Author Archive for Peter Wright

2019 Champagne Picnic

By Peter Wright
Sunday, September 29th, 2019

Another Success… Circa 2019

How does one define success?  Brother Webster, of dictionary fame, refers to “success”, the noun, as being “a degree or measure of succeeding”.  Well heck… what good are you bro’?  Using another form of a word to define The Word? Not quite what I was after.  In fact, that’s kinda dumb!  So I sought a second audience with his esteemed self, to tell him so, but instead, we spoke of the degree of delight experienced by all the longstanding and newfound friends who enjoyed each other at the Badger Bimmers’ 2019 Champagne Picnic… 32 strong plus four kiddies.  His wise eyes lit up as he offered the more exacting “achieving a favorable or desired outcome”.  Not fancy by any means but he nailed it the second time around.  Quite pleasing given that his offerings of possible antonyms included some pretty harsh possibilities, including,  “bummer”; “bust”; the car-appropriate “misfire”, and the amazingly accurate possibility which occurred to my co-driver/navigator and me in the days and hours leading up to 11:00am on Sunday, September 29th; the dreaded “washout”.

I’m not kidding.  Look it up.  He musta figured it was going to rain.

When last have you enjoyed a walk in the rain… barefoot, head back, eyes closed, mouth wide open… going nowhere?   You coulda done it in a field in Fort Atkinson on the said day, and perhaps several other folks, a few frogs and a fish or two would have joined you, in spite of what the neighbors’ unkind “observations” might have been.  To each his own, right?  I love rain.  All forms of it, ‘cept the solid stuff.  Some folks prefer desert-like conditions.  I like sexy haunches… er… yes dear… I’ll behave; on cars.  Jeff’s Aston Martin comes pretty close to perfection in that regard.  On the other hand, some demented folk think that the Daimler SP250 is the most beautiful car to ever have existed.  Well, maybe not “some”, but there’s at least one wacked out person out there.  Misguided.

All present delighted in stories… so many wonderful memories… each precious to the teller, for the enjoyment of the listener; in a dry, warm space, while the amazing 4-wheeled machinery which brought us together sat patiently, waiting for the moment when the kind folks would “oooooo!” and “ahhhhh!”,while taking pictures of the pretty little water droplets beading up on the painstakingly polished immaculate tucks and curves of our respective babies; the things that keep us up at night fretting about who is doing what to our precious blau mit weiss objects d’art, resting quietly in the garage.  Grandkids are special too; Adaline’s successful art sale fund raiser with proceeds destined for a favorite charity kept folks reaching for their wallets… thank you!  And future Badger Bimmerite Jack brought his own car which curiously runs on the same thing he drinks from that funky bottle; must be some newfangled energy-related technology.

We sampled amazing treats; delicious smoked salmon and clam dip; sweet, juicy fruit, etc. while staring longingly at the lovely Alpina B7 and legendary e39 M5, a pair of ZHPs, sexy haunches wearing a M2 badge… har har!, a certain blue 335i track rat that I almost ran over one time, 328xi coupe and sedan, a 330i Touring, Z3, 135i, a pretty M3, e28, a monster X5 that readily pulls .8g in sweeping bends, a certain R53 JCW Mini Cooper S wearing a “KNOT H1S” rear license plate, affectionately referred to as “The Jailbird” around these parts, with good reason, but we’ll leave that for another time.  Then there was a  1976 2002, chamonix in color, that walked off with the People’s Choice award, much to the delight of Linda & Dave who will celebrate at the upcoming Badger Bimmers’ Holiday Party, compliments of our Badger Bimmers’ Family.   Brats, served on those perfect buns, were enjoyed along with delicious salads and the always popular hot calico bean casserole compliments of Steve and Georgia.  Jeremy’s cran apple walnut salad with maple vinaigrette was a delicious meal in itself!  And the desserts… oh my!  Cheesecake compliments of Jerry and Diane and just about every kind of scrumptious cookie one could ever hope for.

