M&I / GBMINI

Movies and Music

Posted on May 11, 2014February 18, 2017 by Ian C.

With lots of rooms in our new home, and a desire to still use my big Wharfedale speakers, I’ve slowly set up one room for listening to music and watching movies with good sound; I found on eBay a pair of Wharfedale surround speakers from the same “Opus” family, and bought a second Samsung TV the same as in our Living Room. Finally today, I had acquired enough to finish the room, hiding the rear speaker wiring, and putting up some nice movie posters …

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It’s a small media room, with seating for only two – but that’s fine for me, and the smaller room has better sound quality. I hung curtains on the back wall to cover the window and kill echos, leaving space either side of the TV and to the side of the door for posters.

I’m very pleased with the movie posters I got (not originals but nice copies via eBay), including The Day The Earth Stood Still and War Of The Worlds (the original, of course!); the poster of It Came From Outer Space is a bit of a joke (though one of the better “B” movies!).

And beside the door, a nice panel list of “101 Greatest Movie Quotes”; I definitely don’t know all of them!

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MINI Takes The States 2014

Posted on May 11, 2014February 20, 2017 by Ian C.

MINI USA has done an amazing job of encouraging the MINI community, including thousands of miles of MINI Motoring at the bi-annual MINI Takes The States events.

The original 2006 event is still probably the best, partly because it was rolled up with delivery of GP0203, partly because it was my first ever big American drive (Coast To Coast meant that my MINI had about 5,000 miles when it got home), and partly because I met great MINI friends including George, Robert – and of course the MINI USA folks including Jim and Trudi.
The 2010 event was fabulous too, because Margaret drove it with me – and we did a second Coast To Coast together that year, again in GP0203!
While I was not impressed by 2008 (no driving), and only squeaked in to the very end of 2012 (thanks, George!), I’m happy to be planning to join the 2014 event, with Margaret – and this time in a new MINI, Black Knight.

Margaret again will be traveling with me, and we’ve chosen to do just the second half of the event, joining MINI Takes The States in Memphis (the closest point to our new home in Florida) and then driving all the way to Boston – where we can then visit our old friends for a few days, before heading back south. It’ll be a fun time again I’m sure, and we’ll have more comfort this year too, in the bigger Countryman!

Mount Dora Brewing

Posted on May 10, 2014February 17, 2017 by Ian C.

Another fun weekend event courtesy of James & Lori (thanks to both). This time, meeting at Orlando MINI, then driving to Mount Dora for lunch at Mount Dora Brewing. Pictures from the day (including dead bugs all over Black Knight’s paint!):

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