Mazda Protege Owners: Protege Posse

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  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I, however, can't bear to part with my precious starches and carbohydrates (I love eating bread), so I'll have to exercise more (I could stand to lose 10lbs and convert more fat to muscle while doing so). I can give up soda and snack chips easily, but I can't give up bread and cold cereal.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    All this talk of losing weight....I'm trying to gain more (muscle...not the other stuff)!!
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    ...scraping off that plastic bag melted onto my resonator. I got it mostly off, but there's a good-size glob stuck on the exhaust pipe just past the resonator and on the top side of the pipe. The good thing about the exhaust system is that it gets hot enough to convert any surface rust on the outside to the black corrosion-resistant form of iron oxide (I forget my chemistry here). At least I don't think my scraping will do any lasting damage.

    There should be a special place in purgatory for folks who let their plastic bags roam freely over the roadways. >:(
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    and some vodka. I love a good slushy!
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    But I get lazy and stop working out soon after I start.

    I'm sure I'll be concerned about the extra weight issue in 10 years or so, but now it's still "feed Dinu time".

    Dinu
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    might I recommend some apple-cranberry pie to go with your orange slushie?

    I just had some for lunch, and boy, was it yummy!
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    and the Absolut vodka right next to it (although untouched - so far).

    I gotta drive to our builder's site and look at the colour choices for the kitchen, bathroom, etc this evening, so no drinks until I'm back.

    Dinu
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Nah, I need some substantial food - I'll go check the fridge.

    Dinu
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    What color arborite are you getting?
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    You're building a house??
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    he's having a house built. But that's just details.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Mike, you might want to review some previous posts of Dinu's....I think you'll find information there that will help you stay in-the-loop.

    Phew.

    This being polite is hard work.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    If only you were close enough to slap upside the head...
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Sorry...I must have missed it in his posts...too busy harassing you.

    Dinu, Congrats on the house!

    Don't you just love the CMHC...Grrrr!!
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Remember the Pro LX 5spd I drove? Remember the service at Mazda last week? Well both happened b/c we bought a house that is currently being built (the testdrive b/c we'll need a 2nd car, the service b/c I don't have a place now to change my own oil, etc), but will in about a yr from now when the house will be ready.


    Dale: I really don't know what to say. One of my mom's friends is an architect (hence some knowledge of interior designing I would assume) so we're taking her with us for some ideas, but frankly, as of now 3PM today I have no clue what colour schemes we'll use, etc. At the last house we had tiles on the main floor in an orange/red shade. I know it sounds weird, but it looked REALLY good. For this house, I don't know... Guess it will be a LONG appointment.


    Maybe that OJ will thaw by then. I guess a little Absolut w/OJ would be nice when I get back :)


    Any ideas on colours, anyone?


    I was looking at this site today to get some ideas for the tiles.


    http://www.arborite.com/en/viewer/index.asp


    Dinu

  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Well, picking colors is the thing I hate most about my job. It's soooooooo subjective, it just ends up being a big hassle. I try to make the client pick and maybe only give a little dirction.

    Funny thing is though, we're architects, and if we pick a color someone will say it's awful. But if a high priced interior designer picks the same color the client thinks it's the best thing on earth. Perception is a strange thing......
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation...or did you have more than 25% down?
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Let me tell you our colour nightmare....

    Whilst choosing the exteriour colours, we were looking at a swatch they provided. So we had dover grey siding and "slate blue" trim. Well slate blue turned out to have equal parts red and blue in it (which we discovered all too late) and, of course, it turned out purple. Trust me...it looked NOTHING like the swatch they had.

    So even after bringing this to the attention of the builder, they did nothing. So guess who had to be outside painting all the trim after we took posession! Grrr!!!!

    Anyway, I suggest checking out the composition of the paint to see what colour you're really going to be getting. A 1"x1" square doesn't look the same once it's up on a wall.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    of our last house we have the 25% downpayment for the new house as profit (in just 4 yrs that we lived in that house [98-02] - gotta love real estate as an investment in Toronto).

    But we had to sell in August as we found someone that wanted the old place then, w/in a few weeks.

    So we rented an apt. until the new house is ready. Took me a little to get used to it, but it's ok, it's just 1yr.

    But I sure do miss the old garage where the PRO used to sleep (: Now she's outside in the cold, but starbge thing she doesn't ping like when she did when I kept her inside a heated garage last winter.

    Dinu
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Well done! I hope we do that well when we go to sell our house in a few years!
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    the builder choses it so that should be a fun surprise, although they said it'll be ok - I can only hope so.

    We get to chose the inside. We already got approved by the City for a separate side entrance (might rent the basement or move myself there once it'll be done) and a door from the garage inside the house.

