Roadtrip!!!! Georgia to California in 2 1/2 days

[James A]

Terrific news!!!!!!!!!!!

[Need4Speed]

Pleased to hear.

Best wishes on her recovery.

[Ancient Wedgie]

Wow, stage 0 is excellent news.

But now that you know you're still in the fight, here's something I hope you follow up on that may provide you that extra edge.

You will find many free email support groups for general and specific cancers (quite possibly including hers) at Acor.org , where you or your wife may find others who've had the same type of affliction and with who you can share data and experiences.

I cannot recommend it highly enough. My experience demonstrated how very well that they sorted the fact from the fancy, tell you what questions to ask, and how and when to make demands that are essential to living.

My prayers stay with you.

[xxxotic]

Great news, glad to here that that is not spreading and that it was caught early.

They are making great strides with cancer nowadays. My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer about a year ago, and they caught it within 3 months of it starting since they originally thought it was bronchitis and had a picture of her lungs from a few months before when everything was fine After 3 months they did another x-ray of her lungs and found that one was black and the other one had spots on it.

It is only in the lining so they cant operate. Instead of doing chemo, which would have made her sick, they gave her a new drug called Iressa. In 3 months it cleared up the spots on one lung and cleared up the other one by 50%, and the cancer is not speading anymore.

The doctors were shocked and expected to see some feeble old lady who caould hardly breath when they first saw her x-rays. But she has always felt fine, but is sometimes a little out of breath. She continues to swim for a hour every day and work out for a 1/2 hour and feels great.

I want to make anyone who has a friend or relative with a life threating disease and who is over 65 and on medicade that the goverment has just came out with a test program to help cover the cost of the drugs via of a lotttery for 50,000 people that is still open for a few months. I was shocked to find that some people were paying $60,000 a year for some of the medicines listed. My mother just found out that she was one of the ones picked and will now pay about $150 a month for her medicine instead of $2000. The person she spoke to at the government said a lot of people do not know about this program so, please let anyone that you know who may be able to benefit from it know about it.


List of eligible drugs

[NtflBlueLiz]

Great news! We'll keep your family in our prayers.

[Johnny B]

Originally posted by Randy Chase
Thanks for all the well wishes. We have some good news today in that though it is indeed cancer, it's not invasive and still at an early stage (stage 0). Not out of the woods, but she will not be going through chemotherapy. There will be surgery, but she is very upbeat about that.

Randy, that's great news. My mom had the same thing 18 years ago. Her doctors did a lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment and she's still going strong today!

[Ara]

Originally posted by Randy Chase
Interesting post-trip detail-


This morning I go out to my car and see a trail of ants leading to it. THOUSANDS OF ANTS ON MY CAR!!

Funny you mention that. One of our race cars is yellow and is invariably covered in insects in the mornings at the track. The other dozen cars we have in our group will not have a single one, and the yellow one will practically be covered. Green grasshoppers are particularly fond of it.

[Randy Chase]

Hey... an anniversary of sorts.

It has now been a year later since I did this dumb thing... agree to drive the car back from LCU to San Diego. As most know, I had a plan, and then discarded that plan when my wife became ill. I was going to have a nice run, do route 66, some other stuff. And instead I only allowed myself to do Deal's Gap Tail of the Dragon and then Cherohola Skyway and then banzai home as quick as I could.

It changed the nature of the trip, but in the end, it was still a good experience. It is odd to me to read this account from a year ago. 12 months ago, most of us were in the middle of a lot of discussion about everyone not being able to get their cars. And there was a lot we didn't know... we waited for little tidbits of experience. A lot of my reports now seem silly. Well of course the car draws attention. There was also people that were Elise owners and have since sold....or on the waiting list and dropped off.

Reading this again, brought back a lot of emotions for me. I was truly thrilled to be getting my car. Excited about driving it back and looking forward to the twisty roads of North Carolina and Tennessee. And worried a lot about my wife. Update on my wife, she underwent surgery (full double mastectomy) not too much longer after I got the Elise and is totally fine now. She is back to playing in her soccer and volleyball leagues and ran a 1/2 marathon in New York not too long ago.

