First a note about the author.
I bought my first Porsche, a red S2 9-28-00. Rennlist helped me through many a technical "crisis". Thanks.

In Jan 2003 a friend told us he has liver cancer. He just turned 39. In Feb 2003 my daughter was born, healthy. In June 2003 my wife had a lump. Didn't tell any friends, got the good news in August 2003. A week later my best friend tells me he has colon cancer, and needs me to handle a case while he is in the hospital. His colon was removed the day before his 39th birthday.

While handling his case my red S2 is stolen, and the saga of the mullet began. What really was important when the S2 was stolen? For some reason, the S2 wasn't important.

In January 2004 the girl that grew up around the block from me, that I knew since I was two died of breast cancer. She was diagnosed in June 2003. No, not my wife.

October 2004 my buddy with liver cancer checks out. February 2005 my buddy with colon cancer checks out. He left a 2 1/2 year old daughter, and a 2 1/2 month, yes month old son. Last week I got a call that a friend that moved to FLA a few years back died in a car accident. I don't know if it was in the C6 he recently sent me pictures of.

So, what is important to this 944 owner? Here goes.

This is a girl, she is not a boy

This is a toy, a grown mans toy

Some say all grown men are rally just boys, so here are a bunch of big boys toys

and the boys with their toys - at a "RENNLIST gathering


What is important to me? What should be important to any 944 owner?

For me the answer is friendships made. Look at all the strangers that are now friends, brought together by RENNLIST, and the love of a hobby. 944, Porsche, etc. is all incidental.

I don't want to talk politics, I want to talk cars! Rennlist is cars.
We came here for the cars, let's not lose sight of the apple.

We came for the cars, and became friends.

I've seen too much death lately for a kid of 43, and told a bunch of "strangers" more about my life than I probably should have. Rennlist has been a great escape from reality. Thank you all. Now, lets please get back to the cars.

This is what life is about. Rennlist is a place to learn and laugh!

 

Well said, great post. Hope we can all listen to the advice..

 

Haha just kidding. Very well put Tom, it's good to see that someone who values cars as much as you do still recognizes the place in life where they should reside.

 

That puts it right into perspective for sure Tom... You have been on a very tough road lately and I commend you for reminding us what is really important in life.

 

Tom, I saw an opportunity to start flame (jk) war with you over the spelling of nonsense (check the poll options!) but thought the better of it after reading your post. Especially with your beautiful daughter pointing her finger at me.

You are correct. Life is too short to spend any time angry. Sorry about your loss of loved ones and friends. Too much in life is taken far too seriously.

Glad to see you have sold that other car and are commited by ownership to the S2!

Shame on the lister who votes no in this poll... edit, it looks like somebody did vote no

 

Jon,
You forgot about the new word i invented. "tomove". what's a little space among friends anyway.

The mullet is gone, replaced by the silver mullet. Gotta love that GTO, especially for under $200 a month for a 3 year GMAC lease. Torque baby, torque. And the baby seat has plenty of room in back.

I don't think the "no" was hit intentionally.

 

Oops, guess my editing skills freaked out at nonsese and didn't even catch tomove.

Oh, forgot about the GTO....That is it on left there. What are they doing with those two vents in the front? Trying to look like BMW? ok, in the spirit of this thread Nice looking car Tom

 

Great thread, Tom! I tried uploading the only good pic I could find of my two kids, but it was over the size limit.

Anyway, my children - Boy age 5, girl age 3, and girl (to be surgically removed from my wife in 20 days), and my wife, are THE most important things in my life.

Everything I do is because of them. Once they're asleep, I come to the 'list. It's a place where I can make great friends and learn a thing or two.

Thanks,

Dale.

 

Amen Tom.

My wife and I raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through their Team in Training organization. We are inspired every day by those who battle this horrible disease. We hear stories of those who haven't made it, those who have, and those who are fighting it.

At the Houston Marathon we had a speaker who contracted Leukemia six months after getting married. While looking for a bone marrow donor, she found one brother was not a match, and they found out her other brother couldn't donate because he had the very same type of Leukemia. He passed away. She was lucky and through the grace of God was cured and now has twin boys.

At the Austin Marathon last year the race director spoke at our pasta dinner and joked around asking who was planning on winning tomorrow. One of our speakers who followed him was battling Leukemia. His parting words: "Dave asked who planned in winning. I DO..."

We have a 10 year old honored patient who comes out to all of the local events and cheers us on. He runs a short ways with all of us and tells us our legs are working great and we can make it. We ARE inspired by this 10 year old boy.

Last year we had a speaker who during the Boston Marathon was thinking of dropping out around mile 18. Then he remembered his honored patients. He realized he was not running for himself, but for them. They were going throug chemo which was much worse than what he was doing and he had a choice. He ran the last 6 miles with each one faster than the one before. He wears a shirt that says: "If you think running a marathon is hard, try chemotherapy."

Lastly, my wife and I have shirts that say "On the wings of a thousand angels I train." That's not just a saying. We draw inspiration from that, especially on particularly bad runs.

We're grateful for every day we have on this earth. Cars are NOT important. Heh. My wife and I cannot have children. I'd glady give up all my cars and hobbies to be a father if I could. There is nothing more important than children.

 

The sad thing is that the people who are the antagonisers(sp?) of the group here don't believe they are, hence posts like Andy's and this poll usually aren't effective!!! SAD!!!

 

Great Thread.
Geo, that was awsome, God bless you and your wife.

 

Tom,
Thanks for the very heartfilled post. I'm almost in tears here! Thanks Tom.

 

Jon,
If it is about cars, it is in the spirit as far as I am concerned!

The nose of the GTO is a hot topic on the GTO board. They offer "autocross" grills. I think they look a lot better, the vents are recessed, only about $250 for the pair, which is more than one months payment, so the originals stay. If you stumble on the Holden Monaro check out what it was designed as. the holden front end is much nicer than the pontiac nose. I saw an letter in autoweek about the new 5. the authors wife thought it was the new pontiac. funny how they evolved.

It turns out the car was "rushed" to production to be an 04 to celebrate the GTO's 40 birthday (or thirtieth anniv of it's demise if you ask me). The improvements for 05 mechanically are fairly subastantial, but at 13k off sticker with a 56% residual and 3.5% interest rate, I couldnt resist. The interior is awesome, handling OK especially for such a heavy 3700lb car. Torque is abundant, and the stereo (the most important thing) is excellent.

Geo, as usual, you are A-OK in my book!!

 

Nice post Tom!

 

Nice one Tom.

Just read it today (I don't see the forums on the weekend...) and it is so spot-on.

Thanks.