HMMS Meeting Saturday August 7th

August 7, 2010
10:30 AMto4:00 PM

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, August 7th.  Join your fellow MINIacs for brunch/lunch — 10:30 till about noon or more.

Katz’s Deli
(located in the Portofina Center – next to the Men’s Warehouse and Home Depot )
19075 IH-45 North (exit 77)
The Woodlands, TX
936.321.1880

And there is MORE: After the meeting President Deb will lead us on one of her famous “twisty” drives.
Signup starts after the meeting, for a start promptly at 12:30 pm after a brief drivers’ meeting
(you will need to show proof of insurance)
Drive length will be about 125 miles or 3 to 3 1/2 hours
Early dinner at destination to be determined

Join us for just the meeting or just the drive or both!

 

Posted in Club Meetings, Events | 4 Comments

July Meeting Minutes

Club Stuff

Call to Order and Club Stuff

Members and guest of the Houston MINI Motoring Society Met  at the Black Lab Pub on Saturday July 3, 2010.  Aproximately 29 members and seventeens MINI’s were in attendance. 

  1. New Members- Steve and Jan Martindale from Baytown with a 2010 Cooper S.   Lakeisha with her new 2010 Mayfair MINI.   Paul and Micki from League City with a 2002 JCW.
  2. There was a suggestion that we need a Facebook page for the club.  Ron Pickett volunteered to set this up.
  3. June starting balance was $808.00, deposits $294, expenses $144.56 ending balance $957.44
  4. There is 1 medium shirt left.  An order will be placed if there are 6 shirts ordered.
  5. Jeff  has updated the website with a new format.
  6. Badges-  an order will be placed for 50 badges to be sold at $10/each
  7. We are still collecting pull tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.  Bring them to the meetings if any member has any.
  8. Discounts- Ron has contacted 5-6 vendors to work with the club.  Trying to get them to offer monthly specials for club members.

Show and Tell, Troubleshooting

Deb- Deb hit a badger on her trip to Florida recently.  A light came on afterward she did not recognize.  Took to the shop and she ended up having to get new brakes.  The shop reset the light and the tech showed her how to reset .

Andy- Replaced the front control line bushings on his 2005.  His car was wobbling his steering wheel.  Also replaced ball joint, rubber bushing, shock mounts and a few more things.  Big difference now.

Ronald- Went to London for a tour of the MINI Plant.  It takes 18 hour to make a MINI.   There is a classic tour that will take you on a tour but he did not do that.  He will put a link on the website if anyone travels to London to take the tour.  Reservations are required.

Jeff- Bought a Thule rack for the roof of his MINI for the trip to MINI in the Mountains in August for all his luggage.

John- His MINI has 104,000 miles and is making a sound as it tries to shift out of first.  Wanted to know if anyone has had this problem.  The other members said it sounded like a transmission  problem.

HAPPENINGS

  • Mini at the Drive In- 17 MINI’s attended
  • BMWCCA- there were no attendees from the club
  • DE Harris Hill Road- John attended this 2 day event.  Course was good.
  • BMWCCA Autocross- There were no attendees from the club
  • 4th of July Parade- There were 6 MINI’s from the club present.
  • Grand Opening Clear Lake MINI- Some members will attend after meeting adjourns.

Upcoming Events

  • July Drive- Will wait until we have enough people
  • Port Tour- Suggested we wait until it cools off to take this tour because it is too hot in the summer.
  • August Club Meeting- Location to be announced
  • August- MINI in the Mountains- Jeff will be attending
  • August- Another DE MSR- Houston
  • September- Beach Clean up
  • Motoring Through the Hills, Hill Country
  • October- The Dragon, North Carolina- Ronald will be attending
  • October- Merry MINIs on the Mountain, Arkansas- Deb will be attending

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned following the discussion.

