[vcf-midatlantic] VCF East 2022 Wrap-up

[RETRO Innovations]

I know there's a survey, but I will share that I very much appreciated 
vendors being interspersed with the exhibits.  Stepping away from the 
table is always hard to do, but it's much easier when you can watch your 
table while enjoying the exhibits in the same room as you.  I know at 
least one attendee wondered why the organizers didn't put all the 
vendors in one room, but I could not seem to explain the benefits (I 
suspect he was a "reds go in one pile, whites in another" type of 
person.) I enjoyed many of the InfoAge exhibits before I left, though 
the multiple exhibit rooms was a bit tedious to navigate at times. (It 
doesn't look like a larger combined exhibit space is available at the 
venue).

The trip was almost cut short as a no-show, with the little Smart ForTwo 
developing a nasty habit of drinking oil midway enroute to NJ, to the 
tune of 1 qt per 200 miles, and the little 3 cyl engine only holds 
3.5qt.  It turns out that 5W40 (or pretty much any 40 weight oil) seems 
to not be in wide usage in the East :-) and is thus hard to source 
enroute. Luckily Advance Auto in Neptune, NJ (cute city name...) had it 
in both 1 and 5 quart containers, so we stocked up for the drive home, 
hoping the little engine that could would make it 1000 more miles back 
to Iowa.

Though I now probably sport the only Midwestern Smart car that sounds 
like it's powered by a 2 cycle chainsaw engine, it delivered me back 
here.  Now, it's off to Mr. Service Tech to determine the extent of 
damages.  Hopefully not too bad, as making the trip in the other option 
(F350 DRW diesel getting 13-15MPG @5.XX/gallon of diesel) makes the trip 
significantly less economical.

Jim