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dedpedal
02-08-2007, 08:12 PM
As I sit here in my saddness and the tears begin to run from my eyes, I think of the good things Vinny brought into my life. There so many stories of boring road trips that never seemed to end yet he made them fun just by being himself. His way of being funny was contagious.
I first met Vinny back in 2001 when I was working at a tint shop in Ameilia. He and Holly were headed to the track on a saterday. At first site, I knew he was one of those special people that one wouldd want to be associated with. We checked out each others cars and he said something like "We must look like a pair of alpha males sniffin each others butts". I knew then and there that we would become fast friends.
On one trip to Florida for a race in Bradenton, he had myself and Jeff cracking up the whole way there. His birthday party was the night before and he didnt get much sleep so Jeff drove most of the morning. Even in his sleep he was making goofy comment about the traffic and people in cars doing dumb things.He had a way about him. On the road to the track we spied some migrant workers picking strawberries and he said something to the effect of sending aid to mexico in the form of 2 million illegal immagrants. He had the window down and I yelled lemigras a few times. We all cracked up at the site of half of the crew trying to hide in knee high strawberry plants while the rest ran for the fence.
He was very sick with allergies that weekend, but it never slowed him down. At the hotel, he and I were unwinding while Jeff was out in search of beer. Vinny was dyeing his chin mounted ponytail blonde and I was waiting for Amy to come meet me at the hotel. She was there visiting her sister with her mom. I was laying on the bed watching TV and Vinny was outside leaning on the second floor railing. I heard someone say "Is that my pookie bear?" and I could see Vinny through the door shrug his shoulders and point inside. I had no idea what was going on when this older woman comes flying in the door and jumps on the bed with me and gives me a big hug. This is how I first met my future mother in law. I know that Vinny didnt have a clue who she was and just pointed to me. The look on his face was priceless. He had a shiteating grin from thinking he had just pulled one off on me. The trip home was just as fun.
Then there was the time that he and I spent a couple of late nights working on getting his GT ready for a race in Maple Grove. He jacked the front up and pulled the jackstands. I was standing near the back of the car and heard him get excited . "NONONONO AWWWW NO". The car had slid off the jack and crushed the oil pan. "Just kick me in the jimmy, I cant do it myself" Even in that state of shock/anger he still had something funny to say. He borrowed a car from Tim Hixon the next day and of we went. Another memory of that trip was somehow I ended up sleeping in his tent. Either I had forgot mine or it was defective. Between me him the track food and copious amounts of Keystone Light, that tent stunk for weeks. I think Holly even commented on it at the next race.
Vinny was allways willing to help someone else in need but seemed hesitant to ask himself of others sometimes. One day a couple years ago, he was having trouble with the coupe and got stuck on the ramp to 5 mile road. I happend to be off work that day and was sitting here BSing with Holly on IM. she told me what had happend after Vinny called her and I was on my way over there when he called me." Hey guy what are you doing?" I replied that I was on my way to help a friend with a broke down car. I could almost hear the dissapointment in his voice as I desribed what I was doing and where I was heading. Then the mental gears kicked in and he said, "Well, im at that intersection and I dont see any mustang other than the coupe. I pulled in and we swapped the dist there and set the timing and it fired right up and ran like a champ. Being able to help him that day made me feel so good. I guess thats how he felt when he helped someone else out.
The anual cabrewing trips were allways a source for laughter. One year, he had a bit too much sun mixed with munchies and beer. he got sick on the way home. He had to say "RAAAAALLLPPHH" Holly was cleaning it out for weeks. The next year, he said that he wasnt going to get sick this year. Well, all the way home I could hear him in the front seat "Dont get sick dont get sick..."
He made it all the way to my house in fine form. I on the other hand wasnt doing so well. I managed to get out of the car in my driveway and stagger to a junked mustang and barfed. Apparently Vinny couldnt control the automatic gag reflex. When Amy pulled in the driveway a few minutes later, we were both spewing like fountains. A friend will hold your hair back when you barf, a GOOD friend will barf with you.
We had talks about what life would be like when we got too old to drive and enjoy our cars.We discussed the retirement home for old racers and how we would hottrod our wheelchairs and chase the nurses. "The ugly ones for spite and the pretty ones for the obvious reasons " he said.
There was allways happyness eminating from Vinny.It was the kind of thing that made me happy and glad to have a friend like him.I pray that hes above somewhere looking down on us and making God smile and laugh just like he did for all of us.
I know it sounds like everything we did was centered around Mustangs, but in truth it was just centered on good friends hanging out and being that. Good friends. Ill allways remember him and allways miss him. He was a great father,great husband and all around great guy. RIP Vinny

AprilBryant
02-08-2007, 08:35 PM
Here, Here!!

RI85GT
02-08-2007, 08:35 PM
Thanks Kev

kennebellcobra
02-08-2007, 09:31 PM
I bet that was hard to write, Thanks for sharing that!

bobtsgt
02-08-2007, 10:25 PM
great stories Kev. thanks

Bluecrew07
02-08-2007, 10:32 PM
Thanks Kevin

'92Stang
02-08-2007, 10:47 PM
Sounds like Great memories, of an even greater friend. Thanks

PonyPimpstress
02-08-2007, 10:52 PM
I got to hang out with Vinny a few times and we talked online alot. He brought many smiles to alot of faces. May his memory live on!

