dedpedal
02-08-2007, 08:12 PM
As I sit here in my saddness and the tears begin to run from my eyes, I think of the good things Vinny brought into my life. There so many stories of boring road trips that never seemed to end yet he made them fun just by being himself. His way of being funny was contagious.
I first met Vinny back in 2001 when I was working at a tint shop in Ameilia. He and Holly were headed to the track on a saterday. At first site, I knew he was one of those special people that one wouldd want to be associated with. We checked out each others cars and he said something like "We must look like a pair of alpha males sniffin each others butts". I knew then and there that we would become fast friends.
On one trip to Florida for a race in Bradenton, he had myself and Jeff cracking up the whole way there. His birthday party was the night before and he didnt get much sleep so Jeff drove most of the morning. Even in his sleep he was making goofy comment about the traffic and people in cars doing dumb things.He had a way about him. On the road to the track we spied some migrant workers picking strawberries and he said something to the effect of sending aid to mexico in the form of 2 million illegal immagrants. He had the window down and I yelled lemigras a few times. We all cracked up at the site of half of the crew trying to hide in knee high strawberry plants while the rest ran for the fence.
He was very sick with allergies that weekend, but it never slowed him down. At the hotel, he and I were unwinding while Jeff was out in search of beer. Vinny was dyeing his chin mounted ponytail blonde and I was waiting for Amy to come meet me at the hotel. She was there visiting her sister with her mom. I was laying on the bed watching TV and Vinny was outside leaning on the second floor railing. I heard someone say "Is that my pookie bear?" and I could see Vinny through the door shrug his shoulders and point inside. I had no idea what was going on when this older woman comes flying in the door and jumps on the bed with me and gives me a big hug. This is how I first met my future mother in law. I know that Vinny didnt have a clue who she was and just pointed to me. The look on his face was priceless. He had a shiteating grin from thinking he had just pulled one off on me. The trip home was just as fun.
Then there was the time that he and I spent a couple of late nights working on getting his GT ready for a race in Maple Grove. He jacked the front up and pulled the jackstands. I was standing near the back of the car and heard him get excited . "NONONONO AWWWW NO". The car had slid off the jack and crushed the oil pan. "Just kick me in the jimmy, I cant do it myself" Even in that state of shock/anger he still had something funny to say. He borrowed a car from Tim Hixon the next day and of we went. Another memory of that trip was somehow I ended up sleeping in his tent. Either I had forgot mine or it was defective. Between me him the track food and copious amounts of Keystone Light, that tent stunk for weeks. I think Holly even commented on it at the next race.
Vinny was allways willing to help someone else in need but seemed hesitant to ask himself of others sometimes. One day a couple years ago, he was having trouble with the coupe and got stuck on the ramp to 5 mile road. I happend to be off work that day and was sitting here BSing with Holly on IM. she told me what had happend after Vinny called her and I was on my way over there when he called me." Hey guy what are you doing?" I replied that I was on my way to help a friend with a broke down car. I could almost hear the dissapointment in his voice as I desribed what I was doing and where I was heading. Then the mental gears kicked in and he said, "Well, im at that intersection and I dont see any mustang other than the coupe. I pulled in and we swapped the dist there and set the timing and it fired right up and ran like a champ. Being able to help him that day made me feel so good. I guess thats how he felt when he helped someone else out.
The anual cabrewing trips were allways a source for laughter. One year, he had a bit too much sun mixed with munchies and beer. he got sick on the way home. He had to say "RAAAAALLLPPHH" Holly was cleaning it out for weeks. The next year, he said that he wasnt going to get sick this year. Well, all the way home I could hear him in the front seat "Dont get sick dont get sick..."
He made it all the way to my house in fine form. I on the other hand wasnt doing so well. I managed to get out of the car in my driveway and stagger to a junked mustang and barfed. Apparently Vinny couldnt control the automatic gag reflex. When Amy pulled in the driveway a few minutes later, we were both spewing like fountains. A friend will hold your hair back when you barf, a GOOD friend will barf with you.
We had talks about what life would be like when we got too old to drive and enjoy our cars.We discussed the retirement home for old racers and how we would hottrod our wheelchairs and chase the nurses. "The ugly ones for spite and the pretty ones for the obvious reasons " he said.
There was allways happyness eminating from Vinny.It was the kind of thing that made me happy and glad to have a friend like him.I pray that hes above somewhere looking down on us and making God smile and laugh just like he did for all of us.
