My stable, and I'm proud of it!

[treynor]

... so there's a little story which goes along with this one.

1999 was a pretty hard year at Chez Treynor; we had a newborn boy and my wife Liz was very ill. Fortunately, we received an enormous amount of love and support from our families and close friends. Come 2000, things were much better and we were in a position to give a bit back to everyone who had helped us through a difficult time. Given my [amply demonstrated] interest in motorized vehicles, you can imagine what happened:

Liz's parents had always talked about a Jaguar they had once owned, so their Christmas gift was rather an easy choice:


My kid sister got a surprise at her Yale graduation:


Liz's sister got a "going off to grad school in Michegan" upgrade:


One of my close friends, who was a motorcycle nut, got the following card for Christmas; I'll let you guess which option he chose:


Our closest mutual friends of 10 years, who made the mistake of going into law instead of software , found their aging Saturn and Integra percussively replaced:


And last but not least, my father had always dreamed of someday owning a Ferrari. His 60th birthday was in March 2000, and he got (in order of unwrapping) a polo shirt, a car model, an owner's manual, and a set of keys:



The point of all of this? Several, I suppose, but the one most appropriate for readers here is that of all the purchases I've made in recent years, the ones I'm happiest with are the ones I gave away.

[VIPERESS]

What a beautiful story!!! I hope you know, that you are indeed a very special person. I'm sure that you, and your wife have tremendous pleasure, everytime you see your loved ones enjoying the beautiful "gifts from the heart" that you have so graciously given them. I couldn't agree with you more, and have done the same for those I love numerous times. Without a doubt, the best purchases are those you can make, and give to the people you love. In my opinion, in life, it is always far more rewarding, and satisfying to be the provider of pleasure, rather than the recipient. Have a wonderful day, and glad to hear that your family is well, and your future is looking brighter.
Laura

[Joseph Houss]

Way to go Ben! Sharing is a beautiful thing! That was a great gesture, and one that many would never had done if they found their pot of gold!

[SapphireGTS]

You got her a CRV? And she still likes you ?

[SapphireGTS]

Thats what I say. The F355 Spider. Cool. The XKR. Cool. The SAAB (well. Cool. I guess) Then the CRV. WAAAAT? I guess its the thought that counts.

One of These Things
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others,
By the time I finish this song.


Go get your kid have her point to the car on the screen that does not belong. Sing the song again and let her try to stump you!

One of These Things
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others,
By the time I finish this song.
la la la laaa la la la la



-Viper GTS.
-Homemade intake Tubes.
-Corsa 3 incher with gigantic Pro Tips.
-Super High Flow cats.
-K&N filters.
-MGW shifter knob.
-SKULL STICKER ON HOOD (because its cool and chicks dig it . . . with a shovel)
-Wing From JonB is on its way.
Dem Dahooks!!!

<FONT COLOR="#ff0000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Gary Lamont on 10-25-2001 at 09:07 AM</font>

[Y2KACR]

My mom used to say that money is like manure; it doesn't do anybody any good unless you spread it around!
What a nice gesture to your loved ones, congratulations!
Doing an act of kindness is a reward of its own.

[K Adelberg]

You forgot your illegitimate child in California. Will settle for racing support.

Great story, all the best to you and your family.

[PMUM]

I know exactly what you mean about it feeling good to give to somebody. I know this great guy for my whole life and decided to do a similar thing. I had a '98 Viper and was so happy with it that I felt that this particular person deserved a new '01. I've known him since as far back as I can remember. We grew up together, went to school and even went to college together. He is a tremendous person in every way, shape and form. Everytime I see him it makes me happy.

I had some extra jack lying around and was in a giving mood and pondered relentlessly over who would benefit the most from a new Viper. Finally, I decided that this tremendous guy that I've known forever was going to be the recipient of a shiny new '01 ACR. I'll never forget the excited look on my face when I gave myself a brand new ACR.

Money can't buy happiness, but it sure can buy a bunch of cool cars and electronics.

WAR GIVING TO PMUM!!!!!

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PMUM:
Money can't buy happiness,

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Wrong. Money can't guarantee happiness, but lack of it guarantees depression.

[Performin Norman]

Great stuff you got there.

[Gerald]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chuck 98 RT/10:
Wrong. Money can't guarantee happiness, but lack of it guarantees depression.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chuck,

CLASSIC!!!!!

[rschiltz]

Great story Ben. Really enjoyed. What about whats in your stable?

