Here's a post I put on Facebook a little while ago. By the way - I would probably be saying and posting more about this, but we've got company and I'd rather spend time with Robyn Munro than having p*ssing matches with SCTA.
Tomorrow I'm taking her to see our township transfer station. I've been promising that excursion since she got here. This week we also found the road that lead us to the guard house of an old-money club. (Huron Mountain Club - members include(d) such as Henry Ford, a Goodyear or two, and other drifters and ne'er do wells. She was quite impressed by the cop car & deputy there visiting the guard house, so we left peacefully and with guarded haste. Then we went to Big Bay and had lunch at a hotel (Thunder Bay Inn) where a good bit of the movie
"Anatomy of a Murder" was filmed up here in the 50s. Next: I still have to get her to the lake so she can swim in Lake Superior. Thursday's forecast looks promising - a southerly wind is predicted, and that'll help clear the remaining ice floes from the shore.
Back to me and the SCTA. Here's the FB post:
No, girls and boys, I did not retire from volunteering at Bonneville, but rather got fired (my words, not theirs, but still quite accurate). The stated reasons Heather offered when she called yesterday included a few things, but I got the sense that reducing costs by eliminating a (or perhaps more) volunteer was the prime excuse that they'd chosen to use as the basis for sh*t-canning me. Of course, what with one cancellation and one funky event in the last two years it's easy to imagine them realising the need to tighten the corporate money belt. By me not being there to stream and announce, and also not doing the porta-potties, they'll save about $2,000 (my guess at the cost of the room and other benefits the workers get). That's not an insignificant amount - I yield the point. I will, however, mention that for the last year or two a new trailer for timing slips and announcer was purpose-designed and acquired - and cost, so I was told a few times, of about $70,000. You may, with careful study, come to the conclusion that they've spent the cost of 35 worker-events to build a new trailer that now they're not planning to use. I hope the powers that be realise what image of competency - or lack thereof - they're presenting to the world. Also --- As you may know, Robyn Munro was at SpeedWeek as part of her first-ever trip to be at the salt where her gramps, Burt, once raced. I had the best-ever time helping her see some of the Bonneville experience, and from there she went on to Sturgis to witness Burt's induction into their Hall of Fame. After that her plans were kinda flexible - so she's been visiting Nancy and me for a spur-of-the-moment stay in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. From here she will visit another racer or three in lower Michigan before flying back to Kiwiland next week. And there's no doubt in my mind that she'll be taking home many, many memories of Land Speed Racing and racers. Unfortunately not all of them are good - she'll be carrying memories of this whole distasteful incident, too. I feel bad that the best house guest ever (Bob and Joe, you won't believe how great it has been to have Robyn around for a nice stay) was witness to my expulsion for dubious reasons. ROBYN: The huge majority of LSR people are wonderful and worthy of being a good friend. Unfortunately, I must acknowledge that this is not a universal attribute among racers - as you've now seen demonstrated.
But then, maybe once the frustration and exhaustion of SpeedWeek wears off them they'll send me an "All is forgiven, Please come back soon!" call.
