I had read about the Promise Land and like so many others wanted dearly to go. Saturday morning I had to awake at 4:oo am for traffic control on a house move, Im not an early riser to say the least. However I thought this may be the day I go and find my way to the Promise Land. I researched the night before, getting phone numbers, addresses and even calling the one who had been to the Promise land himself. He told me of the fruits of the land and that it was good and I should go.
Awake 4:00am So after the traffic detail I came home at 6:00 and was in a pull to seek out this new journey or stay with what I have known as true and finish my work at home. I called the Promise land when they opened at 7:30 and they could neither confirm nor deny the existence of any fruits their land may bare.
8:00am So I loaded up my big bag of tools I thought may come in handy, GPS, fueled up my Tanker Truck K5 Blazer and off I was with a smile on my face that the promise land was just under 200 miles away! Soon I knew I was close as I was now passing through the City of Angels and I could almost smell the fruits of the Promise land ahead. I arrive and go to the gate keeper and hand her my pass of $20.00 towards the reasonable $2.00 admission. I had seen the signs of warnings of no $20's but I thought for sure she would not deny me my passage, but she did. Off to the cashier and wait in line for the breakage of my entry fee.
12:30pm With my 45 lbs of tools in my bag I walked excitedly through the treasures of other peoples desires, searching for my own treasure. Much like looking for that needle in a hay stack I see the rearward open hood of my search. I took from her a electronic coil holder but her distributor was tested as a bad vacuum mdule so I let her be. I removed all the side marker lights but had questionable seals so I let them sit. Wanting to know where the other riches where as I could see no sign of them I made a call. Like a follower calling their Paster I called the one who lead me thus far on my journey. Martin told be that what I thought was the Promise land was in fact a falsehood and I must travel a mere mile further to find what I seek. I thank him and headed out with a 3 way thermostat, coil mount and wires and the receipt say plastic molding but cant remember what it was if I even got it total $12.96.
2:00 I get back into the tanker and off I go! I find the entry to the REAL Promise land and with my bag of tools feeling like a 45 bag of sins ready to strip the dead of their parts, like some kind of grave robber, I head in. Its hot, is this hell ? Have I been fooled? I walk through the twisted wreckage and eyes gaze over what seems like thousands of carcases til I see it! The Blues Spider, the Promise land is here! A few things have already been had, the horn button and the marker lights. Most everything else is there. Its a 2000 but I know there is much to which I can use. I find a large plastic bag in which to store my treasures, but now where to start. Another coil pack and this time I will take the igniter too, off it goes to the bag, The heater Bezel is in good shape but the brake light button. I plan my attack and remove the good upper radio console, do I want it? do I need it? I leave it to make up my mind later. The lower console comes out and is in fair shape, both tan and I have black so I decided to set it aside. The heater bezel gave a little fight from a rusty screw but I got her in the bag. Then the carpet. Although a bit dirty and covered with debris I could see that it was fairly new and would clean up nice. A few move bolts and screws and I rolled it up in one pile. The distributor was next and I pulled the vacuum line from its home to test the advance. I sucked and for my efforts I spit out the fruits of my labor. Not sure what dried up material went into my mouth nor do I care to know. Unit bad but I take her from its once beating heart and in the bag. A few relays, Its steering wheel, kick panels with the speaker insets, fiber optics unit, battery tray were all taken. In my divorce 13 years ago my Spider then was given to the Ex who in-turn sold it to her new brother in law in Colorado, names withheld in case you are on here. See tells be that the radiator in that car is bad and can not be repaired. I thusly check the radiator in the dead beast before me and all looks good, at least fixable. I decide that my load is already heavy and I must carry on to the other 2 dead arachnoid's that I seek.
4:00 Im tired, hot and running out of energy. I see no signs of other victims and I call the Pastor. He urges me on and giving me directions and says I will find what I seek. The journey seems like days and my feet are dragging from the weight of the tools and now another 20+ pounds of parts, I leave the Carpet behind to retrieve later as I had to place to hold it. I drag my self to the back lot slowly inching my way closer I am sure. I see it! But there is little excitement. I have had a bowl of cereal and some coffe at 4:30 am and that is all. I know Im close to heat exhaustion and I lay goods down and take a break with the Dead Spider acting as my protector from the torrid Sun. I so wish I had water, why dont they have drinking fountains out here I say to myself, people could die out here. I recover and look over first the Red one, Looks to have a good hood and left door I shall come back for, then the White one, but little is found, I must get back now and find something to quench my thirst and rest.
4:30 I make it to the front and by the grace of all that is good there is a vending machine, no water but Lipton Ice tea and I now have a few dollars to bribe it into giving me one. I sit in the shade and drink it down without delay. A few moments later I was able to speak and ask the cashier the cost of some treasures that I found, $53.00 hood or doors, $60.00 Radiator. I decided to leave my tool bag in the Tanker then go back to get my carpet, radiator, hood and door, but only after I have another Lipton Ice Tea. Upon going out to leave my tools I tell the man how much easier this was 20 years ago the last time I had been to the Promise Land. He then stated that I could use a vessel which upon it had wheels he called a shopping cart. If only I had know hours earlier. Shopping cart in hand I return to conquerer that which I had started. I get the radiator out and travel further to retrieve the hood and door. Upon closer inspection the hood had a crease in it and the door a nice size dent right at the body line, I decide to let it rest where I found it. I head back for my final check out $215.00
5:30 I call Martin to let him know I survived and thank him for his help. I head out to find food and drinks and find the Golden Arches, its truly a magical journey. I use its rest room to remove a layer of dirt and place my order including a large teat and a frappachino. I receive a medium drink to which I know will not be enough and order a large too. Chicken sandwich, fries and drinks in hand I start my long road home. I get on the freeway and the medium tea is gone. I try to eat some fries but they taste like cardboard, I have lost my taste buds surly from all the foreign foul things that have lined my mouth, I cant even manage to try the sandwich.
8:30 I arrive back home and head straight to the shower and like a baptism I soak up the soothing hot water and watch as the days dirty travel down the drain, a cleansing to be sure.
9:00 I nuke the chicken and set the fries in the broiler and have my first real food of the day
10:00 A time of rest I crept in to bed battered and beat and now knew that all was good.
In all i paid about 10.00 for every part if divided up parts per dollars spent so I think it was worth the trip. Even with the apox. $100.00 dollars it cost me in gas it was worth it.
The fruits of my labor:
Carpet after a clean and a light dye job:
Brian