This was about enjoying time with each other and welcoming several new members into the fold.  This was about celebrating Tom and Janet Rost who started this event many moons ago when I had hair.  Bad hair, but at least it was hair.  We toasted their memories with the obligatory glass of champagne.  Such a fine couple.  This was about honoring the memory of our dear fellow track rat and good friend Steve Werner with a moment of silence, followed by another toast.  Steve woulda thought we were nuts but we did it anyway.  Mary, thanks for sharing Steve with us.  We love you!  Steve is one of the funniest guys I have ever known.  This was about not wanting to say those goodbyes even though the day was drawing to a close.  Rain?  What rain?  As our dear friend Larry from the State Capital city would say, “oh bother”.

So many people to thank!  To all who made the trek to our little corner of the world, thank you!  We questioned our sanity with all the work that goes into planning and executing this event, to the extent that its continued existence was in question, but your smiling faces and the excitement of hanging with like-minded folks, for good conversation, pretty much signed us up for another year.  David, thank you for hanging by the 1976 vintage Weber grill to perfectly prepare the brats!  Jerry, thank you for once again visiting a day early, to fog the skeeters into submission, so we could enjoy the great outdoors.  Bill, thank you for picking up the champagne and glasses and for coming early to kick registration into high  gear.  Thank you Jeff and the Badger Bimmers Board for continuing to support this event. Thank you Jenny for donating door prizes for the day, this time from New York Life; Jenny always provided door prizes from Zimbrick in Madison where she was our Preferred Automotive Purveyor, but she has hung out her own shingle… and still likes us car folk.  Anyone need to review their insurance stuff?  I know where you can find someone to help!  We had a surprise planned for this event that would have blown your minds, and it was 99% executed, but a too-soft field pulled the plug at the last moment.  Thank you Don and all others who worked to make this possible…. we’ll hold it in reserve.  Maybe next year.   Thank you to all those whom I have forgotten to mention specifically!  Most important, thank you to my co-driver/navigator for making this celebration possible; without all her hard work and attention to detail this would not be possible.   I owe you one.  Ok… so make that, another one to add to the list. Sigh…

Success indeed!  Still a little damp around the gills… er… ears.

Y’all be safe.

Peter

Categories : 2019 Jul-Aug-Sep

A New Chapter; Compliments of “M” Thingies

By Peter Wright
Thursday, January 10th, 2019

Jenny, Purveyor Extraordinaire of Fine Automobiles, made me do it.  And Griffin didn’t shut her down.  Ahhhh… my dear friends at Zimbrick BMW in Madison!  How can I thank you enough!!

“Hi. My name is Jenny; how may I help you?”.   “Well, er… sure…” I respond, trying to sound sophisticated, and financially, one of “the folks with the coin”.  “I’ve been referred by the editors and columnists at Road & Track, Car & Driver, the hooligans at Top Gear, and our very own Roundel brethren, among others”.  Purveyor Jenny looks puzzled.  But I’m used to that; that’s the natural response whenever I try to communicate.  Continuing, “I’m here to purvey… er… buy one of your new M2 conveyances; the one with the free color, you know… the one that matches the… well, matches what used to be the whites of my eyes, but that was a while back when the mountains were young.  Purveyor Jenny looks profoundly confused; pronounced long sigh….

That three-year-old conversation claws at the periphery of my consciousness as I live to hear the action word.

“GO!”

Right pedal plastered to the floor, M2 and I claw past the timing lights; adrenaline messing with more stuff than it has a right to; eyes right… hard right; eyes left… hands respond urgently, firm grip on that sweet steering wheel; watch out for the damn cones! Hard accelerate; stay in it… stay in it! Scooch right then left through cones.  Brain screams, “ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS???”  Get ready… not yet… not yet… BRAKE NOW!  Spectacles fly… cell phone flies… stomach juggles threateningly the mess that was breakfast fit for the gods an hour ago.  Back in it… gently… through the tight decreasing radius U-turn aptly named “Patience”… now hard on it through the right sweeper… and the left… look for the timing lights… lights?  In this maze of cones?  This is madness!  Jumbled brain screams, “Stop Box”!!!!  Where? Here? YEAH HERE!!!  I body-slam the brake.  Wheels fight for traction, but the M2 Orange Flash still flies through what is intended to be a “stop box”.  Moron… you DNF’d.  Who, me?  YEAH YOU!  Back there!! Flew right through the illusive “stop box”.  YOU MORON!!!  The walkie-talkie wakes up, in a matter-of-fact tone; “You blew the stop box; DNF’d; get back in line; two more runs”.  Bang tender head on that resting, still sweet, steering wheel.  Drool on self.  Two more runs.  You’ll get it.  You better!  This is serious stuff!!!

