Just sharing a friends story

[Gumbo]

Are we going to have to wait a year for the next episode?

[dr galaga]

Maybe his  '> machine fell on him!  '>

J/K! '>

[Gumbo]

If it is a risk to his health, I'll take it off of his hands for what he paid for it. '>

[johnieG]

Wow! such a deal ...BAM!    '>

[VEND-O-MATIC]

Oh My Gawd...

Hey fellow sodafolks,

Sorry for ther Dee-lay but lately I have been busier than a one-legged man in a ass kickin' contest.  

I think I left off somewhere over the Golden Gate Bridge after winding my lost butt through San Fran. I remember now.... even though I just got home from a day that felt longer than the NBA season. I'll try to keep it entertaining even though I'm a little crippled from my blender. Sorry for any typo's but......this message is being broadcasted live from Margaritaville.....salt and all.

Ok....so there I was treckin' across the Golden Gate and late as #### for a lifetime opportunity. I remember that I was even leaning forward in my seat as I accelerated down the highway thinking that maybe my head would get there a little sooner. My girlfriend and I had already given up hope on contacting the owner of this machine because we were already resigned to the fact that this lady gave me the WRONG HOME PHONE NUMBER.

There was no way for me to beg the seller of this machine into buying me some time if others were coming to see the 'Crown Jewel'. It was now down to me and how many ponies my truck's engine could produce in a short amount of time. After I made it across the bridge, I was passin' cars like they were standing still and it was a VERY HOT DAY. The fog rolling through the city made things nice until I started eating up more highway north of the bridge.  I went from city freaks to dry desolate territory in the blink of the eye. I kept thinking to myself that this area that I was driving through was so dry that a squirrel would have to pack a lunch before leaving for this territory. I was still 20 minutes away from a shot a VMC Royal Crown 81 and I remembered hating myself for every tenth of a mile that I passed because late is late.

As I headed north, my self inflicted punishment for running late was having visions of rounding the corner of this lady's street only to see a truck backed into her driveway and the Crown Jewel being loaded by some goalting recepient of the ultimate soda find. I started counting down the miles to Petaluma California and frantically searching for any hint of my off-ramp target which was Washington Avenue. I had her location memorized in my head as my turnoff slowly approached.  'Ok...Washington Avenue, right at the stop, and then the first left onto McDowell Blvd, and then right onto Lauren Avenue with her house being on the right side of the street. Got it. BUT I'M STILL LATE!' Finally, Washington Avenue comes into view....3 1/2 more nail bitin' miles. Now 1 mile.....now 1/4 mile. I swear my tires were crying as my truck rounded the off ramp.  Ok....this machine is just around the corner....I hoped.

I made my right turn and swung over to the left lane. Light turned 7up green and I was first in line to turn left,...... then a quick right onto Lauren. Now I'm like a one-eyed cat in a seafood store looking for a truck backed up to a house on the right side of the street with a yelloworange VMC 81 in the back.....my worst nightmare.....and to my surprise......NO TRUCKS IN ANY DRIVEWAYS. So I quickly spot her address. Hmmm.....let see, there is a wheelchair ramp heading up to the front door, but my first objective is to back my truck up against the garage door of this address because if there is a Royal Crown VMC 81 behind door #1, if it's leavin', it's only way out is gonna be through the BED OF THIS TRUCK. I shut off my engine and trying to act as casual as can be, I make my way to the front door (took me a while to pull the seat out of my....).

Wow, this place sure doesn't look like a Royal Crown 81 lives here. I pushed the doorbell.... but decided to knock too. Ya know....double coverage in case the doorbell is broke.  Then......no sound. So I knock again, and this time my knuckles get real red.  I then hear the sound of footsteps getting closer to the front door. THEN, I hear the doorknob turn......and THEN,  ....I see the door open through the old rusty screen door, and there through the darkness behind this screen door emerges the soft smile of a lady named Melinda.

[Jim]

You have a captive audience...
I think they're eager to hear the ending of this story...

[coke_and_stuff]

I know I am!

Joey

[sodaworks]

Play the movie......

[VEND-O-MATIC]

.....so as she speaks through her smile, she askes, "you must be Tony"..... which told me right then and there that NOBODY ELSE WAS COMING TO SEE THIS MACHINE   '>

My wheels started turning because she mentioned in her email that "the machine would go to the first person that showed up with the $5,000 cash..... price is flexible."

Well I looked around her front yard and it was obvious to me that there were no other bidders standing around! WoW.....the devil  on my right shoulder was sayin' "DUDE! OFFER HER $4,000" and on my left shoulder was a voice that said,   "DUDE, remember Rule #1.....she's a woman and she can change her mind in the blink of an eye, and Rule #2 is.....SEE RULE #1 '> ! "

In the meantime, I knew the Crown Jewel existed behind the garage door because she had mentioned in two different emails that she 'NEEDED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE'. As we walked and talked towards her garage door I could hear the sounds of Angels singing and the sound of golden trumpets playing from behind this garage door.......and as she starts to open the garage door she looks at me with this really strange look '> and starts mumbling to me in a low voice that her daughter also lives in her garage along with the Royal Crown 81,..... and if I wanted to buy the machine.....I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE HER DAUGHTER TOO!

I almost asked her if she was smokin' crack but before I could do so, she lifted the door all the way up, and there standing before my eyes was....

[VEND-O-MATIC]

.....her