A week or two before Christmas my friend John, who you may recall my mentioning from our trip to the Volo Car Museum lat year, and I took a short vacation out west to Las Vegas. While there we took a walk over to The Imperial Palace to check out the car museum located above their casino. Over 250 collectable autos, most of which are for sale. And there it was. As Bogart said in The Maltese Falcon and John Wayne repeated in Big Jake, the stuff that dreams are made of. In my case, nestled amongst the Rollers, Bentleys, and E-Types, sat a beautiful XK120 Drophead in Old English white. And at a reasonably(?) affordable price.

Back down to the casino and with a few throws of the dice we can ride home in style and elegance. But just as Sidney Greenstreet’s dream falcon was made of lead and Richard Boone’s steamer trunk of cash turned out to be just paper clippings, my dream of hitting it big at the table was dashed by some unlucky dice. We later arrive back in Chicago in the coach section of an over-crowded airplane. So much for a grand entrance. I guess that’s way the call it craps.

Our regular monthly meetings resume on January 17th at Mack’s Golden Pheasant. Come out and congratulate and/or console our new officers for 2005. I’m sure that you will give them all the support that the past officers have enjoyed. Even though it’s now the dark of winter and most of us have our MGs tucked away until spring, the best road trip of the year is scheduled for the last weekend of this month. Not a driving road trip, but a railroad trip. This year’s destination for the rolling picnic is St. Louis, gateway to the west, with plenty of hot jazz and cold beer.

Also on tap at the end of February is the 8th annual British car swap meet at the DuPage fairgrounds. Here’s your chance to pick up the parts and pieces that you need for those winter car projects that you promised yourself to finish (or start) before the driving season resumes. To complete my project I’m looking for a specific shape of tuit. I can find them square shaped, oblong, and even octagonal, but try as I may, I just can’t get a round tuit.

Last, but not least, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Bill and Wade for making my time at the helm (or should I say wheel?) go by effortlessly. Wishing each and all of you a safe and happy new year.