Where?   Thermal, California; BMW Performance Center.

What?     Day one of two-day M-School; first run following acceleration and braking exercises.

My ride?  M2; wrapped in orange with a wrapped carbon fiber roof; rumored to have been a former SEMA BMW show car.  #3… my run number, slapped on its amazingly sexy haunches.

The day begins with classroom time.  Instructors introduced.  Chief instructor, in jest, tells us to not bother apply for a job there because… well… he puts it nicely by saying… er… they know what they are doing, and goes on to prove it.  He summarizes their individual, considerable, professional motorsports attachments.  I am very impressed with all, but particularly the, “Driver; Aston Martin Racing Team – Nürburgring, Germany”.  You’re right pal; I don’t know what I’m doing.  Note to self… he probably won’t be impressed with tales of my getting sideways (as opposed to power-sliding) in the 2002, in corner one at Blackhawk Farms.

The group?  15 fellow neophytes seeking to be enlightened.  One guy is older than dirt… er… me and he races a 914/6; former Brian Redman event driver.  One Porsche Cayman guy who refuses to like anything.  Some youngsters with hopped up BMWs with mucho horses.  A fun pediatrician lady with an M4, who wins the “Most Improved” for the event award.  Several other quick folks, also here for a good time; all I think mostly from places west of the Mississip’.  Oh yeah… and Billy Bob ‘n me representing Wisconsin.  The folks get split into 3 run groups of 5 each, with a run group instructor for each, and several spotters.  No helmets… too heavy (neck damage in an “off”) and the cars have more airbags and safety features than you can shake a stick at.  Sorry; “…at which you can shake a stick”, is grammatically correct.  Instructor stands off to the side at a preferred place on-track and coaches each student, complements of a walkie-talkie placed in each car; we can hear each other’s evaluations.

My “handle” is Anthony… my middle name, because there is another Peter in the run group; I confuse easily and can’t figure out what the instructor is talking about, coaching “Peter” through tight track sections, and I think he is talking to me… when I’m going at an obscene speed in the opposite direction.  Then he talks to Anthony.  Who’s Anthony?  No Sir…I promise I’m not ignoring you… no, really….   Did I mention I confuse easily?

How many M cars can they fit into one compound?  M2s; M3s; M4s; all our assigned toys for 2 days.  Did I die yet?  All DCT equipped, and although several levels of safety nannies are turned off, the big nanny of them all remains… and the Aston Martin instructor won’t tell me how to do a tonsillectomy; something about liability.  During my   on-track blitzes she keeps messin’ with progress.  GRRRRR!!!  Gimmie the damn car… wench!

Skid pad is my biggest challenge.  Billy Bob whups my butt!  I end up going backwards… a lot… unintentionally.  This dry concrete surface is four times slicker than snot on a door knob.  Do you know that DCT disengages, and shuts things down when flying backwards?  At least that’s maybe how it goes… I’m no techie.  How come they didn’t tell me that before… or maybe they did but I was thinking about Purveyor Jenny.  How much time is wasted while this moron in heat finds any damn gear that will make this thing go forward?  My clutch foot shoves at the fresh air to the left of the brake pedal.  The timer continues to tick, tick, tick.  Slide through another “stop box” swine.  Sigh.

