Susan had her surgery today and all went well; she is in some discomfort but not too much pain yet (the Percocets help!). As is usual for lumpectomies, they checked the lymph nodes for any spread, and they should get the results tomorrow. We would like again to thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers, and kind words. I will let you all know the results tomorrow evening. Serge, Susan, and Michael (and of course, Dina the REAL dog...hear that, Hadji?!)
Blatant plug, I have 4 almost new Goodyear Eagle RSAs 205x55x16" that I need to move, I am asking $175CDN for all 4.
None of them have any repairs only about 3000 miles use, problem is if anybody is interested I don't know anything about shipping,perhaps shipping could be arranged from that end, anyway if anybody is interested my e-mail is in my profile.
Thinking of you and Susan tonight. I believe that (and I have this on good authority), you were "inscribed in the book of life" last week, so all should be well.
Craig - When I drive the OB, my wife has to remind me it's not a WRX. :-) I really got used to the 17"'s, summer tires and thicker rear sway bar. I used the brakes less frequently on curves.
Serge - Yes, we're all thinking of you, Susan, Michael and your real dog.
Well, I will be at the chat next week (I'm going back the following Monday, so it should be allowed!)
On Friday, I will buy one of those multi-State lottery tickets. The first 20 folks that are at the Thursday chat will be in on the "Edmunds" pool that I will share the winnings with!! It's been awhile since we did one of these, no? We haven't won yet, so I think our time has arrived. You gotta play (and chat) to win!!
Don't get over here too often (congrats & good vibes as appropriate), but got my copy of Drive today and wanted to say, how about the pic of that '69 360! (link)
Bricklin sold a few until CR, er, questioned its safety. I wonder if I could fit 6 or 8 ot them in my standard 70's 2-car garage.
Test drove the XT on Saturday and was quite impressed. I met up with lark6 (my co-driver) and my wife was in the backseat.
I kept launching at a higher rpm than necessary because I am so used to driving the 2.0. I even chirped the tires making a right at a stop sign (unintentially). Driving the 2.5T would definitely take some adjusting of my driving style. Went down a road that I thought was a straightaway, and unexpectedly came up on a nearly 45 degree turn. The car handled it well. Some body roll in the corners, but not as bad as I anticipated.
RidinLow (from nasioc) and his wife were there checking out a Baja, and we all went for pizza afterwards. A fun mini-meet in Flemington, NJ. :-)
I think that turn was closer to 90 degrees than 45, Dennis ;-).
So tell us more; besides the increases in torque and body lean, how did you find the differences in the XT from your WRX wagon? Remember, there are still a few folks out there cross-shopping the two!
A few months ago, I couldn't picture myself in a Forester. With all of the attention the WRX's are getting around here from thieves, the less boy racer looking the better.
The amenities were nice as well. I've long wished for the AWP. Scraping ice from the side view mirrors is a pain. Also liked the auto climate control. I hate the recirc lever in the WRX vs. the button in the XT (and STi). Although the lever can be used in any mode.
The shifter felt less notchy than in my WRX, so I believe there were some changes with that. Not sure why the auto doesn't have VTD and Sportshift. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Need to run and pick up the police report for the WRX now.:-( Still no word from insurance.
Serge: oddly, Hadji just hissed when I read that to him. LOL
But seriously, I hope everything goes well. My step-aunt also had surgery, last Monday, and is recovering. She'll have to do some chemo, too.
On a lighter note, I'll definitely be making the chat next week. ;-)
Oooh, you mean we might convert Dennis? See the light, buddy, join the Forester crowd! :-)
Road trip to CT was good. Drive up took about 7+ hours, kind of congested on Friday during the day. But we came back last night and Sandy was positively FLYING the whole way down. Took just 5 hours, a record for us from Milford to Potomac. Averaged maybe 75mph and 26.5 mpg to boot, with a full load (4 passengers plus a cat - oops, I mean dog! Dog!)
I may have passed you on the NJTP coming back from my high school reunion, as I was in "Paisan Mode" doing between 80–85. Yeah the traffic was really moving...
