Sorry to do it, but I'm going to have to get all faggy here for a minute.
Over the last two weeks, I've fallen in love with my car. I loved the 07 NA that I obsessed over and waited forever to get from the second I laid eyes on a picture of a prototype up until and long after the day I impulsively traded it in on a newer, faster, sparklier model. My RL always felt like an appliance, and I honestly felt a little scuzzy for kicking good old #2734 to the curb to get it.
This mod meet changed all that. In the process of getting dirty and making it better with my own two hands we became a lot more intimately acquainted. I didn't actually complete any one mod all by myself (in fact, I guess I really just helped others mod my car for the most part), but taking it apart, changing stuff, learning about it, and putting it back together brought me to a level of appreciation and admiration for the machine that I never experienced with the NA.
My biggest obstacle going in was letting go of the fear of doing irreparable harm to something that looks so nice and I work so hard to pay for. That never would have happened if not for the supportive and encouraging environment I was in, and once it did I was able to enjoy the thrill of modding.
I'm very grateful to our hosts and all those who attended for their contributions big (wiring, drilling, derattling my entire car when I wasn't looking, sharing knowledge, troubleshooting) and small (lending me tools, dropping by with moral support and a bottle of water, keeping a straight face when I said what I intended do, getting out of earshot before ridiculing me, and just generally being supportive), and that won't soon be forgotten. Heartfelt thanks to one and all.
No, I'm not drunk.