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High Performance Driving Event at MSR Houston

August 14, 2010toAugust 15, 2010

The Driver’s Edge is having a High Performance Driving Event at Motor Sports Ranch – Houston .  MSR-Houston is located just off Highway 288, just south of Pearland just north of Angleton — August 14th and 15th.

What is a HPDE you ask?  A HPDE is an opportunity to push your MINI to the max!  It is a chance to safely learn new driving skills.   Certified driving instructors will spend two days with you teaching high performance driving on the track and in the class room.

This is not racing; passing is permitted only if the car in front gives permission, an instructor will be in your car at all times.  It’s exciting, fun, thrilling but most of all you will go home a better safer driver!

Let’s create a HMMS crew and go have fun and learn to be better drivers.  The cost is $295 for most drivers.  The event is already 67% full so register now!  I went to the Driver’s Edge Event recently at Harris Hill – San Marcos and cannot wait to do it again.  Questions just post and ask or email Rick Schwalenberg of the Drivers Edge.

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July HMMS Meeting

July 10, 2010
10:30 AMto12:30 PM
about_lab

Come join your fellow MINIacs for brunch/lunch at The Black Labrador Pub! We’ll have a nice meeting room all to ourselves!

Saturday, July 10th
10:30 am til noonish
The Black Labrador Pub
4100 Montrose
713-529-1199

There is a free parking garage behind (west) of the building complex. Let’s all park on the top floor.

about_lab_map

Jeff (aka Scooper)

HMMS VeeP

Posted in Events | 11 Comments

WordPress 3.0

I’ve upgraded the website to the latest version of WordPress. At the same time, I am changing the look of the website, just to keep things interesting.

Scooper

Posted in Miscellaneous | 12 Comments

4th of July Parade and Lunch

July 3, 2010
8:30 AMto2:00 PM

Ready to help your British car celebrate the new Colony?  This year, the annual 4th of July Parade will be celebrated on the…3rd!  Doug and Iris Beatty have sort of adopted this Bellaire event, and afterwards will host a good ol’ fashioned picnic lunch at their nearby home.   More details:

This year’s theme is “You’re a Grand Ole Flag!”.

The parade will start in the parking lot at the corner of Mapleridge and Bellaire Boulevard. Parade participants will need to line up at the Bellaire Triangle Shopping Center between 8:30 am and 9:30 am. You can decorate your MINI in the parking lot as we wait for the parade to start. We will be given a sequence number for our position in the parade, so just look for CHIQUI and line up with her. We will have access to a restroom at Iris’ music studio Beatty Music Works before the parade begins.

The parade will begin at 9:30 am. Parade participants will exit the Bellaire Triangle Shopping Center onto Bellaire Boulevard heading east and then turn right on South Rice Avenue. The parade will pass Bellaire City Hall and Town Square and turn right onto Jessamine. The parade route ends as you pass the Little League Baseball field, and is approximately half a mile in length – bring enough hard candy to distribute (throw) to the parade watchers. Also be thinking of a unique way to decorate your MINI with “grand ole flags!

After the parade we invite you to our home which is about a half a mile from the parade route (see address below). We will have a lunch of hot dogs, chips, corn, kid lemonade and adult lemonade, plus watermelon and maybe even some apple pie as well. If you are coming to lunch, please indicate in a reply to this thread how many are coming in your MINI. If you want to bring something for the lunch, include in your response what you’re bringing.

Hope to see you for the celebration!

Iris and Doug
5220 Braeburn Drive
(713) 665-6652

Posted in Events | 7 Comments

June HMMS Meeting Minutes

Houston MINI Motoring Society
June 5th, 2010 at 10:30 am
La Fiesta

Club Stuff

Call to Order and Club Stuff

Members of the Houston MINI Motoring Society had a great turnout at La Fiesta Restaurant. Approximately 25 members and guests attended. VP Jeff (Scooper) called the meeting to order at about 10:45, noting that President Deb (daffodildeb) was in Florida relocating her parents. He introduced Treasurer Juha (sikamini), John (JCScooper) unofficially serving as Secretary, and welcomed new Members and guests. Andrea (minisasqch) introduced her husband Robert Holmes and, later, Rick Roberts arrived, having adopted a 2007 Laser Blue/White MCS about 24 hrs earlier. Jeff took pictures of these Miniacs with their MINIs, for the club website.

