A lot's been going on for the past couple of weeks here at the ranch. Seems as though there's been a run on checkerboard tops for MINIs. I've installed four diffferent checkerboard tops in the last week.

In the middle of all the work, the KC MINI club got together last Saturday at Sheridan's Custard. Twelve MINIs showed up for some tasty treats and we got to know a handful of new owners and recruits.

And finally, I turned over 15,000 miles this week in the MINI. For those friends who are currently considering a MINI purchase, it's been 15,000 miles of complete and utter fun. I was talking with a friend last week about the typical satisfaction curve of a new car purchase. You know, the amount of satisfaction with a new item starts out high and then quickly drops off leaving one looking for the next "fix" or the next conquest or purchase that will raise that satisfaction level back up, albeit briefly. Well I'm here to say that owning a MINI puts some TNT in that theory and blows the hell out of it. I've said it before and I'm saying it again. In thirteen months of owning a MINI, my satisfaction has not decreased. I would venture to say that it may have even increased. I even thought to myself a year ago that eventually the new would wear off the MINI and it would simply become my means of transportation. That hasn't happened and I don't think I'm the only one. A glance around the web at the weblogs of other MINI owners is a testament to the staying power of these little cars. Not since I first got my driver's license at 16 have I had as much fun running to the store for a gallon of milk.