Having now owned the car for 365 days and 16,000 miles... it has been a good experience. I have since driven it a couple times for long distances and it is looking very possible that I will be driving it in a few weeks to Kansas and then back.

I am still very grateful for the people I met on my trip. The friendship and hospitality and help were tremendous and meant a lot to me.

And I still want to do the trip I didn't take. Maybe even get back to the Dragon for another go at it. Maybe next year. Route 66?

[Randy Chase]

By the way... I never really mentioned what happened to me in Tennessee. It was an interesting.. almost David Lynchian experience. We had originally planned on stopping somewhere around Tennessee after spending the day at Deals Gap and then driving out in the late afternoon.

The first problem with our plans was that we were supposed to meet Chris (Zvezdasadasdfdsg) for the run up to Deal's Gap. He was supposed to meet Clyde and I at LCU. It turned out that Chris had emailed that he was not coming, but nobody knew that. We waited and waited. We finally drove over to Lotus of Atlanta because they had his number (he did not have a cell phone). By then it was running late and we took off to meet up with Dan and to have Lamin-X applied to the car.

After that, we drove up (Dan, Mick, and I) but it was later than we originally planned. The diehards Lotuslust and Highlander were waiting for us anyway. After some quick runs, talking to Killboy, and chatting, it was getting dusk.

I took off following Lotuslust back to his place in Tennessee. A part of my plan was to stay with people, because it is more interesting than a story about me staying at Motel 6 right? But I threw out most of the "journal" aspect of the trip anyway, so in the end it was not a big deal. Lotuslust told me that he had some relatives staying in town and the house was very full, and if I would not mind, there is a nice hotel in town. No worries.

And I owe Lotuslust for that drive out. It was nuts in the dark night taking all these back roads across Tennessee. I had no idea where I was, except the GPS kept telling me things like I should make the next legal U-Turn.

So he drives with me to this hotel and says his goodbye. Now here is where it gets odd. At this point, it is about 12:30 in the morning. An older woman is working behind the counter. I ask for a room, which seems simple enough. But the computer is giving her problems. She keeps trying stuff and nothing is working. She can't get me a room because the computer won't let her. I don't know if I have options, the town does not look that big, so I cross my fingers and make encouraging noises. I stood there for about 25 minutes growing weary.

Finally she announces she thinks a room is available.. we should go check. So we walk out into the dark. She unlocks the door and I am stunned by the smell of cigarette smoke. Wow. And the room was not made up either. wtf? So we walk back to the counter... and I am thinking I need to do something different now. As nicely as I can, I tell her...this is not working out for us, is there another place in town? She gives me directions to this other hotel near a Walmart. Yay...

That hotel was fine if a bit spartan. But it seemed clean and I had a room and was in bed by 2:00am. I was a little worried about my car so I don't think I slept well. I knew I had to be in Austin and it was a long drive, so I had to get up early too.

The next morning I got up, no coffee. Stumbled around and after a shower and getting dressed, decided I should go to Walmart. It occurred to me that a simple mechanical problem on the road would be really bad for my schedule, and many little things can be fixed with a screwdriver and wrench. Your most basic tool kit. So off to Walmart I go.

I picked up this Made in China and then sealed in incredibly tough plastic tool kit. It had everything... except a way to open it. Crap. I also picked up a new pair of singlasses. I think I forgot mine. On the sunglasses was a tag that was secured with a cable tie like device. I (not having any tools) decided to bite through the plastic. To my horror, I felt my front tooth break into two pieces. Holy crap. I looked in my car's mirror and was shocked at how I looked. Damn... it was bad. But what could I do? Nothing.. no time. I went back into Walmart and bought some scissors. At least now I could open my tool kit up. Finally got everything situated. New tool kit and a tool bag now living in my trunk. Got a cup of coffee to take with. Got a broken tooth as a souvenier.

And back on the road again.

But not so fast....

I had put about 20 miles down before my cell phone rang. The voice said "Hey, is this Randy Chase?" "Umm.. yes?"

