Hanging at the shop is a male ritual. Its a thing we just do. Of course this was the third time the head gasket blew. It wasn’t the head as suspected but the block, and while we had the motor apart we really should change the rings since three are broken and how bout some new pistons, and that lower timing chain is really loose, and that motor mount..and lets not forget the girl friend who keeps complaining how loud it is, so, okay, it only has the resonator, and it growls really loud, and while the cars in the air we should put a rear muffler on…. And for some reason I like all this. Now I didn’t just watch, I worked. I’ve got stains on my jeans, dirt under my nails. I smell like gasoline. Benny turned the key and it started. First try, it sat there and ran for 30 minutes, it got all warm and comfortable. Then it sat, cooled and I took it around the block, don’t go over 3000, don’t go over 3000, I wanted to, but we had just spent 2 days working on this thing and I’m not gonna break it. Now over the years I noticed how our relationships always include the shop. This is Benny’s shop. This is the best Alfa shop in LA. For 17 years I’ve been coming here. My Dad’s been here. He was visiting from Atlanta and “asked’ to go there. Where do our girlfriends pick us up from. 3 past girlfriends still ask “How’s Benny?” So I tell my current love she has to meet Benny, it’s just right, and she answers “What for? I don’t drive an Alfa”.