It’s that time of year where are driving winds down and we get ready for next year. We still have several events which are very important so don’t forget to sign up for those so the planners can plan…. Check out the articles in this newsletter and our webpage for further information.

We are doing the ‘Rally for Kids” in conjunction with another organization, “EuroSunday”. They have invited us with several other clubs to join them in this worthwhile charity. Please attend and help the kids. It will only take a couple of moments on a Sunday.

We have the always entertaining Christmas Party. There is will be a surprise to look forward to and this year will not be different. Sign up so we can keep the room to ourselves and be ourselves.

We have our honor the Veterans at both our General Meeting and at the Dixon National Cemetery. Plan to attend those too. Wear you uniforms if you can still fit into them or anything to signify your service.

HONOR OUR VETERANS

This time of year we always try to honor those who have served or are serving in the armed forces of this great country. We also honor those who have served in foreign armies as our allies during periods of crisis. It is these brave people who took time out of their lives to make sure our way of life continues and even today they continue to sacrifice. Not enough honor is paid to these citizens, in fact many are struggling to gain some type of normalcy and the promises that were made to them.

NEXT MEETING

Thursday, November 14th

BLACK BEAR DINER

2700 El Centro Rd, Sacramento

(near I-80 and W El Camino Avenue)

916-641-2327

Come early for dinner, 6pm

Meeting at 7pm

Inside this issue:

Who’s New 2

From Our Members 3-9

The Road Ahead 10

The Road Extended 11-12

In the Rear View Mirror 13-16

Tech Talk 17-19

Treasure Trove 20

Black Bear Specials 21

November 2013

M I

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By Robin George

M I A T A T U D E S Page 2

Who’s New

by Ellen Frosh

Each month Miatatudes will include a welcome to the new members that have joined our club. We will also include some fun facts and a picture when available.

The following people have joined SAMOA

New Members Miata

Tom Corio 1994 Montego Blue

SAMOA club, be sure to say “Hi” and make our newest members feel welcome.

Glen Cluff

2004 Sunlight Silver Metallic

Mike Tracy & Dee Mausteller 2007 Black

Jerry & Jeannie Aukerman 2008 Green

Reggie & JoAnne Sharma 2006 Gray “Niki”

Merle Vaughn 2008 Silver

Phil Frank

’97 Blue

Welcome

November Facts

Tobacco Awareness Month

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month

National Beard Month

National Diabetes, Pancreatic Cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, American Diabetes, Lung Cancer, Crohn’s & Ulcer-ative Colitis, COPD Awareness Month

National Native American and Native Alaskan Month Native American Heritage Month

National Homeless Youth Awareness Month

International Drum Month

Famous People Born in November With their “Profession”:

Charles M Schulz US cartoonist, Charles Manson Criminal, Condoleezza Rice National Security Adviser,

Dick Clark Entertainer, Harpo Marx American comedian, Jimi Hendrix Musician who died in 1970, Larry

Flynt American publisher, Pope John XXIII Pope, Roy Rogers American entertainer, Winston Churchill

Wartime British Prime Minister, Whoopi Goldberg Been in films such as Sister Act, Tina Turner Aging sing-

er, Grace Kelly Successful actress, Anna Nicole Smith Actress who married a billionaire.

Editor’s note: Interesting how they were defined in their “Profession” in this website.

November We Will Honor Our Veterans

By Jeanne George

Stories: Our Newsletter Editor Jenn Sipe came up with a great idea to help honor and recognize those SAMOA men and women who have given so much for our country which allows us the freedoms we cherish. As I write this article, I don’t know how many people took the opportunity to share a story about themselves or their parents. Robin and I submitted articles and I hope many others did as well. I’m looking forward to reading the different stories submitted.

Donations: At the SAMOA picnic last month we collected donations to be given to the Wounded Warrior Project. Several people have asked if it was too late to contribute. The answer is no. If you would like to make a donation, you can make your checks payable to WWP or to SAMOA to be included in the total member donation. We will accept donations by mail or at the November meeting. We will send member checks and the total collection of funds after the November meeting.

Wreath Purchases: On Saturday December 14th, members will be participating in the Wreaths Across America project. This is a nation wide ceremony which honors those fallen men and women buried in National Veteran’s Cemeteries. The goal is to place a wreath on every grave in their honor. Our SAMOA volunteers will help place the wreaths at the CASVND-Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, Dixon. There are 12,000 graves at this location; currently 350 wreaths have been purchased so far. If you would like to purchase a wreath in honor of a deceased friend or relative, the total cost is $15 per wreath. You

can purchase one or multiple wreaths and request them to be sent to the cemetery of your choice or you can have it sent to the Dixon location. For more details go to www.wreathacrossamerica.org

November Meeting: Although Veterans Day is a few days prior, we will honor SAMOA Veterans at our monthly meeting. We are asking those of you who served in any branch of military service, to wear any part of your uniform you may have or can fit into to the meeting.

Bob Castelli

I joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a Senior in high school, and left for Lackland Air Force Base in August of 1970, to start basic training located in San Antonio, Texas. While I thought it was hot in my hometown, the humidity was about 85%, and the temperature at 90 degrees made for a very miserable time. I remember getting up at 4:00am and marching to breakfast already feeling the day getting sticky. Ugggh!! Marching, marching, marching everywhere we went....to eat, to physical training, to classroom studies, everywhere! All the time thinking that a nice cold shower would feel great about this time, and it did when we finally got done for the day. The problem we all faced was that after showering, we had an opportunity to call home, and the only way was a phone booth next to an adjacent building. It was like a sauna inside, and in less than five minutes, you were soaked to the bone...again!! Just a typical day at basic training.

