ralper

What makes a meet great? The people, of course.

(Photos are in this thread https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...f=117&t=395279 )

Once again we all got a chance to renew our old friendships, meet our new friends, and enjoy the bonds created by owning our very special little sportscar.

As always, its the car that brought us together, but its the people who keep us together.

Thanks to everyone for letting Adam and myself participate on Saturday even though we weren't officially a part of the meet. We had a great time.

(Post comments here, pics in the other thread)

MsPerky

I'm looking forward to all the comments and pics.

ralper

Special thanks go to

Deb (MsPerky) for putting this whole thing together. Even though she couldn't attend, she organized the event down to the last detail.

Doug (triple-H) and Eric (Eric N) for mapping out the drive route. And for making the arrangments for the parade laps.

To the drive leaders who did their usual great job of leading the drives.
Doug (triple-H)
Eric (Eric N)
Jonas (JonasM)
Matt (Matt In_va)

To my partner in the tee shirts and magnets who it is an absolute pleasure to work with.
Sheila (zcarcrazy)

To Patty (kyras) for making the name tags and the In Memorium ribbons.

To my good buddy Frank b who met me part of the way up in the wee small hours of the morning, Saturday morning, so that we could drive up together for the few hours we got to spend at the meet.

And thanks to everyone else who participated. Once again, it was a great meet.

NNY S2k

Nice seeing you again Rob, hope you had a good trip back to NJ

frank b

I had a great time even though I was there for only four hours or so. A special thanks to Rob for convincing me to go and meetiting me along the way. And Adam as well. What a great kid! It rained all the way up, but it stopped when we got to the Glen. And we arrived just in time for the morning drive. I think that's the most fun I've ever had with my car. Thanks to Jonas for literally squeezing me in! I was right behind Valentine, and I can tell you that she can flat-out drive that car. Then it was off to the track and that was big fun as well. I only wish I'd had more time to meet more of you and, of course it would have been good to hang out a bit before rushing back home. Next time I'll plan a little better. Even though I got just a taste of it, I can see why you all enjoy these events so much. So thanks for letting me play and thanks also to Patty for the "official" name tag. Nice momento!

Lainey

We're home!

We decided to head all the way home and after 8 hours on the road including a nice stop for dinner, we made it safe and sound. It was TOP DOWN all the way.

Legal Bill did a good job of thanking people on Saturday evening at dinner. Ditto from me and I'll add a few more thoughts and thanks.

I MUST again thank Deb for all her planning. I kept thinking you just might show up. You did a GREAT job, and I only had to tend to a few last minute details. The rest of my time was socializing.

There were a lot of laughs at SF and of course a few tears as we remembered our friend, tomcatt. Hilly, to attend a meet so soon after your loss was nothing short of courageous. Tom was there in spirit, and he would have been so proud of you, as we all were.

It was a good meet, it was a fun meet, and we met so many new people. I hope those attending a Vintage meet for the first time felt as welcome as Rick and I did last year when we were the newbies.

I'd like to thank John at the Show Boat for having us. Accomodating 35+ cars with constant car washing going on was appreciated. John moved his schedule around a bit to ensure that folks were finished with breakfast in time to head out for the drive. I spoke to John last night and he enjoyed having us there. It seems people get a kick out of us. One local even bought one of the T shirts from Sheila. John told me everyone was polite, pleasant and we are welcome back. Just one small issue of a hotel towel being used to wash a car.
You know who you are.

One of my wishes came true this weekend. I met Valentine. A very proper southern lady.

For those who didn't meet her she was the one hanging out in the bar on Saturday evening wearing Betty Boop PJs. It was a pleasure, Val.


Granny thanks for bringing your "music making machine." Rick has passed the Spring Fling singing torch to none other than Matt_inva! Nice job, Matt. We closed the bar down at 1:00 AM and we are beat today. I thought Vintage people went to bed early?

Rob and Frankb, I'm sorry we didn't get to say more than hello, but you both get a
for the driving you did in one day just to attend part of the event.

We said most of our goodbyes last night and after spending part of the day with Patty/Kyras and Phil/Ruined 2, we did the goodbye thing again.

Phil, I'm appreciative of the hug, but next time, don't make me toss my cookies, OK?

Thanks to all who attended. We all hope you enjoyed yourselves.

Because I know he lurks here, I'll also say thank you to my +1 Rick, for being so understanding( well most of the time) of my addiction to this site. He even took the BIT** seat most of the way home so I could do some too.

I'll post pics tomorrow. I'm off all day. I may spend some time here.

Legal Bill

There were so many special moments at this meet, it is hard to know where to start or what order to put my thoughts in. Even our Thursday night, driving to Albany in the rain was fun.

It is always great to meet new people and I met so many this weekend. All great folks too. The trouble is, there never seems to be enough time to sit down and talk to everyone as much as I would like. I'm always regreting the time I didn't spend with new people. I hope we can add peoples names when we post their photos. I know that really helps me remember everyone the next time I meet them.

It is also great to see the folks I have now known for three or four years. Jim, it was great to meet your wife Elaine. It seemed like we had all known each other for years this weekend. I hope you had an equally pleasant time. As with the new folks, I feel like I didn't have enough time to spend with some of my old friends. Maybe Jerry will have lunch with me at the Noreaster. Tom, I hope next time we can talk a bit more. I sure do love that Laguna blue! Rob, it wouldn't be a meet if I didn't see you, even if only for an afternoon. I'm sorry you couldn't stay longer. Darlene, I feel cheated. After knowing you on this board for three years, we spent only minutes talking. I hope we can talk more next time.

