Don’t think for a moment that this flaw has gone unnoticed by my family. Only a few weeks ago, when I was expounding upon the beauty of a passing Citroen 2CV, the long-suffering expressed concern that if I thought the car in question was beautiful, when to her eyes it was clearly an eyesore, then she had concern about my professed admiration of her own features.
More recently, I came home with the new mechanical love of my life – a 1975 Volkswagen Westfalia camper. As I excitedly showed her my find, she shook her head sadly while muttering something about a “tin can."
I know that because of my marital compact I will never have an opportunity to own a Bull or Bedlington Terrier – although I do hold out hopes of one day playing my banjo with a Bloodhound at my feet and two fingers of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon (my personal favorite) in a glass.
And although I do not believe I have endangered my marriage with the Volkswagen, I’m confident that my marriage would not survive the glorious roundness that is the AMC Pacer.
Still, I keep a running mental list of the odd places I’d like to visit. I’ve been to Wall Drug. I’ve eaten lunch in a restaurant shaped like a giant artichoke. I’ve traveled down a slide made out of the world’s largest radio flyer wagon.
I once drove 50 miles out of my way just to get a photo of my dog playing dead on the side of the road with Devil’s Tower looming ominously in the background.
And yes, I have been to Gatorland although I do not have the t-shirt.
For reasons I can’t quite explain, although I’d love to visit the Louvre I’d be probably happier visiting Stonehenge, or Carhenge for that matter.
But now, I find that I’m strangely drawn to another location: an enormous pineapple on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Previously, I never even knew such a place existed. But then I got Sandra’s email. She’s received her shawl and, as promised, sent me a couple of photos. First things first, I understand that Sandra’s finished her treatments and is feeling well.
But the pineapple! Well, Sandra you’ve managed to add to my list of places I need to visit. Now how to get to Queensland. . .?
