The rain didn't actually show up until I'd been out of bed for a little while, and was just getting ready to start working, so I retired to the dining room table with a cup of coffee, and waited for everyone to get around.

Rachael was ready to celebrate her 26th birthday and was chirping for Cracker Barrel breakfast before she was even fully dressed. Dale, always in the mood for a restaurant meal was in agreement. "We'll load Darren's Charger up and drop it off at the muffler shop, then get breakfast while they finish it up!"

The rain had subsided by the time the four of us went out to load the Charger. We had it tied down, and ready to go when Dad pulled into the back yard.
"You guys go ahead without me", I told them. I'm not a particular fan of Cracker Barrel, plus, the opportunity to work on the Belvedere wiring without any distractions was too good to pass up.

I had all the stuff done inside the car and buttoned up when I heard Boone's Coronet pull around back.
"Got all your nitrous bottles filled at Grand Prix", he explained, as he walked around the Belvedere. Unlike some others, I try not to abuse the kindness of Monte, and NOS, so I always show up for Drag Week with all my bottles locked and loaded. Dale thinks if one of his 3 bottles have enough for the first hit, he's good to go!
"You look like you're moving a little better today, why'd you get out here so late", I questioned him.
"I hit up the local hypochondriac with a full medicine cabinet yesterday...asked for a few pain pills and muscle relaxers to get me by. She gave me some, and told me I could take one of each every four hours. I took a half pill of each before I went to bed last night, and eight hours of my life completely disappeared! I have no conscious recollection of that time whatsoever! How do people function on that crap", he shrugged his shoulders.
"I have no idea, guess they develop a tolerance after a while", I agreed.
"Where is everyone else?"
"They took Darren's Charger to the muffler shop, then went out for breakfast", I informed him.
"Yeah, Darren called me this morning about it, and I couldn't take it any more, so I gave him a piece of my mind!"
"What did you say to him?" I chuckled, knowing this was going to be good.
"He wanted us to drive fifteen miles out of town to pick up another three foot stick of stainless to fix his exhaust. I told him it didn't need it, all they had to do was heat it up and bend it in. He got mad and dropped his same stupid line of 'if you aren't going to do it right, don't do it. I want it right'. So I went off on him, explaining he hasn't EVER done anything right on ANY of his cars, because everything gets farmed out or we do it for him. Then I told him he spends so much time cleaning everything because he's waiting for one of us to show him how to put it together!"
"Then what happened?"
"I don't know...he hung up on me!"