I discovered many things on this day. I thought I would be watching my tachometer and making sure I was staying in the proper rpm band. Nope. I have absolutely no idea how fast my engine was turning. I couldn't take my eyes off the track long enough to take a look at the gauges. I thought I would be able to take the first run pretty slow and just figure out how to get around the track. Nope. The moment the starter's flag dropped, my right foot went to the floor and I was going as fast as I could the whole way around. Maybe that's why I "collected" four cones on one of the last turns. At least one person managed to get five cones in one run, so I didn't win that dubious "competition." I discovered just how important good brakes are on a sports car. A couple of the tightest corners were placed at the end of longer straights. I had to really stand on that middle pedal if I was going to get into the corners in a way that allowed me to get out of the turn smoothly. I discovered that even a car with a tiny little 1500cc engine can be put into a four wheel drift on the way into a corner and come out with it's rear tires leaving a light smoky haze in the air. (Ok, maybe some of that haze was oil smokeä) I also discovered that I wanted to do it all again. Many times. Many, many more times. My first event might have been the last one at Aksarben, but it won't be my last autocross.
ART DART PLAYFUL
by Barbara Rixstine
A small but stalwart group of car folks made the first Art Dart trek to the Sioux City Art Center in early November to view Impressionist drawings, handmade paper circles, paintings, and the floor maze. The children's play center turned
out to be the hit of the day. Flatwater members had the chance to be kids againãas if most of us weren't still kidsãand enjoyed the chance to play with Lego-like toys, nail patterns, stick-on letters, moving pictures and see it-feel it displays.
Attending were Bev and Ben Anderson and Ben's sister, Joan; Jane and Brian Goldsmith; Sue and Marvin Marshall; Bob Shaw; Martha Johnson; and Barbara Rixstine. A good lunch was had by all at the Green Dragon in Decatur, Nebraska and except for almost being blindsided by a trucker, the trip went off without catastrophe. Bev even had a chance to meet her Sioux City cousin!
The next Art Dart is planned for Friday, January 18, to the Sheldon Art Museum, for a viewing of 1940s and 1950s comic strip art and on to Barrymore's for a sampling from their martini menu. More details later.
Three Wishes
This guy was walking along the beach in Malibu when he came across this salt-encrusted piece of metal. He worked for an hour or so to remove the salt. Lo and behold it was a very old oil lamp. The guy started to buff it to remove the verdigris when 'poof" a genie appeared. This genie, like all genies, was so happy to be freed of the lamp that he granted the guy three wishes.
"I wish to be a dollar richer than Bill Gates," says the guy. The genie wasn't sure who Bill Gates was until the guy told him to check Forbes magazine.
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