Fish Out of Water OR Why Is Everyone Talking Chinese?

Went to Hyde Park, NY with my hubby for the Lambda (Gay) Car Club Nutmeg Chapter Invitational event this past weekend. (Why the Nutmeg Chapter - Connecticut is the Nutmeg State - and that's another question altogether - is held in New York State is too long to explain).

My hubby drove his 1987 Chrysler LeBaron, I drove my 2010 Honda Fit.

Hyde Park is very nice. Rich old money, young new money, average working classes together making a fairly nice little community. Well kept properties, nice views, big mansions. Rhinebeck fairgrounds waiting for the Old Cars and the guys and their gay Old Cars.

So there I am, someone who cares zero about Old Cars, in with all these guys who obsess about old cars and many of whom spend lots of money collecting and restoring and maintaining and storing their Old Cars. Honda Fit. Talk about fish out of water.

The Guys Talking Chinese in the Hotel Parking Lot
Courtesy Neil Flavin

I am an introverted type to begin with and even more so in a large group of people with whom I either have nothing in common or have nothing "of the moment" in common. The moment being totally and completely about Old Cars. The more I heard about Old Cars the more introverted I got. This is right up there with the Yankee Candle Factory at Christmas time as fun things not to do. The candle perfume and holiday decor make me think I've died and gone to hell.

While these guys were in heaven, I was at the very least in Purgatory.

When these guys talk Old Cars and Motors and Car Parts and Mechanical it sounds to me like Chinese or Greek or whatever language you want to use to make the point that their language was Old Cars.

So I took a little time to go visit Eleanor Roosevelt's cottage, Val-Kill. (In the Hudson Valley you have a lot of Kills, the Catskills,  Fishkill, Peekskill, Walkill...you get the picture. I think it means creek or brook. My National Park Service Senior Pass came in handy for free admission. I had already seen FDR's place a couple of years ago.

The Val-Kill tour was very interesting and we were escorted through the house by Ranger Mark, our very beary tour guide of whom I do not have a photo, of course. The Cottage: fully and simply furnished with the actual or reproduction furnishings as it was when Eleanor last lived there.

The Stone House:

 On the grounds of Vanderbilt:

Great views of the Hudson River from the Vanderbilt Mansion property.

And I went off to the garden shop and well, other than that I was mostly bored. I hate to say that, but there was little general conversation going on, and even then, it always revolved around cars in some form or other. Like "I remember that time at your uncles funeral, you were driving the Pontiac or the Packard or the 57 Caddie or whatever."

There were 60 guys at the banquet, the food was good, but I left after dessert. Back at the hotel, I kicked back on watched TV. No, I didn't actually watch, it was just on. I think I drifted off...the beach is where my heart is...

Addendum: Added a photo to the last post.