Got to fulfill a long-overdue part of the deal I made when I bought Mater. I found out shortly after I got it that Kenny, the previous owner, had been diagnosed with cancer and underwent drastic surgery and started chemo within a couple days after we shook hands and I paid for it. This was part of the need to sell it.
It was clear that he loved the Jeep but he had fought ongoing engine trouble that was beyond his ability to fix (think it was a bad rebuild followed by other bad engine work). He wanted it to go to a good home and made a good deal with a promise from me that he could get a ride in it when I got it back on the road.
Today, 17 months after we shook on the deal to make Mater part of our family, we managed to find Kenny and his wife Tiffany at home and he was feeling well enough to get his ride. As we were driving, he told me all about his various trips north in it and one time he took it to Wyoming towing his duck hunting boat and all of the comments he got along the way.
He's back at work and doing well but had a CAT scan last week that found a spot on his lung. He's going in tomorrow for a PET scan follow up on that. He said that it made his day to get to ride in it and loved how it sounded and how much fun we were clearly having with it. Here's to hoping that a positive emotional night tonight can help him in his scan tomorrow.
Also really glad that Laura was along to experience this. Proud papa moment at how sweet she was with them, having never met them. She was happy to tell them that Mater was HER Jeep
One of those lifetime Jeep memories right there. No question.
