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On the Loud Pedal
Christopher Mongeon
It might be October for you now, but as I write
this column I am taking a beating here in
September. We always do our best to mentally
prepare for it, and each year we are blindsided by
this particular month. The lazy schedule of summer
has been replaced with one that requires
me to plan a trip to the bathroom a few days in
advance.
So, what is going on here in our little world you
ask? As an elementary school teacher, Stephanie
has gone back to school and is gone by 7:00 am.
Our boys don’t need to head out the door until
8:00. This places them in my capable care for the
last hour of the morning before school. For a normal
person, brushing your teeth, getting dressed
and putting your shoes on should take less than
15 minutes. The boys and I use every minute of
that last hour before school to get ready and,
after three weeks, our times are not improving.
It would be easier to herd cats. The children can
competently use my smart phone, access their
favorite websites from the laptop and fully operate
the home theater system, but fall flat on their
The boys and I use every minute of that last
hour before school to get ready and, after three
weeks, our times are not improving.
faces when it comes to getting toothpaste on
a toothbrush instead of the walls. We can only
hope that as they get older these trying tasks will
get easier for them.
Adding to the chaos of the daily routine is the
boys’ social circles. As each school year begins,
their social circle grows with each new group
of classmates. We are glad they are making
new friends, but with each new friend comes a
birthday invitation. This month we had birthday
invitations for two Saturdays in a row at Chuck
E Cheese. I took one for the team and went to
the first, but decided that Porschefest was more
my speed than that children’s casino for the next
Saturday. Someone is bound to write a column
about the event so I will not double down with
details. I will tell you it was a beautiful day and I
had a great time catching up with fellow members,
especially Peter B. You know I am not one to
name drop, so Peter B. will have to be sufficient.
We ogled cars on display, caught up on past and
present cars and contemplated new ones. Once
we were satisfied we had seen every “For Sale”
sign at the event, Peter got us lunch. Thanks
Peter, it was a pleasure to spend time with you.
Hockey is another piece of the schedule puzzle.
Our 7-year-old is in his second season of hockey
and I have once again, thanks to my wife, been
volunteered to be an assistant coach. His games
and practices require us to be at the rink four
times a week. The other little guy’s skating season
will have begun about the time you read this so
I am considering one of the condos across the
street from the rink for the upcoming season.
If you are or were a hockey parent, you know
exactly what I mean.
The following Saturday was free of any birthday
invites so, before one showed up in the mail, I
replied to an invitation to test-drive the new 2013
McLaren MP4 12C. It’s not every day someone
asks you if you would like to drive their 616 HP
mid-engined sports car, so I said yes. After a brief
word from the sponsor about the car, we set
out for a drive. Simply touching the door where
a handle would be sends the door swinging
upward and you drop in over a very wide sill. The
cockpit layout reminded me of a roomy Lotus.
I mean no ill will to either marquee, but
they do have a similar feel. This particular
car encased you in carbon fiber and the
controls are laid out close to where you
would expect to find them. I quickly found a
comfortable seat position and headed out. With a
seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission and three
suspension settings, the car was surprisingly
docile on the rough roads of Boston. Once called
upon to perform, the car delivered as expected.
I can break every rule of the road in Grandma’s
Lincoln or my old Mercedes, so why get a car like
this? I don’t know and can’t afford it anyway, so
I don’t need to answer. I would love to get a second
test drive of that monster at Watkins Glen.
It’s hard to believe that the driving season is
winding down already. I had so little track time
it’s hard to accept. Soon I will be looking for
inspiration for columns by the fire pit as the boys
educate themselves on what is flammable and
what is not. In the meantime, please check the
website for upcoming events and remember to
plan to attend this year’s annual dinner. We have
a babysitter for the night, so I want you all there.
N O R E A S T E R page 7