MG Travel Adventures

 memories:

One time when we drove to a car club meeting (for antique MGs) in Maine, Chip had to take a side trip to deliver a car part (one of his extra MG car parts) to a friend in northern New York, then figure out how to get to the convention. So I asked AAA for one of their trip-packs. 

(In olden days we used maps to get to places and AAA would prepare a guide to the best roads to take to get there) So, we are driving along and the highway became smaller. Then it became a dirt road. But the trip pack said that it would get us over those mountains to the convention, so we continued onward. Turns out it was a logging road. luckily it actually did get us over the mountains and back onto 'normal' roads and eventually to the convention in Maine. 

(yes, we took normal highways back home to Baltimore.)

This is just one of the many adventures we had getting to various MG "T" series club meetings. 

(Chip became an officer of that club and Technical Editor of the club magazine. 

Some of his articles got published in a book. In fact, he probably had a published book before I did - or very soon afterwards. )

New England MG 'T' Register 

Our Canadian Adventure

Once, after attending an antique car convention in New England, we decided to go home by way of Canada.  In those days you could go in and out on the spur of the moment, because the US government had very open borders in those days. (1960s)
Quebec was 'interesting' because neither of us knew any (or much) French and all the signs were in French. Also, their toll booths were different. We were just passing through Quebec (having entered Canada through New Hampshire) trying to get to Niagara Falls by the upper route.  
First toll booth, we handed in a Canadian dollar and got some change back. And drove on.  
Second toll booth we tossed one quarter into the change bin and drove on. We were aware of flashing lights at the toll booth behind us, but didn't think they had anything to do with us.  
At the third booth, there were officers of the law lined up to stop us.  
Evidently, the first toll booth had given us FOUR quarters and we had been supposed to toss one of them into the change bin. And so on. Therefore, we owed the turnpike authorities One Quarter.
Very embarrassed, we explained what we had done and they let us go when we had paid the missing quarter.
I miss that old VW bug we drove then. It was packed full of camping equipment and food to sustain us.
Of course we had no problem getting back into the United States at Niagara. Just had to show our Maryland driver's licenses.

My last attempt to play Bridge

I love to play Bridge. But I just play it for fun. 

Do you play Bridge?
Other people are more serious about it. Much more serious. (My best friend in 7th grade Annette Rapleyea's father was one - he played professionally, whatever that means.)That ordinary people would be deeply serious about the game of Bridge hit home with me one year when we went down to the Ocean (actually the Delaware Bay) with the MG "T" Series club for a weekend. A group of the ladies needed a fourth, so I joined them - just for fun.
Well! 

I soon learned that these ladies were cutthroat about Bridge - and they were very upset about my casual attitude. Verbally so. Several of them didn't talk to me again during that weekend - and the looks they gave me would have replaced the air conditioner in the beach house. 

Brrrrrrrr.