13th Annual Birthday Party

Silver Lake, Ontario

June 22 & 23, 1996

The next morning Al cooked up the eggs and afterwards everyone gathered for the auction. A number of items were bought at very good prices with all proceeds going to benefit the club. At one point a toy Rover which Spenny coveted was placed on the auction block with a kids only provision. Ever the quick thinker, Spenny got a young girl sitting behind us to bid for him. I think her final bid was something like CN$8. Of course Spenny didn't have any cash and so as the girl headed up to collect the item he quickly shouted to her I'll write you a check later. A look of total betrayal crossed the girls face. Thanks to LRO Bookshop, Rovers North, Robin Craig and everyone else who donated items to be auctioned.

After the auction there was a bit more mingling. A crew began to strike the kitchen trailer while others headed out for more offroading, or hit the road for home. Just as I was getting ready to leave, Al Richer asked to borrow a wrench so that he could adjust Churchill's brakes. As I was stowing the wrench back in my toolbox Spencer decided to start up The Wayback Machine.

Understand that at this point Spenny's Rover doesn't have a rear propshaft, hence the parking brakeis inoperable...he's using a wheel chock that he borrowed from me...or a starter motor. Thinking that I wanted to take my chock with me, he pulled it from the wheel and tossed it in the back of my Rover. He then proceeded to crank-start his Rover... while it was in gear! Spenny was parked right behind me so when the engine started his Rover began crawling towards the back of my own with Spencer trying to prevent an accident by pushing on his front bumper. Of course this was a futile gesture, and I began shouting at him to get the hell out of the way and let the inevitable happen. While my shouting had no effect on Spenny, it did attract the attention of quick-thinking Mike Loiodice who jumped into The Wayback Machine and killed the engine. Another body-damaging disaster avoided, I gave my wheel chock back to Spenny. He obviously needed it more than I did.

My trip home was uneventful save for an onset of Nigel's disease. Although previously known only to be transmitted from vehicle to vehicle via the internet, this time it happened directly. Remember that wrench I loaned to Al Richer? As I was driving away from Silver Lake, my brakes began to fade. It was double pump city all the way home, back to my seat at the pub, where I enjoyed a wonderful meal, a Mount Gay and tonic, and shared my latest adventure with the fascinated young lady sitting next to me.

Another Birthday Party had come to an end, but I'll be back in 97! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it run so smoothly.