My Father's Magic Carpet Made Of Steel

My truck arrived today. Obviously, the issues with Discover Card (apparently an exaggerated form of fraud protection) were resolved.

Word are inadequate to describe my joy.

The truck is a 1985 Red Ford 150 XLT Lariat Shortbox in showroom condition - with only 70,000 miles on it. The interior is pristine red - the kind of reallyred Ford doesn't make anymore. It is very similar to the truck my Granddaddy Cecil passed on to Pops . . . the truck with nearly a half-million miles on it that "died" (in a nasty accident) a month before Pops did.

My Aunt Cricket and Uncle Johnny were here to see the truck arrive and roll off the trailer (it was shipped in from its previous home in the Midwest). Mama was there too . . . grinning like a Cheshire cat as her daugher clapped and stomped and squealed. It really could not have been better unless Pops had been there.

I called my "ex" and took him for a spin around town. Then we paid a visit to my cousins Chip & Angela. Chip could barely contain himself.

I have not yet decided what I am going to name my new magic carpet. We have to bond first.

My Pops had many "toys" in his lifetime. My brother has had many "toys" (including an earlier incarnation of Grandaddy Cecil's "Big Red" - "killed" when he hit a deer many years ago).

But I have put aside childish things until now . . . mostly because eleven years of "c'est du flan" (it's prettier in French) from Randolph Hospital left me without the means to finance "toys" before. This is the ultimate toy.

It's about time being a doctor paid off. It's taken a while to gather the dimes.

Heavy sigh. Anyway, we Johnsons are fans of personalized license plates.

For many years, the plate on my original Camry said "SIMONSEZ", a tribute to my former Pediatric Chairman at Brenner's, the legendary Jimmy Simon. When Jimmy said "Jump!", you jumped.

My Daddy's plate . . . on my Grandaddy Cecil's truck . . . said, "RR TOM" (Railroad Tom).

The plate on my Camry now (Chessie II) says, "RRTOMSXX" (Railroad Tom's Girl - scientifically speaking;).

The plate on the red Ford truck says, "ENIESGRL" (Enie's Girl).

It is a tribute to my Mama (her childhood nickname was Enie) . . . who has stood behind me through thick and thin . . . who has lifted me up and loved me and prayed for me until her knees were sore . . . and who I am determined will see justice done for her daughter even though Tom did not.

Mary's Mother - Tom's wife - Cecil's daughter . . . immortalized on the back of a classic Red Ford pick-up.

Crank up some Willie and LET'S ROLL!

I know I will have at least two irascible angels riding shotgun.

Speaking of shotguns . . . to do this thing right, I need to get a gun rack. And some Anti-Clinton bumper stickers.