The Joy of Six

I drove the M635 to work today.

It has spent most of the summer in the garage. Things have been insane-busy lately: work is on fire, multiple overlapping projects due, had to refinance the house, the market is on tilt, both my of my parents remarried, my youngest has been having nosebleeds in the middle of the night, I've been getting back into my basketball game, we've got to replace some furniture... sheesh. I've been driving the iX, bowing to gas prices and general practicality. And I like the iX a lot - E30's are fun.

But I was late for a meeting, and it was already out in the driveway, so I dashed out, slammed the briefcase in the trunk and off we went.

Hmmm...traffic is stacking up at that intersection a bit, so let's take that happens-to-be-curvy back way. Yea, that loud, gravely rumble is pretty cool, think we'll skip the radio this morning.

And what do you know, the sea of cars is opening in front of me on the on-ramp. Cosmo wants to stretch the legs a little so my right foot responds appropriately. The engine is like music: as much as I hate the look of what the previous owner referred to as the "elephant dick exhaust" I really, really like the sound. It isn't gratuitously aggressive. It isn't creating attitude from thin air. But really does sound...purposeful....as I wind it out and cruise past bored commuters.

Ah...the exit is coming up. Brake to the downramp as I pick the line. A slow wind back to earth, close to work and the grind. I glide past the E92 M3 in the parking lot and pull into my usual spot, off and away from most cars. I glance back and get what seems to be a vaguely accusatory look from the car, not unlike the ones I get from my kids when it is time to leave someplace fun ("It was only nine miles").

But I'm left with a smile on my face, and really that is what makes me love this car. My E36 M3 was a nice car, and made me giggle to drive, but the M635 catches my eye and makes me drool a little, and it lifts my spirits without fail when I turn the key. Lord knows I needed it today.

And at the end of the day, that is the reason I have it - I really enjoy this car.

SouthEast SharkFest 2008

Below is my "Thank You" post on Roadfly to the organizers and attendees of SouthEast SharkFest 2008. I wanted something from my love of E24's and the folks I've met through SharkFest to be included on my first official day of blogging:

"Part of the whole SharkFest experience has always been a long road to and from the event, usually starting alone, but meeting up with the gang on the way in (Ooops Barrel!), and rolling out in a pack for the long ride home.

This year was a little different - I drove only a short way (~100 miles). I drove in without a pack, but with a late registrant who probably didn't realize how many words he'd have to deal with in less than 90 minutes (my wife scolded me for not warning him). I didn't really wash or prepare my car, and sort of rolled into the event. I got to talk to a lot more people, both new and old. A number of folks I've been waiting to meet for quite a while were there for the first time, and it made it seem like the first SharkFest for me in a lot of ways.

What didn't change was the sense afterward that we're all part of something really good. Nat and Kai pour their heart into the event, and it was really inspirational to see people like JT, Andrew, Chris Gregor and so many others who devoted so much of their time at the event to making the event happen. Having helped in previous years, it is a really gratifying thing, but you do sacrifice some of the experience - my hat is off to everyone who pitched in so much, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I'm pretty sure that goes for everyone who came. The cars, as always, were great - I love the variety and the love that keeps them alive. It was great to see SESF folks helping each other with the various things that go wrong with these twenty-something year-old cars. As always for me, breakfast was a big highlight. It is a lot of fun, and I'm already looking forward to scouting the next one.

I was really excited to see so many new faces. Jeff's enthusiasm for his first SESF was contagious, and Wolfie is a car with great stories. I love the shiny ones, but the coolest cars, shiny or not, are the ones with stories. I'm also really loving the trend of folks bringing their spouses and kids - it says we're doing it right.

There are a lot of folks who I get to see every year who just plain make me smile. We've got a diverse (and very interesting) crowd, and I'm grateful to know them (and I hope they know who they are). If you're looking for examples of what good things can come from the internet, SESF and all the people I count among my friends from it are great ones to start with. If I have a regret, it is that I never get to connect with as many folks as I'd like to, and rarely for as long as I'd like to when I do. I guess that is one of the reasons I look forward to the even so much - no matter what, I know my biggest problem will be the wealth of good company. It really feels like an extended family.

So...as much as I find it tough to think the next SharkFest will top the last, it always does. I just wanted to thank all of you, the organizers, volunteers and attendees, for a great SharkFest experience. It was a really great and fun time!

2009 doesn't seem so far away!"



My Picassa Web Album of SouthEast SharkFest 2008 is here.