superbuickguy
Explorer
Emma pointed off across the field. "Almost as bad, dear. I think those are hot peppers over there drying in the sun."
Carl peered through the wet haze and sure enough, there was a huge field of fiery-looking peppers placed on racks to let the sun do its job. Wavy lines distorted the air above the peppers like a cartoon drawing.
Carl slammed the hood shut and a minute later, they were back on the road. Both sides of the two-lane road were now lined with peppers of all different colors and shapes. In spite of keeping the windows tightly shut and the air conditioning on full blast, the smell of hot stuff permeated the cab.
Up ahead, a sign proclaimed, "NEW IBERIA".
Carl's eyes brightened. "Hey woman. Open up the fridge and
get out that bottle a hot sauce we got on the top shelf. See where that stuff is made."
Emma sighed and did as asked. "It's made in...
Carl interupted. "No wait. Lemme guess. It's made in Blue Iberia, right?”
"You mean New Iberia, dear."
"Yeh, 'at's what I said. You got wax in your ears, Emma? Way I figure it, this here's got to be the hot sauce capital of the universe.”
A billboard flashed into view. "NEW IBERIA. HOT SAUCE CAPITAL OF AMERICA!
Carl got a satisfied look on his face and headed West, at exactly two miles per hour over the speed limit.
Texas took forever to cross, or so it seemed to Emma. Whenever Carl got bored with driving on the lonely, empty stretches of highway, he'd pull off on a dirt road and just wander in the general direction of the Pacific Ocean.
Emma let him get lost a good half dozen times, but lost patience when they ended up back in Louisiana again and demanded that he get back on roads with numbers on them.
To pass the time, Carl suggested that they try to learn some Spanish, so that when they got to Mexico, they would have an edge over the locals when it came time to buy things.
Emma shuffled through her Spanish/English book as The Whale rumbled smoothly down the road. "Alright dear. I'll say the word or phrase in English, and you say it to me in Spanish. All righty? Good day, sir."
Carl scratched his chin. "Ahh, that's easy. Beunos Airhose, burrito.”
Emma sighed. "No, dear. The correct phrase is: Buenas dias, senor.”
“Hellsfire , woman, It was close enough. Give me another one.”
"OK. How much is that, please?"
"Uhhh; Tonto samba tengo taco, porky flavor... or something real close to that. Anyways, enough of that. I figure I learned a proper amount of the lingo to get by. Let's put some miles under the frame rails."
They crossed the California border some days later and eventually hooked into the main road that led into San Diego and eventually south to Tijuana and Mexico.
Carl followed the signs carefully and soon the International border came into view. "Looka that, Emma. Mexico! The Land of the Rising Sun.”
“That's Japan, dear.”
"What are you, nuts? We ain't nowhere near Japan."
The whale rolled up to the guard and Carl leaned out of the window. "Yup?"
The border guard smiled professionally. "Are you here for vacation or business, senor? Or possibly are you here for the racing?"
"Racing?"
"Si. The Baja 500. It is this weekend. You wish to spectate, senor?"
Carl let out a big booming laugh. "Specate? Hellsfire, son...I might just up and enter the thing. After all, I got me a 454 under the hood."
Emma let out a painful sounding moan and buried her head under her knitting.
The guard looked concerned. "Is the senora sick?"
Carl shook his head. "Naw. Musta been somethin' she ate in Texas.”
The guard waggled a finger. "No, senor. It was probably the water. We are taught here as children never to drink Texas water. Anyway, senor, have a good time in Mexico and good luck in the Baja 500!"
Emma made a pitiful sound like someone stepping on a hamster.
***
Could it be? Will Carl enter the Baja 500 and risk The Whale? Spooky times could be ahead. St
Carl peered through the wet haze and sure enough, there was a huge field of fiery-looking peppers placed on racks to let the sun do its job. Wavy lines distorted the air above the peppers like a cartoon drawing.
Carl slammed the hood shut and a minute later, they were back on the road. Both sides of the two-lane road were now lined with peppers of all different colors and shapes. In spite of keeping the windows tightly shut and the air conditioning on full blast, the smell of hot stuff permeated the cab.
Up ahead, a sign proclaimed, "NEW IBERIA".
Carl's eyes brightened. "Hey woman. Open up the fridge and
get out that bottle a hot sauce we got on the top shelf. See where that stuff is made."
Emma sighed and did as asked. "It's made in...
Carl interupted. "No wait. Lemme guess. It's made in Blue Iberia, right?”
"You mean New Iberia, dear."
"Yeh, 'at's what I said. You got wax in your ears, Emma? Way I figure it, this here's got to be the hot sauce capital of the universe.”
A billboard flashed into view. "NEW IBERIA. HOT SAUCE CAPITAL OF AMERICA!
Carl got a satisfied look on his face and headed West, at exactly two miles per hour over the speed limit.
Texas took forever to cross, or so it seemed to Emma. Whenever Carl got bored with driving on the lonely, empty stretches of highway, he'd pull off on a dirt road and just wander in the general direction of the Pacific Ocean.
Emma let him get lost a good half dozen times, but lost patience when they ended up back in Louisiana again and demanded that he get back on roads with numbers on them.
To pass the time, Carl suggested that they try to learn some Spanish, so that when they got to Mexico, they would have an edge over the locals when it came time to buy things.
Emma shuffled through her Spanish/English book as The Whale rumbled smoothly down the road. "Alright dear. I'll say the word or phrase in English, and you say it to me in Spanish. All righty? Good day, sir."
Carl scratched his chin. "Ahh, that's easy. Beunos Airhose, burrito.”
Emma sighed. "No, dear. The correct phrase is: Buenas dias, senor.”
“Hellsfire , woman, It was close enough. Give me another one.”
"OK. How much is that, please?"
"Uhhh; Tonto samba tengo taco, porky flavor... or something real close to that. Anyways, enough of that. I figure I learned a proper amount of the lingo to get by. Let's put some miles under the frame rails."
They crossed the California border some days later and eventually hooked into the main road that led into San Diego and eventually south to Tijuana and Mexico.
Carl followed the signs carefully and soon the International border came into view. "Looka that, Emma. Mexico! The Land of the Rising Sun.”
“That's Japan, dear.”
"What are you, nuts? We ain't nowhere near Japan."
The whale rolled up to the guard and Carl leaned out of the window. "Yup?"
The border guard smiled professionally. "Are you here for vacation or business, senor? Or possibly are you here for the racing?"
"Racing?"
"Si. The Baja 500. It is this weekend. You wish to spectate, senor?"
Carl let out a big booming laugh. "Specate? Hellsfire, son...I might just up and enter the thing. After all, I got me a 454 under the hood."
Emma let out a painful sounding moan and buried her head under her knitting.
The guard looked concerned. "Is the senora sick?"
Carl shook his head. "Naw. Musta been somethin' she ate in Texas.”
The guard waggled a finger. "No, senor. It was probably the water. We are taught here as children never to drink Texas water. Anyway, senor, have a good time in Mexico and good luck in the Baja 500!"
Emma made a pitiful sound like someone stepping on a hamster.
***
Could it be? Will Carl enter the Baja 500 and risk The Whale? Spooky times could be ahead. St