Next we get booted upstairs to the M3s for the oval “Rat Race”.  We dash off, two cars at a time, on opposite sides of the oval-shaped track, to strategize/burn out/drift/slide… whatever it takes, in three laps, to cross the finish line ahead of the run-group opponent.  By process of elimination, the run-group winner is chosen.  Who says I didn’t learn anything on the skid pad?  The M3s sure are sweet too!  My prize?  A big fat stuffed toy black rat; Vicki is clear… don’t come home if the rat is in tow.  Really??  Thermal is awfully nice this time of year…

Day one?  Other than skid pad and rat race events, think autocross, on a bigger scale, with a maze of dedicated tortured corners and varying lengths of straights connecting them.  With sections blocked off, these combinations are transformed into two different configurations for the first day’s events.  Lots of M2 time!  I can hardly wait to get home… and for Spring’s salt-free roads.  Heh, heh.  Note to self… Google “How to disable remaining wench”.

Day two.  I shouldn’t have enjoyed so much of such a splendid breakfast; they really outdid themselves… again! After a short briefing we put on our M4s and head off to the “South Loop” of The Thermal Club.

There were rumors about how the “other side” lives, but, I didn’t really believe it. The BMW Performance Center adjoins The Thermal Club, a private facility with three different high-speed tracks which can be strung together as one 5-mile track.  Entry price for membership in this exclusive club is reported to be $1.5MM; that buys track days at the facility apparently on Mondays only, and a plot of land adjoining the track on which to build a “house”.  So, with “house”, you’re in for between $2MM and $3MM… before getting yourself a track car, hiring a crew… yadda, yadda.  You get the idea.  Day two falls on a Sunday, so the transporters start arriving with cars I can only dream about, and the crews set about unloading and setup for the following day’s fun.  Later, the members start arriving by helicopter.  Clearly out of my league!  Matters not.  For a while we’re on their track in someone else’s wickedly fast M machine.  YEEEEEHHHAAAAAWWW!!!

We attack with profound malice, different sections of the track… long straights followed by complex u-shaped corners; standing start, gut-wrenching maximum acceleration… then mere seconds later, breakfast-tossing brutal maximum braking, initially at braking marker three, and later between markers 3 and 2, followed by increasing speeds through the subsequent corners.  “Anthony… er… Peter… no… Anthony; you can be a little more aggressive in the chicane”.  “Ok Pal… I can bang over curbs with the best of them… your car; your problem if I break it!”  Why is my mouth constantly so dry?  Raw adrenaline?  I’m initially hesitant… no, that’s a lie… scared is more like it.  I want to steal a glance at the heads up display, to fathom just how fast this thing is actually going at braking marker 2 which, har har… if you know me, I must try (almost peed into my loafers); a momentary snatch during a late run in the day offers up a mind-bending 130mph; the 2002 can’t even imagine wet dreams about such frivolity.

This speed thing is seriously intoxicating, and before long I am Sir Jack Brabbam, Sir Jackie Stewart, Mario… er… what’s his name again?  Andrattio or something like that… all rolled into one grinning-fool speed junkie.             Hello dear?  Yeah… having a great time!  What would you think about ‘dozing the hayfield out front, and the cornfield beyond, and encroaching on the neighbor’s back forty to build our own corner 5?  Yeah, you could plant flowers on the inside of the corner so it’s still zoned “agricultural”… yeah, blacktop.  Pricey.  Yes, you could don your fancy hat and yell, “My Hero!”, as I scamper by.  Paying for it?  I’ll work another year and sell rides on the side.  No?

Didn’t think so…

The run group does “lead/follow” laps with the instructor, at serious speed, and up pops a kinda warning light on the instrument panel… a red square.  I mention it at the next stop and he says that should never, ever show up; no, it’s not an unlatched hood… the proximity sensors report that I’m following him too close.  Sorry sir… I promise I won’t do that again… sigh…  Apparently I’m too used to romping with Billy Bob.  Academic really, because the gas gauge says I only have 12 more miles of fun left before exhausting the last fill ‘er up of “go juice”.