I know it sounds like everything we did was centered around Mustangs, but in truth it was just centered on good friends hanging out and being that. Good friends. Ill allways remember him and allways miss him. He was a great father,great husband and all around great guy. RIP Vinny
I first met Vinny back in 2001 when I was working at a tint shop in Ameilia. He and Holly were headed to the track on a saterday. At first site, I knew he was one of those special people that one wouldd want to be associated with. We checked out each others cars and he said something like "We must look like a pair of alpha males sniffin each others butts". I knew then and there that we would become fast friends.
On one trip to Florida for a race in Bradenton, he had myself and Jeff cracking up the whole way there. His birthday party was the night before and he didnt get much sleep so Jeff drove most of the morning. Even in his sleep he was making goofy comment about the traffic and people in cars doing dumb things.He had a way about him. On the road to the track we spied some migrant workers picking strawberries and he said something to the effect of sending aid to mexico in the form of 2 million illegal immagrants. He had the window down and I yelled lemigras a few times. We all cracked up at the site of half of the crew trying to hide in knee high strawberry plants while the rest ran for the fence.
He was very sick with allergies that weekend, but it never slowed him down. At the hotel, he and I were unwinding while Jeff was out in search of beer. Vinny was dyeing his chin mounted ponytail blonde and I was waiting for Amy to come meet me at the hotel. She was there visiting her sister with her mom. I was laying on the bed watching TV and Vinny was outside leaning on the second floor railing. I heard someone say "Is that my pookie bear?" and I could see Vinny through the door shrug his shoulders and point inside. I had no idea what was going on when this older woman comes flying in the door and jumps on the bed with me and gives me a big hug. This is how I first met my future mother in law. I know that Vinny didnt have a clue who she was and just pointed to me. The look on his face was priceless. He had a shiteating grin from thinking he had just pulled one off on me. The trip home was just as fun.
Then there was the time that he and I spent a couple of late nights working on getting his GT ready for a race in Maple Grove. He jacked the front up and pulled the jackstands. I was standing near the back of the car and heard him get excited . "NONONONO AWWWW NO". The car had slid off the jack and crushed the oil pan. "Just kick me in the jimmy, I cant do it myself" Even in that state of shock/anger he still had something funny to say. He borrowed a car from Tim Hixon the next day and of we went. Another memory of that trip was somehow I ended up sleeping in his tent. Either I had forgot mine or it was defective. Between me him the track food and copious amounts of Keystone Light, that tent stunk for weeks. I think Holly even commented on it at the next race.
Vinny was allways willing to help someone else in need but seemed hesitant to ask himself of others sometimes. One day a couple years ago, he was having trouble with the coupe and got stuck on the ramp to 5 mile road. I happend to be off work that day and was sitting here BSing with Holly on IM. she told me what had happend after Vinny called her and I was on my way over there when he called me." Hey guy what are you doing?" I replied that I was on my way to help a friend with a broke down car. I could almost hear the dissapointment in his voice as I desribed what I was doing and where I was heading. Then the mental gears kicked in and he said, "Well, im at that intersection and I dont see any mustang other than the coupe. I pulled in and we swapped the dist there and set the timing and it fired right up and ran like a champ. Being able to help him that day made me feel so good. I guess thats how he felt when he helped someone else out.
The anual cabrewing trips were allways a source for laughter. One year, he had a bit too much sun mixed with munchies and beer. he got sick on the way home. He had to say "RAAAAALLLPPHH" Holly was cleaning it out for weeks. The next year, he said that he wasnt going to get sick this year. Well, all the way home I could hear him in the front seat "Dont get sick dont get sick..."
He made it all the way to my house in fine form. I on the other hand wasnt doing so well. I managed to get out of the car in my driveway and stagger to a junked mustang and barfed. Apparently Vinny couldnt control the automatic gag reflex. When Amy pulled in the driveway a few minutes later, we were both spewing like fountains. A friend will hold your hair back when you barf, a GOOD friend will barf with you.
We had talks about what life would be like when we got too old to drive and enjoy our cars.We discussed the retirement home for old racers and how we would hottrod our wheelchairs and chase the nurses. "The ugly ones for spite and the pretty ones for the obvious reasons " he said.
There was allways happyness eminating from Vinny.It was the kind of thing that made me happy and glad to have a friend like him.I pray that hes above somewhere looking down on us and making God smile and laugh just like he did for all of us.
I know it sounds like everything we did was centered around Mustangs, but in truth it was just centered on good friends hanging out and being that. Good friends. Ill allways remember him and allways miss him. He was a great father,great husband and all around great guy. RIP Vinny