The Steering Column
Left Hand Drive from our President

So this has been an exciting summer. The secret location of a TR-7 revealed, catalytic converters lost, not to mention some lovely weather and excellent drives with the club. The nice thing is that we’re midway through my favorite part of the year: Fall. The weather is cool and crisp; the leaves are changing color, not to mention falling.

The sad news is that summer has come to an end. That means that the Cruise to the Rock will soon be upon us, as well as the Tune-Down party (which reminds me, I need to change the oil). And let’s not forget the Christmas Party! With luck, the Abingdon Players will take time out of their busy schedules to pop by for a sing-song at the party.

I know that winter is on its way, and I’m unwilling to give up on the summer. As much as I love the fall, I know it’s just the prelude to the snow, darkness, and cold that the winters in Chicago can bring. I can tell that we’re due for daylight standard time because I can’t even wake up my dog in the morning on account of it’s still so dark out. But I, for one, will not go quietly in that good winter. I will not. I will continue to drive the MG as into the frozen jaws of winter, and I’ll do it with a smile on my face...

So if you see a British Racing Green MG-B flying down 294, with the top down, that’s probably me. My teeth will likely be chattering, and my hands will have an icy cold death-grip on the wheel and shifter. The smile will likely be frozen into place, as I pass (or am passed) by the fine folks of the city, in their warm, dry, enclosed cars, with seat heaters, and radios. I guess I just enjoy the simple things in life. Like the brisk fall air ruffling my hair, and the clattery growl of a flat-tappet engine.

As the bikers say, keep the shiny side up!

-- Dave Novak

	The Steering Column
	Right Hand Drive   from our Vice-President

As reported here earlier, my garage is not a show place. It holds way too much stuff. I keep the normal things in a garage-- snow blower, wood chipper, lawn mower, assorted garden tools, and of course cars. I also tend to put things in the garage when I don’t know what to do with them. Find a void and fill it.

So this weekend it was time to clean out the garage. This was not my idea. After months (read years) of Susan telling me in no uncertain terms (let’s call it “encouragement”) to get out in the garage and clean it up. The only way she figured it would get done is set a date and say “we are doing this”.

Now me being the kind and considerate husband, I didn’t want to be in her way when she cleaned the garage. I thought “this will get done much better if I get Maggie (AKA Little Red) out on the road and out of her way”. I must have missed the “we” part of we are doing this. Selective hearing I’m told.

Needless to say there was more encouragement. So we moved everything out of the garage (truth be told we only got to about two thirds of the garage) and looked at some of my treasures. You know the extra parts that you may need someday. Susan would ask “what is this?” and I would answer “I don’t know but I may need it someday”. After not too long she figured it was destined for the trash. Susan seemed to be fond of saying ‘If you need it go buy one, you don’t know what you have anyway.” We did manage to find some worthwhile items that went to charity. It was better to give to charity then have it than squirreled away in my garage.

After sorting, donating and throwing things out it was time to actually clean the dust from what we were going to keep and get the garage itself clean. I don’t recommend waiting for “encouragement” to clean your garage. I do recommend getting help with getting rid of the things you “might need someday”. Remember Happy wife, Happy life.

My plan now is to get a storage shed, fill it with the snow blower, wood chipper, lawn mower, and assorted garden tools and the next batch of things I may need someday. It should only take a short while when I start getting encouragement to clean the shed.

~~ Ray Hansen & Maggie     (AKA Little Red)