We wave buh bye to The Thermal Club folks.  Thanks for lending us your fun little roadway!  More M2 time… figure eight skid pad fun, and one last timed banzai run on the short track.  LOVE THIS M2!!!!!

We park the toys for the last time and look over our shoulders, once; twice; thrice…. at the delicious parked “fleet”, as we head into the classroom, marking the end of the two-day giddiness.  I swear the M2 winks at me as I look back.  The kind folks present us with dynamite gift bags of M-Performance goodies that are unique to this event.  Thanks guys!!!  Never a slave to fashion, this stuff might actually make me look… well… cool!

They announce the fastest time of the day during the M2 run.  Billy Bob ‘n me smile.

Turns out this momentum driver stuff we live as pilots of really slow wheeled thingies also works in nose-bleed horsepower M machines.  Your Wisconsin contingent showed ‘em… heh, heh.  Of the three timed short-track combined-group events, we came away with two firsts and a second; the Brian Redman guy was pretty good!  Of the two competitive events for our run-group only, we came away with two firsts.

Surprises?  I had bought into conventional thinking that our M cars were getting fat and lazy and that BMW had “lost its way”.  Horse feathers!  These bad-ass M track-rat/grocery-getter conveyances are gut-wrenching in their capabilities, and execution, while being comfortable to boot!  AMAZING!!!  Secondly, I had dispatched DCT lovers to “sissy“ status!  Who the heck prefers this electronic shift-for-you commie stuff to our beloved third pedal??  Admitting I actually liked this is… well… blasphemy, but… shhhhhh…don’t tell anybody; would not have had it any other way!  WOW!  That’s saying a lot.  Third, these folks put on one heck of an event; the cars, the facility, the professionalism of the instructors and other staff; the fun atmosphere; the cars; the first class hotel; the food; on-time everything; the critiquing and encouragement offered in constant feedback while on-course… did I mention the cars?  Double WOW!  Fourth, I can actually drive mega-horsepower stuff!!!  Whowouldathunk?  Would I recommend this event?  Dumb question!  This is a Bucket List item for anyone that enjoys anything automotive.

And, I’m going back… so there.  There’s this thing called Advanced M-School.  The fun folks don’t even advertise it, but the 2-day M-School is the prerequisite.  Can’t afford it, but I want it… before getting seriously old.  Anyone want to buy a ’69 S4 Lotus Elan?  Same color as the whites… er… what used to be the whites of my eyes.

Reluctantly, Billy Bob ‘n me board the jet thingy for the boring ride home; who wants to leave Heaven… er… Thermal?  I fall into a restless sleep.  I’m in the office; the phone rings… the digital whatsit screen says “Zimbrick BMW”.  It’s a hot sounding chick named Jenny asking for some Anthony dude; his M2… the nice white one he ordered, has finally just arrived on the transporter.  When might he be in to pick it up?  Well lady, I don’t know any Anthony and besides he probably doesn’t like white anyway since it won’t match his eyes anymore, so cancel the order.  And I hang up.  Suddenly, I wake up with a start… where am I?  WHO AM I???   There there, dearie, the nice nursie says… take this; it’ll calm you down.  My Depends?  Soaked.  I fight to swallow some dang thing or the other.

Shoulda gone to the Advanced M-School when I could have.  Yeah.  Shoulda.

JUST DO IT!!!!

Categories : 2019 Jan-Feb-Mar

2018 Champagne Picnic

By Peter Wright
Sunday, September 30th, 2018

Go, or NoGo; that was the quandary with which we struggled, during the week prior to the event!

We couldn’t decide whether we were facing “generally fair, but a chance for isolated showers”, as our ever-popular weather persons spew, when they need a catchall for uncertainty, or “profound wetness”, which seemed quite likely.  In fact, I caught myself playing occasional mind games, for instance, considering at length whether, if the noun “Rain” were actually a verb i.e. “To Rain” it seemed  reasonable that it would have a similar and somewhat parallel verb, “Wet” i.e. “To Wet”.  Conjugation of that “verb” might go something along the lines of, I wet; you wet; he wets; she wets; we wet; you wet; they wet; I think I remember that the first “you wet” in this conjugation, is singular in form, as in, “Hey you!  No not you; the tall one standing beside you… down in front!”. The second “you wet” is more of a plural thing, as in “Y’all sure love them dang ferrin cars!”.  Note that nowhere in that conjugation is the form, which exists only as part of the Jamaican vernacular, “IT WET!” essentially meaning, “MON!  I shoulda stayed home because this Rain seeping into my shorts, messing with stuff, and running out the other end and into my loafers, better quit damned soon!”