Overall, I'd do it again, as I met some great people, traveled to faraway places, and generally had a memorable time. Years later I wonder what if… After serving 6 years in the Reserves I was Honorably discharged with a rank of E-4.

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M I A T A T U D E S Page 3

From Our Members

Mike DeLaurentis

We were stationed at the Naval Supply Depot, Guam when Saigon fell. Supply was told to prepare to house, feed and clothe 50,000 refugees. The SEABEES got busy scraping years of vegetation off of an abandoned air strip. The Army got busy erecting tents and cots for housing the refugees as well as feeding and caring for them. The Air Force was busy getting all of this material to Guam then to the site. Things were moving along nicely when a fellow junior officer and I all of a sudden thought if we have 50,000 refugees, and we can assume half are women, and we can assume half of those will be at the age of menstruation, we needed to get some feminine products to the island and fast.

I can't recall how many plane loads of "stuff" got flown in but we got it out to the camps "just in time". A few days later I was told to go out to the camp to locate a Viet Nam Army General who was being sought by a US General. I got out to the camp and saw just about every guy walking around with a sanitary napkin on his forehead using them as sweat bands! hey apparently did not know what their real purpose was.

Margie Jurach

My Dad was in the Navy in WWII. He never talked about his service experiences much, but I remember one story he told us as kids. He was on a Minesweeper off Pelau Islands in the South Pacific and he discovered while sweeping for mines, the line connected to the ropes pulling in mines, did not cut line a mine floating on top of the water. Dad discovered it when they were pulling the rope into the boat, and he hollered “NO, NO, WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!” If they had pulled the mine up onto the ship, the ship would have blown up.

Another Story From Margie:

My husband was in Viet Nam in 1966 on a Guided Missile Destroyer and his ship had been attacked by the Vietnamese. I found out about it reading an article in the San Diego Newspaper. A few days later, I came home from work and discovered this Western Union envelope on my kitchen table. I was scared to death! I just knew something bad had happened. When I opened the letter, it read, “Wish I was there. Happy Anniversary! Love, Tom.” That’s an anniversary I’ll never forget!

Genny Paauwe—2011 Banzai - Copper Red

When my dad turned 75 in 2007, I gave him something both of us could enjoy: a trip back to Korea to see where he served in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s. He'd talked about his tour of duty there my whole life. I found a wonderful program called Revisit Korea, funded each year by the South Korean government. We flew to Seoul in May 2008 on a daddy-daughter trip and he was very touched by the experience, and so was I. My dad got to see what he'd fought for -- a free South Korea and a modern society -- and I got to see first hand the sincere appreciation South Koreans have for our veterans. Find out more about the Revisit program here:http://www.kwva.org/revisit/revisit_brochure_130307.pdf

Chuck Coffman

I appreciate your asking. Margaret and I spent 21 years in the U.S. Air Force. I particularly would

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include my wife, because while I was out flying jets and having a grand time, she was moving around the countryside, sometimes without help, shepherding son and dogs as well as trying to work, get a degree and fill all the responsibilities expected of an officer’s wife in those days. I would join you in a salute to all the vets. They don’t get enough credit, but my hat is especially off to the spouses. Seldom do they know what they’ve signed up for and some can’t cut the mustard, but for the many who hold their families together and make it possible for the service member to do their job, there are not enough kudos to bestow on those unsung heroes. Just my thoughts,

Robin George

One of my many adventures in the military. I served in Vietnam from July 1966 through July 1967. I was a member of the newly formed engineering squadron of the Air Force called RED HORSE. We were the Air Forces version of the Navy Seabee’s. In fact, the Navy trained us. I helped build Air Force bases in Phu Cat and the Central Highlands, Pleiku.

One afternoon in Pleiku, I was walking a German Shepard that was trained as perimeter guard dog but decided the military life wasn’t for him. Our unit adopted him and it became our responsibility to feed, walk, and let him play with an occasional Vietnamese. On this particular day I was walking ‘Bullet” (catchy name) on the friendly side of the compound fence when several jeeps pulled beside me from behind. In a protective mode Bullet proceeded to confront the driver of the first jeep by licking his hand that was hanging outside his jeep. This driver had a large amount of hair for that period and a big old smile. It was Bobby Kennedy. He was touring the southeast and checking out places for himself when he came upon us. He was captivated by the dog and quizzed the young kid in cutoff fatigues, tennis shoes and a baseball cap. He asked where I was from and why I had the dog and wished me well. I didn’t know what to do but I made Bullet heel and saluted the whole group as they left. There were so many stars and eagles in those vehicles that I expected to hear from our CO later on but didn’t. It really hurt when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated.

Jeanne George

December 1944 my Dad’s Infantry unit fought the Battle of the Bulge. After a 20 minute barrage of artillery and mortar fire the unit was advised of 6 approaching tanks. My Dad set his gun position and hit the first tank of a Panzer division, at 2.5 miles. He was later awarded a commendation metal for this encounter.

