There’s just something about our Spring Kick-Off Meeting that feels good.  We always schedule it right around the first day of Spring; the days are getting longer; we can actually feel the warmth of the sun; most of the road salt has disappeared; our Alfas are coming out of storage; we’re coming out of hibernation; and it all seems to come together when the Alfas and Alfisti converge at an Italian restaurant.

Such was the case on March 22nd, when around 25 members started gathering at the Papa•Razzi Trattoria•Bar in Concord, MA, at around 11:30 am. It was a brisk but sunny day, and nearly a dozen Alfas of various models convened in the Papa•Razzi parking lot, although none of the convertibles were sporting lowered tops. (That changed, in several cases, for the return trip home later in the day.) There was plenty of time for a little tire-kicking and hobnobbing outside before we retreated to the restaurant.

Once inside, we were shown to our private room, where a long table had been set up for us. We mingled for a while and sipped various beverages before taking our seats, and then the club had some scrumptious appetizers brought out before we all ordered off the extensive menu.

When we were settled with good things to eat and drink, and while we were waiting for the main courses to arrive, Kevin Murphy (the guy who made all the arrangements) rapped his glass and got us down to business. He, President Tom Lesko, and several others began going over the growing list of events that our club has coming up throughout 2009. In additional to the perennial favorites we’ve enjoyed over the past few years (the South Shore Beach & Waterfront Tour, New Hampshire Vintage Celebration, Tutto Italiano, Lime Rock Vintage Festival, the Hyland Hillclimb, Il Giro Del Monadnock, and Indian Summer Sortie tours), there are several new ones in the offing. For example, there’s an honest-to-goodness TSD rally coming up, Tom Ducibella is hosting an Alfa seat session, Gary Venable proposed a tour to a polo match, and Alfa Romeo is the featured marque at the Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car show. What a selection we’ve got already — and it’s only March!

Right about as we were winding down the "business" portion of the program, the main courses started to arrive, and we got down to the serious business of culinary appreciation. It was nearly 2:30 or 3:00, after coffee, espresso, cappuccino, and (in some cases) a little dessert were finished, before we got to our feet and headed back out for the trip home — a most enjoyable trip at that, for those of us who brought our Alfas. Our thanks go to Kevin Murphy for arranging our gathering, and to everyone who attended for contributing their thoughts about our club’s activities and making it a success!

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