Time to brag.  I boarded a Greyhound in a town about an hour away and stuffed a huge rolling bag containing my small compliament of tools and a sleeping bag, tent, mattress and extra clothes, maps, info, etc.  My prize was in Loomis, California and the bus came within 7 miles.  The seller drove over and picked me up in the Corvette.  Excepting 3 minutes in a 1966 C-3, this was my first ride in a Corvette.  I feel I picked up the Corvette for a fraction of what it was worth, and felt an obligation to offer Dominic a chance to back out, but he was adamant he needed the space.  Viola!  This was Tuesday morning.  As I left after all of the paperwork and saying goodbye, I found out that first is up and crammed against the left gate.  Meaning I took off in 3rd.  Other than that, I got away.  I had planned to visit 3 Sacramento area museums, including Blackhawk in Danville, but "something" told me to point north and get headed home, about 600 miles.  About 100 miles into my trip, and at about 85 degrees, the SERVICE ENGINE SOON warning came up!  I drove to Willows, Ca. and filled the car with 92 octane for the hills ahead on I-5.  I drove the car to under a shade tree in the Wal-Mart lot, away where I could take some time with the car, and went shopping!  I bought a jug of water, a quart of Mobil 1, a keychain, wipes to clean and protect the leather, a funnel, and a bunch of bananas.  Always buy bananas in Wal-Mart.  The car looked hot, the interior, dusty, and I needed it to cool down.  Me, too.  By the time I topped the oil, radiator and reservoir, cleaned up the fueling area and interior, did some paperwork filing, and started a new car expenses booklet, the warning was gone.  So was I.

  Now confirming that the warning was timely, but not serious, I pulled over at the next rest stop and whipped the roof off.  Yahoo!  or...

  Next thing I knew, the temperature plummeted about 20 degrees as I passed Lake Shasta.  I am still okay (just little goose bumps), and I went up to the Mt. Shasta KOA (those of you who have been there will remember it for its great water -- a bottling plant nearby takes advantage of that, too) and a great pizza parlor a quick walk away, called "Say Cheese".  That's where we spent the night.  It was quite cold overnight, and the traffic noise on I-5 woke me a bit on the early side.  When it was still quite dark.  After a nice warm shower, I broke camp and headed out for a McDonald's for breakfast and free wi-fi.  I spent way too much time hunting for the roof tool, until I found it had fallen behind the driver's seat.  Next, I found that the USB charger I brought wasn't doing its thing.  Hah!  I had another that did.  And it had an intense cool blue light on it that told me so, too.  Then the rain started.  Soon, it became kind of an intense deluge.  I ducked stage right and wanted to spend the night in a Kamper Kabin at another KOA on the Columbia River, but the office was closed already, me being late due to a massive traffic jamb on I-205 that once again threatened to overheat the Cor -- well, both of us.

  At the motel I chose several miles from where I really wanted to overnight, it occurred to me that there must be 2 electric fans and that it seems to me that the cooler, initial fan is not kicking in, so that will be an area I look at soon.  I remember in that jamb that the temps were crawling up, and when the water temp was 223 degrees, the numbers came back down, but I hadn't seen anything that would have caused that in my perspective -- I was still parked, and not getting "relative wind" at the time.  Am I right?  I am trying to get a manual and I need to go back to my notes, but it appears, since I completed the trip, that the car is going to need little things to be done over the course of the winter, and nothing major.  As I never took auto shop (I figured I'd do that after I retired), I think I can take care of the car with the help from other retired farts I run around with.  I will want to make sure the fans run properly, it sure seems that the linkage for the throttle is stiff or gluey, so that will take attention.  The interior is going to get some fixing -- I stopped at a Harbor Freight to see the plastic welders -- anyone here used those on the plastic interior pieces?  I don't want to change anything else though -- I like the car the way it is.  Well, maybe I'll put on a K&N air filter.  But the car is so intact otherwise, it seems stupid to not restore it.  I always liked the way (the red ones) looked - mine is 2 tone silver and black, so it's nice to have a car made for someone like me -- all the equipment I like, but in a more subdued color scheme to compliament my years!

  I did note that this is one of the most comfortable cars I have ever driven.  And I have never had a car that could take hills in top gear and accelerate that way this one did.  All the while besting the MGB the Corvette will replace, for fuel economy.  I hope I will be able to bounce around ideas and issues I will find in the coming months with you here.                Dan