But I needn’t have wasted so many of those few remaining brain cells in such frivolous contemplations, because it was indeed a fine day at the appointed place of the 2018 Champagne Picnic!  Not perfect by any means; clouds, therefore no sun; chilly by Jamaican standards but a piece of cake around these parts; and only one report of a bite by a determined wench skeeter, in spite of the hoards that sought to drag big people away, with no provocation, only a week earlier.  Our sincere appreciation to Jerry who volunteered to visit and fog the pointy-nosed skeeter swine into submission, the day before the event.

So, absent rain and skeeters, we partied!!!  The Faithful, friends every one, arrived in favorite shiny toys, and it wasn’t long before old friendships were renewed and new friendships were developed, all because of three letters… B, M & W.  Funny how an assembly of metal castings, nuts, bolts, wires, increasing amounts of plastic, sumptuous leather, some rubber here and there, and glass… how could I forget the glass, can be made to have “soul”, and that “soul” can be the driving force behind lifelong friendships among precious folks.  As I looked around at the happy faces of all present, from friends I had not seen for certainly 35 years, to friends who we welcomed as recent new members of Badger Bimmers, I marveled that such a diverse group could enjoy each other so much, on a damp, cold Sunday afternoon, in the middle of someone’s hayfield in southeastern Wisconsin.

The food. Oh Man… the food!  This gets better every year!  The conversation; finding out what makes people tick is always a delightful revelation…and there was lots of that!  The eye candy; new 3s, older 3s, a trio of ‘02s including the gorgeous Bimmer in a Barn, 5er twins, X5 twins, Z and 2 series convertibles, the first i-mobile we’ve ever had the opportunity to welcome to this event, a coveted Alpina B7, two 5er wagens including one on serious steroids, Ms including a trio of M2s and a pair of sought-after e46 M3s; horsepower ratings of, oh I don’t know… maybe just north of 100 to upwards of 550?  That’s a whole lot of horses to clean up after!!!  But we delighted in each and every one, including the obligatory twin antique John Deere tractors.

Winners?  Silly question.  We all won.  Such a delightful, relaxed event. But, ultimately, one toy was shinier, better presented, and was the perfect representation of who we are, given the history of the Badger Bimmers’ Champagne Picnic.  The big prize went to the gorgeous Atlantik Blau, Bimmer in a Barn 2002, and her proud owners Pam and Bill Nicoud.  Well deserved, kids!!!  I’m still drooling….

So… how to bring this drivel to a close.  Well you could start by thanking a few folks, couldn’t you?  Ah yes… thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thank you to all who poked “weather” in the eye and set aside the time to enjoy this event… indeed some of life’s special moments; you kids are the best!  Thank you to Jenny McAdow and Zimbrick BMW for the gracious gifts!  We almost got to have a M5 Competition at the event, fresh off the showroom floor.  But it had just been detailed and the thought of their new toy chasing around in muddy fields, driven by a bargefull of hooligans wired on champagne, nixed that possibility; maybe next year!  Need a new toy?  Go see Jenny!!!  Thank you Badger Bimmer’s Board for your ongoing support.  Finally, as before, thank you to My Navigator for humoring me once again, and taking care of all the many details.

The event is over.  Another success.  The blades of grass on the lawn have been coerced back into place, and the memories of a beautiful afternoon are stellar.

And silliness is still racing through my brain… a ditty from my misguided youth:

Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not;

Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot;

We’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather,

Whether we like it, or not.

The best is yet to come!

