P@CE Kickoff Dinner

 

I attended a unique event this past Saturday evening related to an earlier post on December of last year.  The Pennsylvania Central (PACE) Miata Club hosted it’s annual kick-off dinner for the upcoming touring season.  I was excited to attend as a new member and was anxious to see what was in-store for the remainder of the year.  Our club met just outside of Hershey at a restaurant called “Flaver’s Food & Spirits” along the main drag in Elizabethtown.  We were greeted with a friendly atmosphere, warm welcoming and great service throughout the night.  The club officers provided Hors D’oeuvres as an introductory setting.  Each couple was on their own to order an entree of choice from their tasty dinner menu.  The night consisted of the bi-annual election of new officers, upcoming event schedule, delectable dinner, various door prizes and lots of socializing.  It is nice to see how many local people share the enthusiasm about driving their Miatas as much as I do.  I shared many stories with several members about their rides and experiences thus far.  Even though I was probably one of the youngest Miataheads there, I appreciated the respect from the other 50+ members that attended the event.  Maybe I can convince some of the others to start blogging as well.  Our first major run of the year begins as a Conestoga Mini-Train ride & picnic near Lancaster and I hope to see the majority of the 85+ active members in the club.  There is still time to join for our first event.  For more information about the club, check out their website (also located on my Blogroll):  http://miata.pace.net

The upcoming weeks show some decent top-down weather.  I look forward to laying it down soon, feeling the wind through my hair and maybe some additional posts…happy cruising!!

Top up and down a few nice days in between posts.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  46

 

Right on Schedule

Pennsylvania’s weather pattern is traditionally notorious for harsh winter mayhem in the month of February.  We have had 4 major blizzards I can recall during that month in my lifetime.  Why would this year be any different?  Almost a year and a day since the 2007 Valentine’s Day ice storm hit, we were pounded with a re-run this past tuesday.  It’s almost becoming more predictable than a woman on a closely regulated menstrual cycle.  Many were stranded last year, and if they haven’t gotten the ”Better buy a 4-wheel-drive vehicle before another one hits and you become stranded” message by now, they are royally screwed!  At one point we hit a string of 55-60 degree temperature days, which I took full advantage of laying Mindy’s top down to experience a mid-January warming anomaly.  And since we leave Spring’s fate up a furry little Groundhog, I don’t think we will be seeing much more of that for another 6 weeks.

I am fortunate to only have a short commute into my office, otherwise trouble may have found me during this round of ice storms.  Taking the hardtop off of Mindy may have not been such a good idea now that I think about it.  I question my deductive logic at this point because we received more snow than when I had it on previously…GO FIGURE!  Regardless, I am enjoying the tight feel and nimble action of her now that I had her in for the long-awaited 60,000-mile major service.  It cost me the expected $350 to perform all required work and felt phenomenal as anticipated after the service was performed.  I am dreading the engine-yanking timing belt replacement for $400 in the next couple weeks, but it’s has to be replaced before it’s too late.  It was well worth the investment after the nice Miata Club discount.  Speaking of that, there are several fun excursions I will be participating in with the local Pennsylvania Central Miata Club (link bar on the right).  Their website features all the latest news, events and member information.  They update about as often as I write blogs, so that should tell you something.  It feels great to be a proud owner of America’s most popular sports car!

For all it’s worth, I will be keeping Mindy under cover without question for the next couple weeks so that the snow and ice don’t get the best of her.  It is hit or miss lately with the weather, but I must keep a positive outlook on things and begin to think of warm, top down weather in the near future…

Soft top back up, down once, back up for the rest of the winter.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  40

 

Total D@rkness

The cloud over Central PA has finally lifted after about two weeks of absolutely miserable weather.  I could not remember a single day that anyone could even use sunglasses.  It was like something out of Medieval Times with curses and spells.  Where has the sun been hiding?  If I wanted property in Transylvania, I would have bought some, but this is Pennsylvania people, get with the program!!!  After a little over a month’s hiatus on blogging, I am back and better than ever.   I at least know one person that is monitoring my blog - I won’t mention any names ::clears throat:: Brian.  Your blog is a daily read for me

Due to some work-related busy time and holiday preparation, I have been swamped with many projects in the past month.  Pennsylvania has also been getting it’s fair share of nasty weather lately, so it has been hard to dedicate some hardcore Internet time.  The latest weekly pattern has been:  Freezing rain, light snow, ice, fog, back to ice, some more snow, constant high winds, more sleet, stronger winds, then darkness.  What’s next??  LOCUSTS?  They don’t even talk about this weather in the BIBLE!  Mindy has surprisingly held up better than I thought in the snow and ice we have received so far this season.  BRING IT ON Mother Nature, I’ve got plenty of junk to pile in that trunk!  I want to see those locusts, maybe a tornado or two, even some Meteorites.  I would not be the least bit surprised with conditions of epic proportions. 

