I Went Back to School...for the Second Time

As part of one of my upcoming freelance articles, I went to Driveway Austin on Saturday to take part in its Foundations of Road Racing course...in my father's stripped-down 2003 Toyota Corolla.  *sarcasm* Whee!  *sarcasm* 

Since I'll be doing a separate piece on the course for my local paper (stay tuned to Watches, Whips and Wardrobe for that article), I'll keep things here brief and simple, but I will give you a little eyecandy that won't be in my newspaper story.

My main take-away from the course was that you should do four things (among others) when you drive around a track, as well as public roads:

1.) Consider where (front to back, side to side) and when you transfer the weight of your car, which is shifted around by throttle, steering and brake application and affects your tires' grip.  If you don't manage your car's weight shifting properly, it can work against you and slow you down.  It can even make you spin out.  I should know.  It happened to me!
2.) Always look ahead.  If you're approaching the entrance to a curve, you should already be looking at the apex.  When hitting the apex, look for the exit.  Connect the dots as you go.
3.) Strive for consistency.  Dissect the track into sectors, then give yourself goals for each one.  Once you're able to meet those goals, you can start knocking off lap times very close to each other.
4.) Be smooth.  Never jerk your steering wheel, stomp your brakes or jab your throttle.  All of those actions can upset your vehicle's balance by shifting its weight in counterproductive ways.

A couple of tips from yours truly:
1.) Drink plenty of water.  You will sweat it out, especially if you keep your A/C off to be gentle on your car.  Intense concentration and nervous energy, combined with plenty of leg, foot, arm and hand movement and blistering track temperatures of 140 to 150 degrees will leave you a perspiring, stinky mess...and a smile on your face.
2.) Remove anything that can move around or make distracting noise from your passenger compartment and your trunk.  I made the mistake of thinking my trunk wouldn't be a problem since its contents couldn't shift and hit me.  There were gobs of my dad's tools and gardening and building supplies in there which I had to unload in front of my fellow students.  Not cool.

Now for that eyecandy.  When I was in pit lane, I had to move my car so that the track crew could unload a storage container.  Once its doors were swung apart, I got a glimpse of the candy red, wide-ended beast within...

Of course it's red!

Hmmm...  This doesn't look like a street-spec 458 Italia...

This car must be a real "Challenge" to drive.  (Wocka wocka!)

 

As you might expect, this Ferrari sounded amazing.  My classmates and I got earfuls of its loud, angry V8 wail.  Just by watching it dart and jink around the track like a 4-wheeled laser beam, you could tell its suspension must have been as stiff as a jet fuel martini.  The driver had to have been rattled, but I'm sure it was worth it.

I got a nice little surprise at the end of the day.  Driveway Austin's owner, a former Le Mans racer, gave us all our own mementos to commemorate our day at the track...

What about you all, readers?  Do you have any performance driving training?  Any plans on attaining it?  Feel free to share in the comments section.

I Took My Time Machine to the Mechanic, Part One

     In 2008, I got my first "big boy" job out of college.  I was making the most money I'd ever made in my life, so I decided it was time to buy the watch I'd been lusting after for the past eight years: the Omega Seamaster Professional chronometer, model 2531.80, aka "The James Bond Watch."  I did my research to make sure I got an authentic specimen on eBay, and I've been enjoying it ever since.

Omega Seamaster Professional, model 2531.80.  Cue the James Bond theme music.

     Flash forward to 2009.  I'm still at my big boy job, trapped in a mind-numbing tax code training class. My fellow inmate, Paul, notices the Bond watch on my wrist.  He says that he, too, owns an Omega and that he'll wear it the following Monday.  Monday comes and we both try on each other's watch.  His is an older model Seamaster, a cross between a De Ville and a Seamaster.  The white face and two-tone gold-and-stainless-steel construction make it dressy, but the metal Seamaster bracelet and the wave pattern on the dial keep it somewhat sporty.  I instantly start wondering if Paul would consider selling his timepiece of the last 10 years.  However, given my lack of cash at the time, I do not give voice to my curiosity.

     To my pleasant surprise, Paul approaches me a few weeks later, giving me first dibs on purchasing his watch.  I make a cash offer he rejects as too low.  He proceeds to list the Seamaster on eBay and I resign myself to buying that model Seamaster a few years later.  Flying out to visit my buddy Jacob in California takes my mind off the near-miss.

     The day after I returned from California, I received a voicemail from Paul.  In a fit of sentimentality, he decided to return the money to the winning eBay bidder and hold on to the watch that he loved.  However, he ended up contacting me because he was hard-up for money and absolutely needed to sell the watch.

     I met Paul and his young daughter over lunch the next day.  Paul honored my original offer (which was less than what he would've received from his eBay buyer) and I went home with a time-telling trophy.

