2024 resolutions:

1. At 10+ years and 85,000 miles, I’m overdue for a transmission fluid change - find someone who wants to do it. I don’t!
2. I don’t think I waxed the car or re-waterproofed the roof last year. Do both.
3. Continue the battle against sticky switches and surfaces.
4. Change oil and filter (as usual).
5. Finally build my storage barn.
6. Continue to not get any tickets!

At 8,000 miles/year, I don’t really have to resolve to drive it more.

Health, happiness, and growling exhausts to all in the New Year!

 

7. (Sent via text).




In “playing around” with my avatar—which I’m still doing—I came across this. It’s the title page of a book of poems written by one of the attendees from the first event I hosted for the F-Type in 2016. He, along with his wife, drove 100 miles west of Denver, Colorado to Maine to attend. If you could have seen his smile the entire time…especially when he asked me if it was OK to read a poem from his book—concerning the first car he ever loved and owned (I think it was a red MG.)—during a prose reading I arranged featuring a friend who is a prose genius, and who had/has published numerous works.

Sadly, Matt informed me afterwards that he had terminal cancer and passed away about 6 months later. I’m still in touch with his wife who reminds me of the joy they had on that trip. Brings both a smile and tears of joy to me.

This isn’t meant to be a downer. Merely a reminder: Carpe Diem.

Addendum: I decided to call Matt’s wife after I posted this and we had a long and delightful—at times emotional—chat. We also laughed a lot! (That made me feel real good). They were “only” together 47 years! (And Matt passed in 2016). She still owns the F-Type and drives it regularly AND the “way” it’s meant to be driven. I advised her to get All-Seasons since she still lives in Colorado. I asked her to send me some photos. Oh yeah, she published a second book of Matt’s stories posthumously—including the story about his F-Type—and I’ll get back to you on that too. The year is off to a great start!