Sometimes you just gotta go for a drive.....

Sometimes I just go out and drive around our beautiful island to soak in the scenery and smells. I don't need an excuse to go for a drive. But this past weekend it was only appropriate.

Some people have the ultimate driving machines for such a drive. Convertibles in Hawaii is like a Mai Tai with an Umbrella! Up or down you decide but drink it in.

These 4 cars have meaning for me. I've driven two of them but not in Hawaii. The Black 1964 Corvette convertible (upper left), 2008 Silver Corvette Convertible (upper right) and the Silver 1966 Ford Cobra (left). Silver 1972 Stingray Corvette (bottom)

Muscle cars? Yes. Eye catchers Yes! Fast & Furious? You bet. Imagine driving these powerful machines around town with the top down on a early Sunday evening. Imagine yourself opening up these beasts on the wide open highway. Corvette's have been one of my favorite sports cars ever since I was a little boy.

Now imagine your old buddy couped up in an Ohio garage during the middle of winter putting these cars together by hand. Yes, my old friend was a huge corvette lover and thrived on manufacturing these cars from scratch. Crazy I know but I used to watch him put these cars together and I was in awe at his special ability to do this by hand and with a little help from his father and younger brother. Spending many hours in his garage I too began to like the Corvette sports car. The car on the left is a 1972 Stingray Corvette. It still stands as the car that made me poop my pants at age 16! My buddy's brother and I topped out at 155mph on a remote highway outside of my home town. Holy crap is all I could say. After reaching this speed both he and I determined that we would NEVER again go this fast in a car. To this day I've only gone about 90mph in a family car!!

These cars have meaning and lots of memories. Part of my life growing up, part of being "a boy" in Ohio, part of hangin out with buddies and talking stories, proudly showing off the car on a Saturday night at the local gathering spot for teens.

My memories are strong and I will never forget them. My buddy "Jimbo" is responsible for these cars and all the memories that came with them.

Jimbo passed away this past weekend at age 43 of a cardiac arrest.

I am unable to get back to Ohio for the services and it hurts. Life in the islands can be very difficult at times. Missing funerals, weddings, birthdays and special occasions while living in Hawaii doesn't get any easier. There isn't a book to read or lecture to hear that can make it easy.

My heart is sad and my thoughts & prayers are with him and his family.

Thanks Jimbo for the memories which I will never forget. You are in the fast lane now, so open her up and let her roar!!

Sometimes you just gotta go for a drive.....