Home of the jFrog: MGs By the Bay and Manny's Bachelor Party

Rich accompanied me to MGs By the Bay today. Although there were fewer cars this year than last, almost every type of MG ever built was represented nonetheless.

Along with more than forty MGBs, there were about fifteen MGAs, perhaps 20 T-Series cars (TCs, TDs, and TFs), a few midgets, and a smattering of rarer cars. This last category included Dan's prewar PA (complete with flip out turn signals), a couple of Maganette Saloons, two racers, and a pair of beautiful Arnolt MGs.

Only 102 Arnolt MGs were ever built by Italian coachbuilders Giovanni and Nuccio Bertone for Stanley "Wacky" Arnolt. Though the Arnolt MGs are essentially TDs, they couldn't look more different. About sixty of these cars still exist today.

While wandering about the show Rich and I met a lovely woman who purchased her TD new in the early 1950s. She ordered it in England, had it delivered to the states, converted it from right hand drive to our standard left side drive, and later took it to Australia and Europe. Though the odometer read 83,000 miles, she intimated that it had rolled over more than once. More amazing yet, she claimed to have never had to perform any major rebuilding work in all that time. It was painted once--in 1956. It looked astoundingly beautiful, especially considering it's long history of use. She still drives it regularly along the backroads of the East Bay, in search of old barns to photograph.

Unsurprisingly, Brian O'Connor was also at the show. I wanted to tell him how the reassembly was going. Much to Rich's amusement, I never managed to actually enter into a conversation with him. I think he's growing a bit weary of my persistent novice questions.

Following the show, Rich and I proceeded to Manny's new apartment for a full day of video gaming. We arrived to find everyone in the midst of a team military game that was being simultaneously displayed by a large HD tv and projected onto the opposite wall by a high resolution projector, fed by a pair of networked XBox 360s. For an unknown period, now lost to time and space, Bob, Rich, and I watched Manny play a fishy arcade game from start to finish. Watching fish eat other fish accompanied by sound effects can be oddly entertaining (once). Later I took part in a few team games of FIFA 2006. I must say that the experience is definitely enhanced by a three-by-five foot projection. At one point three gaming systems were simultaneously in use playing three very different games.

Later in the evening, we made our way to Dave and Buster's for more video game mayhem. No sooner was the aforementioned fish game discovered than Manny plunked himself down in front of it. Sadly, this version was timed; so Mr. Moo had far less success. I, myself, played just one game--one round of air hockey. I'd like to say that I'm proud of my 7-3 victory over Sir rLog, but mostly I just let him beat himself.

After a noisy, but pleasant, dinner at D&B's, Rich and I headed back to Almaden to meet Scott at Starbucks. Now I'm not a big fan of Starbucks, but it was fairly late and there just aren't that many places to go around here. At least I finally got to make use of the Starbucks gift card that someone at the club gave me this past holiday season.

MG By the Bay: