Mother Nature and Sarah Hoidahl have always had something of a rocky relationship.
That’s why Hoidahl, who had already waited three months for the opportunity to pick up her brand new car, courtesy of Ellen DeGeneres, could only shake her head when the forecast called for heavy snow on what was to be the day she finally got behind the wheel.
“Whenever I go out anywhere, it snows,” Hoidahl said.
Wednesday’s storm forced Hoidahl to postpone another 24 hours, but Thursday morning at 10 a.m. she finally arrived at Grappone Hyundai and spotted her brand-new 2014 Sante Fe Sport, complete with a silver ribbon on the hood (which is not yet a permanent accessory on new Hyundais).
Hoidahl, who rocketed to fame locally when she was given $10,000 and the new car by DeGeneres for paying a lunch tab for two National Guardswomen, was all smiles, even while acknowledging it had been difficult to wait for the big day to finally arrive.
“Nobody told me when I got a car you would have to wait three months to get it,” Hoidahl quipped. “But I really can’t complain.”
Nor was she. There was little to complain about on a day that included an impromptu banjo serenade from Grappone Hyundai’s Amanda Grappone.
Grappone strummed some tunes while the service department put the finishing touches on Hoidahl’s inspection, which of course is the kind of thing you totally expect at a car dealership.
In a humorous twist, the tour of the car’s lengthy list of features – one of which is the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, we think – actually made Hoidahl late for work, where her story ultimately began.
We’re going to guess they were cool with her late arrival, though.