Well, I got a speeding ticket in the WRX on Sunday morning. I could kick myself -- I had to back the car out of the garage to get the lawn mower out, and on a whim, decided to take a quick 15 minute Sunday drive because the weather was nice. I drove within speed limit most of the way (my usual behavior) but decided to get on the highway for the last couple of miles home. While I was merging onto the highway, a cop (traveling in the other direction) clocked me at 81 mph in a 55 zone! I'm pretty sure I was going at least 70, but 81 seems like a stretch. Anyway, it was pretty scary to see the cop slam on his brakes, haul across the grass median, and come after me (by then I was going the speed limit). I was polite and cooperated fully, but he didn't give me a break at all.
The bad thing is that going >20mph over in a 55mph zone and speeding in excess of 80mph both qualify as reckless driving in Virginia, a class 1 misdemeanor (equivalent to DUI and punishable by possible jail time, fines up to $2500, and possible suspension). So I have a heck of a situation on my hands. My driving record is OK (+2 good points on my DMV merit rating) but the courts have been known to really beat on people for reckless driving.
I think I will probably try to plea down to a straight speeding charge (10-19mph over limit) and ask for leniency from the court. I'm hoping they will give me a break since I'm a good citizen. Also, there are a couple of inconsistencies on my ticket, so I may be able to cite some technicalities. If anyone has advice, please let me know! My court date is October 29.
Hmm when you saw him turn around, should have pulled over to the shoulder immediately might have helped.
As for inconsistencies, depending on what they are they may or may not help. In NY the judge usually says "Were you driving?" and if the answer is "yes" then it doesn't matter if they wrote the wrong color car or what not.
that's what I plan to do when.. err, if I'm ever in such a situation. of course I'm a perfect angel who drives slow vehicles so I have no need to worry.
Inconsistencies on the ticket will get you nowhere, and citing them to a judge will only serve to p@#s the judge off, which will hurt your chances for leniency. Either get a lawyer and go to trial (your defense being centered around how the cop actually determined your speed), or plead it down and take your fine and points. Even in Virginia, I can't imagine that you cannot get away with a small fine and a couple of points. Heck, in New Jersey you could come out of this with no points on an "unsafe driving" charge.
Craig- Didn't you forget you had OB wheels and tires on your WRX? ;-)
But hey you were merging into highway traffic, hence had to accelerate. The WRX simply got up there, and by the time you realise it you are there and the cop so happened to clock you.
Thanks for the input so far, everyone. Yeah, I will defnitely try not to get nitpicky in court - they don't give a rip and it will just waste time. The only inconsistency is that the cop stopped me "east" of the exit, going eastbound, but wrote "west" of the exit on the ticket. I am going to request the cop's notes under the right of "Discovery" just to make sure I'm on the same page as him. If he's not consistent, I will probably question him on that.
During this merging maneuver, I feel like I made the right decision on how to drive, just got going too fast. I hope I can get that across to the judge.
Dennis: That's why I hate NJ so much. Where to start? Too many people, too much property crime, too much pollution, too much taxes for so little in return. Human beings weren't meant to be so crammed together, which leads to the hostility of the natives.
It is such a miserable place to own and drive a car. There is so much traffic you really can't enjoy driving a car at speed; on the rare occasions that's not the case, law enforcement swoops in to ticket you. Where are they during rush hour, when the pack moves bumper-to-bumper at 85 mph and you fear for your life to slow down and move to the right? I guess they can't raise taxes too much so they have to come up with other creative ways of generating revenue. Add to that this current rash of thefts and damage; it's like you can't have anything nice without having someone destroy it. Then the already astronomically high auto insurance rates go higher. Is it any wonder some insurers won't do business in the state?
I say all this knowing I do a lot of work in NJ and many of my clients have a presence there. Believe me, if I could have my way it wouldn't be so. My flame suit is on - I was born in NJ (my dirty little secret, out for the world to see) so I feel justified in my rant...which is over for now.
Dennis: I guess I'm just so frustrated with the pace of life there and all the aspects of owning and driving a car in this part of the country. The thefts of your and others' WRXes and STis just sets me off.
They're great cars - almost nothing in their price range and very little above it can touch them as performance bargains - but now they're targets of joyriding thieves. Maybe if they weren't getting all the media attention this wouldn't be a problem. There hasn't exactly been a rash of Dodge Neon SRT4 thefts, has there?
