"Who is that guy on the red tractor?"
By
ChaplainManny, in Introductions
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Similar Content
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By ztnoo
I've been looking for a replacement small General Motors pickup from roughly 25 years ago in reasonable shape for 4-5 months.
After reviewing untold numbers of CL listings during the period, I ran across what looked to be a reasonable mileage example in good aesthetic shape within a reasonable driving distance from my location.
It was listed on CL in Louisville. Not exactly the next county over (a three hour one way drive), but a good enough prospect, I decided to take a day road trip
3hr 2min, 187 miles, per Mapquest.
I was thinking.......OK Steve, you are wanting to drive to Louisville to look at a vehicle, so what if I couldn't find anyone (a local friend/neighbor) available on Saturday to go with me?
Three strikes and I was out. Bingo. Reality sets in.
My theory was, if it was something I really decided I wanted, I needed to get it out of Louisville THAT day. But with no drafted co-driver, I had a definite problem.
In a eureka moment, I remembered Chaplain Manny, who I had never met, but with whom I have conversed extensively, not only here at RS, but on various WH FB sites, and by email as well.
Manny was raised in Louisville, so I instinctively knew he would be an excellent guide and pathfinder in a metropolis I had no familiarity with, other than passing through on I-65 to go to Florida.
So, I messaged Manny on Friday with my situation and proposal and asked if he would be available to assist me for a few hours on Saturday. He now lives east of Jeffersonville (across the river from Louisville, in Indiana) in a very small rural town.
He replied and told me he was available to help me, given his wife and young son were away at a wedding he wasn't attending.
I explained the situation generally, and to my amazement and luck, Manny agreed to help me go into Louisville on my long bed S-15 quest.
I arrived a little after 9 am at Manny's residence (following a three hour drive) and Manny proceeded to guide me into the bowels of Louisville.
Traffic was horrific for some reason on Saturday morning on both southbound bridges over the Ohio River into downtown Louisville. Manny speculated there had to be some big event going on downtown that morning, but we never did learn what it might be. I would have definitely lost my cool sitting and waiting for traffic to start moving and the stress of trying to navigate the unfamiliar interior of a major urban jungle. But Manny took it all in stride and we eventually maneuvered around the bottlenecks and we got to the desired address in an area of town known as Germantown.
So the short of it is, I bought the truck because it was in excellent shape for a 1990 model with reasonable mileage given its age, and Manny drove the station wagon while I followed in the S15 and we went back north across across the bridge over the Ohio River leading the way back to his place east of Jeffersonville. Generally speaking, the theory "move your feet, lose your seat" applies to CL items, because they can move very quickly and you usually have to have your ducks lined up and be ready to act promptly, or there's a high risk of losing your chance. With Manny's help and assistance, I was able to achieve my goal.
Manny let me park the truck at his house until I can draft a friend into a day road trip to go retrieve my little S15 jewel later this week. When we got back to his place and he showed me his Wheel Horse collection and ongoing projects and we philosophized about life a bit before I left.
Manny is a great caring and helpful person with a warm and outgoing soul. He has considerable health issues for a male of 56 years of age, but he does his best not to allow that to distract his quality of life and daily routine. I now consider him to be a friend and buddy and not just a correspondent........having met through our mutual interest in Wheel Horses, GT 14s in particular.
Steve
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Manny & me.
Manny in front of my purchase.
My "new" S15.
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By ztnoo
This article link is posted this morning on the Wheel Horse Junkies FB site.
It points to the following news story about Chaplain Manny.
Inspirational stuff, for sure!
http://www.newsandtribune.com/opinion/beam-love-thy-neighbor-utica-resident-provides-help-to-his/article_8a769946-163a-11e6-8a56-231b02889290.html
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