    So far, all's good. Went to see the site a few weeks back on a Sunday by myself - took the PRO on some cool turns as all streets are paved, yet there were no other cars :)

    Dinu
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Watch out for nails! If the builders out there are anything like the builders they used in Calgary, then there's probably nails all over the road!
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Over the last few years real estate has brought people solid returns here. Let's just say that we got 1.5 times when we sold it over when we bought it. So on $100, we got $150. Not bad in just 4 yrs.

    We did some renovations - the laminate floor in my room last winter, the tiles downstairs instead of carpet, a little painting near the sliding doors to show they're "new", a kitchen bar - overall these cost $3500 in materials.

    Thinking about it, it's way better than the stock market. If I only had a few hundred thousands (ok a few milions) to buy houses and sell them or rent them out... $$$

    Dinu
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    When we suggest something, it's a "dumb idea." When a consultant suggests the same thing, it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Perception is what drives a lot of things - like car purchases. I wanna be seen in a XYZ b/c ABC doesn't portray the status I want to show(off).

    What do you do: homes or buildings?

    Dinu
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Edmunds looks diferent all of a sudden.

    Dinu (Confused)
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    It looks normal now...
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    from your back porch to 6 story office buildings and everything in between.


    You can see a few of the office buildings we've done here.... http://users.zoominternet.net/~cwa/

  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    A man approached a well endowed woman in the Walmart Superstore and said, "I've lost my wife here in the supermarket.
    Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?"

    The woman looked puzzled. "Why talk to me?" she asked.

    "Because every time I talk to a woman with boobs like yours, my wife appears out of nowhere."
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    If clients can pronounce the town your headquarters is in correctly on the first try, do they get a discount?

    ;-)

    Meade

    P.S. What exactly is that guy doing at his draft table?
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    That is a cartoon my step-brother did of my step-Dad, who is also the boss, registered architect and owner of our little establishment.


    It's just him working at the warp speed he usually does. Except that the picture has quickely become outdated as I can't remember the last time we used our drawing boards......


    and you should hear some of the attempts of pronouncing the town...it was named for the daughter of the founder of the town, her name was Zelie, his name was Baron Dettmar Basse http://boro.zelienople.pa.us/history.htm

  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    How IS it pronounced?

    Zee-lee-no-pul?
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    ;-)
  • krotinekrotine Member Posts: 93
    That would be...

    Zee-lee-en-oh-pull.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Now I won't embarrass myself when I visit.

    And you can relax, dude. Nobody deleted either of your posts regarding the HK seat covers. :)
  • krotinekrotine Member Posts: 93
    what was pat refering to?
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I deleted that post you pointed out to me yesterday.

    Love,

    Meade
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Jason, did you slip and slide today?

    Leaving for work it was dry but now the parking lot is a sheet of ice!

    It's warming up a bit, so hopefully it will have melted before the end of the day.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    we'll never know, will we? It was deleted! :):)

    And thanks, Meade! :):):)
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    "Since June, I have lost 20lbs by eating a little leaner and regular exercise. I am down to 175 and hope to level off at about 170."

    Holy Cow!!!
    Are you me, Maltb??? are you my dual personality?
    what you just described is ME.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    It's +7 C here today...not an iota of snow expected the entire week.

    I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    It's warm here too, but I did have to scrape frost off this morning (well 10AM).

    The colour chart went well - wasn't as difficult as I thought.

    Dinu
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    (Sorry, Mike and Dinu--don't know how warm that is in Canadian).

    FINALLY got the car washed on the way to work this morning (it's always too late when I get out of here).
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Glad to hear about the charts going well! What did you pick?

    This may sound crazy, but I'm hoping for some snow in the mountains...my home town will suffer economically if they don't get some snow soon.

    Plus, I wanna play hockey on the outdoor rinks!!
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    With windows up or down?
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    If I am you and you don't know it, that would make the both of us schizophrenic. If that is the case we should both seek help immediately.

    Thinking of the Talking Heads: "This is not my beautiful house; this is not my beautiful wife"
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    If I can only remember those colour names!

    I'll post the list when I'll get it next week. We still have to decide on oak vs carpet stairs which we will be next week Tuesday. They're asking $2700 (I think) for it. Is it worth it?

    I mean we already spent our $2500 "free" in upgrades (and more) - side door, door to garage, tiles in the hallway running to the living room, upgraded carpet underpad upstairs (I'll put hardwood myself in a yr or two downstairs), rough-in for basement bathroom.

    So we still have 1 week to make some final decisions on some upgrades.

    About the snow: I'm going to Quebec w/my friends Dec. 19-23 to ski (St. Sauveur or Tremblant) - we rented a cottage $550 for 4 days in a little town 20mins from St. Sauveur and 30 mins from Tremblant, so there better be snow. I haven't skied in 2 yrs.

    Dinu
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Hardwoord floors add a ton of value to the house and you won't have to do the labour if they do it during construction.

    Sorry...I can't give you an exact figure on how much it'd raise the value.
  • krotinekrotine Member Posts: 93
    No, the roads were fine when I left for work at 8am.
This discussion has been closed.

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