At some point Dad’s unit were loading equipment into the trucks and preparing to pull out. My Dad was on the ground throwing equipment to the men in the back of the truck. German artillery began hitting the area, he jumped into the truck and they pulled out. The men watched in horror as the truck behind them was hit and all were killed. The Germans overtook the last 11 trucks of the 20 truck caravan and captured the soldiers.

Christmas Day my Dad and 11 of his men stayed in the home of a Belgium family which gave them

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food and a place to sleep. During the night he went outside to go to the bathroom; feeling his way during the blackout he touched what he thought was a German. The “German” mooed and hit my Dad in the face with its tail, turned out to be the farmer’s cow. Before daylight the German shelling began, the family and the soldiers hid in the cellar. Soon the lookout came to the cellar indicating the Germans were descending on that area and the men left quickly leaving behind some equipment. A short time later an irate SS-trooper asked the farmer why they allowed the Americans to fire a machine gun from their garden. He found a radio which he smashed and hurried out without searching the farm house. The family hid the rest of the American equipment in the cellar. In 1953 my Dad was stationed in Germany. My parents and I took a trip back to that farm house and the family remembered my Dad and laughed about the cow incident and was glad to see he lived through WW II.

It is amazing what our Veterans did for our country and many never lived to tell about their experiences.

Russell V. Myers

Vince Weis

I was in the Navy for 4 years active duty as a rescue/salvage diver from 1965 to 1969. On the left is a photo of me at work.

Ron has posted an article about Vince on the website. http://www.sacramentoareamiata.org/veterans.html

Ken Johnson

US Army, Jan. 1968-Jan. 1971 (3 year enlistment). Viet-Nam 1968-1969.

We are a car club. Let me tell you about my OTM experiences in the Army.

When I enlisted, I had a 1964 Plymouth that was set up for drag racing. Kind of a waste since I lived on Hwy 84 between Woodside and the coast. What a great Miata road for today’s cars!

My military rides were Tank Retrievers, basically a tank tow vehicle with a boom and winch instead of the big gun. The small one weighed 30 tons and was powered by a GM Detroit Diesel V8 that was both turbocharged and supercharged. The big one weighed 55 tons and was powered by a Continental V12 air cooled turbocharged gasoline engine. Top speed about 40 mph, both vehicles.

When I returned from overseas I did what many of the guys did- Bought a high performance car and promptly wrecked it. It was a sad but true scenario. So many of the guys I met had a similar story. Fortunately, my 1969 Road Runner wasn’t totaled and I had it during my time at Ft. Hood, Texas and Ft. Sill Oklahoma.

So, naturally the car guys tend to hang out together (1968-1971, no women in the combat units back then). Most of us car people today can think of at least one car from back in the day that we would

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like to have back again. In the parking lot for my unit we had a couple of Road Runners, a Dodge Charger, a Camaro Z-28, a Sunbeam Tiger, a ’66 Chevelle SuperSport, a Shelby GT500KR, a ’56 Pontiac convertible, a ’57 Chevy 4 door hard top and a ’40 Chevy 2 door sedan. One guy briefly had a new Corvette, wrecked it and his family insurance agent said they would not insure another Corvette. So he bought a Nova (an SS of course). Most of us were into drag racing, but the guy with the Tiger was an autocrosser. Sorry now that I wasn’t more open minded.

One final car guy military item- I took a photo of a 1958 Thunderbird on a street in Saigon. What an unusual sight at the time!

Ron Petrich

My military service wasn't nearly as glamorous or dangerous as others. Nevertheless I would not trade the experiences and friendships for anything. I was a college graduate in 1969, and faced almost immediate drafting into the Army. My father was a Naval aviator in World War II, so I was attracted to Naval OCS. Unfortunately God gave me really lousy eyes, and my sight was too bad for consideration, even as a Supply officer (ahem Mike). So on April 1, 1970 I enlisted in the Naval Air Reserve and a 3-year active duty commitment (April 1, 1971 - April 1, 1974). I served most of the active duty time at NAS Glenview Illinois, and achieved the enlisted rating of AK2 (aviation storekeeper - rank of E5). Because Glenview was the HQ of the Naval Air Reserve at the time, we had more brass aboard than a locomotive, so my hair then was just about as it looks now. But I did get to see some interesting places, and my last 6 months of active duty was aboard ship (more on that later). Because Glenview was home to reserve squadrons, there was always the opportunity to fly if one really wanted to. The base squadron complement consisted of A4J Skyhawks, P3 Orions, C-118s (DC-6), and C-119 Flying Boxcars. I volunteered as aircrew on the Orions, C-118s and only once with the 119s (that was enough, as we got stuck in Kansas awaiting parts for 5 days - could have driven back faster). I accompanied the P3 squadrons to Rota, Spain twice, and ASW activities in the Florida gulf (NAS Jacksonville).

In late summer 1973 The USS Enterprise (CVN65) returned from Vietnam and was transferred to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for refitting to accept the first 2 carrier-based squadrons of F-14 Tomcats. I received a TAD assignment as ship's company in the Supply department, and was aboard from October 1, 1973 until March 24, 1974. Our task in supply was to order, inventory and stock more than 50,000 new aircraft parts and an additional 60,000 ship repair and supply items. Needless to say, I saw very little daylight for long stretches, even though we were in wet dock most of the time. We finally conducted sea trials in late January, and returned to NAS Alameda in early February. The ship returned to San Diego on March 1, 1974 to conduct more trials, this time with a partial complement of F-14As and EA6-B Tracker aircraft. The first Tomcat launch took place on March 18, 1974, and I was lucky enough to witness it. I returned to Illinois 6 days later and was released from active duty a week after that (and honorably discharged on April 1, 1977).