Categories : 2018 Jul-Aug-Sep

2017 Champagne Picnic… of Monarchs & Things

By Peter Wright
Monday, October 30th, 2017

I suppose it was raw passionate love that made me do it.  And the strikingly gorgeous monarch butterfly that flitted about way up in the wild blue yonder, seemingly without purpose, set the stage for trouble.  As with all things that eventually must return to Mother Earth, it flitted haphazardly toward an objet d’art.  Maybe my irrationality had nothing to do with Herr Monarch’s majestic entry.  Maybe it was rampant lust… though I imagined I might have gotten beyond that by now.  Maybe a degree of envy?  Perhaps sinful greed?

And, what a place to land!  I swear it did a joy-filled butterfly back-flip, at seeing the reflection of its intensely beautiful black-lined orange patchwork and white-dotted self, in the sexy haunches, compound curves and impossible depth of the blueness that was Tim & Linda’s foxy ride.  The one about which the reviewers have waxed poetic.  The one about which I dreamt, restlessly, that very night.  The one described as BMW’s welcome departure from its mad dash toward M-softness and M-vulnerability.  The one with the screaming M2 badge.  The one with “That Sound”.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

The stage was set.  Months of careful planning culminated in friends arriving one by one…. then in their twos and threes.  Friends with whom we have enjoyed a life of laughter and shared memories, and those with whom we have so much in common, but had never met… all headed for the 2017 version of The Champagne Picnic; a beautiful afternoon in the wide outdoors of Jefferson County.  Tom and Janet Rost, in whose honor we continue to celebrate this historic Badger Bimmers’ event, were there in spirit ensuring that the week-long promised weekend showers culminated in nothing more than just a few moments of barely perceptible misting.

The Chariots were a playful lot indeed!  Cheeky e30 M3 twins stared down by e39 twins and Z4 twins; a lifelong Badger Bimmers upstart e21 320i; seasoned glistening 2002s; 840i, e30 & e46 3s; a resident 328 XDrive with big nasty wheels; a Z3M; a brand spanking new M3; a new fiver; e36 M3; Audi; MB; Ford Fairlane (I promise it wasn’t me that made those burnout marks on The Nice Officer’s HWY 106… I don’t drive anything that can do that!!!); Jeff’s gorgeous Aston Martin, and the People’s Choice, Luis & Anne’s perfect 1800.  Note to self; sneak into their garage sometime to see what other joys are to be found therein!  And of course, there was “That Sound”.

The 50+ friends present brought delicacies sufficient to delight the palates of hoards of gourmets.  Man! We sure did it up right this time!!  We chatted, laughed, shared stories, recipes, easy fixes to vexing chariot problems, but most important, we relaxed on a perfect September afternoon in the peace and quiet of Jefferson County.  We welcomed Jenny from Zimbrick BMW of Madison and delighted in the door prizes they contributed for the event, and raised the customary glass of champagne to celebrate Tom and Janet, and the many who long ago set the wheels in motion so that we can enjoy all that Badger Bimmers offers its family of members.  How good is that?

And, a special treat, just for the event, Martha and Tony Steigerwald, charter members of Badger Bimmers, were gracious enough to lend us a numbered print of one of Tom Rost’s wildlife scenes… a flock of geese over a beautiful Wisconsin setting.  We are so very grateful to them for sharing this with us, if only for an afternoon!

Thank you Badger Bimmer’s Board for your ongoing support.  Thank you Bill N for picking up the bubbly, and to all who brought their favorite delicacies to share.  Thank you Jenny & Zimbrick BMW of Madison. And of course, thank you all for setting aside the time to enjoy one of life’s special moments.  Finally, as before, thank you to My Navigator for humoring me once again, and taking care of all the many details.  I just mow the lawn and write this stuff.

You had to be there to appreciate my M2 moment and live the danger of the related unabated lust…. er…love, which Brother Webster, in his 1828 masterpiece devoted to an understanding of The Queen’s English, defined as, “An affection of the mind excited by beauty …. which communicate(s) pleasure, sensual or intellectual”.  Nuts on “intellectual”, Bro; make mine “Sensual”!!!  We are talking about “That Sound”!!

