Agreed. One or two people will sometimes have a beer or two, or a small bit of wine. But very little and the vast majority have no alcohol at all. We manage to have a good time anyway. And I'd agree it's nice not having to worry about folks driving home.

 

I guess I could be arm twisted into making my taco salad dip again.

 

<grabs said arm and begins to twist> say "uncle"! Or in this case "taco salad dip!"

 

I have a count of 7 people so far. If its closer to the normal number of people and the rest don't rsvp they're going to have like 1/3 of a hot dog to eat...

 

"Let them eat cake"

 

Mark - I just RSVP'd but pls count 2 as James will be attending as well.

I will bring a moderate Sangria and a small Italian antipasto - Don't have time -space to cook as I am in the middle of house improvements/sale and planning to have a yard sale in the morning before coming to your BBQ.
But if you need something at the last minute ring me.

 

I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it as promised.

I've just found out that it will be my daughter's first day of her ballet class (my wife just told me) , and my son's golf lesson as well.

I don't know how long you all are going to stay party, if late, I will try my best to be there.

Any way, I'm looking forward to join your next one.

 

1. I call dib's on Maxi's 1/3 of a hotdog!

2. Chris, I can still bring your Pad Thai if you want to make it and send it along...just be sure to let everyone know you SENT it half eaten...

 

I'm pleased to announce this MINIature Mt Vernon Raceway V 1.0 (a.k.a. The Tail of Mt Vernon) will be available for testing at the cookout. This is a first temporary circuit to try out some things. The winter project is to make a wooden track with 3 lanes about three times this size with a track hand made by routing the grooves etc. I should have a pair of 'Special edition' DCMM MINIs ready for the cookout too. I'll finish it up this weekend, and if all goes well will have a computerized timing & scoring system on line as well so we can truly see who's got the right stuff.

 

That looks really cool. How long and how much work did you have to put into it?

 

Oh man that is sweet! I saw those in a hobby shop in Fairfax and was tempted to get them.

 

Oh, probably the better part of a weekend if you count the shopping for the lumber plus a couple evenings. The table is framed with 2 x 4's with a plywood deck. I set a 4x8 sheet of hardboard on top and put the layout on that. Traced the track and borders anywhere I wanted it elevated onto the chipboard then took all that down and jigsawed it out. Cut supports to length to shim it to height. The white borders I'm redoing. I couldn't find the material I wanted and made do. Not satisfied and have now found what I wanted in the first place.

I need to make up a cable with some photo cells and a cable to a DB25 connector, then we'll have a program running on a pc that does lap counting, show current and best laptime etc.

The Red, White, and Blue MINI's are 'Italian Job' numbered limited editions. I took em out for this photo but won't run them. They go in the diecast display case. I got some inexpensive extra bodies (MINI of course) that I'm going to paint this weekend and do a DCMM sticker / logo on. Those bods will go on the Cooper challenge cars so my 'visiting racers' won't have to worry too much about race damage to the higher $ cars.

I'm thinking of something like this eventually against one wall of the garage. Not quite as long but a bit deeper on one end. Sort of a long narrow triangle to take advantage of the front of the garage which is twice as long as needed for the MINI.

 

Alrighty, I RSVP'ed but please count us as two with Dale...Samantha is not on solids yet, so she doesn't count food-wise. We are still bringing the beans, an maybe some cookies.

 

Great!

 

gotta love slot cars. My dad just built a full size race style track in his basement. He has a timing system and everything hooked to a laptop. He is hardcore though, builds the cars from scratch from piano wire and other crazy stuff like that.

I wonder if my wing cars will run on your track. They are FAST, and have no track magnets to keep them down so they go ZOOM and right off the track

 

Plastic track or routed woody? 1/24th or 1/32? This stuff is 1/32. And if you want to try your wing car as of tomorrow I can always turn you down to 5 volts or so.

I'm building the timing system using a pc and some photocell's tomorrow. Also have to build a power cable for the aforementioned new power supply, regulated and adjustable V and A that's replacing the wall wart. I'm planing on routing a woody and then using this table for HO. I have the classic T Jet stuff.

I'd been planning till last night to do a large wooden one in the garage but realized last night if I move the pool table about a foot I can do one in the rec room against the side wall. It'll have to be just a bit smaller but probably well worth it for the much emproved environment. Hmmmm.

 

I'm in, but won't make it til ~5:30 or 6pm, is that cool? Will be coming w/ the gf and will be baking delicious cookies for desert.

 

Sure, we should be going strong well past that. I expect the two 'major grillings' to be around 2:30-3 ish or whenever theres a significant head count and again around 5:30-6 ish...

 

i should be there along with one other.

 

Great!

Oh, and I got the computer based lap time and lap counting working last night. I've just go to put some extra 'expandible' MINI bodies I got on two of those cars so y'all can race without worrying about them.

 

I just RSVPed. What do i have to bring?

 

SOMETHING to eat!!!

 

Carlos, check the list on the 1st post for a list of what's needed. See you guys Sat.

 

If that's the case, I might be able to make it. Yeah.

 

And some Pad Thai?!