4,076 miles

My brother was in town for the past week. We drove down to meet Mom and Dad in Toms River during the weekend of Father's Day. Sad to report I drove down in the evening with the top up (the weather was beautiful... the sky was clear and the view of the stars must have been amazing). I was not sure if my brother would enjoy the topless drive, so I opted to keep the top on. Besides, we had a lot of catching up to do and I did not feel like yelling the whole way down.

During my brother's stay, I decided to leave him the keys to my truck Gertie (my daily ride and first automotive love). So Leroy and I got to spend a week's worth of quality time commuting from Bayonne to Fort Lee. I LOVE DRIVING WITH THE TOP DOWN! Best time; morning commute in... despite the dump trucks and 18-wheelers that race on the NJ Turnpike, I still love the drive. I am on the road by 6 am (yup... work-a-holic here); the sun is not so strong and the traffic is minimal. There is a small peaceful stretch along the eastern spur just past the Lincoln Tunnel toll exit. Here traffic is exceptionally light (most cars take the eastern spur to head to the Lincoln Tunnel). I turn the radio off, watch the sun rise to its perch, smell the morning dew and feel the cool morning air surround me. Sometimes I forget I am heading to the hell that is my job... and for those few miles, I am in heaven.
One other thing; I love watching my neck-tie get caught up in the backdraft and dance in front of me. Oh the little things in life...

I have decided to take Leroy to work more often.

3,997 miles

Quick note, I uploaded two pictures showcasing my softtop. Oh wait... I am close to the 4,000 mile mark! hoorah!

3,649 miles

Drove down the shore (again) to pick up some more Zaino products at Shore Motorsports and to babysit my parent's home for the weekend while they spend some time out of the country.

I really enjoy the top-down experience... my initial topless drives were very nerve-wracking as I did not appreciate all the attention Leroy was attracting. Thankfully, those days are gone.

Three observations;
1) there were more soft-tops on the Garden State Parkway (GSP) with the tops up than down! I find that odd. In addition, I saw a lot of BMWs and Mercedes topless but with the side windows rolled up and the rear wind deflector installed. Why don't you just get a sunroof?!?
2) after six months of driving Leroy I finally saw another cooper *with the top down*. It was a beautiful BRG MCSC... and looking at it reminded me just how beautiful Leroy must appear. Obviously the driver and I exchanged waves as he sped past me.
3) I need to better protect myself from the sun. I must wear long sleeve shirts (buttoned up preferably) and stronger sun block. But I always use SP50... does it get stronger than that!?! Hmmm... as much as I enjoy topless driving, I equally detest looking leathery and dark. I prefer looking pale thank you very much. I need to research...

On last thing, I applied two coats of Zaino over the weekend... and all I can say is Ho-lee sh*t! Check out the pic!