I enjoyed my service and have a deep and abiding respect for all who go in harm's way. FLY NAVY.

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Ron has created a special page on the internet honoring our veterans:

http://www.sacramentoareamiata.org/veterans.html

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Ron Petrich Remembering…

I was in Sophomore French Class at Brother Rice High School, taught by Brother Macintire. It was fifth period. Lunch was not until 1:00PM that day because it was Friday and the cafeteria was closed for the science fair that weekend. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Yet this month it will be fifty years.

We were dismissed immediately, and we all rushed home to our television sets. The mood was complete shock and the streets were nearly deserted (a lot like another infamous day a little more than twelve years ago). As a high school student, I had been introduced to both US and world history classes, so we were somewhat aware that the world was not always a safe place. We experienced firsthand the Cuban missile crisis just months earlier. People still had bomb shelters in their basements and back yards, and yet the world was also full of optimism for the future. Camelot had not yet died…until November 22, 1963.

The election of John Kennedy was the very first one that I took any interest in. There was a lot to like about the man. Young, charismatic, different from the typical, hopeful, family oriented. I was apolitical at the time (I was only 16) but I knew what was important. And Kennedy seemed destined to be one of the great men of our time. History has disclosed faults to be sure, but that just proves that he was human…just like the rest of us.

I recently read the best seller Killing Kennedy, authored by Bill O’Reilly. I learned a lot about the man and the times, those who loved him and those who despised him. Perhaps more anything, however, I came away with the thought that men like JFK, who welcomed responsibility and wore the mantle of leadership so gracefully, come along very rarely.

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Conversation Around the Coffee Pot– Our Vets ROCK!!!

Mike Sipe’s father told him that he was sent to Europe on the Queen Mary during WWII. They converted the ocean liner into a troop ship. The swimming pool was the mess hall and the state rooms housed 8-10 soldiers in layered bunks.

Our members reported a

total service time of

266 Years!!

Jenn’s told me that her dad flew with Cary Grant in WWII in the Army Air Corps. That didn't deter him from making the Air Force a career. As a Major he attended Keys College in Cambridge England to achieve his post graduate degree in Comparative Law. He was a Colonel in the Air Force when he retired.

I heard that Ray Bauer has a long list of accomplishments He is a Colonel USAF (ret). During his career he had 14 tours in Vietnam. He flew 120 Combat Rescue missions over N. Vietnam as a Rescue Pilot and saved 6 downed pilots in the water while under enemy fire. He received The Distinguished Flying Cross for Valor and flew six different Air Force Airplanes. He is also a National Defense University Distinguished Graduate.

Terry MacDonald has 3 generations in his family. He served, July 14, 1964 to Jan. 3, 1968. in both in the Navy and Marines in the Fleet Marine Force (FMF). My dad flew, mostly, Corsairs, from 1943 to 1947.One son is a commander in the Navy reserves. He shared a link to a video about the Vietnam era: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LemllfcAY8A&sns=em

Chris Christianson was in the Navy from 1957 to 1968 and served on three ships and five land stations: USS Noble, Dixie, Ingersoll, Navcomsta Sanfran, Midway Island, etc. He was a radioman, crypto, communications, Top Secret stuff and went to many other places and did things he still can not talk about.

John Taylor served in the United States Coast Guard. Active duty 1967-1969 plus four years reserves. Served aboard USCG Cutters Taney and Barataria as Sonarman. Nine cruises including seven to Ocean Station November and one Alaska fishing patrol

M I A T A T U D E S Page 10

The Road Ahead

A look at upcoming events by Diana Loo The following is a list of upcoming events. If you have any ideas for a run, please contact me or anyone on the board. Also, if you have not done so, please contact the person organizing the event to confirm you will be attending.

The following is a list of upcoming events. If you have any ideas for a run, or you need help organizing a run, please contact anyone on the BOO and we will be more than happy to help you. Also, if you have not done so, please contact the person organizing the event to confirm you will be attending.

Events Coordinator-Diana Loo-Christianson-Idi4tennis2@gmail.com

November 2, 2013

Coolest Sounding Miata Contest This is a re-do of two events we did several years ago. After a nice drive through the country we'll conduct contests to determine who has the coolest sounding exhaust and coolest sounding audio system, followed by lunch. If you would like to show off your exhaust and/or audio systems... or if you are thinking of purchasing a new exhaust and/or audio system but don't know which to buy... or if you just want to hang out with your fellow SAMOANs then this event will give you an opportunity to do so. Please RSVP no later than October 28th. so we can give the American River Pizza & Grill a headcount. Contact: Mike DeLaurentis (916) 791-9418 luv2sail@surewest.net

December 1, 2013

Rally 4 Kids Last year SAMOA braved the rain and flooding to participate as a club in this event. Times are yet to be determined; however we do plan to meet in the same starting location - the McDonald's restaurant located at 5525 Folsom Boulevard, Sacramento 95819. More details will be provided as they become available. We also plan to retire to Suzie Burger, 2820 P Street, Sacramento 95816 after the event for lunch. Please RSVP below if you plan on joining us.

