Winning!

 My plans were to go to the NASCAR Hall of Fame the week after the NASCAR season ended. Then my model club held our show on October 28th. It was a great show, as it always is, but we had a huge turnout from the LIARS- the Long Island Auto Replica Society- and I decided to change my plans, and attend their show this past weekend, instead of skipping it to go to the Hall. 

Wow...I am sure glad I changed those plans! 

It turned out to be my most successful model show ever! I've been attending shows since 2001, and entering since 2002, and this was my first time ever winning a class! My Police Smart car took first in Municipal vehicles! I knew before the awards ceremony I would win something in that class...there were only 4 entries and two were by the same builder, so I knew I would win something by default. 

The other two classes were a complete surprise! The Bobby Hamilton car took third in closed wheel competition, and both of the cars that beat mine were miles better. The 1953 Ford took second in Shelf model, where it's judged just as it sits, the model is not touched. Even more impressive is that it suffered some damage on the trip, with two of the wheels getting broken off. 

I hadn't attended LIARS since 2008, but I am really thrilled I won these awards. I am still in shock, to be honest! Not only that, but the Smart car is the only municipal vehicle I've built! I have plans for more, but they have not come to completion yet. 

That wasn't all! I've mentioned before my project of photodocumenting all the places I've visited by taking a photo of the car's GPS screen. I added 34 new places in my home state, bringing New York to over 500 places documented! 

Ugh, I don't know why but the pictures are not in order. 

Petty car is mine

1/87 diorama

I really liked the paint on this one

winner of the Open wheel competition class

I believe this is the car that won the class I took third in. You can see it was well worth it. 

The paint work on this was incredible! The red spotted car in the background is mine also.

Before going to the show we went to the Freeport Nautical Mile, which I got too exhausted to finish back in 2019. 

Manhattan skyline taken from the Throg's Neck Bridge

There was still some color in the trees.

Me getting my third award, photo by my brother.

Long Island traffic is always unpleasant. 

Saw UBS Arena, home of the Islanders! This is the 5th NHL rink I have seen in person, although I have only been in one...and it had the basketball court set up.

An inlet of Long Island Sound

The Whitestone Bridge

NY Skyline from the Whitestone

Long Island Sound

Giant Pepsi building

Saw a train go by! 

This is actually a drawbridge in the Bronx. (I think). Although I've crossed it several times I've never had to stop for it. I kind of hope I do at some point because I think it would be cool to see. 

It was fully dark by time we got home. There was some light color in the clouds. 

Full Photo gallery from the LIARS show

Full Photo gallery of the trip

Thanks for reading!