"I have your wallet. It was in this intersection of the town. There was money and your stuff flying around. I think I got most of it"

Argh... after being thrown off by my tooth experience, I had not noticed that I had left my black wallet on top of the black soft top.

Then it was even a bit worse. Neither of us knew the town. He was not from there either. So there was a lot of "Well, I see a tall steeple and there is a gas station.... " "Are you west of me?" etc. It took us about an hour to finally meet and he gave me my wallet and I thanked him a hundred times.

So left Tennessee, hoping my trip did not get anymore interesting. I set a course directly for Austin Texas. Running late of course, we would not get into Austin until near midnight.

[Ancient Wedgie]

That was an ominous ending. I presume there's a sequel?

[Troy_Audio]

I did San Diego to Chicago in 32hrs..
I was drive'n a Dakota
Peace Troy

[Randy Chase]

I was reminded of this thread by someone else's thread asking about a roadtrip with a new Elise. I ended up reading it again. Kind of interesting to see the perspectives or the early people as we all waited for the cars and for any information.

So now it is 2.5 years later..almost 3 years. 33k+ miles on the car. Many modifications to it. Had it in our SEMA booth. We "Ubered" the clam. Put on Penske shocks. Added LSD. Aftermarket ECU, track brace. Took it to Nationals in Kansas. Drove up and down the west coast and on Highway 1 a number of times. Drove to Utah and back. Won some championship events. Did some track events. Did quite a few solo mountain and canyon runs. Put it up for sale and took it off the market.

I have been very happy with the car.

And I am thinking I should start to think about the trip I ended up shortening because of my wife's health problems. Roadtrip2: Route 66. Chicago to Los Angeles. Anyone else interested?

[abbodabbodo]

I'm definitely looking into doing some type of roadtrip like that... I'm in Philly though and unfortunately just missed the group that left from here a few weeks back.

[RacyTracy]

Originally Posted by Randy Chase

Roadtrip2: Route 66. Chicago to Los Angeles. Anyone else interested?

Any thoughts as to when??

[Randy Chase]

Haven't given too much thought. When weather is good. Suggestions?

[Crudson]

I am always happy to share my experiences with doing a long trip in the Elise, but I am not sure if there are any unknowns anymore now that the car has been here a few years.

Didn't really do Rte66 but the following:
http://picasaweb.google.com/crudson/...17305288665346

[JoshS]

Is this one-way? How are you getting the car to chicago, if so?

[Randy Chase]

Originally Posted by Crudson

I am always happy to share my experiences with doing a long trip in the Elise, but I am not sure if there are any unknowns anymore now that the car has been here a few years.

Didn't really do Rte66 but the following:
http://picasaweb.google.com/crudson/...17305288665346

You guys were nuts. People thought I was crazy back in 2004. You have passed me. I might hit you up for some of that GPS and mapping tech, that is cool stuff.

[Randy Chase]

Originally Posted by JoshS

Is this one-way? How are you getting the car to chicago, if so?

Good question. I gave this some thought. One could ship the car to Chicago, but I will probably just drive both ways. Perhaps a more north and direct route to Chicago. Perhaps a quick itinerary like this-

Day 1. I-15 to Las Vegas. Arrive early afternoon. Hang out.

Day 2. Las Vegas north on I-15 to east on I-70 in Utah. Stop in Colorado (Aspen, Denver?)

Day 3. East on I-70. Stop at Babak's in Topeka Kansas for dinner. Stay in Topeka.

Day 4. Topeka to Kansas City to St Louis to Chicago.

We could shorten that by a day pretty easily. You can leave by 8:00am and get to Grand Junction Co (11 hours) later. Then Grand Junction to Topeka. Just means the days are a little longer and you miss some great scenery because it will be night.

Anyway.. 4 days out. 6 days back? Has to happen when it is not scorching hot summer... and when it is not freezing snowy winter.

Or we can arrange a transporter for SoCal people to get their cars out. We did this last year to take cars to Kansas.

[iw84u]

wow, i just finish reading all the post. i can't wait to do my Fresno - DC next week.