Dec 7, 2013 SAMOA Christmas Dinner Jenn and Mike Sipe will coordinate the event. It will be held at Vince's Ristorante in Elk Grove. We will be once again entertained by Jason Carmel. Please contact Jenn or Mike Sipe at (916) 685-1966-1966 for more information. RSVP on the SAMOA Website, Complete the form and send per the instructions on the form.

December 14, 2013

Wreaths Across America Mike will lead members on an organized Miata drive to the National Veterans Cemetery in Dixon. Attendees will participate in the ceremony to decorate our Veteran's graves as part of a nationwide program whose goal is to lay a wreath at each grave in every Veteran's cemetery throughout the US. www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. More details to follow.

February 2, 2014

Super Bowl Sunday Run The 2014 SBS run will be conducted rain or shine along the usual route between Winters and Napa (and return). This is a brisk run at a sporting yet safe pace, and within posted speed limits. If you are not comfortable driving aggressively, this event is probably not for you. Our early departure will provide plenty of time for the drive (approximately 100 miles), a bio/snack stop in Napa, and a lunch/snack stop upon return to Winters, and still get everyone home in plenty of time for the Super Bowl broadcast. The meeting time, location and other details will be posted shortly.

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The Road Extended

Coolest Sounding Miata

Several years ago we held two "Coolest Sounding Miata" contests to

determine who had the best sounding

exhaust and audio systems. This year we’re

combining the two into one event - on

November 2.

This event is designed for SAMOANs who:

a) think their exhaust and/or audio systems are really great and want

everyone else to agree;

b) are looking to upgrade their exhaust and/or audio systems but don’t know what to buy and are

looking for ideas; or

c) those SAMOANs who could give a hoot about any systems but enjoy driving through the countryside

and the company of good Miata friends. Ergo, this event is designed with everyone in mind.

We will have professional judges whose experience and reputation are above reproach however as in all

past SMAOA competitions bribing has proven to be quite effective.

We will meet at the El Dorado Hills Park & Ride at the corner of White Rock and Latrobe Roads at 9:00

AM and drive to Cool, CA for the contest. Following the contest we will have lunch at the American River

Pizza & Grill in Cool.

RSVP NLT October 28. Questions? Contact Mike DeLaurentis at 916.791.9418 or luv2sail@surewest.net .

Christmas Party

Join your fellow SAMOANs on December 7th for a night of fun and music at Vince’s Italian Restaurant for our annual Christmas Event.

We will be once again entertained by Jason Carmel singing rock and roll from the 50s and 60s and country favorites.

You can dance the night away and try out some new line dance steps.

We need at least 40 people to have the room to ourselves so invite your friends to join you.

Here is the link with the rest of the information: http://sacramentoareamiata.org/event_christmas2013.html

Rally for Kids A Benefit for Shriners Hospitals for Children

By Jeanne George

Sunday December 8th 8am to noon Rain or Shine

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SAMOA will be participating in the event to donate new unwrapped toys for children suffering from acute burns, spinal cord injuries and complex orthopedic conditions.

We will meet at the McDonald’s at 5525 Folsom Boulevard, Sacramento 95819. We are waiting for organizers to inform us of our group arrival time.

We will drive as a group to the location and loop around the “Winners Circle” to drop off the toys. As a token of appreciation for your donation, the organizers plan to take a photo of you, in your car, giving your toy donation to the children receiving them. You will be able to receive the photo at the event for free. Once you complete the drop off, you will be directed to the free parking area and go into the hospital for refreshments. There will be a Live Raffle, Silent Auction, Vendors, entertainment and the opportunity to look at the other car club displays.

For those interested, we will go to Suzie Burger, 2820 P Street after the event for lunch.

Please check the web page for time updates and to RSVP for the event.

If you can’t attend the event but would like to make a donation of toys or money, bring your items to the November 14th club meeting and we will make sure they are delivered.

Let’s make a good showing of our Miatas for a worthwhile event.

Wreaths Across America

Six years ago Helen learned about Wreaths Across America through her Daughters of the American Revolution chapter. The project appealed to us so we dragged Jeanne and Robin George along thinking they might like it as well. We did and at that point we decided to make it an event and have participated as a club for five years. Last year we attended the ceremony at the Sacramento County Cemetery however it was not as polished as the Dixon ceremony so we’ll return to Dixon this year. On December 14 we will drive to the Sacramento Valley VA National Cemetery to once again take part in the annual wreath laying ceremony. Following the ceremony we’ll have lunch. Chuck Coffman wanted to get involved so with his help we will work out the details and report on our website and the newsletter. What can you do now? RSVP for the event. And, if you choose, donate a wreath(s) and learn more about this nation-wide program by going to http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ . You may designate this, or any other VA cemetery, to receive the wreath. Wreath’s are only $15. It is a simple, but nice thing to do, for our departed veterans.

Mike & Helen DeLaurentis

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In the Rear View Mirror

See what fun we had last month! Pictures of events are posted at the following link: http://www.sacramentoareamiata.org/photos.html

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Ft Bragg 2013

by Jackie McClure

The article for our Fort Bragg Run for 2013 will be from three different members. Due to family concerns, Jim and I were not able to travel with the group on Friday morning. (That portion will be written by another member.) In fact we canceled Friday night thinking we would be tied up. But things got ironed out so we re-booked the motel and left around 1pm - drove non-stop (4-3/4 hrs.) to Ft. Bragg.