Maybe I got caught up in the ambiance; the friendships; the beauty of the wide outdoors on a near perfect day; the emotion of the moment.  Or, maybe none of these.  Whatever the reason, I watched Herr Monarch flitting off into the promising sunset, this time purposefully, as I dispatched him in the direction of Germany, with a tiny hastily-written love note in his breast pocket, saying simply, “All I want for Christmas is my new Mdeuce, my new Mdeuce, gee my new Mdeuce.  Gee if I could only have my new Mdeuce……. then I could wish you Merry Christmas”!!!

Ahhhhhh!!!  The wonders of Love.  Or maybe the silliness?

Stay safe!

Categories : 2017 Oct-Nov-Dec

Wings and Wheels 2017

By Peter Wright
Sunday, June 4th, 2017

Last time we talked via this medium, I implored y’all to attend the annual Wings & Wheels event in Fort Atkinson on June 4th for the benefit of the local Boys & Girls Club.  We promised great eats, neat cars, fun folks, flying thingies, and we hedged the bet on good weather.

So… was this a success?  Well heck yeah!  Silly question you goof.  How could it not be?

Let’s see… great eats?  Check; the folks from Jones Dairy Farm outdid themselves with butter-fried french toast and Jones sausage… did I mention all y’all could eat?  I’m still french-toasted & sausaged out!  Neat cars?  Check; a respectable contingent of our favorite Blau Mit Weiss toys consisted of a couple of beautiful ‘02s, a drop-dead gorgeous red 325is, an e30 M3 whose twin was off romping somewhere to the east and north; spotless e39 twins (I’m jealous), a fierce looking 545i, and for the first time, two convertible Z4s, an e46 M3 convertible and a rarely seen e21 320i.  I really tried but just did not make it around in time to welcome our new friends attending for the first time; for sure next year! Of course there was the usual collection of Brits, and good ol’ USA macho muscle iron … and remind me again where they made that confused curiosity which can’t decide whether it wants to go for a swim or drive around in the manner to which regular cars are accustomed?  A guy has to be pretty secure in his manhood to drive something like that around.  What about fun folks?  Check!  One never finds neat cars without neat people, right?  And the non-car folks were kinda neat too.  Flying thingies… lots of ‘em and they all did what they were supposed to do… er… fly, I think.  Good weather?  In spades Pal (please refer to aforementioned “convertibles”)!!  I almost forgot the most important part!  Kids grinning from ear to ear?  Check. Check. 

So, how did this all work out?  Thought you would never ask… the picture-perfect event resulted in $10,600 being raised for the benefit of The Kiddies… a new record!  Thank you to all among our membership who joined in the beautiful day’s festivities, and contributed toward this non-Badger Bimmers’ event.

So, gimmie the inside poop on any OOPSes that occurred.  Well, you may be referring to something that didn’t quite go according to plan, as in something out of the norm, or maybe unexpected?  You got it pal… the inside poop is that after which I thirst.  Really?  Actually, it was quite splendid, thank you… maybe a drip of oil here and there.  From the dang Brits, right?  Used to have one of those, so I know that oil rarely comes out in a “…drip… here and there”; how much… er… dripped?  Well, you know… maybe it was a little more.  C’mon man… spit it out!  OK… so the dang thing barfed power-steering fluid all over itself and environs… you happy now?  Well heck yeah Mon!  You did mean the dang Brits, right?  Er… not quite; ‘twas one of us… a stalwart German.  Oh… sorry I asked.  Quite!  But all was resolved in the usual fashion with well-wishers coming to the rescue with new oil, moral support, etc. etc. as one would expect from Badger Bimmerites.  And peace reigned throughout the land, all being well.  And, afterward we zoomed across town to thehouseonthehill for more camaraderie, food, down time and visiting.

Who could ask for anything more?  Y’all are really special folk!  Thank you for making it a splendid day!!

Categories : 2017 Apr-May-Jun