Bond Between Man and Machine
By Andy on 12 March 2003 the wee hours
Category: Personal
The setting: Tallassee, Alabama (home of Tiffany's grandparents). Lots of acres, lots of trees, lots of winding trails with hills...and a few quality mud bogs too.
The situation: I carry in my hand the keys to my grandfather-in-law's all-terrain four wheel drive vehicle.
The scenario: As I come around a tight blind curve, I am faced with the mother of all ditches. The sides of this creek bed were about 10 feet tall sloping at least 55-60 degrees. I stopped at the ledge to get a good look at the hill. After a deep breath and a little "glad to have known you" talk with my dog Wesley who was riding shotgun, I pressed the gas and took off. Going down the hill was easy. No problem there. I got about half way up the other side when my wheels began to spin, tossing gravel like a salad from the Olive Garden. The deeper the wheels sank in the side of the hill, the deeper Wesley's claws sank into my thigh. Finally the back wheels grabbed, and as the machine lurched forward safely to the other side of the ditch, I instinctively let out an enthusiastic "Woo Hoo!" The bond between man and machine has remained unbroken.
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