01/13/2007
I joined this list as nothing more than a luker, shortly after purchasing my 97TR. My beloved 87 LSC had just gotten to the point where it just didn't make sense in putting any further money into it. I went to Packy Webb Furd in Wheaton, IL well ok It was across the street from where I lived at the time, and found 4 GIII SHO's in the lot. Not wanting VWx2, nor ESx1, I asked the salesslug for the keys to the TR. Well history has proven time and time again it wasn't the fastest, but damn, after a loving Larry treatment, she was durn purdy!
I missed the 02 Maryland Convention by a hounds tooth. But I made it a mission to make the 03 so Heather could see what I was talking about. Well that was the immediate downfall of Uncl Lar. My beautiful wife was smitten. Not so much with the cars, as with the people she met in Madison, WI. She went careening off of turn 7 at Blackhawk while in the ride of Christina Andretta. She hitched a ride home with Kirk in the Darth Mobile while I was burning up my MegaFuse Block on a 100 degree+ day trying to get Don's pictures for the Banquet. I called the Motor Club and they wanted to jump a dead battery. By this time I had amassed enough knowledge to understand that it
wasn't just the battery.
I told the DOT driver, who was a hell of a nice guy just get me to the Hotel, I'll figure it out.
Well, the dumbasss that I was had a clue, but it was Glenn Murdock and Kirk that quickly figured out that I had toasted a fuse in the mega block because of my driving lights. I was hooked! These guys didn't know me from squat, yet they gave of their time to help and old fat guy figure out why the Battery went south!!
Scott and Sara, Ian and Reka, and all the others we met and hung with convinced her that I was not all that freakin crazy. And she discovered what I had already known - it was less about the cars and more about the folks who owned them.
Highlight of that convention for me was Blackhawk. I floundered around the first session scrubbing the hell outta my brand new tires. Second session went out with Don's buddy the instructor, can't remember his name, was a great guy and even better instructor. He got me dialed in and really charged up. Third session after lunch I was refining what he had showed me and was getting around that track in good order. Scott K was throwing down some friendly smak in the pits. We went out for the 4th and final session of the day. He first, I followed - it was going to be duel to the death!! Well asshat forgot to roll up his rear window and got black flagged in turn 5 and had to pull off to roll em up and wait for the whole damn pack to go by. Starter released me when the last car came whizzing by. I hammered into turn one on a mission. In the next 10 or 12 minutes however long it took I chewed my way through the pack, all I had between me and Scott was Big Dog in his SF. I parked on his six for a full lap and he finally relented coming out of 7 and waived me by!! Sweet Jezus I got Scott in my sights and moving up quickly then OH NOOOOO DON DON'T DO IT-------He dropped the checkered flag. Everybody has to stay in place do the cool down lap. Despite the fact that Scott got the braggin rights, I felt
exhilarated. We of course were not "racing" *Yeah right* In the pits I went over to Big Dog and we just had a hell of a laugh, went back and talked to Scott for a while. That was the best!
Shortly there after I told Tim, the current Webmaster and list moderator, that Chris Kepkus was getting dicked around by this Hi Powered Los Angeles Law Firm that they didn't have a clue and I could get the action file
within 60 days (bravado on my part)
Tim told me to go for it....Of course I did. Got it done in a little under 60 days from first meeting to the complaint being filed in court.
Tim and Kirk got into a pissing match shortly after the 03 convention over Kirk's use of the word crap on the list. Tim nuked him and Kirk being Kirk just came right on back flame thrower in hand and fully loaded. Tim
decided he had enough and called me and threw me under the bus. Would I take on the site and list??? YOU OUTTA YOUR FREAKIN MIND???? HELL NO.
Called me back a little later, and after a convincing discussion, against my better judgment, I relented and told him I would take over.
As time went on we had a few malcontents show up. Cade, the bunny, Rev Bob to name a few. I didn't and still don't subscribe to the theory of if they piss you off nuke em. However it was
evident not only to me but most others that these individuals were here to simply piss in our
cheerios and nothing else. Poof! they're gone. We haven't had that much fun in a long time.
I have been fortunate over the years to meet a good number of people who were/are still on the list. Count em all as friends. And as friends are want to do from time to time, had some mighty spirited encounters. I don't hold grudges, it's a waste of time, effort, and energy. Just let it die down and what for some asshat to ask how big the gas tank is was my motto.
Time has come for me to pass the moderator duties. I still own the website and will administer it on an ongoing basis. The sublist is merely a component of the website - however its a very important component. It's how the website has grown from a 4 page rag into an
extremely in depth resource for any GIII SHO owner.
I still find it amusing when I hear bitches about the site is so damn hard to use. Aside from the FAQ, which is ongoing, there are tabs at the top of every page. Care and Feeding will take you to the repository where every single article ever written is divided into various categories. Modifications tab works the same way. Plus, at my request, several years ago Tim and a lurker spent several days making the Google Search Feature work. That, at that time, was pretty advanced as most websites still had not incorporated Google. So stop
whining about how hard it is to navigate the site. It isn't!!
It's time for me to go. It's not without regret, however I am too close to the forest to see the trees anymore. I have, after a painstaking review of my options. asked Brad Bender to take over the list moderator duties. And Oh My God he accepted!!!!
I will continue to administer the wetbsite, as I own it. However the day to day now falls on Brads Broad shoulders.
May God have mercy on his soul!!!
Uncle Lar