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First Anniversary Party
January 17th 2004
Austin, Texas
We have always been fortunate with the weather for our events here in Texas. It seems the clouds part just long enough for us to have our fun. For the first anniversary roundup in Austin, however, it didn’t look like it was going to happen that way.
Bleak is the best way to describe the weather outlook. Cold and rainy. Early in the week, concerned notes about the event started coming in from our members. Jerry asked if we were going to postpone. Norv started posting daily weather forecasts on the BBS. 70% chance of rain and cold. We’d heard that sort of thing before, and decided to push on with the event, regardless of weather.
Now, who would show up if it’s raining, you might ask? Well, I had my concerns also. Norv said he would be there rain or shine, as would Troy, Mitch, and Kevin. The event was being held in Austin, so Cindy and I would be there too. Well, even with that, we figured we had enough to celebrate. Greg would be there but his car might not be ready.
David was a question mark on the list. He would try and make it, but his car was an unknown. We pulled the motor as a group in May as a tech session, and although it was rebuilt, it was not in the car and there was a lot to do still. We pushed, called, and encouraged. David managed to get Saturday off and had a friend help him put the motor in the car early in the week. Even though it was back home in the engine compartment, it still needed to be hooked up to fuel, axles, electricals, and that first start and break in had yet to happen. Since we helped him pull the motor, it just seemed right that we should help him get it going again. I drove to Dallas that Thursday afternoon and met Kevin at David’s house. After some final attachments, we cranked, started the motor, and gave it a short break in run that night. I stayed at David’s that evening, and by mid afternoon Friday the car was tuned and ready for the trip. The weather, however, looked menacing, heavy rains predicted for that evening. We headed out for Austin regardless, hoping for the best. Kevin was ahead of us on his way to Austin by about an hour. He called back on his cell phone warning of pouring rain, poor visibility, and standing water on the freeway. I settled my daily driver Ford in behind David and his 912 and we drove on.
And then the rain came, heavy and hard. There are 100 bad jokes about how hard it rained that night, but it was no joke to drive in. There were several times when I saw David’s 912 hydroplane and get all loose on him. We slowed, maintained a safe and constant speed, and arrived safely in Austin to my open garage door, a dry floor, and the sight of Kevin standing there drinking a beer. All was good.
As David and Kevin drained the oil from David’s car, I went in and answered the message posts and mails about whether or not the meet was on with a firm yes, and we all hoped for the best as we slept Friday night.
Saturday morning came. The thick dark clouds from Friday’s rains were already starting to break up as the last of the water dried from the streets and sidewalks. Lets just say that the Porsche gods must like the Lone Star 912, because as Saturday morning came, with it came the sun. The forecasts were all wrong and the day turned out to be beautiful and sunny. I’d like to think the likes of Harry, Ferdinand, and Butzi have taken a liking to us out here in Texas. Whatever it is or was, we sure had great weather. And the Porsche cars, they came.
They came from Dallas. Norv with his beautiful red 912E. Kevin in his white 69, David in the red 66, Dave with his white 67, Pat with his daily driver as the 69 is still not up to the drive. From San Antonio came Greg with the slate gray 66. From the Houston area came Troy in the 68, Mitch in his 66, and Brian in his 76E. Jerry showed up in his Chevy truck as his 76 has a questionable sunroof mechanism that would have put his new interior in jeopardy. Bob came in the Caddy with the family. To round out the group I made the 6-mile trip to our meeting place in the 67, and my friend Jim with his 356 cab came up from south Austin. The sun was shining, and no less than 10 Porsche cars lined up in front of the conference center. Two 912Es, seven classic 912s, and a 356 to round out the group. Although Jim had to leave early with his 356, nine 912s in the Texas sun made for some fantastic pictures and memories.
The morning went fast. Between visiting and wrenching, plus a little breakfast mixed in, we had worked our way into the early afternoon hours. We had a ton of drawings, all donated by members, to hand out. These ranged from vintage 912 toy cars to videotapes. We had authenticity guides, classic magazine reviews, and calendars that finally explained Kevin’s smile on the home page of the Lone Star 912 website.
Everyone got something and fun and laughs abounded.
Now it was time to take off for a drive. There is a road in Austin that the Lone Star crew is coming to know. It is good pavement, well marked, and winds it’s way through the fringes of the central Texas hill country around Lake Travis. This road is fun, especially when driven in the right car at the right speed. We definitely have the formula, because it is a blast!
The drive led us out to a Sonic Drive-In for a refreshment break. We pulled them in, one after the other, and watched folks stop and stare. After a couple minor tweaks to a couple of cars and a few glasses of soda, we headed back in, taking a tamer and more direct route back to the conference center.
A few of us hung around for dinner and then we parted ways, shaking hands patting backs, and talking about the next big thing, which unless you have been living in a cave, is the highly anticipated first annual South Central Rendezvous April 29th-May 2nd in Davis, Oklahoma. See you there!
These are the folks who attended the Roundup:
1. Troy Berreth and his daughter Kaitlyn {Houston- Katy}
2. Morrie and Cindy Larson {Austin- Cedar Park}
3. Mitch and Michelle Leben {Houston}
4. Brian Southwell {Houston}
5. Bob and Cecilia Anderson and their great-nephew Michael {Houston- Spring}
6. David Gilliland {Dallas- Heath}
7. Kevin Weldon {Dallas}
8. Greg and Kittie Bade {San Antonio}
9. Norv and Diana Parr {Dallas}
10. Jerry Stewart {Houston}
11. Dave and Charlene Davis {Dallas- North Richland Hills}
12. Jim George {Austin}
13. Pat Carmichael, his wife Leeza, and their daughter Tiffany {Dallas}
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