a breezy ride

Heat. It use to have heat, but living in South Florida I never got to use it. And I never got around to installing the vent that would close the airflow in at my feet. Without a/c if I got up enough speed with the windows open (especially helpful was that little triangle window) and the vent wide open, there was enough breeze to keep me from melting, so I just left it knocking around in the trunk with the half used cans of primer paint. I didn't get the car painted for a few years, so every time it got too dirty I'd spray it and it'd look good as new. When I moved to North Carolina I neglected to fix the heat or install the vent. Instead, in the winter I wore my LL Bean boots and layers of wool and fleece, and peeled like a banana once I got to work. Even so, by the time I got there I'd be half frozen. I once tried to do a house call to a friend's across town, got lost, and ended up in the beginning stages of hypothermia. I got confused about the directions he had given me, and finally drove back to the Redneck bar where I could warm up and start again. By the time I got there I was so disheveled the bartender thought I'd been in an accident. I could barely sputter, 'c-c-c-offfeee'. I called William to let him know I was running late and he said he'd just come get me. When he arrived, so did the snow. As it's a rarity here, we decided to wait it out, but should have left immediately. Several hours and inches of snow covering later, his housecall postponed, I limped home and was amazed at how decent the Mustang drove in the snow.