Go to court, no lawyer needed from my experience. Of course I've never had an offense as serious as that. But I have gotten off every time, either the cop did not show up (twice) or the judge eliminated the points (every other time) and I paid only court fees.
Ouch, Dennis, that's a lot of damage. Any relatives have a beater you could borrow?
Ed: I guess it's just part of growing pains for Subaru, with success comes a lot of attention, both good and bad.
A well-kept e30 without the eta engine is an increasingly rare find. Swap the stock suspension for an "is" (as in 318is) and you will have a very tossably, if not terribly fast little car. But then the 1.8l 4 in there can be built if you want.
Well, some good news, but mostly bad news that came as a shock to us. Apparently, there was more cancer than originally determined; during the lumpectomy, the surgeon gave frozen tissue to pathology and each time, it came back positive; it is called lobular cancer and many times cannot be seen on films. It looks like Susan will have to get a mastectomy. We have an appointment for a second opinion, but her doctor is pretty sure that they will concur with the diagnosis. Three lymph nodes were also removed during the original surgery. What will follow after the mastectomy is a course of chemotherapy. Susan alos has an appointment with a reconstructive surgeon today to get some information on options available.
We are determined to do whatever is necessary to beat this and go on with our lives as best as possible; we are both somewhat upbeat; we are trying to figure out the best words to use with Michael, though he is very intuitive and suspects all is not well. As we get through this, I will keep you all updated because all of you are like a second family. Your support and prayers have meant much to us. Serge P.S. The good news is that everything else seems to be clear.
Comments
-mike
Serge, Susan, and Michael (and of course, Dina the REAL dog...hear that, Hadji?!)
Bob
-Dave
-Dave
Cheers Pat.
None of them have any repairs only about 3000 miles use, problem is if anybody is interested I don't know anything about shipping,perhaps shipping could be arranged from that end, anyway if anybody is interested my e-mail is in my profile.
Cheers Pat.
-Brian
Steve
Serge - Yes, we're all thinking of you, Susan, Michael and your real dog.
-Dennis
Steve
Patti
On Friday, I will buy one of those multi-State lottery tickets. The first 20 folks that are at the Thursday chat will be in on the "Edmunds" pool that I will share the winnings with!! It's been awhile since we did one of these, no? We haven't won yet, so I think our time has arrived. You gotta play (and chat) to win!!
Patti
Steve
Craig
Patti
Bricklin sold a few until CR, er, questioned its safety. I wonder if I could fit 6 or 8 ot them in my standard 70's 2-car garage.
Steve, Host
Keeping the fingers crossed. Best to all in the family during this stressful time.
Mark
I kept launching at a higher rpm than necessary because I am so used to driving the 2.0. I even chirped the tires making a right at a stop sign (unintentially). Driving the 2.5T would definitely take some adjusting of my driving style.
Went down a road that I thought was a straightaway, and unexpectedly came up on a nearly 45 degree turn. The car handled it well. Some body roll in the corners, but not as bad as I anticipated.
RidinLow (from nasioc) and his wife were there checking out a Baja, and we all went for pizza afterwards. A fun mini-meet in Flemington, NJ. :-)
-Dennis
So tell us more; besides the increases in torque and body lean, how did you find the differences in the XT from your WRX wagon? Remember, there are still a few folks out there cross-shopping the two!
Ed
A few months ago, I couldn't picture myself in a Forester. With all of the attention the WRX's are getting around here from thieves, the less boy racer looking the better.
The amenities were nice as well. I've long wished for the AWP. Scraping ice from the side view mirrors is a pain. Also liked the auto climate control. I hate the recirc lever in the WRX vs. the button in the XT (and STi). Although the lever can be used in any mode.
The shifter felt less notchy than in my WRX, so I believe there were some changes with that. Not sure why the auto doesn't have VTD and Sportshift. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Need to run and pick up the police report for the WRX now.:-( Still no word from insurance.
-Dennis
But seriously, I hope everything goes well. My step-aunt also had surgery, last Monday, and is recovering. She'll have to do some chemo, too.
