Washed. Clay-barred. Polished. Waxed.

Is there any better way to spend your morning than cranking the radio and putting a fresh coat on the Challenger? I think not.

The fourth and final part of my essay "Thunderstruck" has just gone live at The Good Men Project. Click the link and give it a read--in fact, tell your friends! And, of course, Dear Reader, don't forget to check out parts 1 through 3.

The third part of my essay "Thunderstruck" has just gone live at The Good Men Project. Check it out by following the link, and don't forget to take a look at parts 1 and 2, if you haven't already!

The second part of my essay "Thunderstruck" has just gone live at The Good Men Project. Give it a read, and don't forget to check out part 1 when you get the chance!

I suppose it's only fitting that, on the day of my Challenger's birthday, an essay about the car should get published. This wasn't something anyone planned (I didn't even know my car's date of manufacture until after the piece had been accepted), but sometimes the stars align in surprising ways. 

I wrote the essay "Thunderstruck" along with my Rock and Roll Literature class this semester as lead-off piece for an essay collection about rock music and its impact on my life. It's a project I am working on slowly, and I'm very excited to see the first essay find a home at The Good Men Project Magazine, a very cool journal with a really important mission. It's actually the first creative nonfiction piece I've published nationally, and it will be appearing serially (which is kind of cool and very Dickensian, if you think about it), so if you have some time, please click on the link and give Part I a read. (I'll post updates as the rest of the essay goes live throughout the week.)

Four years ago today, sometime during the 17th hour (that's between 5:00 and 6:00 PM for those who aren't inclined toward counting), my Challenger rolled off the assembly line in Brampton, Ontario, and made its way south to West Bend, Wisconsin, where I would eventually discover it and fall deeply and profoundly in love.

In honor of this special day, I've gone ahead and given the Challenger a much needed bath, and this afternoon we'll crank its favorite tune and hit the road for a while to celebrate!

Of course, what's a birthday without presents? So, I also bought the Mopar Functional Hood Scoop Kit I've had my eye on, which I'll be installing after the end of the semester, as well as this Dodge Motorsports Windproof Lighter (ooh, shiny!). Now I just need to track down some cake--should make for a fun weekend!

To read more about this dream car--it's story and and what it means to me--check out my Evolution of Muscle photo documentary page. And, of course, feel free to leave your happiest birthday wishes below!