OK, here is a picture of the Porgy entering the Miraflores Lock (at the Pacific side of the Panama Canal).



Doesn't that just make your heart skip a beat? If you look close, you can see Twiggy looking out the window of her penthouse suite. This is the first trip the Porgy has made with a cargo on MINIs - I'll bet the captain told the canal workers to be careful and not scratch her new paint!

Now, I have to wait another week for Porgy to reach Port Hueneme near Los Angeles, then another week or more for her to go through the VDC and get trucked 1,000 miles to my dealer. And, there are no webcams for me to track the rest of the journey with! How will I survive?

 

You could drive down and meet her half way!

 

The sad part is the Porgy will be docking in Tacoma Washington after unloading at Los Angeles - Tacoma is where my MINI dealer is. But, there is no BMW/MINI VDC there.

 

Oh man.....someone's in rough shape...I'm currently mixing up a special batch of homemade, Canadian, triple rum & pineapple & coke & lime & white cream soda slurpees (all flavors in one keg!) to ease Ray through these last few moments of carbirth....

Not only the database dude...but also the bartender, voodoo witchdoctor, and anything else you really need!

 

carbirth.... loool
but it's exactly what it is.... by the way, when a MINI is built up (finishes her trip down the assembly line), when the motor is first switched on and she's driven away, a luminous sign goes up saying "A new MINI is born"... I swear it's a moving moment ! we all had tears in our eyes (yes, we're all crazy )

Good luck for your long wait, Ray...... and soon, soon Twiggy will be with you ! And we wanna see this wonderful moment !....

by the way when I read all this I guess I'm really lucky to live on the "good" side of the ocean ! I guess I'd be doing the same as Ray if I was in North America...

 

Yes, I'll admit I've got the MINI fever - bad. But, I'm not the strangest case. In our Week 34 Support Group, there are 13 people tracking their cars on four different ships. Today, five of the group members were excitedly watching the webcams as Porgy made her way across Panama - an 8-hour trip. And, only two of us had a MINI aboard! Here are a couple comments the people without cars aboard the Porgy wrote after I posted this...

Are we nuts or what? I never thought I would want to watch a ship cross the Isthmus like this!

So, while I can laugh with all three of you as you laugh at me, I am enjoying every minute of this birthing process. And, before you accuse me of being totally off the deep end, don't forget we are all related - Nightfire Red in in our genes!

And soon, I will have Twiggy in my driveway and it will be party time!

 

Betty is so close she can spit on the plant, Ray still gets his car off the ship fairly rapidly. In Canada, they mail your MINI to you in pieces. You get 1 piece a month for 100 years!

The car was built in less than 1 month, but it took 3 months to get to me! CHALLENGE! Believe me Ray, we've all been through it and can relate quite well

 

You guys are great! This whole carbirth thing is as rough as you said it would be and having you here to hold my hand has made it all the more enjoyable. This is a great group of people (with obvious good taste - Nightfire Red rules!!!

 

Don't worry Ray, like we said, the hardest part is still coming up...Not only will we hold your hand through the process....we'll actually have to tie you down to prevent the crazies from taking over!

 

Did someone mention restraints???

 

I knew I'd get your attention with that!

 

Why does it feel like I'm standing in the waiting room of the local obstetrical ward?

 

heh heh heh... where are the godparents ?

 

Lookie - I received my new signature pic from Craig today. I love it! He even put the 6-spoke Rotator wheels on her.

I saw a life-size plastic Betty Boop today at an antique/Hollywood fashion shop. I was tempted to buy her since she had a Nightfire Red dress. But, I doubt I could ship her to Switzerland without a lot of trouble (like, maybe having to buy her an airline ticket).

 

Great siggy! We got to get Craig the official Club badge though.

 

As soon as we see the pictures, he gets his badge! After all, Ray could be some nut who is falsely claiming NFR status just for all the fame and glory!

 

I knew we needed more guards at the gates!

 

I guess - who knows what Homeland Security thinks is going on in the NFR group!

If you talked to my friends, they would confirm that I'm a little obsessed with Twiggy - but you already know that!

 

Whoa, after saying I wanted to get the retro gas cap, I may have to step back and reconsider my options. The dealer charges $699 installed (it was a $140 factory option that I missed when I placed my build order).

That seems like a lot to pay for painting the ring NFR and to install it - but, maybe it is a lot more complicated that it sounds. I think I will wait until I get Twiggy and see if I think I can install the retro cap myself.

 

OK Dennis, I don't suppose this would qualify as a photo of Twiggy - but it is getting pretty close...


Or, maybe this one with the European look...


Porgy arrives at Port Hueneme at 9 pm Thursday night - Twiggy will be one of the first cars off the ship and processed thru the VDC Friday morning. My MA told me he thinks I might be able to get her on September 26th. I am getting real excited... but I think it will get worse before it gets better!

 

Well guys and gals - I now realize I am a sick puppy. Today I ordered European license plates for Twiggy that look like the plates on the second car in my last post. While I plan to order Washington State TWIGGY personalized plates when I pick up my car, they will take a couple months. Meanwhile, I can drive around with my new euro TWIGGY plates in addition to the ugly paper plate they give out for the back window.

Less than 3 hours now until Porgy ties up at Los Angeles. Time is starting to go real slooow - kinda like childhood Christmas mornings of years ago.

 

OK. I got a twenty that Ratboy drives down to the dock and escorts Twiggy home.

 

I am not addicted. I can stop any time I want!!!!!!!

 

Make that a Fifty!

 

Porgy is docked and I'm still home. I used to make the 1,000 mile drive to Los Angeles in one day, stopping only for gas, when I was young and foolish. Now that I am older (but still a fool), I know I would fall asleep at the wheel if I tried it today.

So, CarJoy, I will try hard to fight the temptation to go get Twiggy at the VDC. But, you are right, I thought about it!