95turbocharged
02-08-2007, 11:29 PM
that was great!

bestracing
02-08-2007, 11:32 PM
Great rememberance of a great guy, Kevin. Thanks for sharing

axetone
02-09-2007, 01:53 AM
Kevin, you are a great friend to share your time with Vinny ~with all of us. We appreciate you taking the time. See ya Saturday.

MrsAPE
02-09-2007, 11:30 AM
thank you.

Evil_Capri
02-09-2007, 11:52 AM
I feel weird for posting this and I'm not trying to hijack Kevins' thread, I just didn't know where to post this, but I am a HUGE fan off all types of music and I was sitting here in the office and this song popped up on my itunes and I lost it. I know, and I’m not trying to pretend how close I was to Vinny, but the times we talked were always good times, and I’m so very proud I was able to be part of his life and am even prouder that he was/is part of mine.

This song doesn’t all ‘fit’ with Vinny, but to me sort of represents part of who he was for me. Again, I’m just trying to share a little with you all from my perspective . . .


Song by Drive-By Truckers . . .
OUTFIT
You want to grow up to paint houses like me, a trailer in my yard till you're 23
You want to be old after 42 years, keep dropping the hammer and grinding the gears

Well, I used to go out in a Mustang, a 302 Mach One in green.
Me and your Mama made you in the back and I sold it to buy her a ring.
And I learned not to say much of nothing and I figured you already know
but in case you don’t or maybe forgot, I’ll lay it out real nice and slow

Don’t call what your wearing an outfit. Don’t ever say your car is broke.
Don’t worry about losing your accent, a Southern Man tells better jokes.
Have fun but stay clear of the needle. Call home on your sister’s birthday.
Don’t tell them you’re bigger than Jesus, don’t give it away.

Six months in a St. Florian foundry, they call it Industrial Park.
Then hospital maintenance and Tech School just to memorize Frigidaire parts.
But I got to missing your Mama and I got to missing you too.
So I went back to painting for my old man and I guess that’s what I’ll always do

So don’t try to change who you are boy, and don’t try to be who you ain’t.
And don’t let me catch you in Kendale with a bucket of wealthy-man’s paint.

Don’t call what your wearing an outfit. Don’t ever say your car is broke.
Don’t sing with a fake British accent. Don’t act like your family’s a joke.
Have fun, but stay clear of the needle, call home on your sister’s birthday.
Don’t tell them you’re bigger than Jesus, Don’t give it away.

Don’t give it away.

Lyrics and Music by Jason Isbell
© 2002 House of Fame Publishing (BMI)
Pedal Steel: John Neff / High Harmony: Clay Leaverett

Foxxx5oh
02-09-2007, 11:54 AM
that was great Kevin, memories are all we have now, and you guys had some good ones RIP Vinny, you are missed

Maximus
02-14-2008, 06:12 PM
How did I miss this.....:(


Thanks for sharing guy:)


sorry, I just noticed this was from last year. I saw Kevin reading it and, well....nevermind. :(

Mr.Moontang
02-14-2008, 06:29 PM
I missed it last year as well...there were just so many threads that popped up when our world here stopped. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of him... Thanks for sharing Kevin.

Maximus
02-14-2008, 06:40 PM
Thought I would share this with some of the newbies.

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=4209153


Im sooooo Thankful for the time I had with Vinny. :rockon:

MrsAPE
02-14-2008, 08:13 PM
^OMG...Kids and I just laughed our butts off!! Thanks craig!

DeckerEnt
02-15-2008, 01:35 AM
Thanks for the memories!!!
Keith

Holly
02-15-2008, 09:31 AM
How did I miss this.....:(


I missed this one too. I missed a bunch of the Vinny threads. I took off last Thursday and Friday and spent much of those two days reading the threads from last year at this time. Now I can read them and enjoy the memories, smile, and be thankful that I was married to the greatest guy in the world (well, in my book anyway!).

All I have is GOOD memories, and I am thankful for that. There will never be another Vinny, that's for sure.

ruby71oh
02-16-2008, 08:45 PM
I'm with everyone else...I missed this too. It was great to sit here on a Saturday night and read this-enjoying every word without blurry vision. There were many times Vince would come up North and tell lots of stories about Stangbangerz, the friends he met on here, the races/events he went to and what he had planned for the future. I feel very lucky that I've been able to meet many of the people who enjoyed his friendship and the funny person that he was as well.

mustanginky
02-17-2008, 01:08 AM
ya know, i just signed up for an account here a few months ago, so i didn't know vinny. but i will say a few things i've noticed. this guy got a lot of love. seemed like a great guy all around, someone i would get along with well. when he passed away, there were threads all over the other mustang boards about how we lost a great person. i'm a member on louisvillemustangs.net and there was a thread on there about him. that's how i found out about stangbangerz. anyways, sad loss but keep him alive through your memories.