Bonny Eagle Update

Well, it was quite a day. The weather was super. The cars were even better than that! They said they had over 1000 cars, though I only counted about half that...

OK, so a whole lot of you folks had lots to say, and I will try to include your concerns here, mixed with my own blinding insights :o)

No one got sent to sit in the corner with the Tuners. They are a fine bunch, but tend to be noisy - and far from the crowds. Young'uns can walk that far, but us older folks need to be closer to things.

We were still disappointed that they did not have a more suitable class for us (2000-Present), but Special Interest is the old stand-by, though it gets rather crowded and a lot of folks who should be elsewhere tend to gravitate into SI in hopes of a better shot at an award. But all in all, that was not a huge concern for us or anyone else. But there were major concerns and gripes.

Number one among the gripes concerned the truck classes. Trucks were all over the place, and there were long lines of them, all mixed. There was a new truck beside a 1938 on one side, and a 4X4 on the other. Mixed classes and types made it almost impossible for some folks to sort things out enough to vote by class.

And as I mentioned yesterday, one class of trucks covered a whopping 40 years! That, in itself, is both absurd and unfair. I don't bring a truck to shows, but if I did, I would have been visibly - and audibly - upset.

Other classes were also in disarray at the Middle School. Not so much at the High School. At the Middle School, it seemed like "helter skelter". Again, this made any sane attempt at voting an exercise in futility. I gave up trying to vote in some classes.

Aside from classes being disorganized, and some classes either too big or non-existent, the overall consensus was: a great show!

Lots of vendors. Lots of beautiful vehicles. Loads of wonderful people. Great weather. All in all, I would give it pretty good marks. But I hope next year they iron out the inconsistencies, and pay greater attention to fair classes, adequate classes, and organization of the classes. It is hard to judge a show when you have '55 Chevys in almost every row, and every class.

Short notice: we have posted a new show for next Sunday, in Naples. They could not provide much info, so I am uncertain as to how organized this one will be - seems to have been a last-minute afterthought. But on the plus side, they claim to have a beer tent :o)

Later!

Bill

Bonny Eagle

While it is true the show has yet to start, I have looked over a few things on their website and it looks like maybe they still don't have it right after 28 years. I will wait until the show to make any certain determinations, but for the record, here are a few things that pop out at me:

• The most noticeable thing is that they have FOUR CLASSES for tuners. That's (12) trophies for a class that has a limited number of entrants at most shows. Looks like every tuner should get a trophy
• On the other hand, people with trucks might note that one class is "1967-present". That covers FORTY YEARS of trucks. Strikes me as a bit unfair for truck owners (Antique Trucks covers only 8 years, which shows a great deal of disparity). A couple years of Tuners get 12 trophies, while 40 years of trucks get 3
• There is a '50's Class. But there is also a special class for 50's Fords, and 55-57 Chevy's. So, there are 9 trophies for a 10 year span of cars. This may have some merit, since there are so many 55-57 Chevys - but should the sheer number of a particular year be a determining factor? I think not - either you have one of the best or you don't. It shouldn't matter if there are 3 cars or 30 cars in your class. It just seems like 55-57 Chevys are getting a lot of extra consideration
• There is no class for "2000-present". This excludes a lot of good cars (except tuners - but not every 2000 or newer is a tuner).

It just strikes me as wrong to have 21 trophies for two classes - Tuners and 50's. And three years of Chevys get three trophies, while 10 years of Fords get three trophies, and a whopping 40 years of trucks get three trophies. Again, a lot of disparity.

Worse still, I'm betting that a bunch of unfortunate folks will be stuck out at the Bus Barn with the Tuners, being driven away by the loud, bass music that rattles windows and dispenses migraines like crazy. That drove us and a few others away at Casco last year, and I have heard horror stories about it at last year's Bonny Eagle show. It's good that the Tuners are secluded out by the barn, so they can be as loud as they wish. It is not good to subject any other class to the same area.

And I'll bet also that our PT Woody will be one of those "unfortunates", since we have to register as Special Interest because they do not have an appropriate class for us (2000-Present).

Well, we'll see. But I think the folks who put on this show should make an effort to make things more fair for all - and to have classes that afford every vehicle a place.

Ramblings

So, I forgot the camera for the first cruise, at Roy's in Auburn ME. Then I forgot it for the second cruise, at TJ's in Biddeford (Maine Coastal Cruisers). So I swore I would bring it to Blast From The Past on Friday.

