If the calendar is to be believed, I've taken something of an inadvertent vacation here for the past two weeks.  It wasn't my intention to let the blog lie dormant for quite this period of time, but such is the pace of life at times. 

Just in case you're curious to know what I might have accomplished during my time away, here are a few of the automotive-related highlights ...

I GOT A SPEEDING TICKET

This particular story actually started back in mid-October, when I went sailing past a photo-radar unit at some ungodly rate of speed over in the Wiesbaden-Mainz area.  (As it turns out, my actual speed was only 49 mph, but apparently this was almost 18 mph over the posted limit.)  I half-remembered the blinding flash, but the episode was largely forgotten until I received an indecipherable German citation in the mail last week, complete with a very well-composed photo of both man and machine. 

Naturally, the Germans won't be interested in any of my half-baked "mitigating circmstances," but I thought it might be fun to try a few of them out here ...

- I couldn't have been expected to know that the speed limit was only ~30 mph, given that I was on a major four-lane thoroughfare on the outskirts of the city.

 

- I didn't spot the temporary photo-radar station that was set up in a parked delivery van.

 

- I've lived in Europe for more than five years without so much as a parking ticket.

 

- I was taking a colleague to the BMW dealership to drop off a check for his M3 ZCP.

 

- I wouldn't have slowed even if I saw the camera, because my speed seemed reasonable.

I almost pride myself in how utterly pathetic these excuses truly are.  The truth is, making excuses isn't my style.  I'll just cough up the 100 Euro fine and consider myself fortunate that I wasn't nabbed going twice as fast someplace else.  Still, I'm so ashamed ...

I WITNESSED AN ACCIDENT

Sure enough, this one happened to me on the way home from work last Tuesday.  I was about to merge onto the autobahn when -- wham -- I watched an accident play out right in front of me.  I'll spare you the details, but I wasted no time in springing into action and pretending to have my wits about me ... 

- I flash-memorized the plate number of the moron who started the whole problem, and then sped off. 

 

- I grabbed my First Aid Kit and went to check on the other drivers (they were both fine). 

 

- I called the Polizei. 

 

- I put out the warning triangles. 

 

- I cleared the accident debris off of the roadway.

 

- I waited for the Polizei and wrote out my witness statement.

In short, I did everything that no one would ever really expect of an American soldier over here. 

Now, I'm only being partly facetious in recounting all of this, but the truth is that we all have an obligation to other motorists to be part of the solution, rather than a part of the problem.  Sometimes that is all-too-easy to forget when you're driving a car like the M3, as aggression seems to just go with the territory.  Just remember that you reap what you sow, and sooner or later, you might be the one in need of help.

I REDESIGNED THE M3 RESOURCE SITE

About a year ago, I began to grow frustrated with the fact that I was constantly losing track of my E46 M3-related web links, bookmarks and URL lists.  It seemed like I was always using another computer when I needed them, or was working in a different browser (I recommend Firefox), or just had too many other links to sift through.  The result was that I took all of the links that I could find and built a web site -- actually an extended web page, to contain them.  I slapped a couple of graphics together, secured a domain address, and posted it to the web as the M3 Resource site.

While the results were generally well-received, I was never fully happy with the site.  After all, I wasn't doing anything particularly new, and the real distinction of the site was simply that it was somewhat more comprehensive than existing links lists that could be found elsewhere.  The layout bothered me.  The look was amateurish. I wasn't doing a very good job of maintaining the links.  The code was an abomination.

All of these frustrations came to a head last week, and before I knew it, I was knee-deep in a site re-write.  I changed almost everything, reorganized and added content, and scoured the coding to insure a slick, quick-loading, reliable resource.  It is still a work in progress, but I need your help.  As you have the opportunity, won't you do me a favor and drop by the site (www.m3resource.com)?  If you find it useful, take a moment to check your own links lists, and let me know if I've overlooked anything.  Together, we can make this a tool that benefits the enthusiast community at large.  Thanks!

I PUT THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS UP ON THE HOUSE

What, you might ask, does this have to do with cars or driving?  Nothing.  Not one thing.  Still, it reminds me that we're officially entering the Christmas season, and with that in mind, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to wish my readers a very Merry Christmas.  Sure, I'm probably jumping the gun just a bit, but as I've gotten older I've discovered that it takes somewhat longer to get into the spirit of things, so I figured I would start early.

See you next time.  Happy Bimmering!