By popular demand, another picture of the new toy. Plus, bonus poetry from MC-D!

The public has risen and one and demanded more information about our new toy. (Well, okay, Scott Pollack expressed mild curiosity. Whatever.) And so it is that I shall provide a wee bit more information.

The new toy is a 1976 MGB roadster that I bought last weekend after a lot of research into classic convertible options, but a surprisingly brief search for an actual car to buy. For those with a need to know automotive details, it has the four-speed overdrive transmission and a lot of nice upgrades from the previous owner: a Weber carb, K&N air filter, racing headers, an upgraded cam, electronic ignition, solid-state fuel pump, leather seats, a kickin' Dual stereo (with a big, honkin' subwoofer), and custom low-profile wheels and tires. When all four hamsters in the engine compartment are running full speed on their little wheel, it probably puts about about 100 hp. Most importantly, the body seems to be in really good shape with very little rust ... a bit of a rarity for British cars in Michigan.

We had gobs and gobs of fun this weekend taking it for little drives and errands in the hot July sun.

I don't know that Monique was entirely convinced that we needed a sporty little convertible. However, the nice thing about old MGBs is even really nice ones are pretty cheap, so the fun-to-cost ratio is extremely high. And indeed, much fun was had as she took it out for her first outing behind the wheel:


Monique prepares to take her first cruise in the new toy.


And finally, we close with a commemorative poem from Mary Campbell-Droze. Take it away, Mary:

I learned to drive in an MG Midget!
It was so tiny there was no room even to fidget.
I also learned to drive in a Rambler station-wagon.
My turning radius finesse was, as a result, a bit laggin'.

--Mary Campbell-Droze

Summertime Arrivals

Not much blogging around the ol' Patio Boat lately, but mostly we've been busy with a host of the entirely predictable summertime arrivals:

Stella, who arrived in late June.


Wolverine Lake's weed harvester, which arrived with Wolverine Lake's weeds.


Fireworks, which arrived right on schedule on Tiki Night.


Kayaking expeditions, which arrived with the sunny summertime weather.


Wendy's ski boat, which at long, long last arrived with its boat lift.


Stella's friend Ann, arriving at the airport.


Henry and Malcom, also arriving at the airport.


Michelle, seen here with Monique after they arrived at the Oakland County Fair.


John's midlife crisis, which arrived in our driveway this week with a convertible top and a shiny black paint job....

A Wee Bit of Philosophy

For various reasons I was thinking about life lately, and this philosophical thought popped into my head:

Life is a series of choices. Who we are is the sum total of the choices we have made, for good or for bad.

This is something that I don't think I understood very well when I was younger and making some bad choices, often without even realizing at the time that this was what I was doing. I wish I had a good mechanism for passing along that bit of hard-won wisdom to a few of my younger relations, so as to save them a lot of trouble down the road. But I suspect that you have to come to that realization after making a lot of your own bad and good decisions.