UPCOMING: Time for a MINI drive

Posted on by Ian C.

This evening, Margaret & I fly south and “meet up” with GPMINI, ready for a drive north to bring her up for MINIsOnTop – on the way we will join other MINIs on two organized events: The Blue Ridge Parkway Tour and The Great Ice Cream Run II:

FL to NH route

(click here to see the route in Google Maps)

A (June 12th) – Kissimmee, FL (where GPMINI “lives”)
then 571 miles to
B (June 18th) – Cherokee, NC (the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway Tour)
then 186 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway with MINIs to
C (June 19th) – Banner Elk, NC
then 180 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway with MINIs to
D (June 20th) – Roanoke, VA
then 94 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway with MINIs to
E (June 21st) – Waynesboro, VA (the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway Tour)
then a quick 11 mile hope to
F (June 21st) – Staunton, VA (the start of The Great Ice Cream Run II)
then 266 miles of Great Ice Cream Run with MINIs to
G (June 22nd) – Frackville, PA and a visit to Heisler’s Dairy Bar
then 266 miles of Great Ice Cream Run with MINIs, and maybe some deep fried ice-cream, to
H (June 23rd) – Sturbridge, MA and a visit to Howard’s Drive-In
then 84 miles of Great Ice Cream Run with MINIs to
I (June 24th) – Haverhill, MA and a visit to England’s Microcreamery, after which Margaret & I leave the MINIs and head instead to
J (June 24th/25th) – Gloucester, MA back home, while The Great Ice Cream Run II continues north to Freeport and Bar Harbor in Maine
and finally 150 miles to
K (June 26th/27th) – Bartlett, NH (for MINIsOnTop 2009 at the Attitash Grand Summit hotel)

Maybe I’ll see some of you on the way – or at MINIsOnTop 🙂

MOT2009 Packing Day

Posted on by Ian C.

After receiving the MOT2009 Tshirts, and eventually getting properly printed booklets from Staples, Josh & I worked over the last two days to “pre-pack” the 216 MINIsOnTop 2009 registration packs – putting car tag, name tags, food and auto road tickets, clings, and instruction paperwork together.
Once Josh & I had completed all 216, we pulled the six going to Canada, added booklet and Tshirts, and I shipped them first thing this morning – Canada seems to randomly take 1 to 3 weeks to deliver, so every extra day helps get them delivered in time for the event!

Today, I called in my best assistants – Margaret, Michael & Pam, Richard, and Ivan – to complete the registration packing. The registration packs were pre-sorted according to number of Tshirts ordered (which affects ship weight). First we completed the “zero Tshirt” packs (adding the late-printed booklet, and antenna ball), then I printed easy “less than 1LB weight” priority mail labels, and Margaret ran those down to the Post Office before it closed.
Next, all the Tshirts (S, M, L, XL, XXL in “50th Anniversary” and “Ladies” design) were folded down to envelope size, then all the “one Tshirt” envelopes were completed (these I also later printed priority mail labels for, ready to drop off at the Post Office some time on Monday).
Finally, the “two shirt” and “many Tshirt” registrations were packed – the “two’s” fit in envelopes but the “many’s” get a box … all these with two or more Tshirts weigh in excess of 1LB, and the priority mail cost now varies with weight and destination – so these I’ll take early to the Post Office on Monday, for them to process.

 

So, except for Canada, everyone should receive their MINIsOnTop 2009 registration pack by the end of next week; Hooray! And I can head south and enjoy a bit of MINI driving time – like my helpers have right now!

Many thanks to Josh, Margaret, Michael & Pam, Richard, and Ivan – and special thanks to PG Trionic for use of building, printers, stationery, time …