On a side note, I broke down and submitted an application to join the Central PA Miata Club.  I figure that the discount at the local Service Dealer is well worth the small investment for their yearly dues.  I have been procrastinating with the application, contemplating whether or not it is worth joining.  There were several scheduled destinations that peaked my interest on their 2008 schedule, so I decided to set aside the funds for dues and am ready to join in the fun for next year’s outings.  Scenic PA, here we come…

Our area is once again a target for another Nor’easter this weekend.  I will be en-route to Altoona / State College, so I guess keeping those fingers crossed would be a good idea.  Later, folks….

Hardtop on, Staying on.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  38

 

The Gre@t Escape

 

After soaking storms dampened my plans from last week, it was time to have some fun.  I was in the mood to head back to the theaters to catch a flick, but couldn’t decide on which theater to select.  Recovering from my monthly theater addiction, I craved something different, something exciting and new.  It turns out that a new $22 Million Theater Complex has been unleashed to the public this past weekend at the Harrisburg Mall.  How perfect could my timing be?  I have been anxiously awaiting the Grand Opening of this complex since the summertime.  The movies began rolling on Friday night, and there seemed to be a deal in store for many weekends to come.  I headed over to the mall to do some window shopping on Saturday afternoon, when I noticed a deal like no other.  One dollar….I repeat…..ONE DOLLAR for the movies??  No catch, no strings attached.  All you have to do is show up at the box office a little before 9am on the weekends, choose from 14 second-run movies and pay $1.00 admission per person (charity donation).  You also get a free popcorn!  This is a limited-time offer I could not pass up.  Who wants to pay 9 bucks for a new release or even $6.50 for an afternoon Matinee?  I woke up Sunday morning, ready to rock and roll for “Live Free or Die Hard”.  I arrived early enough so I didn’t have to wait too long in line, grabbed my free popcorn and I was relaxing in the comfy reclining loveseat in no time.  It turned out to be one of my favorite action movies of the year, which included some phenomenal gunfights, fiery car/truck/helicopter/fighter jet crashes, massive explosions and use of the latest and greatest technological gadgets.  It kept me on the edge of my seat and left me unsure as to where the plot was headed next.  It blew the other three movies in the series out of the water.  The day was rapidly dimishing, for I knew I only had the remainder of time to relax before returning to work in the morning.  Needless to say, it was a nice “escape” to the stressful times behind me and I hope to make it a weekly occurence at a dollar a pop.

On a side note, Mindy has been performing well in all this wet weather and the hardtop keeps a tighter window seal than the factory softtop.  I think all true Miata enthusiasts need some kind of hardtop to complete the Miata driving experience.  I think it’s time for a nice deep wash and wax, before the snowstorms begin to plague the East coast.

Hardtop on, Staying on.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  38

 

Get @ Hard On

 

Fall is in full swing here in Central PA and the temperatures have been dipping down below the frost range a few nights in the last week.  You know what that means – it’s Hardtop time!  When I purchased Mindy back in June, I was completely surprised to find out that there was a hardtop included.  This is typically an option that raises the price a few thousand dollars.  It was not an OEM Mazda hardtop, but merely a custom aftermarket accessory.  The previous owner had purchased a custom SmoothLine Hardtop and had the dealer paint it to match the Sunlight Silver paint.  This makes for an interesting combo, resembling a “chopped top” classic roadster with a small rear window.  The only thing that is not going to help in the winter months is the fact that there is no defroster in the rear window.  My NOAH mesh cover will take 99% of the beating and acts like a car port because it keeps her warm and dry as a bone underneath the rugged fabric.  Apparently, the previous owner never used the hardtop.  I confirmed this because the factory latch knock-outs were never “knocked out” just beside either seat belt mount.  I cleanly notched out the correct holes, mounted the hardware and tightened the top down all around.  It fits like a glove and gives the car an asthetically-pleasing “Speedster” appearance with a more insulated ride.  If the weather holds up, I may take a nice cruise for my birthday this weekend.