We got there in time to surprise everyone and have a 1/2 glass of wine and then left for dinner at Silver's at the Wharf. (Good

clam chowder!!!!!) There were 9 cars on the first night.

Saturday morning, some of us went to breakfast at Egghead's, and some to the buffet at the motel. At 10am, the group left for a run to Point Arena. (That portion will be covered by another writer.) Jim and I and a few others decided to just bum around Ft. Bragg on our own. Then in the afternoon we joined our world renowned Chef, Jennifer Sipe to help prepare our dinner. Diane Galati, was super onion and chicken chopper, and I was garlic chopper and appetizer setter upper. (Don't you love it when I talk technical)? Jenn put it all together for a delicious meal. We had chicken enchiladas, rice

and beans and a tossed green salad. with ice cream sandwiches for desert. Lots of wine and good conversation rounded out the evening.

On Sunday, we left the group that was staying another night in Ft. Bragg, and joined the Galatis’ and Sipes for run down the coast to Gualala (with stops in Mendocino and Elk). Then headed for home on Monday.

The whole event was very well planned and organized by Kathi Bell and Vince Weis. They printed a packet for each car with the itinerary for each day, including pictures and maps. It was a lot of work and a great success. They also ordered perfect weather. All of us enjoyed ourselves. Thank you Kathi and Vince.

Fort Bragg 2013 - Day One

by Lee Galati

The weather was great, lots of sun with nice cool air. At 8:30 AM, Vince and Kathi after distributing our nicely package trip itinerary, lead 8 cars out of Davis toward Lake Berryessa where we stopped briefly to put our tops down and empty bladders. Back on the road, we headed over route to the Napa Valley Olive Oil

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Manufacturing Company. For the most part, OTM’s were only an infrequent disruption so Vince was able to keep us a comfortable pace that allowed for plenty of sight seeing while enjoying the twisties with Kathi keeping us informed of all the bikers and dead animals along the road. Once at the Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company in St. Helena, we purchased an assortment of cheeses, breads, olives, cold cuts and sweets to take with us for a picnic lunch. With our little brown bags full of picnic goodies, we continued our comfortable pace across route 128 to the White Oak Winery in Healdsburg. This is an ideal setting for a picnic. It has easy access and parking

with well manicured grounds and plenty of picnic tables and of course, plenty of wine to pair with our cold cut delights (The winery even supplied real wine glasses.)

With full bellies, hats on and tops down, we headed out for the Navarro Vineyards and surprise - more wine tasting! They had wine for the wine lovers, dogs for the dog lovers and a

peaceful setting for those who were still feeling full from lunch.

We arrived in Fort Bragg about 4 o’clock with time to get settled into our rooms before heading out to Silver’s on the Warf for a great dinner. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal and the service was quite good considering there were 17 of us.

We returned to our rooms after dinner with a smile. The first day of the Fort Bragg trip turned out to be as one would expect for a long time favorite run - thanks to great weather, great service from the patrons we visited and great organization by our leaders, Vince and Kathi.

Saturday Run at Ft. Bragg

by Don Jarrell

October 12, 2013 announced itself with crystal clarity and a perfect coolness for topless motoring. As it turned out, it was a Saturday - the Saturday following a Friday on which nine lovely Miatas and their human partners made their way from Sacramento to Ft. Bragg.

About 10 am, our fearless leaders (Kathi and Vince) rounded up the troops and headed out for a little run on the less-traveled back roads that headed east away from the coast and then circled back to catch Hwy 101.

As the group headed South out of town, our leaders were patient and made sure all the cars were aligned. As it turned out, this was very important since the destination road was well marked only to those who either lived in Ft. Bragg or had taken this run before. But their experience

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as run leaders was alive and well and we all made the turn intact and eager to let our cars have some leash.

The first leg of the run was almost due east and on an excellent roadway. Almost immediately, our band of motoring maniacs were swallowed up by dense forest. More than one driver removed his/her sunglasses to better appreciate the glorious canopy under which we traveled and the streams of sunlight that punctured the breaks in the tree branches. They looked like spires on the greatest cathedral imaginable. More than once on this trip, the non-driving person had the best view of the passing beauty.

Our second leg brought to the back part of the semi-circle and then west again back to Hwy. 101. This pavement was not as pristine as the first part, but the splendor of our scenery never faded; a few bumps in the road were more than worth the price of admission.

At no time did Kathi and Vince attempt to make undue haste on this run. They are expert at keeping it interesting and smooth so that the drive is equal parts fun and stress free. True, the road was curvy enough to keep our speed down. Coupled with the fact that our run through the lovely country was also a residential area, we took our time. The speed was perfect to revel in the

effortless joy of our Miatas doing what they were meant to do as well as the incredible countryside and the beautiful day.

We made an impromptu but welcome pit stop at Handley Cellars. Just another area winery bathed in acres and acres of vines turning more colors than you

could count. Needless to say, in order to say a proper thank-you to the proprietors, some SAMOANS decided to add to their wine collection. Practically a public service.

