Random Rob Fact

I am in the middle of preparing a long, drawn-out music-related blog posting, but it won’t be ready until tomorrow — so, to tide you over, I offer you this “random Rob fact”.

The most cash I have ever had in my mouth at one time is $5,750.

Allow me to explain.

My buddy Andy is about eight months older than I am. He bought his first car, an old Z28 that barely qualified as a “fixer-upper,” for $900. Andy and I spent that day waiting in his parents’ living room for C&M (Camaro and Mustang) Salvage to deliver the car. At one point while we were waiting, Andy put the nine folded $100 bills in his mouth for a moment and I remarked, “Wow, you have $900 in your mouth!”

That’s how it started. I think Andy held the record until the next year when I purchased my Formula Firebird for $1,600. Before making the purchase, I quickly stuck the bills in my mouth before handing them to the seller. I don’t remember drying them off, but surely I did.

Unless I’m forgetting another major cash purchase, the $1600 total stood for over a decade. I’m sure both Andy and I have had more cash on us for some reason at one time or another, but we must’ve forgotten to either stick it in our mouths. And it has to be cash, of course — checks and credit cards obviously don’t count.

In February of 2002 I purchased my Yamaha R1 motorcycle through eBay. The seller was originally asking $6,000; I countered with $5,500, and we met halfway at $5,750. I had around $4k cash in the bank and had planned on getting a loan for the rest until the bank informed me that with a loan on a vehicle I would need full coverage insurance, which would run me about $6,000 per year. No thanks. Instead, dad loaned me the difference, and we drove down to Texas to pick up the bike.

And yes, on the way down there, I stuck the money in my mouth. All $5,750 of it. Crammed it all in there. It happened. And that’s where the record stands. If you plan on challenging it, you’d better have a witness or a picture.