For those of you interested in this type of hardtop, follow this link to where you can order your own:
http://www.smoothline.com/contemporary_models_Mazda_Miata.php

Started up, went down, bolted on Hardtop
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  38

 

Driving Miat@ My Mind

After waiting patiently for a little more than a week, Mindy is safely back in my possession.  I took my lunch break to return my “arrest me red” rental car - which I might add was quite convenient to have -  followed by the ride of shame to the collision center in New Cumberland.  Enterprise does live up to it’s “We’ll pick you up” slogan.  They even go the extra mile and “Drop you off”, what a novel idea.  It seemed like weeks since I got inside her and did my thing.  The anticipation was eating me away from the inside out.  I spotted her from a distance once we pulled into the parking lot, looking like a toy among the other behemoth vehicles surrounding her tiny body.  I was craving the exhilarating feeling of mashing her pedal down as I shift into 6th on my way down the expressway, but I had to pay first.  The salty total ended up being a mere $600 due to my request to re-finish the entire front bumper skin to make her look brand spankin’ new.  Everything was phenomenally repaired mechanically and she drove like a champ.  This weekend will be a great opportunity to take my new asthetically-pleasing front end for a real ride in the dry once it stops storming.  Putting the top down will certainly be a long-awaited treat!  Do I feel hardtop weather coming soon?  I have it all waxed up and ready to bolt on…just waiting for that first snowstorm to arrive.

Speaking of the weather, it has been completely unpredictable lately.  If it’s not 70, its 30, maybe even 80 or 20.  It’s not weather, it’s MALARIA….and my balls can’t take it.  I am headed up north to Elk County for the weekend so that I can grace the roads to visit the last remaining county I haven’t toured in Pennsylvania.  This will mark a huge milestone for me.  I should start all over and take Mindy to each and every county, now that her and I go everywhere together.  After all, I do enjoy reading about Brian the Red’s Post Office excursions.  I could run with this…

Started up, stayed up.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  34

 

Collateral D@mage

Merely days from being a distant witness to a horrific accident, I have once again become a victim of a fender bender.  It seems like people have been quite negligible lately with their vehicles.  It just so happens that it directly impacted Mindy this past weekend.  The lesson learned by the “other” driver in all of this – Do NOT engage in a fight with your girlfriend over the phone while driving your car in a residential neighborhood.  Because of this driver’s stupidity, Mindy has been bruised a little in the legs – I call it a Nancy Kerrigan nightmare.  I had just put the top down in my lot and pulled out onto the common thoroughfare, no sooner to be encountered with the ”other” Mazda.  I was keeping to myself on my side of the road, staying in a straight line when the on-coming Mazda began to left turn into me just about the time I was passing him.  Luckily there was no vehicle-to-vehicle contact in this accident, althought there was vehicle-to-boulder damage.  Let’s just say that I’d rather hit a small boulder, than an apartment building or another person’s vehicle - two of which are quite larger than Mindy.  The full extent of the official damage is unknown at this point until my insurance adjuster arrives.  Visibly, it appears that the right front corner of the bumper is scuffed pretty deep and the right front suffered a massive blow to the suspension, forcing it into the rear portion of the wheel well.  Important – I did not run OVER the boulder, but merely collided with it broadside and moved it about 2 feet from the original location.  The right front wheel is extensively gouged in one corner and the tire is gashed, but not deflated.  As of now, Mindy is injured and needs some major suspension repair.  As soon as my insurance company pulls through for me, I will be getting her repaired and back on the road.  After driving away from the scene, 500 feet from my residence with the steering wheel cocked 45 degrees to the left, I knew this was going to take some time to lick the wounds.  No one was injured in this low-speed accident, thank heavens!  All in all, I am frustrated and need to be cheered up until Mindy has been completely repaired to my satisfaction.  Comments are welcome on this one, especially others’ interesting accident stories.