Once we were back to Hwy. 101, a couple of cars headed north back to Ft. Bragg for some shopping; the rest headed south for lunch in Pt. Arena. With the endless Pacific on our right and some very twisty road underneath, we had even more fun on the few miles to what Kathi promised would be excellent chowder and a large selection of cold beer. Some of the turns on 101 had you looking at the car in front of you out your side window and then out of your left; our little cars just ate it all up and looked for more. The reward was lunch at the The Pier Chowder House

and Ale House in Pt. Arena. And Kathi was right; the chowder was rich and flavorful and the beer selection superb. The

parking lot was full of young people coming and going from the surfing gear in their cars. And just to complete the after-lunch enjoyment, a local dog lazily enjoyed the sunlight right in the middle of the pier close by.

The run back to Ft. Bragg was deja-vu all over again. Lovely twisties, panoramic views of the vast ocean and the familiar up and down whine of

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our transmissions as we coaxed and encouraged our steady mounts back to the barn. Kudos to Kathi and Vince for a lovely day and a great choice of roads and destination. And they certainly get the Perfect Weather for Driving a Miata award – all in all, a perfect day.

A Beautiful Sunday in Fort Bragg, then Monday home

by Kathi Bell

Five cars had to head home on Sunday, so there

were five cars remaining. Four of the five were red. Don Jarrell decided to take his silver car to tour sites of interest in Fort Bragg, including the botanical gardens. We SWEAR this had nothing to do with his car not being red!

Nevertheless, this resulted in a four red car caravan for a short run. Two of the cars were virtual twins, John Perkinson’s 2011 and the

Gingrich’s 2012. Mark Cutler and friend Jean were driving a 2013 “true red”, while we were in our 1990 “original red”.

It was a beautiful day as we drove up the Coast to the Pacific Star Winery for a picnic. We still had plenty of food from our stop at the Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company, so didn’t need to shop for the event. The winery was not particularly busy, so we made quite the statement, even with only four cars. The owner of the winery came out to spend some time with us. She said it was much more entertaining than being in her office doing the books!

After lunch we drove up to Westport. The views along Highway One were spectacular!

We made it back to the cottage in time for the 49er, Cardinal game. The Niners won, which is always a good thing!

We made reservations for dinner at the classic family Italian Restaurant D’Aurelio’s, where we

enjoyed way too much good food. We were glad we had the reservation because the restaurant was pretty crowded.

Monday, everyone was headed home. John headed south on One to visit some friends down that way. Mark and Jean took the opportunity to sleep in. We left Fort Bragg with Don, Ralph and Joanne heading east on 128. Ralph and Joanne kept going (shopping awaited, I suspect) when we and Don decided to have a rest stop at the Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Booneville. We stuck together all the way back to Sacramento, with a stop in Geyserville for lunch.

What a weekend! Good food, good friends, good cars! Who could ask for more?

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A Right Brain Subjective Look At Cars

“Why are we here?” No this is not about some far fetched theory of the universe but Robin’s 90+ times he has asked the same question before general meetings. But really, why are we so enthralled with the car. Why do we have a love affair with cars. Why do we keep coming back to meetings and putting up with true stories, bad jokes and horrible skits. With me, and with many other boomers it might be traced back to some incident in the late 50s or early 60s. Post war events were pivotal in the infatuation I have with cars. It may be the 50s Studebaker hot rod that one of my friends showed up to school with and subsequently became the defacto class cutting vehicle of that year. After all we can make it back from lunch at the local drive in for 5th period that much more

quickly, right? It may be the turbo charged Corvair that another friend had that made Ralph Nader famous. A neighbor, who had a car port, not a garage, which allowed all the neighbor kids to look at the project that never seemed to end. Everyone has a different reason to love that special car.

Recently, which got me started in thinking along these why are we here lines was an article in the August issue of Road and Track. “Things We Love About Cars”. “...51 Reasons Seems Like a Good Start”. Of the 51 reasons a good many of them apply to why WE keep coming back to meetings, attend events and put up with true stories. Here are but a few.

Sunday Cruise. I know for our family just going out for a Sunday, let’s go someplace kind of drive is an important part of our week. Getting out with the top down is just plain liberating. Just getting out. Like the article said, “Like jazz, sometimes pointless is the point”. And what's more American than jazz and convertibles, sometimes at the same time.

Sounds. How many of us want our cars to sound cooler so we compare exhausts and spend countless hours researching on Miata.net muffler reviews.

Family Bonding. My youngest son, J B, is enamored with cars. He knows everything. Where did it come from. Possibly that senior project of rebuilding his Miata with dad in the garage during Christmas vacation his senior year. Or maybe the many times we have gone to car shows, track events or gone racing together.

Smells. Not talking about the faulty catalytic converter here. That new car smell. The smell of carnuba wax. Tire smoke off the line at a pro event. How about race gas?

Finding the Good Roads. Ever been on Pashnit.com? Case closed. Just heading off to some unknown place via a road I have never been on. A member of another club asked me once how do you know about all these roads we have never been on?

Racing Drivers. My son can tell you about race drivers from the Mckees, Kiessels, Gittens, Fausts, Vettels and Webbers of this world. It’s what fuels his

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Tech Talk by Jack Parker

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existence.

Redline. Don't get me started on the advantages of the fuel cutoff of my car vs. your car. Mine is at 7900 rpms and I will bet yours is a lot lower. I can do 5 miles an hour in second more than you can. I know, big deal.

Junkyards. Getting a replacement fender, a used cat, a flip up headlight cover, an unscratched trunk lid, a serviceable transmission and the many other parts to put back together that Miata with a flaw.

