ALEX PROPOSED TO CONNIE AT HER 55TH CLASS REUNION IN MASON CITY, IOWA ON OCTOBER 9, 2015 – AND IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO HER. THEY ORIGINALLY MET IN 1991 WHILE OUT DANCING IN NORTH DALLAS BUT HE LIVED IN CALIFORNIA AND SHE IN TEXAS. THEY KEPT IN TOUCH AS FRIENDS ALL THE YEARS. CONNIE WOULD TEASE HIM WHEN HE CALLED THAT THE CAR BUSINESS MUST BE SLOW IF HE WAS CALLING HER. AFTER HIS WIFE DIED IN 2006 AND MANY CONVERSATIONS LATER, THEY FOUND THE SPARKS WERE STILL THERE. ALEX MOVED TO GRAPEVINE IN JANUARY 2007. CONNIE’S FAVORITE DEFINITION: “LOVE IS FRIENDSHIP THAT’S CAUGHT ON FIRE”.
WHEN THEY RETURNED TO GRAPEVINE, TEXAS THAT OCTOBER, HE GAVE HER A NEW 2016 LEXUS INSTEAD OF AN ENGAGEMENT RING!! THE NEW LEXUS ES 350 WAS METALLIC PEARL, CREAM INTERIOR WITH CHROME WHEELS INCLUDING TIRE AND WHEEL WARRANTY, EXTENDED SERVICE CONTRACT, PAINT SEALANT, FABRIC PROTECTOR AND TINTED WINDOWS. THE ES 350 WAS A SUPERB VEHICLE. DARYL AND CHARLES AND THE STAFF AT GRAPEVINE PARK PLACE LEXUS TOOK VERY GOOD CARE OF MY CONNIE.
ALEX AND CONNIE WERE HONORED THAT GRAPEVINE MAYOR BILL TATE AS A DEACON IN HIS CHURCH MARRIED THEM ON NOVEMBER 21 2015 WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS PRESENT AT GRAPEVINE’S NEW “THE REC”. IT WAS A MEMORABLE EVENT FOR ALL AND PROBABLY THE ONLY TIME CONNIE HAS EVER SEEN ALEX DISCOMBOBULATED (DON’T YOU JUST LOVE THE WORD?).
CONNIE SAID A FEW THOUGHTS THEN IT WAS TIME FOR ALEX. HE, OF COURSE BEING A SALESMAN, HAD SOME TO SAY AND THEN WENT FOR THE CLOSE! HE SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY WIFE, CONNIE BELOFF, TO YOU. I SAID, ALEX, YOU CANNOT SAY THAT. MAYOR BILL HAS NOT PRONOUNCED US MARRIED YET! WE TRULY HAD A LOT OF FUN AND LAUGHS AT OUR WEDDING. IF YOU SO CARE TO SEE IT, PLEASE GO TO ALEXBELOFF3.COM AND WATCH. OUR LIFE NOW AS SENIOR CITIZENS IS CERTAINLY FILLED WITH HUMOR, CARS AND MUSIC!
UPDATE JUNE 2, 2018
I TRY TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO TRADE CYCLES AND LEASE TERMINATIONS. WITH FOUR REMAINING LEASE PAYMENTS AND WAIVERS FROM LEXUS INCLUDING A $4,500 ACCOMMODATION, I HAD CONSIDERED A NEW 2018 ES 350. THE 2019 IS AN ENTIRELY NEW CAR AND THE FIRST IN 14 YEARS BUT THE RESIDUAL VALUE OF THE 2018 IS POOR. A NEW LEXUS LEASE PAYMENT WOULD BE OVER $700. I WAS SEARCHING FOR MY PILLS.
AFTER A 2.5 MONTHS INTENSIVE SEARCH INCLUDING THE S CLASS BENZ, 7 SERIES BMW, LS LEXUS AND JAGUAR, I WENT TO KEN DAVIS AND GEORGE III AT GRUBB’S INFINITI NEW DEALERSHIP IN GRAPEVINE. KEN INTRODUCED ME TO THE CAR THAT THE COMPETITION FEARS – THE Q70L RWD. IT IS THE FINEST PIECE OF ENGINEERING I THINK I HAVE WITNESSED IN MY CAREER. THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING CONSIDERING I RETIRED FROM GRUBBS INFINITI IN 2007, WAS THE TOP PRODUCER AT DEVOE INFINITI NAPLES FLORIDA AND AMONG THE TOP AT INFINITI OF MEMPHIS AS WELL AS LEXUS OF MEMPHIS.
THE MAJESTIC WHITE FINISH BLENDS WITH THE ELEGANT LIGHT STONE INTERIOR INCLUDING CARPETS AND MATCHING SUEDE HEADLINER. IT IS THE LAST YEAR FOR THE IMPRESSIVE 20’ WHEEL THIS STYLE AND THE SPECIAL JAPANESE WOOD WITH SILVER ON THE DASH AND CONSOLE WHICH CONNIE LOVES. THE WHEELS ARE NOW VERY STYLISH IN THEIR CHROME FINISH.
THE LEASE PAYMENT WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE. WHY? BECAUSE THE RESALE VALUE OR GUARANTEED FUTURE RESALE VALUE WAS EXTREMELY HIGH AS REFLECTED BY ALL NATIONAL SURVEYS PLACING INFINITI AS NUMBER ONE IN EVERY RESPECTED CATEGORY. GRUBB’S INFINITI, IN MY VIEW, IS THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD ON AIRPORT PROPERTY. I HAD GEORGE AND HIS DAD AS FEATURED SPEAKERS AT OUR GRAPEVINE ROTARY CLUB. KEN DAVIS IS THEIR SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE FOR 12 CONSECUTIVE YEARS WHO HANDLES EVERYTHING PERFECTLY. GEORGE III IS ON THE BOARD FOR OUR GRAPEVINE CHAMBER AND THE FAMILY IS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN CHURCH, SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY.
MY CONNIE LOVES HER Q70L AND I LOVE RIDING IN IT AND WITH HER. ALEX IS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER JUNE 27TH AT THE POCI GRAND NATIONAL IN THE WISCONSIN DELLS ABOUT THE NEW 1972 GTO PONTIAC PACE CAR #69. BE SURE TO LOOK BACK AT OUR WEBSITE AS THE WHOLE STORY AND VIDEO WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON AS WILL THE 1973 NEW PONTIAC GRANDVILLE CONVERTIBLE PACE CAR MADE BY PONTIAC ADVANCED ENGINEERING.
CONNIE NAMED HER CAR “IZZI” AND SHE NOW HAS A RED PERSONALIZED TEXAS LICENSE PLATE THAT READS “MY IZZI” IN WHITE LETTERS. WE ARE CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO LOVELY DRIVES IN OUR Q70L – AND THE MUSIC WILL BE PLAYING!
FAVORITE INFINITI PHOTO FROM 2007:
ALEX’S LAST ASSIGNMENT WAS AT GRUBBS INFINITI. HE HAD A M35 SPORT INFINITI AS HIS DEMONSTRATOR. HE ARRIVED IN THE CAR FOR OUR TWIN GRANDCHILDREN’S 4TH BIRTHDAY PARTY. WHEN WE WENT TO LEAVE, THEY ALL WALKED US OUTSIDE. KELSEY AND ETHAN IMMEDIATELY (WITH PERMISSION) JUMPED IN THE FRONT SEAT AND THAT IS WHEN ALEX SNAPPED THIS PHOTO! IT IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME FAVORITES.