Started up, went down, back up, staying up until repaired.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  34

 

Flying C@rs

The last week has sped by faster than I could ever imagine.  So fast that I haven’t had time to post much of anything on here.  Everything was whizzing by until about 10:45 last evening.  Apparently Fast and the Furious-style street racing is Central Pennsylvania’s new craze in the last couple months.  There seems to be an uproar of it in the traffic news lately, but now it has impacted me in an slightly annoying way.  Being a former race car driver, the first thing you learn is that racing belongs on the track, not public roadways.  Young men and women seem to think that this does not apply to them and that they are immune to the impacts of street racing.  This is the fourth incident in the last four months that I have been stuck behind the debacle within visible sight of the nearest exit.  Being a relatively new Miata owner, I now realize how pleasing tempting it is to want to race other drivers.  I don’t mean occasionally…this is everytime you pop it into first gear at a traffic light or speed past someone at 85 MPH on the freeway with the top down.  I was making the weekly return trip from my girlfriend’s place in the Lancaster area.  As I approached the Eisenhower interchange from the I-283 side, merging onto I-83 South, I noticed a few sporty vehicles blowing by me at breakneck speeds.  As they passed me, I shook my head and muttered “What a bunch of knuckleheads…someone’s going to get hurt!”  No sooner did I think that, when I noticed a small red car smash into the center median from the left lane, immediately overturning back into the flow of traffic into an 18-wheeler.  There were two 18-wheelers neck-and-neck which tried to avoid making the accident worse, which incidently collided causing an immediate blockage of the two southbound lanes.  This occurred just before the 17th Street bottleneck exit on a dangerous stretch of the Capital Beltway.  All of the travellers ended up being stuck there until 12:45am and were not happy campers.  I was relieved to find out that no one was hurt, but this is definitely an issue that the Capital Region of Central Pennsylvania needs to address.  There is simply no good, quick plan for emergency removal of vehicles that does not directly involve a multi-hour inconvenience of halted traffic.  I remember an instance when I was in California, the department of transportation used whatever was needed to scoop up the wreckage of a major accident and move it aside to keep the traffic moving – even if it was a snowplow in the dead of summer.  All in all, it was a late night, only getting about a solid three hours of shuteye.  Maybe tonight will be an improvement, only time will tell….

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  27

 

Stress Relieved

Today began as the earliest I can remember in a long time - before the sun rose in the east.  I didn’t purposely deprive myself of some much-needed rest, there were just too many things at work all happening at one time.  I had stayed up relatively late last night tweaking the latest version of the PowerPoint presentation for my latest training session with a ’select’ group of technicians at my company.  I introduced the new Pilot Program to a select number of individuals that demonstrated advanced skills in their field and supplied them with the necessary tools and materials need to remain “plugged in” to our company’s resources on-demand.  Needless to say, the minimal training was a success and should provide the necessary results and feedback I need to determine how many more of these ’setups’ we need to deploy.

I experienced a massive thunderstorm that tore across the region last night with little or no damage being sustained to the greater Harrisburg area.  I watched it roll in across the horizon, bringing an interesting light show to the nighttime skies.  Apparently driving around in these conditions are quite frightful, something I’m quite used to from being a frequent traveller.  Dinner and a movie is a good relaxing substitute to the stressful times of the day.  I highly suggest it as often as possible.  I ended up calling it an early night to catch up on some much needed rest and the remainder is history.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  20

 

Friendly Tolls

 

Thursday morning staff meetings always require a pre-6am wakeup time.  Today began at 5am – tossing and turning to complete darkness and a blaring heavy metal radio station on my alarm clock.  I woke up disoriented….was it Friday yet?  Unfortunately it was not as hoped and it appeared that I had a long day ahead of me.  I made the trek into the office for a 7am meeting, followed by a 130-mile drive to our Altoona office with the company wagon.  I am always excited when I get to take my favorite road in Pennsylvania, the infamous Turnpike.  I don’t mind paying a little bit or two extra to travel a road that I know except for tunnel closures will have a guaranteed consistent 65 MPH cruise speed.  There’s nothing like riding on I-81 around the capital beltway region as you’re passing a “Speed Limit 65″ sign doing 10 in bumper-to-bumper rush hour bottlenecks.  Do we have ANY idea how many cars travel through our state on a daily basis?  I don’t think we really do.  Regardless, despite the unacceptable commute times, the Turnpike provides me with the direct route I need to take at the slow speed I despise desire.  We arrived in record time due to little or no traffic around the mountainous tunnel regions.  Interstate 99 was also very empty for early morning.

Luckily my co-manager and I took care of business in due time at our other office and were on our way before the mad rush hour on the return trip.  After riding in the wagon for a total of 4 hours, it was tough not to resist putting the top down on the home commute.  Clear skies were above, no clouds, and just the open road as I headed home to relax for the evening.

Started up, went down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 09/11/07:  10