Lo! and Behold - I remembered the camera. Unfortunately, I did not get many pix because I had forgotten to CHARGE the damned thing. It's Hell gettin old!

I did manage to charge it and bring it to Shapleigh on Monday, and the first ever cruise for Rock'n Roll Diner (Scarborough ME) on Tuesday. You'll find some pix at HotKarz. And you will also find some new "off-the-cuff" comedy pix - hope you enjoy them (you too, Dick Fritz!)

Scuttlebut has it that:

• Two Trails Cruisers is changing the location of their show this year. Usually held in Limington, they will let HotKarz know where they will hold it once they finalize plans. Wisdom dictates that if you want spectators, it's a good idea to hold your show where people might actually go :o)
• The Windham WalMart show may not be held at WalMart this year. Not yet sure - will try to nail this down for you as soon as possible. Cheryl seems to be the Great Seer for all things such as this, so I am kinda counting on her to get us up to snuff on this one.

Ocean Garden (Gorham) does not seem to be interested in hosting cruises this year, and Aquaboggan is no longer hosting cruises, due to a change in management, from what I hear.

Hotrod Bob (Deuces Wild) is working hard trying to get Mainiacs to attend cruises in Massachusetts. While it is true that Mass. has some big cruises, with lots of wheels we have not seen, the current price of petrol is going to make it a hard hill for him to climb. But we wish him luck!

Speaking of gas prices, many folks blame the oil companies, while others blame OPEC. Of course, some even blame Bush. But not me. The way I see it, the real culprits are those damned day-traders who keep bidding up the futures. In their quest for fast profits, they bid up the future price of oil. OPEC and the oil companies are merely unwitting beneficiaries.

Oil should never have been made a "commodity", to be traded. It is far too essential. If Congress would make law that would remove oil from the commodities market, we would all be far better off, and oil prices would come down.

But I am not sure that would be the best thing for us. We Americans are a funny lot. If the price of oil were to drop, we would suddenly do two things:

1. We would increase the amount we use, thereby reducing the available resources, and
2. We would stop trying so hard to find a decent alternative

That's what happened in the '70's. When we were standing in line for gas on alternate days, we were pushing to develop alternative energy sources, such as solar. But as soon as the crunch was over, R&D into alternative energy almost came to a grinding halt.

Perhaps excessive prices will result in innovation. With innovation, we could tell the day traders, the Saudi's and the oil companies to kiss our exterior posterior. Can you imagine how fast some company would find an alternative if gas were to hit $7.00 a gallon?

Personally, I have always been a firm believer in folks being as self-sufficient as possible. Once upon a time, that was an American trait. It's called being INDEPENDENT. Not so today. Most Americans are now completely and irrevocably dependent upon government, entitlements, oil companies, drug companies, and, yes, even computers and this Internet. But we can still make some small effort to regain control of our own destiny. We can be more conscious of the resources we use. We can conserve. We can eliminate some waste from our budget. With a little thought, we may find we can save a lot of gas by combining trips and errands.

As one example, I purchased another freezer. I buy a half beef and a half pig (all natural meats) and freeze the cuts. I either grow, or buy in bulk, veggies I can freeze. This not only saves money on the food (bulk buying), but now we only go shopping one-third as often, which saves considerable gas. Just a short walk to the freezer is all the "shopping" we need to do. And the food, being all natural, is healthier.

Well, the title of this post is RAMBLINGS, and I believe I have succeeded in living up to it, so I will leave you for now. But I give fair warning - I'll be back!

BILL

Mom's Day

Once again, the day where we celebrate Motherhood is upon us. And if there is one thing we all have in common, it is the fact that we all (presumably) have a mother.

I would like all the Mothers (and Mom's to be) to know that I, for one, really do appreciate Motherhood and all that it embraces and stands for.

Happy Mothers Day!

Losin' It

A lot of great cars - and car folk - at TJ's in Biddeford last night (Maine Coastal Cruisers). And I know I promised to bring my camera, but...

Maybe I'll remember it for Blast From The Past tonight.

The weather was super, though the pollen was collecting on the vehicles.

I have it on good authority (Charlie) that Aquaboggin will not be hosting cruises this year. The folks leasing the park did not renew their lease, and the owner has taken it, and does not plan on having cruises. At least that is the story at this point.