On a lighter note, I'll definitely be making the chat next week. ;-)
Oooh, you mean we might convert Dennis? See the light, buddy, join the Forester crowd! :-)
Road trip to CT was good. Drive up took about 7+ hours, kind of congested on Friday during the day. But we came back last night and Sandy was positively FLYING the whole way down. Took just 5 hours, a record for us from Milford to Potomac. Averaged maybe 75mph and 26.5 mpg to boot, with a full load (4 passengers plus a cat - oops, I mean dog! Dog!)
-juice
Bob
We still doin' that test drive this weekend? Though I doubt we'll have as much fun as paisan did in that AMG! ;-)
-juice
The bad thing is that going >20mph over in a 55mph zone and speeding in excess of 80mph both qualify as reckless driving in Virginia, a class 1 misdemeanor (equivalent to DUI and punishable by possible jail time, fines up to $2500, and possible suspension). So I have a heck of a situation on my hands. My driving record is OK (+2 good points on my DMV merit rating) but the courts have been known to really beat on people for reckless driving.
I think I will probably try to plea down to a straight speeding charge (10-19mph over limit) and ask for leniency from the court. I'm hoping they will give me a break since I'm a good citizen. Also, there are a couple of inconsistencies on my ticket, so I may be able to cite some technicalities. If anyone has advice, please let me know! My court date is October 29.
Craig
As for inconsistencies, depending on what they are they may or may not help. In NY the judge usually says "Were you driving?" and if the answer is "yes" then it doesn't matter if they wrote the wrong color car or what not.
-mike
that's what I plan to do when.. err, if I'm ever in such a situation. of course I'm a perfect angel who drives slow vehicles so I have no need to worry.
-Colin
Jon
Didn't you forget you had OB wheels and tires on your WRX? ;-)
But hey you were merging into highway traffic, hence had to accelerate.
The WRX simply got up there, and by the time you realise it you are there and the cop so happened to clock you.
-Dave
Ok Patti. Put an extreme rush on those parts, please!! :-)
An STi was stolen from a dealer in Lakewood, NJ. I'm beginning to miss my 137 hp faux hood scoop OBS. :-(
-Dennis
During this merging maneuver, I feel like I made the right decision on how to drive, just got going too fast. I hope I can get that across to the judge.
Craig
It is such a miserable place to own and drive a car. There is so much traffic you really can't enjoy driving a car at speed; on the rare occasions that's not the case, law enforcement swoops in to ticket you. Where are they during rush hour, when the pack moves bumper-to-bumper at 85 mph and you fear for your life to slow down and move to the right? I guess they can't raise taxes too much so they have to come up with other creative ways of generating revenue. Add to that this current rash of thefts and damage; it's like you can't have anything nice without having someone destroy it. Then the already astronomically high auto insurance rates go higher. Is it any wonder some insurers won't do business in the state?
I say all this knowing I do a lot of work in NJ and many of my clients have a presence there. Believe me, if I could have my way it wouldn't be so. My flame suit is on - I was born in NJ (my dirty little secret, out for the world to see) so I feel justified in my rant...which is over for now.
Ed
Craig - Good luck with the ticket.
-Dennis
They're great cars - almost nothing in their price range and very little above it can touch them as performance bargains - but now they're targets of joyriding thieves. Maybe if they weren't getting all the media attention this wouldn't be a problem. There hasn't exactly been a rash of Dodge Neon SRT4 thefts, has there?
Ed
Ouch, Dennis, that's a lot of damage. Any relatives have a beater you could borrow?
Ed: I guess it's just part of growing pains for Subaru, with success comes a lot of attention, both good and bad.
-juice
-mike
-mike
Might buy my mother-in-law's '85 318i.
-Dennis
really cheap too I presume.
-Colin
My Bimmer-ese isn't that good. :-)
-Dennis
We are determined to do whatever is necessary to beat this and go on with our lives as best as possible; we are both somewhat upbeat; we are trying to figure out the best words to use with Michael, though he is very intuitive and suspects all is not well.
As we get through this, I will keep you all updated because all of you are like a second family. Your support and prayers have meant much to us.
Serge
P.S. The good news is that everything else seems to be clear.
-Dennis
-Dave
Ed