I finally have an Elise. Drove it to work today for the first time and loved every second of my 40 minute commute.
It's a bit long but here's how it happened:
My story starts over 5 years ago. My daughter was then 3 and I was 45. I always point out cool cars to her when we are driving together. One Saturday morning we were leaving our weekly daddy daughter date at Starbucks, when we stopped opposite a black Elise at a light. I pointed it out and gave her the highlights of why the Elise is such a great car (I had already been wanting one since 05 when they hit the states). After I get through talking she says, "You really like that car don't you, daddy?" I say "I sure do!" She says, "Would you want a car like that, daddy?" I say, "Oh, man, would I! It's the perfect car for me." Then she is quiet the rest of the way home which is highly unusual.
That night about half way through dinner she announces to my wife, "When daddy turns 50, I'm buying him a Locust!!" I laughed and said that would be awesome. I thought it was a very sweet thing for her to say, but, after all, she's 3 and will forget about it in about 30 minutes.
Well, she started saving her money, and even started a "Locust Fund" in a special cupcake bank she had. She mentioned it often and would make "jewelry" and paint paintings and sell them to family members. She even went door to door in her grandmother's neighborhood hawking her art. She was consistent about saving the little bit of money that a kid that age can scrape together with no allowance. Over the years she save a little over $30.
Fast forward 4 and a half years. I was then 49 and a half-ish. One day my wife and I are cleaning up the kitchen and she says, "We need to figure out what we're going to do in the garage." I say, "Okay...why?" And she says "So we'll have a place to park the Lotus when you get it." To say I was a shocked would be a huge understatement. My wife said "Well, our daughter has been talking about it for almost 5 years now, you don't think it's NOT going to happen do you?"
It was VERY important to my daughter that I get the car ON my birthday. Well, this poses a bit of a problem. As you all know one can't just go out shopping on your birthday and find the exact Elise that you want. We had decided on Storm Titanium with red leather, Sport and Touring packages, hard and soft top. I told her I'd start looking and if I found one I'd probably go ahead and get it. She asked if I could put it on lay-a-way until my birthday if I found one? I told her I thought I may be able to do that.
A few months later I found the one I wanted, flew to get it, drove it back to Texas, via the Tail of the Dragon (which I did 3 times in a row
). And then I stored it in a buddies warehouse for 4 months until my birthday. I may or may not have gone down there on my lunch break a time or ten to drive it.
Well, last Friday daddy turned 50! We had worked it out that after school we would all go down to the warehouse to get the car and bring it home. So imagine my surprise Thursday evening, when I came home to find my wife and daughter sitting in the driveway smiling. When I got out of my truck they opened the garage door and there backed in with a big red bow on it was my Elise!!! They had had my friend trailer it over while I was gone. So after buying my own birthday present 4 months earlier, they managed to surprise me with it!!! It was awesome. My daughter was so excited.
Anyway, that's my story. Super psyched to not only own an Elise, but to have it in my garage and able to drive it when I want. Of course we got the worst weather that we've had in two months and I didn't want to risk taking it out for a few days.
I figure another Lotus driver in Texas has the license plate LOCUST because I tried to get it and it wasn't available. I had to settle for the "T" plate with LOCUST. I'd like to apologize to the other LOCUST plate owner for copying your plate, but given the story I really had no choice
It's a bit long but here's how it happened:
My story starts over 5 years ago. My daughter was then 3 and I was 45. I always point out cool cars to her when we are driving together. One Saturday morning we were leaving our weekly daddy daughter date at Starbucks, when we stopped opposite a black Elise at a light. I pointed it out and gave her the highlights of why the Elise is such a great car (I had already been wanting one since 05 when they hit the states). After I get through talking she says, "You really like that car don't you, daddy?" I say "I sure do!" She says, "Would you want a car like that, daddy?" I say, "Oh, man, would I! It's the perfect car for me." Then she is quiet the rest of the way home which is highly unusual.
That night about half way through dinner she announces to my wife, "When daddy turns 50, I'm buying him a Locust!!" I laughed and said that would be awesome. I thought it was a very sweet thing for her to say, but, after all, she's 3 and will forget about it in about 30 minutes.
Well, she started saving her money, and even started a "Locust Fund" in a special cupcake bank she had. She mentioned it often and would make "jewelry" and paint paintings and sell them to family members. She even went door to door in her grandmother's neighborhood hawking her art. She was consistent about saving the little bit of money that a kid that age can scrape together with no allowance. Over the years she save a little over $30.
Fast forward 4 and a half years. I was then 49 and a half-ish. One day my wife and I are cleaning up the kitchen and she says, "We need to figure out what we're going to do in the garage." I say, "Okay...why?" And she says "So we'll have a place to park the Lotus when you get it." To say I was a shocked would be a huge understatement. My wife said "Well, our daughter has been talking about it for almost 5 years now, you don't think it's NOT going to happen do you?"
It was VERY important to my daughter that I get the car ON my birthday. Well, this poses a bit of a problem. As you all know one can't just go out shopping on your birthday and find the exact Elise that you want. We had decided on Storm Titanium with red leather, Sport and Touring packages, hard and soft top. I told her I'd start looking and if I found one I'd probably go ahead and get it. She asked if I could put it on lay-a-way until my birthday if I found one? I told her I thought I may be able to do that.
A few months later I found the one I wanted, flew to get it, drove it back to Texas, via the Tail of the Dragon (which I did 3 times in a row
). And then I stored it in a buddies warehouse for 4 months until my birthday. I may or may not have gone down there on my lunch break a time or ten to drive it.Well, last Friday daddy turned 50! We had worked it out that after school we would all go down to the warehouse to get the car and bring it home. So imagine my surprise Thursday evening, when I came home to find my wife and daughter sitting in the driveway smiling. When I got out of my truck they opened the garage door and there backed in with a big red bow on it was my Elise!!! They had had my friend trailer it over while I was gone. So after buying my own birthday present 4 months earlier, they managed to surprise me with it!!! It was awesome. My daughter was so excited.
Anyway, that's my story. Super psyched to not only own an Elise, but to have it in my garage and able to drive it when I want. Of course we got the worst weather that we've had in two months and I didn't want to risk taking it out for a few days.
I figure another Lotus driver in Texas has the license plate LOCUST because I tried to get it and it wasn't available. I had to settle for the "T" plate with LOCUST. I'd like to apologize to the other LOCUST plate owner for copying your plate, but given the story I really had no choice
