Friday, June 24, 2011

My Car

The car in the blog header is a 1946 MG TC, and the picture was taken the day I got it.  It was a gift from my wife on our wedding anniversary, and she remains a part of our family to this day. 

We were celebrating our anniversary with our two daughters.  After a special dinner, my wife wanted to drive to a nearby picnic spot on the Gulf to have dessert.  So we piled into the family car with our two daughters.  About half way there, our oldest daughter claimed she needed a bathroom break.  So we pulled into a nearby fast food chain.

As it happened, the local antique car club was holding their weekly car show.  We parked, and I got out to admire the cars.  All the cars were beautiful, but the one English beauty stood out among her American cousins.  As we waited for our daughter, we wandered through the parking lot, admiring the cars.

The club had a DJ playing music from the fifties and sixties.  The music stopped and the MC announced, "It's time to announce the car of the month award."

I didn't pay much attention, just kept wandering through the show.  By this time, our oldest daughter had joined us.  The MC continued, "The car of the month is the 1946 MG TC."

My wife asked, "Which one is the MG?"

"It's the white one over there," I said.

The MC continued, "The owner of the car is Tom Gill."

I was certain I had imagined it.  I didn't have a car in the show.  There was no way I could win an award without even entering.  There must be some other Tom Gill here.

The MC called out once more, "Will Tom Gill please come up and receive his prize."

My wife nudged my side.  "It's you," she whispered.

Dazed, I slowly walked up to the MC, wondering where the hidden cameras were placed.  It had to be some sort of joke.  The MC handed me a ribbon with a medal and my bride, beaming with pride and pleasure, said, "It's your anniversary present."

The gift was a total surprise.  My wife bought the car and had arranged to make it road worthy with a local MG specialist.  The presentation was arranged with the car club, and everyone there was in on it except me.

Well, we promptly named her Annie, which is short for Anniversary, and gave her a prize location in our garage.  Years later, I still have a hard time believing it really happened.  We've enjoyed several trips in her, and have met some wonderful people through her.  The car turns heads every where we go.

Best of all, every novel I write has, or will have, a vintage MG "T-Type" featured in at least one scene.  That's why I chose that photo to be the introduction to my blog.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Shaken: Stories for Japan

Timothy Hallinan has edited an ebook anthology of twenty top authors called SHAKEN: STORIES FOR JAPAN.  The anthology is now available on Amazon, and all the proceeds go to Japan's earthquake relief efforts. 

The anthology is not only a worthwhile literary achievement, it is a remarkable humanitarian effort as well.  Timothy and his team of authors worked hard to create this edition, and I applaud their contribution.  Let's make their work worthwhile by purchasing the ebook.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

SHAKEN: STORIES FOR JAPAN

Timothy Hallinan has just completed "an e-book collection of original short stories by 20 terrific writers". Look for it at your favorite e-book store. Knowing Tim's writing, this will be a terrific anthology. And all proceeds from the sale of the book go to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund.