Unfortunately I lost my dog of 8 years – “Chuck” to cancer. I welcomed a new addition in “Charlie” – a 13 month old boxer/lab mix from PAWS (Pets are Worth Saving). His name came from another nickname of Charles just as the previous dog’s name. Photos are Charlie at Loyola Beach in Chicago and Chuck’s last days.
All posts by frankochal
2017 Chicago auto show, Birthday dinner, new car and more!
My annual visit to the Chicago Auto Show occurred in February 2017 with the American MGB Association. Bruce Magers birthday was celebrated at Prime and Provision where the food and atmosphere was great. Also shown is a Cubs World Series pennant at my mother’s grave, Margies birthday shirt, White Sox opening day and the 2017 British Car Autojumble in Wheaton, Illinois.
I purchased a 2017 Honda CR-V Touring as a result of comparisons at the show in May
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Lane Tech High School Reunion
Attended the Lane Tech High School Reunion on October 8, 2016. 
AMGBA Meet 2016 and Virginia
The American MGB Association’s annual car show, Meet 2016 was held in Waynesboro, Virginia. This meant a drive by the officers (Bruce, Margie and myself) to bring out the club items to the show. This includes the table, chairs, tent, membership items.
Our first stop was Charleston, West Virginia where we stayed overnight. We dined at Fazios which was great but had a hard time getting back to the hotel because of the heavy rains in the mountains. Because of the mountains and weather the navigation was not working properly which made it difficult. We made it and prepared to leave early in the morning. Margie was supposed to meet us here but had to cancel because of illness. We missed her on the rest of the trip.
On the way to Waynesboro on Friday we stopped at the Greenbriar in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The Greenbriar is old stately hotel that has held numerous high profile events It even has bunkers underground that members of Congress would use in the event of a nuclear attack. Before getting to the car show area we traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway which was beautiful but hard to see because of the fog and rain.
We made it to the Waynesboro, Virginia are that afternoon and attended the welcoming party for the car show on Friday night. After that we went out to dinner in Staunton, Virginia which was difficult because of the tiny streets but had dinner at the Depot which was in an old train car and depot.
Saturday was the car show which many of our members attended despite a light drizzle most of the day. Afterwards before dinner at the Ivy Inn is Charlottesvile we found and visited the Trump Winery way up in the hills near Charlottesville, VIrginia. Other stops in the hills included Jefferson’s Monticello and Winery.
Leaving the Waynesboro, Virginia area on Sunday we travelled to Virginia Beach area with a stop in Williamsburg. The hotel in Virginia Beach was right on the ocean with a balcony having a great ocean view. It was also the time of the Neptune Festival which made it a party atmosphere. Fresh crab cakes at Waterman;s in Virginia Beach were great!
On Monday, we headed home with a stop in Washington, DC where we went to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing where we say how our money is made. Later in the day, we went on the last Capitol Building tour of the day. I had never been on this tour and it was great to see the finished dome from the inside. We dined that evening at Clydes in Georgetown.
We left Tuesday morning on our way to Cleveland with a stop at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. They have made a nice memorial dedicated to the people who gave their lives in taking down the plane on September 11, 2001 that was probably headed to the Capitol Building.
Our stop in Cleveland including a tour of the University Height area and dining at a Little Italy Restaurant, Etnas.
We headed back home to Chicago on Wednesday morning and returned the Jeep Compass rental car having put 2422 miles on it!
2016 British Car Festival at Harper College In Palatine
Annual Chicago British Car Festival in Palatine. Here are some photos.
Joanna Garvey Passes
It was with great sadness that I attended the wake and funeral June 20 and June 21, 2016 of Joanna Garvey. I will always remember her warm smile and some of the things we did together such as:
The John Hancock Tilt
Wisconsin car show in Sussex, Wisonsin
Kansas City car show
Los Angeles trip that including Tijuana, Mexico and singing “Shout”
Joanna Lee Garvey, 52, of Freedom, fought her terminal cancer with extreme heart, soul, and bravery so she could enjoy and participate in as many of her family’s accomplishments as possible. She fought her disease with extreme conviction for over 6 years, peacefully passing away surrounded by those she loved so dearly on Friday, June 17, 2016.
2016 Chicago Auto Show and Birthday Dinner
My annual visit to the Chicago Auto Show occurred in February 2016 with the American MGB Association. We always celebrate Vice-President Bruce Magers birthday on the day of the auto show. This time we went to Swift and Sons where the food was great! Here are some photos:
Trip to the Southeast and Plenty of Rain
The original date for Meet 2015 in Myrtle Beach was postpone due to historic rain and flooding in South Carolina. AMGBA Officers Margie Springer, Bruce Magers and Frank Ochal were only a few hours away from the show location when it was cancelled.
As Bruce and I were already in Knoxville, Tennessee we decided to go further south to explore the area. The first stop was Plains, Georgia which is the home and birthplace of Jimmy Carter. We visited the sites in town including his old high school which is now a Jimmy Carter Museum as well as the peanut store that has been in family for decades.
We then traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to visit the Pepsi Museum and Chattanooga, Tennessee where we saw both the Chattanooga Choo Choo and Lookout Mountain where you can supposedly see 7 states.
Further on the way back home another stop was in Nashville where we visited the Grand Ole Opry Hotel and the Johnny Cash Museum.. We also stopped at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The collection of cars consists of numerous micro/mini cars produced in France, Czechoslovakia and other countries. The smallest vehicle on display was a 1965 Peel Trident made on the Isle of Man (Britain). I would urge any of you “Car Guys” to put this on your “Bucket List” as you will see the most complete collection of micro/mini cars ever assemble under one roof. There are over 45 different marques representing Asia, Europe, North and South American. Many of the cars are a one-of-a-kind.
While visiting the museum, we noticed that they had posters in the art gallery area entitled “The Magnificent MG – The Early Years” and “The Magnificent MG – The Middle Years”. We happened to have in our vehicle “The Magnificent MG – The Later Years” which we were going to auction off at AMGBA Meet 2015. We weren’t able to auction it because of the cancellation. We decided to donate our poster to make the collection complete and Jeff Lane, the Museum Director and owner personally thanked us for the addition to his gallery. If you get a chance, please stop by the museum and check out the Art Gallery Room to see the complete set. Take a picture of the 3 posters and send it to me so I could see how it is displayed.
The next stop along the road was another high point in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This is the home of both the Corvette Assembly Plant and the Corvette Museum. No cameras were allowed on the factory tour of the assembly plant but if they were allowed I would have taken a ton of photos of how the Corvette is meticulously put together by the workers and the care they seem to put in it. The Corvette Museum itself was great showing all of the older Corvettes and the Corvettes that survived the massive sinkhole that swallowed many of museum cars in 2014.
Stops in Louisville and Indianapolis finished another great trip and I am looking forward to next year’s adventures. Over 2000 miles put on the 2016 Ford Explore rental.
Summer 2015 in Photos
Photos from summer 2015 including Christopher Ochal graduation party from Lewis University, Chicago Air & Water Show, Andersonville MidSommarFest and Chicago Aquarium visit.
Margie and Joanna Visit in April 2015
Margie and Joanna visited Chicago in April to visit and celebrate 4 birthdays at one time since we do not see each other that often. Bruce’s birthday is in January, Margie’s is in April while Joanna and I celebrate birthdays in July.
They arrived by bus at Navy Pier and we visited Millenium Park and the Bean. The birthdays were celebrated at Bub City Bar-B-Cue. The highlight of the visit was the visit to the John Hancock Tower an the Tilt where the window on the 95th floor actually moves and tilts out over the city. It was scary but I survived.
