The Autavia had been listed in a local classified ad with pretty poor pictures, but decent enough to tell that the dial patina was in great shape and case was sharp. I pestered the poster for three days with no response, and had pretty much written off the idea of purchasing it. On Saturday, he sent me an email asking to speak on the phone and told me a few people had asked him to sell it long-distance but he only wanted to sell locally. He also needed the money ASAP, as his girlfriend was due with a child at any moment.

I was a little under the weather and had been planning to just nurse my cold on the couch all day, but the seller's desire to sell quickly made me adjust my plans on the fly. It was early enough that banks were still open and the weather was beautiful, ensuring that I wouldn't hit any delays along the way. I steeled myself for the discussion with Mrs Bazamu, and after some finessing, she rolled her eyes and gave me permission to spend the entire afternoon by myself on the open road.

After getting the requisite cash from my bank, the seller called and asked if we could amend our plan. We had initially agreed to meet in the middle (he lived 3.5 hours from Chicago), but said that he had a buyer in Davenport, Iowa (MUCH closer to him) and asked if I could drive farther - also stating that he had agreed to sell it to me first, so if I could drive a little farther he'd honor that arrangement. Sensing that I'd probably lose my line on the Autavia if I pushed back, I conceded to drive an extra 45 minutes (now 2.5 hours each way) and we circled a tiny town named Stockton, Illinois as the place to meet.

Would love to say it was a fantastic meeting, but it was extremely fast and efficient. He give me the watch, I gave him the envelope, and 30 seconds later we were on our way back in opposite directions. Regardless, it's healthy to get in touch with your inner-Kerouac ever so often, and this journey happened to include a nice souvenir!

Cheers,
Rob