Treasurer Juha (sikamini) reported on the Club’s finances, with current checking account balance of $808.00 as of the beginning of June. Jeff noted we will have $119 expenditure this month for the annual cost of the website hosting.

Juha noted the one outstanding membership card was sent out by mail, gave the status of polo shirt orders and deliveries; Jeff mentioned club hats, spotter cards, stickers. If interested in a club polo shirt, members should contact Juha to get on the list for the next order.

Show and Tell, Troubleshooting

Jeff showed his new 2010 MINIs in The Mountains official t-shirt; Bob (RJSMini) mentioned Ellen’s new tires and spare, and Crickette’s new floor mats; John mentioned his new red stainless steel brake lines to be installed later in the weekend; Doug and Iris (bochi2002) noted Doug’s successful $100,000 valve job (great news!); Andrea mentioned the problems with minisasqch’s melting and leaking rust inhibitor (cosmoline); Judith sought advice on touching up the gouge in her MINI’s finish, and also asked for details of the Bellaire 4th of July Parade, which will be posted soon when they are available. Continue reading

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June HMMS Meeting

June 5, 2010
10:30 AMto12:00 PM

Come join your fellow MINIacs at the June 5th club meeting! We’re meeting at La Fiesta near the corner of I-10 and Blalock Road/Echo Lane.

Saturday, June 5th
10:30 am til noonish
La Fiesta
9427 Katy Freeway
Phone: 713-464-3873

Please bring your ideas for club events, meeting spots, and other fun stuff! If you have a show and tell, please bring it! 

Jeff (aka Scooper)

HMMS VeeP

Posted in Club Meetings, Events | 5 Comments

HMMS Annual Business Meeting

May 12, 2010
7:00 PMto9:00 PM

The HMMS officers cordially invite you to attend the club’s annual business meeting at the Black Labrador (Pub), 4100 Montrose Blvd, on Wednesday evening, May 12th, beginning at 7:00 PM. Come join us for food and drink, and a lively discussion on how to improve the club for the next year!

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May HMMS Meeting Minutes

Houston MINI Motoring Society
May 1st, 2010 at 10:30 am
Brazos Bend State Park

Following a rendezvous in the parking lot at Kroger’s, 4825 Sweetwater Blvd, in Sugar Land, Club Members in six MINIs motored to Brazos Bend State Park to join up with a seventh for a picnic lunch followed by our May monthly meeting. As for the delightful lunch, what happened in the park stays in the park, but here are the monthly meeting minutes, which can be reported:

Club Stuff

Call to Order and Club Stuff

There were no new Members or guests present for President Deb (daffodildeb) to welcome. (There were some observant crows who, like most of us, were fascinated watching Juha erect his new mini shelter!)

Treasurer Juha (sikamini) reported on the Club’s finances, with current checking account balance of $944.71.

Deb and Juha mentioned membership cards, spotter cards, stickers, polo shirt orders and deliveries, and club hats. Juha made a note that new Member Karen has not yet received her mailed membership card, and Deb noted that Karen also is entitled to her complementary hat. 

Juha noted there are three polo shirts that were ordered but have not been picked up and reminded Members that if these have not been claimed after being available for pickup for two months, they may be purchased by anyone interested. Contact Juha for colors and sizes available if interested.

Show and Tell, Troubleshooting

Deb mentioned that her loose nut (actually Zippeee’s) turned out to be something else in one of the sun roof tracks and has been removed. Bob (RJSMini) reported on Crickette’s recent steering difficulties and new steering pump installed by Gas Head Motorworks (and newly installed U Kentucky license plate frames: Go Wildcats!) Continue reading

Posted in Events | 5 Comments