[treynor]

Regarding the CRV, it's important to remember here that the gift had to be what the recipient would want, not what I would want. For a poor grad student headed out to a snowy locale, the CRV was an excellent choice, and she loved (loves) it.

Regarding money and happiness, my personal experience is that it's a contributing factor, but far less important than a number of others, like relationships, health et. al.

Regarding the Treynor "stable", it's listed in my 'sig.

[Y2K5SRT]

Awesome stuff! I have been trying to figure out a way to get my dad a '56 Chevy convertible someday. It was his favorite car and his first. He recently moved from Florida to the Sierra mountains, so it may not be as practical. Still hope to duplicate your feat in some small way. Great job!

Chris

[treynor]

My, it's been over two years since I updated this thread. IPOs have been scarce recently, sad to say, so I have only a few additions to the "stable":

My brother-in-law finished his PhD and needed something to haul around his Taiko drum set, so a boxy transport device seemed in order:


And my father's aging 300ZX finally gave up the ghost. He still has the Ferrari, but since he lives in MA he needed a winter car:

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Good for you Ben. I'm hoping someday I can do similar things.

[Gerald]

you da' man Ben!

[Ulysses]

Most importantly, how are the wife and the little boy doing?

IPO's? Not to worry, it really looks like the Telecom Datacom sector is starting to recover. Keeping my fingers crossed, but I'm sure that we'll start seeing those IPO's again.

[gthomas]

&lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;&lt;font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial"&gt;quote:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;HR&gt;Originally posted by PMUM:&lt;BR&gt;&lt;B&gt;Money can't buy happiness, &lt;P&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;HR&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;P&gt;Wrong. Money can't &lt;I&gt;guarantee&lt;/i&gt; happiness, but lack of it guarantees depression.&lt;P&gt;

Money can buy happiness. All the toys you buy, make you happy, but happiness is just a feeling. Like Sadness, gladness, joyfulness, joylessness, etc..
The appropriate word that everyone misses, is content. Money cannot buy content. If you are a miserable poor person, you will also be a miserable rich person.

[Doc.]

Ben,

What a great story and a wonderful display of generosity. I did kind of the same thing when I finally started making a little discretionary income. I had saved up enough for a large down payment on a new Viper when I ran into a snag. My mother's car broke down and she did not have the money to get it fixed. I had bought her the last two cars she had owned but they were used. She had never owned a new car at 62 years of age. I took the money and bought her a new car instead of getting the Viper. Four generations of family got together and we gave it to her at Easter. I will remember the smile on her face on my death bed. Several months ago I donated a completely restored 67 Mustang to a local children's home that takes car of severely handicapped children. They used it as a raffle car and raised a huge sum of money. The nuns are still sending me home baked goods on a regular basis as they know that I can't cook anything except mac and cheese.
I have never spent my money on any personal possession that has given me as much enjoyment as that which I have given away to help others. I applaud your giving spirit.

Doc

[treynor]

Doc,
That is a wonderful tale, and I'm glad to find a fellow spirit in the group. I hope you have many future discretionary income problems to resolve

[VIPERESS]

Thanks for the update Ben. Enjoy your family and those you love.
Be well.

[JGK95]

LISTEN UP!

I've been patiently waiting for Laura "Viperess" aka "Ferrariess" to adopt me! This has been going on for too long! I even got a job at UPS in the hopes that she'd run me over pulling outta the driveway, instantly on-the-spot adopt me, and give me a Viper. This is hard work folks! I'm thinking about throwin' in the towel and trying something else! LOL!

On second thought, Laura.. I QUIT!

Jay "Wiley Coyote What's your secret??" K.

[Chuck 97 GTS]

You gave them a couple of red X's?? Really Ben, you shouldn't have!

[Voodoo_Childe]

You should be very proud of what you did and your stable.

[Tusc]

LOL - hey, I went to school down the street from Yale. LITERALLY! All I got when I walked was the same 6 month break before having to pay off the school loans. But hey, I did manage to squeeze a pair of Bachelor's Degrees out in just 21 months. I'd be happier getting a job than a car right now. You can get one with the other.

Cool story. I'd like to think that someday I could do something similar for my friends and family (and even a few strangers). I suppose I'll have to wait for the lottery.

[agentf1]

I am glad this thread got brought back up to the top as I missed it the first time around and it kinda renews my faith in mankind. Don't change, the world need more people like you treynor. The way my past year has gone I was starting to think the world was full of A Holes. Its always better to give than receive.

[DodgeViper01]

Ben, that is an amazing story. That was a very nice thing to do. I am glad that everything turned out well!