Omega Seamaster, model 2301.21.

I still thought it was beautiful, scratches and all.

     

     I enjoyed my second Seamaster for several months and one night...it all ended.  I heard something pop when I was winding the watch and from that point forward, the watch wouldn't wind or keep time at all.

     Thinking it would cost more to fix the watch then the amount I spent on it, I never looked into getting it fixed.  I would pretend it worked when I wore it...to sleep.  

     Earlier this year, my mom convinced me to take it into the Russell Korman jewelry store for a free repair quote, just to see if it would cost as much as I thought it would.  And that is where Part Two of this tale picks up.  Look for it soon...

A Little Spring in My Step

     I'm excited about March 20th, the first day of spring.  I've enjoyed wearing lambswool sweaters, corduroy pants, camel hair flat caps, my beard and colorful scarves this winter, but I find spring clothing a lot more fun (and plentiful in my closet).  I love the texture of seersucker, the coolness of linen, the "pop" of pastel pinks and lavenders, and the refreshing, clean look of white bucks and accessories (like the Swatch White Rebel). 
     Being a hard-liner for things that mean nothing to others, I won't shave my winter facial hair until the first day of spring.  I'll also wait until March 20th to break out some very spring time shoes (I'm looking at you, linen) that I haven't worn yet: the Johnston and Murphy Ellington Wingtips.  Jos. A. Bank had a great sale on these that I stumbled across, so I had to get them.




Johnston and Murphy Ellington Wingtips

   I think these shoes will go well with this outfit...



     A little info: These Ellingtons started life as the Dolby wingtip saddle shoe last year.  I spoke to the manager of the J&M store a couple of months ago and she told me the only difference between the Dolby and these Ellingtons is the material used for the sole.  So glad they decided to keep this design because I didn't get a pair of the Dolbys in my size when I had the chance.
     So here's to spring!  I hope you all have a wonderful one full of good times and wonderful memories.

P.S.  If you've never checked out Jos. A. Bank before, take a look at their site.
    

"And the Award Goes To..." : Oscar Fashion

     I've been acting in community theater plays and independent films for several years now, so you'd think I'd watch the Oscars.  You'd be wrong.  I never gave them a second thought.  I didn't even give them a thought this year, but, out of boredom, I ended up watching them.  I'm glad I did.  They reminded me of how many great-looking movies I need to see, and I got to see Daniel Day-Lewis win his 3rd Oscar.  (I fell in love with his acting after seeing this: Milkshake.)
     I also got to see Hollywood stars in their finest attire (most of the time.)  Below are some of the fashion hits and misses from the 2013 Academy Awards.  (Thanks to Esquire for the pictures.)

Black lapels, black shirt, sparkly black bow tie?  Looked like a hole full of night time below Jamie Foxx's head.  No pocket square?  Another chink in the armor.  Both jacket buttons buttoned?!  Come on, man - you're killin' me!  You're too cool a guy to look that goofy.    

Christoph Waltz kept it simple and classic with this one-button number.  No embellishment or excess here (unless you count his jacket sleeve length, which doesn't allow any of his shirt cuff to show.)  A very clean, classy look. 

I'm not crazy about skinny lapels, but some people are more able to wear them than others.  Steven Spielberg is one of those people.  However, his peak lapels were so thin that you could barely see the "peak."

I was surpised by how much I liked Chris Pine's tux.  I'm wary of double-breasted jackets as they are tricky to pull off.  Mr. Pine certainly did it right.  The lapels were wide enough to make a dramatic statement, but not wide enough to land a fighter jet on; the sleeves allowed him to flash just enough shirt cuff; the jacket fit his body perfectly; and he left his bottom right button undone.  The bow tie seemed a little too wide, though. That breast pocket looked like it could've used a friend, too.  And what was with the scraggly neck?      

Hugh Jackman is a tall man (6'2", according to Google) and has a great build, but his unique shawl collar double-breasted tuxedo jacket made his torso look absolutely HUGE.  Perhaps that's an accurate image.  A nice touch: his satin lapels matched those of his wife's jacket. 

Congratulations on winning Best Picture for "Argo," Mr. Affleck.  Your tux won't be winning any awards, though.  The peak lapels looked great, but given their width, they made your vest look like overkill.  Your bowtie was a mess, too.  It looked like it was, somehow, crumpled into a rectangle.       

The Wild Card: Samuel L. Jackson threw the Academy a style curveball with this luscious crimson velvet jacket with gunmetal piping.  I loved the rich color, the lustre of the fabric and the subtle color of the trim.  Points off for: the lack of a pocket square, the cheesy metallic shirt, the exposed bowtie band and the outfit's jarring contrast with the sea of black tie.  Mr. Jackson was a cardinal in a colony of penguins.