[Spridgets] Attaining One's Goals

[Richard Ball]

Over the past two weekends we have realized two long term goals for our
Midget.

On Saturday the 25th we drove the Midget about 30 miles to the Western
Washington All British Field Meet held in Bellevue.  Our car is a '76 Midget
that HAD been off the road since 1987.  It was picked up as a parts car by
another list member, Phil Jones, for the hard top that was on it.  Phil felt
the car was too solid to part out and put out a Craigslist ad offering the car
for free to anyone that was willing to put it back on the road.  My wife had a
'76 Midget before we met and had always wanted another, so I contacted Phil
and was able to pick up the car.  That was almost three years ago.  Over that
time we have had a few other priorities with health and home and kids, so not
much had been done to it.  I was able to get it running  and acquirer a title
out of Oregon during that time but it still needed all new brakes and tires to
be road worthy.  As the priorities thinned out this past winter we set the
goal of driving it to the ABFM in July.  With a boat load of new parts, some
old parts gathered here and there, rebuilding parts I wasn't willing to buy,
NOSHIT's I and II, and lots of advice from the list, we put the car safely and
legally (mostly) back on the road in Mid June for the first time in 22.  As
someone put it last night it's still a little scruffy looking but we are
driving it.

Our Granddaughter always liked to sit in "Grampa's little car"  and pretend to
drive.  About a year ago Susan asked her where she would like to go when the
car was ready. Her reply was "shopping".  When asked shopping for what?
"Shoes".  She was only 3 at the time.  I could see then that I was in trouble.
So Saturday Susan and Mackenzie with me and my grandson Logan following in the
Sag Wagon headed out to the mall and Nordstom's for the long awaited shoe
shopping trip.  Mackenzie loved the trip.  Hands in the air, sunglasses on.  I
was afraid she would not like the wind on her, but she was fine.  Susan's
already talking about her driving it.  I guess I have 12 years to deal with
that.

So a big THANK YOU to this list for helping us attain just a couple of our
goals.

Rich Ball
'76 Midget
Everett, Wa