My Summer 2009 Top 10

JUNE

1. The Minnesota Impala Club Regional Convention in Bloomington, MN was a BLAST! The MIC hosted an incredibly fun, well-attended, very organized and relaxing event -- and everyone who attended agreed that a "little" rain on Show Day wasn't going to dampen anyone's spirits. Congratulations to the MIC on a job well done.

2. The NIA staff had a great time meeting so many members at the National Impala booth at the MSRA "Back to the 50s" weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. With over 11,000 cars and 125,000 spectators -- this is one of the largest classic car events in the nation. It was a great place to promote our club and there were many new members who joined -- welcome!

3. Summer FINALLY arrived at our house -- we were still wearing jackets and sweaters earlier in the month. The weather forecasters warned us it would be a cooler than usual summer here in Minnesota, but they forgot to tell us we'd need to turn on the furnace!

JULY

4. Our odometer sure was spinning - July was Road Trip month and we logged over 5,000 miles! We packed up the NIA booth and headed off to Wisconsin for the Iola Old Car Show & Swap Meet (125,000 in attendance, another BIG show!). There were several local shows, a quick trip to Chicago, and of course, our trip to North Carolina for the NIA convention.....read on!

5. The 29th Annual NIA Int'l Convention was held July 26-30 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a FANTASTIC week. The North Carolina Tar Heels Club demonstrated that famous Southern hospitality, and there were lots of first-time attendees who told us they were so glad we'd decided to "c'mon down South" this year. We're glad too! One of the best parts of these events is meeting so many great NIA members. Check out the photos on the website -- and if you were there and took some pictures, we'd love to seem them -- send them our way!

6. At the convention we officially announced a brand new chapter affiliation - the North Texas Chapter of the NIA -- WELCOME! Many of the North Texas members will be familiar faces to you long-time car buffs -- what a fabulous group of people. Their car and club expertise (not to mention all the FUN they bring wherever they go) are an asset to the NIA. We couldn't be more pleased!

AUGUST

7. A little bit of a breather for the Anderson family after all of our July travels -- we left North Carolina and headed straight to Wisconsin for a 3-day family reunion -- and a nap! After the reunion, the kids and I headed west to Minnesota, and Jody headed east to Michigan for another road trip. I'm pleased to report that we did all wind up back at the same house...eventually :-)

8. School has resumed, with new schools and new teachers for 3 of our 4 children -- now we have TWO teenagers, a second grader, and a homeschooled 4th grader making speed tracks to 6th grade. Lots for all of us to learn, but it feels great to be back in our regular routine. Which brings me to Number 9...

9. Magazines. Both summer issues are in queue with the editor now -- sneak previews will be posted on the website soon. We've heard from so many of you that you really like the new look and quality of the Impala News -- and we appreciate that you're willing to hang in there with our unique publishing schedule as we iron things out. It reminds me of a saying my grandmother told me when I wanted to dig up a transplanted rose bush after it didn't bloom right away. She said, "Just wait. First year = sleep. Second year = creep. Third year = LEAP!" We're approaching our second anniversary as owners of the NIA, and I can clearly see that this gardening analogy holds true for us too. We had so much to learn during our first year after moving the NIA to Minnesota; the second year has been one of growth and reaching goals. I can't wait for LEAP Year! (Grandma was right about the rose bush, by the way.)

SEPTEMBER

10. The new National Impala website was launched - and we want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has e-mailed or called to let us know how much you like it! Robyn Sandoval is our web designer -- she's fantastic -- AND she knows cars! She came to us highly recommended by Joe & Sandy Shea of the North Texas Chapter of the NIA -- thanks for the referral! I hope you've had a chance to check it out. The site will continue to evolve as members have a chance to use it and tell us what they think, so if you've got a suggestion or an idea, please let us know!

And that's my Top Ten of Summer!