April 2006 LXOM: Meister

[DMAG]

written by Meister

(DMAG's note: Jim refers to THIS thread in his write-up below)

A sincere thank you to all for your kind words. Carsten, I'm honored to follow you, my friend. Thank you for your gracious passing-on of the mantel. The contributions you and all prior LXOM awardees continue to provide this outstanding forum are much appreciated.

As Jason (CV) stated several posts back, I was both blown away and humbled when I learned, belatedly, of having been honored by your selection of me as LXOM. It was a total surprise, and I am truly honored.

I suppose some additional information would be appropriate here for those of you who don't know: I am undergoing treatment for Parotid cancer, and a complication in what should have been a routine procedure has kept me in hospital for 10 days. I only recently gained Internet access by removing the hospital's phone from the only working phone jack, plugging in my laptop, and crossing my fingers that my seldom-used modem would work. It did, and at a whopping 50.6 kbps (woo hoo!), and it was only then that I learned of the great honor the forum had paid me.

It is my intent to prevail in this current health battle - it's not in my nature to lose. So count me in for the long haul.

In the meantime, I'll not always be able to respond in a timely manner to PMs & emails, so hold those thoughts when you can, but do fire away when you feel the need.


My story: A Need for Speed

'Seems I was born to go fast. I apparently inherited this trait from my father, who at the tender age of 10 or 11, was reported to grandad by a neighbor for "driving like Jehu", the comment prompted when dad took the 90-degree bend in the dirt road in front of the nearest neighbor's house (half a country-mile away) in a full slide in grandad's horse-drawn wagon.

Slightly slower to the game than my father, I had reached the ripe old age of 12 before I received my first driving reprimand, pulled over one night by a deputy sheriff for speed exhibition in dad's 55 Dodge V8 pickup. Neither reprimand slowed either of us for long.

As a kid I had the fastest horse in the county, then the fastest scooter, then the fastest 'cycle, and so on. I then had the amazing good fortune of actually getting paid to fly some the world's finest and fastest fighter aircraft for two decades, including a US Navy exchange tour where I flew F-4Js off of the USS Ranger for 2 1/2 years.

Flying fighters, I learned computers well before they were a household item. Soon after PCs arrived on the scene I was regularly helping friends & family with any problems their PCs developed. This continued for many years--somewhere along the way someone hung the handle "computer meister" on me, and it stuck.

When advised by Air Force that after nearly 20 years of flying fighters my next assignment would be flying an LGD* at the Pentagon I elected to bail and flew left seat for a major airline for ten years. I recall telling my two sons at the time that they had no idea how fortunate their dad was to not have to grow up and get a real job.

After ten years in the majors, my many years of being in and around afterburning turbojet engines caught up with me and I lost hearing in my right ear.

Retired from flying, my wife, Mary Ellen, suggested that I turn my computer hobby into a full-time business, and suggested the business be called Computer Meister, Inc.

About that time I learned that Chrysler Corp. was planning on re-introducing the Hemi in a sedan. I promised myself, on the spot, that it would be the next car I'd purchase. Nearly ten years later I did just that.

My LHS, not likely to hold together till the SRT8s were available, got me into my sweet vanilla C.

A bit later I discovered this great forum, with its wild, wacky, wonderful members. The wealth of knowledge I found here has been invaluable to me in my quest to make a superb platform even better. The friendships forged here will never be forgotten.

'Love you guys 'n gals.

Regards,

Jim

[DMAG]

Congrats Jim! The only way I could get my car's speedo to do that is with photoshop!

Godspeed on a speedy recovery my friend!

[da BoMM]

Congratulations to a speed meister -- well deserved!

Great write-up! Best to you in your recovery.

[UnderTaker]

Congrats on pinning your spedo!

(and i guess congrats for being voted LXOM) :grin:

[Ozzie]

Wow! Great story Jim. Congrats again. Well deserved.

[MrHemi2U]

Congrats Jim

[ZMagnum]

Look at all the lights, the smoke, the speedo. Wow. Congrats Jim.

[fnkychkn]

congrats Jim, as deserving a member as there ever was.

[BUTWEET]

Congrats on your LXOM win, Jim. Well deserved by a great guy. You're on my "People to meet" list, so I know you'll kick your medical condition's butt! Rock on, man!

[COLORADOMAGNUM]

Congrats Jim...Great car, great guy, and great write-up. With your strength, you'll beat those medical problems. We're all pulling for you!!! - Walt

[44MAGNUMHarry]

Best wishes and congratulations. Let's switch to afterburner for a speedy recovery!
-Harry

[Meister]

Thanks all, very much. You're each so appreciated.

And Roger that, 44MAGNUMHarry - full AB kicking in. Hope to be out of the horse pistol tomorrow and back behind the wheel of my beloved C for some real "therapy".

[Mosie]

Three things Meister
1. Congrats on the LXOM!
2. Great story & pictures!!
3. It has been a pleasure meeting you at the GIFO 3!

You do have the fastest 300C that I have seen by the way! I'm hoping to see you in the very near future, at the GIFO 4!! I want to hear the stories that took you to 170+... while taking the picture good thing God gave you two hands, or were you stearing with your knees??

Here's to you Jim

[Rev.Hammer]

This award has been long in the coming for the mighty master of Mopar Mojo!
This man has been chewing away at what some would call the impossible. He is proof of what can be accomplished when you have a blatant and gleeful disregard for naysayers. Meister is a personal hero of mine in and out of his car.
He fights the intangible speed barrier and fights a very tangible cancer with the same hard-eyed resolve.
You think you can stop this man? Aint happening!!
GOD bless you and way to go!!

[Meister]

Thank you, all, for your extremely kind words.

What an outstanding group of people.