Rivalries. Miata vs. s2000 vs. Boxster vs. Solstace vs. TT vs. Sky vs. 350Z...well you get the point.

Wheels. As tech guy this year a month barely goes by without some discussion of the right wheel for the car. Everyone has an opinion of which wheels looks best on their car. Which invariably starts another conversation about another part of the car.

Craigslist. How many of us have bought their cars off Craigslist?

Racing. Monterey Historics Miata Corral. Trips to Indy Car races at Sears. Vintage Racing at Sears. Autocross. Spec Miata racing wherever. Lemons. These are all events that keep us coming back for more Miata fun.

You’re not on a bus. Enough said.

Shotgun. I constantly get asked, “Can I get a ride with you on the next lap?” Another conversation starts up about cars.

R-Compound Tires. Hankook vs. Hoosier vs. Avon vs. Michelin. Everyone has an opinion. The debate rages. The car conversation continues.

Tribes. Car clubs. On line communities. Car shows, Cars and Coffee. EuroSunday. Places we are all welcome to rub elbows with others with the same interests. Cars.

New Cheap Cars. There has never been a time better than this to buy a car either new or new to you. Cars now are loaded with features only found on high end luxury brands just a few years ago. Power Retractable Hardtops with Bluetooth, satellite radio, ABS, ESC, Bilstien Shocks and whatever else you can imagine can be found on a 3 to 4 year old reasonably price Miata.

The Right Shifter. The Miata has one of the best transmissions on the planet. The shift lever just feels great. Almost better than sex.

Newly Paved Two Lane Roads. How many of you have been on the new road over Devils Slide. Enough said.

Driving. Freedom.

These are but a few of the reasons we enjoy our little cars. I am sure you can come up with some not so obvious reasons to enjoy our cars. So keep coming to meetings and put up with true stories, dumb skits and enjoying good friends and stories about your cars. It’s what makes America great. Good friends, great cars and the freedom to enjoy the roads of America.

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Samoans Will Travel

Here is a newsletter opportunity to show us where you have been, contribute to the newsletter and let your picture do the talking (writing). Just take one of the magnets or a copy of the newsletter or something with the SAMOA logo with you when you travel and take a picture of the logo that includes where you are. Send the picture to the newsletter editor at jenn524.js@gmail.com. Easy as that!

So do other Miata clubs do stuff?

by Adam Cook

Well in short the answer is yes. While on honeymoon in Scotland, Adam and his wife Jen from EuroSunday ran across the High Fives. They are better known as the Highland Fives because the Miata in Europe is called the MX5. The group was on their annual drive through the Scottish Highlands where they spend a week touring the roads up north. The group shot image was taken in a town that is almost impossible to find on a map. The group was there for a rest stop at the same time Adam and Jen were driving through on a tour of the Highland Coast. As you see in the accompanying images, the drive they were on went through some amazing country side.

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Treasure Trove News

By Jeanne George

M I A T A T U D E S

We Welcome Our Newest Members Lisa O’Hara Merle Vaughn Reggie and JoAnne Sharma Jerry and Jeannie Aukerman Mike Tracy and Dee Mausteller Glen Cuff Tom Corio

Memberships Expiring November 1

Castelli, Bob and Barbara Correia, Denise DeFoe, Karen Dibert, George Dunne, Gary Edwards, Patti and Michael Dodge Gingrich, Michael and Kristen Powell, Lynn and Karen Watson, Wes

SAMOA stats:

128 Memberships

212 Members

140 Miatas

Memberships renewed in October Tyer, Tom and Cameron Cutler, Mark and Jeanne Molineaux Cowan, Barry and Carol Hanson McKay, Doug Hahn, JR and Susie Coffman, Chuck and Margaret Counter, Margaret Raymond, Bob and Cindy Feuz, Mike and Keren

November's Birthdays

Submitted by Ron Petrich

With thanks to Wikipedia™ our honored birthday members for November get to share the month with the following… 11/01 – All Saints Day 11/10 – United States Marine Corp Birthday 11/11 – Veteran’s Day 11/11 – Independence Day (Poland) 11/18 – Independence Day (Latvia) 11/21 – International Adoption Day 11/22 – Tragedy in Dallas Fifty Years Ago… Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month…National Pomegranate Month…COPD Awareness Month…So without further ado…

Teresa Caldwell – November 3rd Lynn Powell – November 4th Dave DeNuzzo – November 6th Jerry Aukerman – November 7th Mary Swaney – November 8th Jona Milo – November 11th Astrid Senger-Gibbons – November 16th Matt Huseboe – November 17th Cindy Raymond, Mike Tracy – November 18th Patti Edwards – November 23rd Bonnie Spencer – November 24th Bob Jensen – November 27th Mary Ann Taylor, Renee Araiza – November 28th Sandra Walker – November 29th Christy Barden, Paula Zicker, Wes Zicker – November 31st

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three (3) color photos. Contact the webmaster to set

Black Bear Makes it Special For You By Mike De Laurentis SAMOANs. Last month, with the cooperation of the Black Bear Diner, we kicked off something new for our monthly meetings. The Diner is preparing unique meals with Miata and/or SAMOA names and at a special price. For example, in July we had a choice of a Miata Melt, Autocross Avocado Club Sandwich or SAMOA Salad - or we could order anything else on the menu as well. We are doing this in our ever ending quest to make the meetings informative, entertaining and fresh.