Tales of the Mongrel
By Ralph Arata
“Melissa’s Memories”

As I read the “Right Hand Drive” of the May Driveline I noted that our VP, Melissa Gonzales, wrote for the second time of her early MG experiences. Of course, we all have memories of our early experiences with MG cars and the people around us. Certainly, for me having had an MGB since 16, I have my own.

My company moved me around a lot, and I belonged to MG clubs in several places, but my best memories are from the Chicagoland MG Club. Susan and I moved from Baltimore to Chicago in 1991 and I again looked for an MG club. I remember my first encounter with the Chicagoland Club. It was a Natter-N-Noggin somewhere up north but I don’t remember. I do remember spending the evening talking with Tom Josefek who was very active with the club but an MG mechanical guru to boot. Coming from out of state we didn’t know anyone but soon made some friends.

We went to our first Christmas party which was held at a VFW. Everything was buffet out of tin containers. It was great fun and, on the way home, we did get stuck in good old Chicago traffic (at 11:30PM at night). Tom and Judy planned one of many great Land’s End Rallies from which the Secrets of Jo Daviess and Beer/Wine/Cheese Tours were fashioned. The 2.5 day event through Wisconsin was a treasure hunt type rally guided by pictograms. At the halfway mark of one such event Judy had hamburgers & hot dogs grilling for all. It was a hot day and so at the beginning Tom gave everyone a bottle of root beer. What he didn’t do was tell anyone that if they drank before a certain point, they lost points on the rally!!



Who can forget Dan Herman and the Secrets of Jo Daviess County. We would meet at Dan’s house for cocktails and then travel to a local restaurant for the Friday Fish Fry. Saturday was a drive through the county’s scenic areas with dinner and then our social hour(s) afterward in the hotel parking lot. We even had one weekend tour where our MGs were ferried across a river in a ferry boat…GREAT FUN!

(Continued on page 9)