I have tried contacting Sonny's (Lyman) a couple times, with no response. If anyone has info on whether they will be doing cruises, please let me know.

Ocean Garden (Gorham) told me they are not sure if they will be hosting cruises this year.

I will not be able to get on up to the Madison show this weekend - if anyone does, PLEASE send pix.

My daughter's PT Woody won "Cruiser of the Week" at TJ's. Won a case of oil - at $120 a barrel, that's no small thing, either. Next week we get to park in front (Cruiser of the Week parking spot) - that way, if some gawker runs off the road, we'll be the first car that gets hit, sparing everyone else.

Well, it's after midnight, and Mother is waiting (actually, she's sound asleep).

Later!

It's Official - Senility Is Here

Well, this evening we trooped on up to Roy's, in Auburn for their first cruise-in of the season. Great! Fine! Except I forgot to bring the camera, so there won't be any pix this time. Sorry - just gettin' a bit long in the tooth, I guess, and the memory is the second thing to go...

Had a good time, all the same. Dan the Music Man kept the party lively with great tunes, and there were plenty of prizes to go around - to which the OTHER Dan can attest, since he won so many.

By the way, Dan's righteous Golden Chevy has improved this year - which was a tough thing to accomplish, since it achieved near perfection already! And, of course, the "Preacher" was there with his fabulous Ford, Betty Lou. Talk about "sweet ride", it doesn't get much better.

Well, I gotta update the calendar a bit more - discovered a couple cruises (courtesy MotorMenders) that I did not have listed yet.

Weather permitting, we may get to Mainely Custard (Classic Convertible) in Freeport tomorrow evening (Wednesday). But first I gotta call to see if they are starting yet :o)

Later!

BJ

ADVISORY - V & M Rentals, Gorham ME

It is most unusual for me to post any warning about anything, but in this case it seems to be warranted and necessary. All of our Maine and New Hampshire visitors are important to us. For this reason, I find it necessary to post this advisory, since most of you own and operate various pieces of equipment in York & Cumberland Counties.

A few weeks ago I took my Husqvarna lawn tractor in to V & M rentals, of Gorham, Maine. I told them the tractor needed a tune up, and a new mower deck. Sounds simple enough. I was given an estimate of $119 for the tune-up, and $309 for the mower deck. I was told it should be ready in about a week. Again, sounds simple enough.

Two weeks later I called, asking what was going on. I was told that the parts had been ordered, but the distributor was having a delivery problem. I told them if the tractor was not fixed in a few days, I would come for it and take it elsewhere.

The next day, they called. The man asked me if I wanted to rebuild the old deck or get a new one. I told him I had specifically requested a new one. I then asked why he was asking, since the previous day they claimed it was already on order. He told me nothing had yet been ordered, and he was calling to find out what he should order! Obviously, someone had lied to me the previous day.

I then asked what it was going to cost to get my tractor back, and when it would be ready. He said it would take two more days, and it would cost $792.

That was a whopping $300 more than the estimate! I was angry, to say the least.

Well, it was not ready in two days - it was another 5 days before they called and said it was ready. Again I asked what it was going to cost me, because I wanted to see if they were going to jack the cost up again. To my surprise, again he said "$792.00". I was not happy, but what could I do? At least they had not padded the bill further.

I immediately went to pick up the tractor. By the time I got there, the bill had suddenly and unexpectedly been jacked up another $400 - the original estimate of about $490, which had been raised to $792 was now $1,182!!!!

Angry is not the word I would use. If I were a violent person, V & M Rentals would be gone - rubble! But, they can be thankful that I paid their exhorbitant bill, picked up my tractor and left without anyone requiring medical attention.

When I got home, I pushed the tractor down the ramp, off the truck, and turned the key. NOTHING! It did not start. It did not kick over. NOTHING! I checked the battery - it was fine.
Correct me if I am wrong, my dear friends, but when a person pays almost $1200 for repairs, they have some rightful expectation that, upon getting it back, that it RUNS!

Look, I am not telling you not to do business with V & M Rentals. But I am saying that I will never return, and I strongly urge everyone to consider taking their business to a company that makes at least some small attempt to satisfy their customers, stick to their estimates, and not tell you tall tales - and, hopefully, gives back your machine in WORKING ORDER!

Bill.