I count some of you as my very best friends, even though we only see each other once or twice a year. It seems our common interest in the S2000 is somehow a general threshold for a lot of other common likes, interests and attitudes. So many people, from so many different backgrounds, all coming together and having a great time with one another. It really is amazing

I want to echo Lainey's comments about Deb. I was very sorry she was not there because this was the best meet yet, and she did all the work. Thanks again Deb. I hope Lainey and I can properly repay the favor with our preperations at the Noreaster.

Doug and Eric's groundwork in advance of this meet was also spectacular and I can't thank them enough. The back-to-back running of the old street course and the modern race track will live with me forever. I've already talked to Doug about another event I want to organize, and I hope many Vintage folks will join in. Thanks to Matt and Jonas for taking the extra time to run the route in advance of the group drive and for being great drive leaders.

I want to thank Jim and Chris for making the long haul from Texas for our meets. You are a better man than I am Jim as I don't know that I would do ever do that drive and show up as happy as you always seem to be. As always, I salute Patty for making the flight and renting the car just to be with us. This year she made some wonderful ribbons in Memory of Tom that we all wore with pride. Thanks Patty.

Sheila, the shirts are great. Thank you again for doing this. Please let us know if someone who ordered did not pick up their shirt so we can embarass them publicly. To think that you front the money for this is not only a sign of trust in your fellow man, (woman) be also a measure of your commitment to the forum. Thank you.

Lainey is a great CO here isn't she? She was a perfect host at the meet this weekend and made sure everything ran like clock work. We are in good hands with her.

I know I am leaving folks out. Rob did great work for a guy who could only show up for half a day (he spent more time driving up and back than he did at the meet. A real sign of dedication, friendship and love for the community). Jonas and Virginja were one of three couples spending their aniversary with us. Jonas was a drive group leader and his wife really kicked the sing along into high gear. I'll make sure we have words and music next time. Angela's music machine is awesome. Looks like a mini amp. We just need more tapes. thanks again for bringing it along Angela.

Like I said, I know I am leaving folks out. But it is late and I do have to go back to making the world safe for litigants tomorrow. I'll try to post more thoughts and thanks then.

ralper

Bill,

You've pretty much said it all. You are right on point.

Everyone who participates in the meets, everyone who participates in the Vintage forum brings with them something special, and it all somehow comes together to make this community the very best that there is.

Like you, some of my very best friends are the friends that I've made here over the last 4 years. Driving to the meet was my pleasure because it gave me a chance to spend a few hours with my friends. And life is far too short and unpredictable to miss an opportunity like that.

I agree with you, Lainey is a great CO. And so are you. Vintage is in very good hands.

I too am thrilled that we have so many long time members, and that we continue to get so many new members. Vintage gets better with every new member who signs up.

I'm sorry that I couldn't "officially" attend this event, I'd have loved to participate fully. I hope the "I've already talked to Doug about another event I want to organize, and I hope many Vintage folks will join in." is something similar to this because you can bet that I'll be there.

MsPerky

The best one yet, huh...that is saying something! I thought about all of you alot this weekend. I'm so glad everything worked out OK. The motel looked just about as funky as I expected. I'm going to call John today and chat with him about how things went. Now we can share the memories and look forward to the Nor'Easter, Tom's Memorial Run and next year's Fling in SW VA. As well as to whatever mystery meet LB is cooking up. Thanks to all for making it a success.

valentine

Yep, it was great. The icing on the cake was the opportunity to spend some time with Hilly and her wonderful mom, Oma (hope I'm spelling it correctly). WOW, they were simply fantastic and I'm much the better person for having met them. The motel was very much an interesting experience and once I got over the withdrawal from coffee, a hair dryer, heat, tv and the internet, I slept like a baby. The staff at the Showboat was great, John was super and one of the locals said we were the talk of the community and he just had to spend some time with us, since we were the most fun folks he'd ever met. (I agree ). Granny and I made some great memories at the Watkins Glen Wal-Mart and once again I'll repeat for you what I said to her: I'm not putting anything up my nose. I'm keeping my orange checkmark for a while (maybe forever) and the track memories were fantastic. Ken & Yoon Lee were great. Levi, please tell Karla to stay away from the birds ( ). We had sooo much fun. Patty did so much work and put together those wonderful badges and those beautiful little ribbons that I'll always cherish. Sheila, JayZee's got nothing on us. Those shirts and magnets are to die for. It was great to meet Tom and Susan, Frankb, Jules, Ken & YoonLee, Gx2, Tachus, and on and on. If the Vintage Voices ever market an album, I'm buying. Oh, Ken, thanks for the drink, for the good times and for just being you. Doug worked himself silly on this thing and wow, did he do a great job. The meet was uncluttered by luxuries, but absolutely fantastic. Vintage: We took New York and it was a very good thing!!!!! I'll think up more stuff and post it later, but on the way home, look what happened: My baby became Vintage as well. She broke 50k:



I snapped the odometer when I got into the driveway and was proud of myself for making it through New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and 2/3 of the way through Virginia to get home to my beloved +1. I logged 518 miles. Oh, Doug, 518.700000000000 for you :