The starting gun has fired and we are off to events!

Shortly we will be boarding flights to take us back to Europe for a major industry event. I have elected this time to prepare a completely new presentation and when I go down that path there is always that small fear that it just doesn’t click with the audience. Following the introductory presentations by the primary vendor I take to the stage as the first representative of the independent vendor to present, so I will just have to see how it goes. But there is no escaping how at this time of year, it seems like the race has begun and the starter's pistol has been fired!

Margo and I can now report that within the family there is a fully electric car. Margo’s daughter, Anna, made the brave move to purchase the Mustang Mach-E and I fear it is the start of a cycle that will see additional electric vehicles begin to pop up in our collective garages. With seven cars between the two families – yes, it is America but it is also out of necessity with family and business commitments – to have one that is electric seems in line with national statistics. EVs now count for some 12% of new car sales and we have that covered. 

As a family that is very much car centric, Margo and I were a little surprised to get the call from Anna to keep her company during the selection process. Margo spent time doing the dealer-dance but throughout it all Anna proved to be a hard negotiator. Ultimately she got the deal that she wanted done and it was a call late in the day for help driving her to the dealer to pick up the Mustang that made us realize the seriousness of her decision.

Picking up my usual stack of magazines I begin turning the pages to read that our beloved Corvette marque is destined to become populated with a mix of hybrids and pure EVs. Ahhh – the agony of no longer being able to hear the exhaust as it pops and crackles with every gear change and every application of the brakes. For Margo and me and the many long distance trips we take in support of our business, there is no rush to join the all EV community. After all we experienced life with hybrids when we leased our BMW i8 coupe and roadster. It sure was nice to take these on long trips as they used very little gas. They also had very little luggage space, so it was a challenge at times to fit in what we needed. I think the best part was how these cars looked – we sure miss them.

This photo of a recent lamb dinner generated considerable interest with numerous comments posted to various social media sites. Mind you, a dinner that is not documented on Facebook is like a meal that did not happen, right? From the outset this was one of those momentous meals that you will remember for quite some time so it needed immortalization in the cyber space. A boneless leg of lamb stuffed with a mix of herbs, celery and apricots roasted to perfection and then accompanied by regular and sweet potatoes and shallots together with a liberal serving of spring peas – what more could you possibly want as a late afternoon dinner. Margo indeed excelled with its production.

We continue to hear so much about the supply chain issues and any trip to the markets leaves us looking at shelves that are empty. It’s not a lot of shelves, mind you, but there’s also the appearance that they know what we are coming for and pull the items from the shelf just as we step into the market. Possibly not; it’s now a game to see what we can come away with. At Costco we are pleased to see that the lamb is now all Australian Lamb and given its abundance we had a freezer with an ample supply of lamb cuts for spring dinning. Except we consumed it, so now we need to resupply again!

 The mention of spring and the reference to the starting gun having been fired means that it was time to drag out of storage all of our outdoor furniture. It was also a time to pull the covers off our grill and to give our outside bar a thorough cleaning. Following a couple of days with temperatures passing 80 F / 27 C we thought we would be settling back into our usual spring outside dining patterns but no, snow began falling once again. Looks like we still have ways to go before serious outside dining can begin.

This picture too has done the rounds on social media to many reviews. The significance of this hasn’t been lost on either Margo or myself. We have always enjoyed occasions when we can pull the cork from an Aussie wine and no vineyard does it better than Penfolds. For those of you who spent time with us in our Niwot, Colorado, home there is the possibility that you might recall that we once had 300 bottle wine cave in our cellar devoted solely to Penfolds’ wines. But now after having left that home five plus years ago and without similar cellar capabilities, it’s been a case of pulling a bottle from the shelf as the occasion dictated.

We were reminded of this as we finished up our leg of lamb. The other day, when neighbors stopped by for a filet steak dinner, it was a bottle of 2009 St Henri that sacrificed itself. For me the only downside was that there was only enough for a small “second round” before the bottle was emptied but then again, as the saying goes (and I often repeat), there’s absolutely no excuse for leaving behind you cellar for the children to enjoy! On the other hand, I have to believe that Anna and her husband Erich wouldn’t be too concerned from pulling bottles out of the cellar for themselves. 

My daughter, Lisa, is not much into wine and cars – she too documents events worth documenting on her Facebook posts so we were please to see that she decided to undertake another challenge and is going for BA with the major in Medieval and Modern Europe! This, mind you, after she has already gained a BA and followed up with her MA in Ancient History. She also loves her cats and it brings a smile to our faces to see the animals relax and play.

Margo’s grandsons, Evan and Aiden, turned eight last week and granddaughter Ella turned ten this week and it kind of reminded us that nothing in life stands still. Margo pulled up a photo of her holding Ella moments after she was delivered and to think that was a decade ago! Where did those years go? In a picture of the Mustang being purchased featured above, you will see Ella standing alongside her Mom and already I can deduce that she is going to be one tall girl.

As for our good friends Brian and Jan Kenny, their grandson Colton Herta continues to do battle on the race track. To date, the results haven’t been quite what the team had been hoping for but after three races, he looks to be back on course for another good year. After being bumped off the track in the first race in St Petersburg, Florida and walking away with very few points after starting on the front row of the grid that left him in twentieth place, the next race in Texas saw him move up to eleventh in the standings. Just a short time ago he hit the streets of Long Beach and was placed fourth missing a podium by a smidgeon, he is now in eight place and only six points out of being in the top 5.

Changes have been taking place at Andretti Motorsport that are helping Colton well, mostly, that is. In the offseason Andretti focused on improving the qualifying pace of their cars and this is really showing dividends. Colton consistently turns in top of the scoring sheet lap times and these have been important for him. To finish first you may rightly need to first finish but equally important, its way, way better to start up front considering the Indy Car field now runs twenty-six plus cars. Being mid-pack at the start can be a harrowing experience as almost anything can happen. To this end, apart from a hiccup over tire strategy at Long Beach, Colton is doing very well in qualifying.

The other change of note is that Colton no longer has father Bryan Herta calling race-time strategy. In a surprising move, it was Scott Harner who was moved from Kyle Kirkwood to Colton Herta with Bryan replacing Scott at team Kirkwood. This was a call by the Andretti management team but even so, it was an unexpected change. It happened prior to the race in Texas but provided an interesting turn of events at Long Beach as we all heard Bryan call the shots for Kirkwood that led him to winning the race! Going to be a fun year to come as who knows what conversations will take place between father and son over Tacos down the road.

Starting guns fired in earnest to start a race is something we are all familiar with but even so, for Margo and me it symbolizes the start of a long summer of travel. Some of it will be fun while some of it will be hard and demanding. At other times, some will simply be routine where the only concern will be “are we there, yet?” But enjoying a wonderful lamb dinner and then enjoying a fine wine a short time later all helped take our minds off the “adventures” that lie ahead.

We will be all at sea on occasion just as we will be seated in trains, busses and yes, cars. There will be quiet walks along pathways through parks and yes, castles, and there will be noisy times in ancient bars. Whatever this year holds for us safe to say it won’t be of the ordinary kind and for that we are most fortunate. Having written that, it’s just about the right time to enjoy one last drink in the twilight hours before nightfall. And yes, to all those who may be travelling, stay safe and enjoy the moment, too!