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On Recently Getting an Involuntary Bus Ride...

(Greg note: I recently, and involuntarily, got a ride on the front of a bus -- while still firmly seated in my GTI...read on...) Insurance statement of Greg Amy, driver/owner of the VW GTI I was traveling westbound on I-90 near Stafford NY on 09/27/25 at approximately 11AM EDT. It was good weather, with the highway dry and the skies mostly clear. Traffic was on the heavier side but flowing well. I was in the left (passing) lane, passing a slower line of traffic in the right lane that included cars, trucks, and some RVs. I passed a black pickup truck pulling an RV trailer which was following a large bus-type Class A RV flat-towing a red compact utility vehicle. As I cleared the black truck/RV, it pulled into the left lane behind me, slowing slightly and flashed its headlights as if to indicate to the Class A that it could pull into the left lane in front of it. I had not yet cleared the Class A. As I got to the front of the Class A and was almost clear of it, I experienced a sudden and ...
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On Middletown's Speed Cameras

(Last updated 11/10/25) Speed Cameras You may be aware that Middletown CT has added speed cameras. The first Middletown speed camera was activated on June 6th on Rt 66/Washington Street immediately inside the city limits. There are two additional sites with cameras installed but not yet active, on Country Club Road and Westfield Street. [11/10/25 update: these two locations are going live November 17th ] These came about due to a renewal in a 2021 state law allowing speed cameras. Initially limited to work zones only, Public Act 23-116, approved in late 2023, renewed those work zone cameras, adding " any municipality may authorize the use of automated traffic enforcement safety devices.. ."(1) Middletown jumped right on that bandwagon, becoming the second municipality in Connecticut to install speed cameras; Washington CT was the first. City Ordinance 12-24 was approved by the Town Council on July 26, 2024. (2) Soon after, the city contracted with  Dacra Tech , an Illinoi...
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Re: "Driving Me Crazy"

 Re: "Driving Me Crazy" Below is a "letter to the editor" I wrote to the author of a GRM article of the same title. So I see I'm not alone... I really thought I was; alone, I mean. You know, we're getting older, observing the world, not willing to take the chances we did before. Maybe, just maybe, the world's not changing, it's us - you and me - changing, slowly turning into that guy who drives the old Buick down the road, Fedora firmly attached, hands at 11:30 and 12:30 on the wheel driving at 20 mph slower than the prevailing speeds. Maybe it's just us. Getting old. You know? But the more I observe...the more I think it's not us that's changing, it's the world around us that's changing (stick with me here). And maybe that's the same perspective as the 11:30-12:30 o'clock Buick guy, watching the world changing around him, with his wife in the right seat screaming, "Harv, slow down, yer drivin' like a bat outta he...
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Greg's 2024 Year in Review

2024 Highlights...and Lowlights Life:  April '24 was the month that my unemployment insurance ran out and, faced with lack of interest in my resume along with insulting and broken job search processes, I gave our finances a deep review and made the decision to pull the ripcord and bail out of the market. I unofficially officially "pre-tired" on my 60th birthday. I'm not against accepting future employment, but I'm just not going to get on my knees and subject myself to that disaster of a process. It's really broken, y'all. I really do feel for young people looking for a job, a mate, and a house, because all three of those are being managed the same way now...swipe left, swipe right... But if I keep my eyes and ears open, then maybe I can meet that perfect employer through family, friends, and social contacts (I'm all set with the "mate" and "house" part, thx). We'll see. In the meantime... Racing: I didn't have a functional...
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On Cemeteries...and PVC Pipes

So...this is one of them family stories...and while I'm sure my family may "suggest edits" this is how I remember it... Raymond Resweber was my mom's uncle (by marriage). I'm not clear what that is to me and how many times twice removed or whatever, but we always called him "Uncle Raymond". A good man. Gruff and irritable at times, but now that I'm at my age I totally get it. Raymond lived a good life. He was responsible for the formation of the first volunteer fire department in Port Barre, LA in 1945 and was appointed Fire Chief of the second fire district in 1959, serving in that role for 18 years. He was on the Board of Directors for the town's second fire district and was the town's Civil Defense Director for 10 years, and then was later elected Mayor and then after that Alderman. Hell, he built his own boat cruiser from scratch and traveled the Bayous Teche and Courtableau in it. Ask any of the good people of that town and they likely ...
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On My Purgatory

On My Purgatory I'm convinced that when I die, whoever is in charge of my stuff is going to drop a nice big dumpster/container up my driveway next to my garage and just start chucking things in. And I'll be looking down (or maybe up) in horror, screaming " OH MY GOD DON'T THROW THAT AWAY DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS??? " and no one's gonna hear me. Since that's likely something I'll be forced to endure for the rest of eternity, I'm guessing that means I'll be looking up at it... - tGA
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On The 2013 Runoffs

 Memories are frangible, but this is how I remember it, 12 years later...and I'm stickin' to it. The Swap In 2013 I was experimenting with various configurations in the Super Touring Light Acura Integra. Its B18 (1.8L) engine gave me good service but STL minimum weights are based on engine displacement. I thought maybe I could do better with a lighter car powered by the B17 (1.7L) engine, built up to maybe make comparable horsepower (hey, I could hope). So I found a B17 and sent it to Blake to rebuild for me. Its debut was to be the 2013 SCCA Runoffs at Road America. But..."Road America",  USA's other dyno track (along with Daytona). You'd think that I would have considered that issue and tested for it in advance but "nope". I probably thought that the reduced weight (about 125 pounds?) would make up for that horsepower reduction but after first qualification seesion I was "yeah, nope". After three days of qualifying I realized that our B17...
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