she said. “Who were they?”

“Prisoners,” I said. “Nothing serious. That’s where Kevin was.”

She stiffened and moved away from me, but I turned up the music and we settled back to drive and watch the moon come up. What the hell? I thought. Just another young couple on the road to the American Dream.

Things started to get weird when I noticed the South Padre Island exit coming up. I was on the cell phone with Jon Favreau, the famous Hollywood actor, telling him about the time I was violently jailed in South Padre and how it was making me nervous to even pass a road sign with that name on it. “Yeah,” I was saying, “it was horrible. They beat me on the back of my legs. It was strictly a case of mistaken identity.” I smiled at my assistant, not wanting to alarm her, but I saw that she was going into a fetal crouch and her fingers were clutching the straps of her seat belt.

Just then we passed two police cars parked on the side of the road, and I saw that we were going a hundred and three.

“Slow down!” the girl screamed. “Slow down! We’ll be arrested. Thrown in jail. Beaten!” She was sobbing and reaching the levels of hysteria that only privileged girls seem to be able to reach.

“Nonsense,” I said. “Those weren’t cops. I know cops.” I reached over to pat her on the arm, but she bit me and I had to pull over to address the wound. The only exit led to a long bridge over to the doomed island, but I took it anyway.

It was just about midnight when we parked under the streetlight in front of an empty Mexican place on Padre Blvd. The girl was having a nervous breakdown. There was too much talk about jails and police and prisons, she said. She felt like she was already in chains.

“You’ll never make it to Mexico,” I blurted. “This is where you get off.”

Realizing the dire straights she would be in if left on the island, she changed her tune. “I’m sorry. I guess I went a little crazy back there. All I want to do is get to my brother, Shane, in Mexico.”

“Your acting like a god damned vampire,” I said, “and I have no room for a biter.”

I left her surrounded by no less than six Louis Vuitton suit cases. Through my rear view mirror, I just caught a glimpse of her bird as I motored back over the bridge and back on the highway to Matamoros. By 1am, I had made the border crossing and from there it was a short drive to the warehouse where Shane was hiding out.

I pulled up to the big bay doors and honked my horn three times to signal. The door opened and Shane met me as I got out of the car.

“Where the hell is my sister?” he asked.

“Never mind that now.” I said. “It’s not important. We have cops on our tail. I passed two of them while going 103 mph just a few miles back. They are most definitely on to us.”

“But, she’s my sister for cuss sakes,” he sobbed.

“She fell for a straight man in San Antone. Told me she had grown tired of your hijinks and that you were on your own. I traded that fancy luggage of hers for this Riviera. I think I got screwed, but that’s the least of our problems right now. The Texas Rangers, the FBI, Homeland Security, and just about every other agency in North America wants you in hand cuffs or dead.”

Shane sunk his face into his hands and just stood there – defeated.

“Now,” I said. “Your only chance of getting out of this deal unscathed is to meet the Cleaner in South Padre. He’s waiting for you at a Mexican joint just over the bridge. You can take the Louis Vuitton Riviera, but use caution and be smart. I’ll stay here with your inventory of stolen hot rods and make sure you don’t come back to some kind of federale trap. You can thank me for all my help when you get back.”

Without a word, Shane jumped in the Riviera and sped off into the distance. As he did, Kevin pulled up with his 50′ car transport. “We gotta hurry,” he said. “The shipping container is only concealed by the darkness of night.”

…………

Tech week starts today. It ends on February 18.

First Place:
– $1000 worth of Baileigh Bucks.
– A spot in the next Baileigh Metal Shaping class.
– A set of Small Block Chevy headers from Gear Drive.
– A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto.

Second Place:
– A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto.

Third Place:
– A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto.

Fourth Place:
– A $250 gift certificate from EMS Auto.

Fifth Place:
– A round cab ticket from South Padre Island, TX to Matamoros, Mexico.

…………

Follow these rules:

1. No off topic posts at all.

2. If you have a tech article that pertains to period customs, put it here.

3. If you have a tech article that pertains to period hot rods, put it here.

4. If you have a general tech article, put it here.

…………

Thank these people:

1. Baileigh Industrial. They’ve organized just about all of our tech weeks for the past two years or so and have been not only really great to us as folks, but incredibly generous as well. If you haven’t already, take some time and check out their line of metal working tools as well as their line up of metal working classes that have become REALLY high regarded.

2. EMS Auto. Another long time supporter that has also (obviously) been very generous with us by providing some serious incentive for tech week contributors. Support these folks. They support you.

3. Gear Drive. Matt is a good pal to all of us and makes some of the best damned lake headers in the country. Want proof? Win this damned thing and get a free set for your SBC.