The first drive of the year

OK so we can be really technical. It wasn't the first drive of the year. I'd driven it around town, out to a restaurant and to the petrol station. But Sunday May 15 th was the first proper drive of the car. We got into the car and drove from Princeton down to Eden Prairie and back to visit the out-laws. The sun was out it was in the 70's, it was a wonderful afternoon for a drive. After two minutes on the road we realized what a wonderful experience driving in a car with the roof down is. Sun on your face, wind in your hair, all those cliches. Unless you've done it you can't know how much fun it is. We drove around with silly grins on our faces all the way there and back.
Let's not forget the reactions of people who saw the car. Many people took a second look at it as we passed. One fellow, a passenger in a large SUV had his face pressed up against the passenger window glass as they overtook us. I won't forget his wide eyed stare in a hurry. It would almost pay to have a camera mounted on the car somewhere to capture their expressions.
The only bad spot of the trip was the loss of first and second gear a few miles form home. Yes it felt pretty bad at the time but the car pulled away in third and once you're on the move on many roads in the states you don't need any other gears. So we got home with no problems. We have since discovered that the loss of gears was caused by the loss off a bushing in the gear shifter linkage. A five dollar part probably. The car is 35 years old so these things are going to happen. There's no point in getting too upset about them. Perhaps I should have to learn how to fix them myself rather than send the car down to my local repair shop, as much as they love to work on the car. I have the help of the MGexperience.net forum to help diagnose and advise. At some point I will have a go.
One thing, I need to find some proper roads to drive on. Not interstates or multiple lane highways. Driving these are ptretty boring. I need roads with sweeping curves to feel the car turn. That's what driving a sports car is about.