Good times

lookit, i don’t care what you think but this is what i want for my b-day, christmas, whatever.  i so want to buy one of these things … found on the Porsche website.

Cayenne Radio-Control Model with Integrated Video Camera
The Cayenne R/C Video SUV features an integral video camera that
displays the driving view in color on a 2 1/4" screen built into the
remote control. The "you are there" realism is astonishing - stop, go,
turn and reverse with ease, shift from low to high gear, even turn the
headlights on. In 1:14 scale, with off-road tires, high-impact polymer
body, and front skidplate for ruggedness. Complete with batteries.

R/C Carrera GT "High End", 1:10
For the true radio-control enthusiast! Includes batteries and charger,
and feature highspeed go, stop, reverse and turn. The Carrera GT 1:10
"High End" model has a top speed of 37 mph. With four-wheel independent
double wishbone suspension with oil dampers, it is a high performance
4-WD race car. Suitable for children age 10+ years.

R/C Carrera GT, 1:12
For the true radio-control enthusiast! Includes batteries and charger,
and feature highspeed go, stop, reverse and turn. The Carrera GT 1:12
has a highly detailed interior, detachable roof, and the rear spoiler
automatically extends in high speed mode.

Post driving activies involved an exclusive cousins only bbq at Wallace’s place - not a parent to be seen anywhere.  It was good getting most of us together.  Had some good laughs, caught up on life, couple video games here and there and one long game of hold’em.

Dinner consisted of shrimp cocktail, pasta salad, spicy and honey garlic chicken wings, garlic bread, corn on the cob, and M&M Meat Shop steaks all around.  I was quite surprised by the quality of the steak … it’s been a long time since I’ve actually enjoyed one and I’m not into steaks that much.  After dinner, Melissa was so kind as to put together a nice dessert consisting of a meringue with strawberry sauce and a healthy amount of fresh whipped cream on top.

We have to get the cousin’s together more often …

… it’s been a long time since I’ve updated this blog.  I’ve been meaning to for months but never got the chance.  You see, a number of things have happened over the last month and a half which have kept me quite busy.  But, rather than backtrack so far back, let’s just pick it up with this weekend  =)

Note: car talk below … you’ve been warned!

for weeks, i’ve been looking forward to this weekend.  a weekend where all your problems disappear … just for a brief moment in time anyway.  one of my passions?  driving … and this weekend, it was time to take my BMW Driver Training course at the Boundary Bay airport in Vancouver.

my sleep the night before was alright, though i tossed from side to side from sleeping in a foreign bed.  waking up at six am, i eagerly made my way to the porch and cast my eyes across English Bay.  on most summer days in Vancouver, it would be a glorious day filled with sun.  to my disappointment, i was only greeted with rain clouds.

the drive out to Boundary Bay was most definitely a wet one.  the heavens rained down on us with buckets of water.  the only good thing that could have come from it was the opportunity to learn more about skid control.

on arrival, a pair of M3’s and 15 or so 330i sedans dressed in motorsport striping greeted us intently for the day’s activities.  a continental breakfast was served at eight am with a good hour and a half of boring theory.  the patter of rain on the tent roof didn’t help matters, nor did the sound of happy tire squeal when the rain started to let up.  let’s drive already!

the cars at our disposal were a special fleet of 330i sedans with stiffened suspension, lower profile tires, and a glorious "fun" button which shut off all the included computer assisted driving technologies (traction control, stability control, abs, etc.).  our car for the day?  #10 with a manual tranny  =)

the understeer and oversteer sessions were the best.  it’s great having the tail out and whipping the car around.  the avoidance manoevers were a delight as well … people slamming a brakes and sliding through the tarmac.  the best part?  when people didn’t make the turn and drove straight through slamming into the cone children with a nice solid thud!

anyway, the day ended with a fast 20 cone slalom.  revving the snot out of the bimmer, i popped the clutch and peeled out of the start gates hitting the cones at 60km/h the car was thrown side-to-side posting a quick 34 second time.  my heart was thumping hard and ready for another run … i had another stupid grin on my face … i wish there was more track time.

more on the evening’s events in the next post …