We can schedule the dates, but we can’t schedule the weather. The NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (NJ-AROC) has consistently arranged and held monthly breakfast meetings for the past several years. Although never a requirement, those of us who own cars from our favorite make will drive them to these diner meet-ups, giving us an excuse to hang out around the vehicles before and/or after we’ve enjoyed our meal. A major factor in deciding whether or not to take our classics is the weather.

April’s weather in NJ has been up and down, and as recently as late last week, we enjoyed several days of summer-like temperatures. On Saturday, although the air temp had cooled off, it was nice enough for me to take my ’67 Junior for a fifteen-mile maintenance run, during which the car performed flawlessly. Alas, I awoke Sunday morning to a heavily grey and overcast sky, with an early morning temperature in the low 40s, and a 90% chance of precipitation. The Alfa stayed in the garage as I departed my house for breakfast on Sunday morning.

Arriving at the B2Bistro in Bordentown, a regular joint on rotation for this crew, I quickly learned that I was not alone in my decision. The others in attendance who own older Alfas all uttered the same refrain: “I would have driven my car if the forecast had been better.” Nevertheless, the eight hardy souls who made the jaunt proceeded inside, where our waitress took our food orders and kept a pot on the table filled with our favorite hot caffeinated beverage. The tableside discussions were lively, as the topics bounced from driving skills to EVs, trips to Italy, cameras, winter car storage, and performance modifications.

Once the bill was paid, we made our way back outside to our cars to enjoy the remainder of our Sunday, and to hope for better weather ahead.

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