Day 2: Long and Triumphant

We started out at 7:30 AM at the Harrisonburg, VA Autozone and ended at 11:00 PM, 381 miles later, in the Best Western Asheville, NC lobby singing "Alison" in our Elvis (Costello) costumes to the BABE Marshalls. We received full marks from the British judges and a hearty round of applause from the crowd. Unfortunately, "Alison" is now permanently imprinted into our cortexes after practicing about 300 times in the car on the Blue Ridge Highway.

The gathering in the parking lot of about 50 Elvises in various states of glory and decline was entertaining. Another perfect weather day to have a look at Vegas Elvis, Young Elvis, Elvis with a walker, etc. The crowds only regret was that there was no dead Elvis, complete with commode, fried banana and peanut butter.

Kent and Richard were car jock heros today, somehow engineering a working boot to hold the grease on our left c.v. axle joint. Of course Autozone didn't have the boot, so the boys manufactured something that worked using three other boots and lots of glue. We bought bunches of little grease packets, two wheel lifts and borrowed parts from this awesome Autozone hero, Jennie. She nailed the trip: "So the carpenter (Kent) wants everything perfect, the project manager (Richard) wants to control everything and get it done, and this guy (Adam) just wants to hang out in the back and get going."

The challenge for Day 2 was to convince 10 separate groups of individuals to willingly let us have their pictures taken with us in our Elvis (Costello) garb. Here we are with Robin and her super-friendly coworkers and clients at the Hollywood Restarant and Bakery in VA (HIGHLY recommended), and the entourage of Amanda -- who was gearing up for her pre-wedding lingerie party (yes, Richard asked to be invited). Extra points for 10 people in the picture.

We'll post more pictures when we can get the pixel size down later, including Joyce at the Country Cottage, some bulls we considered consenting individuals (they didn't leave when we asked them if it was OK to take their picture), the bikers who feared we would hit them over the heads and steal their kidneys, and some others met along the way. Our only real bust was the salon next to the tattoo parlor. No pictures boys!

The car ran smooth as silk today, burnin' the veg over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

8:15 AM. Time for a quick cup o' joe and onward to Bama at 9:00!