I have a 1986 Heuer 1000 Professional and a 2015 Tag Heuer Formula One McLaren Limited Edition- both gifts from my lovely bride.
Hey how's the election going? Better not go flashing any fancy watches lest your opponent start spreading dirt.
I still have two forums, a city council meeting and a debate- plus a two day spring festival in my hometown. I'm cautiously optimistic; every week she shoots herself in the foot and winds up alienating another group of voters.
Are you running again? I thought you were retired into the world of BMW Genius.
Still loving the Club Sport.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Yes, they did. It was my first car was, 1988 VW Fox, 1.8l (N.A.) engine, 4-speed manual transmission, bought it 10 years old in 1998 on foreign graduate student budget. Paid over 4 grand for it (plus taxes and fees) and I certainly got ripped off by this Nissan dealer by about 2 grand. I didn't know any better back then, just like many other students in Tallahassee. BTW, college town markets are absolute bonanzas for car dealers - lots of clueless kids left to their own devices, looking for a car every six months. I remember couple of years later, when I finally knew a little more about how car retail market worked in the US, I went shopping with a fresh foreign student to find a car for him. Then I really saw how bad the pricing and attitudes were.
I had lots of little problems with that car (hardware, rust, integrity), which cost me way too much vs. my graduate student budget, but the engine was pretty responsive and handling was quite good, just like any other German car. Fox was made in Brazil and it was clearly a poor man's Jetta, both in terms of design and features/equipment. It was old technology, when compared with its contemporary Jetta. I ended up ditching it for a 3-year-old Ford Escort, which was light years ahead in quality (it was much newer, so it was that - plus Ford did quite decent job with Escort, in my opinion, especially for the price). Kept that one well into my corporate engineering job, as the car was reliable enough to get me anywhere I needed. Then, once I got my "adult" working visa (as opposed to student/trainee status), I was finally able to buy my first dream car - new Subaru Impreza WRX. That one I truly loved.
Today, Mrs Bean and I went on a tour of a shipbuilding plant in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Really amazing to see these huge Great Lakes freighters. This is the one day of the year they give tours and we came from Texas in part just for the tour. The Great Lakes are fascinating to me.
Indeed!
In 2013 on our "transcontinental" trip, my family visited the locks that allow ships to bypass Niagara Falls. Fascinating history, and we watched the process of passing a large ship through a lock: A slow and precise process, yet very much worth the time to see it.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
You guys might enjoy this. We have an "electronic bulletin board" here at work where you can post things on the agencies intranet. One guy is selling his car and in the posting he writes:
"New tires, front breaks"
I guess my high school English teacher was right, spelling counts.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Today, Mrs Bean and I went on a tour of a shipbuilding plant in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Really amazing to see these huge Great Lakes freighters. This is the one day of the year they give tours and we came from Texas in part just for the tour. The Great Lakes are fascinating to me.
Indeed!
In 2013 on our "transcontinental" trip, my family visited the locks that allow ships to bypass Niagara Falls. Fascinating history, and we watched the process of passing a large ship through a lock: A slow and precise process, yet very much worth the time to see it.
You guys might enjoy this. We have an "electronic bulletin board" here at work where you can post things on the agencies intranet. One guy is selling his car and in the posting he writes:
"New tires, front breaks"
I guess my high school English teacher was right, spelling counts.
Maybe he really means it....the front end keeps breaking.
Just spoke with my brother. He just took delivery of a 2018 MB GLC 300 SUV in Selenite Gray with beige interior. MSRP was $55,045 - pretty well loaded. We were talking on FaceTime so he was able to show me the new vehicle parked on his driveway. Nice looking vehicle. Same GLC 300 his SO bought, but her’s is white. These SUV’s are built in Germany which surprised me - I thought they were building them here in the USA like they do the C Class. I guess I got it confused with BMW who builds their SUV’s here.
You guys might enjoy this. We have an "electronic bulletin board" here at work where you can post things on the agencies intranet. One guy is selling his car and in the posting he writes:
"New tires, front breaks"
I guess my high school English teacher was right, spelling counts.
High School? I learned how to spell those words in 5th grade...second time through.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Spring was delayed this year, but now it's in full bloom. Mowed the lawn last Friday and Saturday and it needed mowing again today. I think the fertilizer guy gave me the good stuff this year, plus the weather has been alternating between sun and rain.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Got an email from my son - my grandson pitched a 1-hitter last Friday evening for his High School team. He’s raised his batting average to .335 and when he’s not pitching a game, he plays 1st base and bats 6th in the order. The coach said he hasn’t seen a 17 year old kid pitch, bat and field at the level my grandson does and throws a fast ball over 90 mph.
Their team (Palm Desert High School) is 22-4 on the season. The Playoffs begin tomorrow and they have a good chance to play at Dodger Stadium for the finals for the State Championship - like they did last year - and the team is stronger than they were last year.
If they play at Dodger Stadium, i’m Going to fly out there for the game. Very exciting!
Nice option load on that, some of those are must-haves for me.
GLA and GLC are built in Germany, the latter also in Finland now I think.
The image above is what it looks like - couldn’t find one in Selenite Gray.
The image below is a breakdown of how it’s equipped
Remember, next to the new GLC SUV in his garage, he has his “real” car - a 2017 S 550 Coupe in Selenite Gray. I drove it and found it too snug for me - very tight inside. But definitely great power and torque.
From what he tells me, he got the GLC so he isn’t always putting miles on the S Coupe. Must be nice?
My S 450 just turned 6 months old and has 4500 miles on the odometer. Still rides and drives like a true DREAM!
Going up to see my brother - have tickets to the Players Championship at TPC SAWGRASS in Ponte Vedra Beach - about 3 miles from where my brother lives, for the Saturday and Sunday final rounds. Praying for good weather.
Yes; that's it! Clearly, I wasn't paying enough attention.
We also visited the hydro station there. Beck, I think it was?
Sir Adam Beck....I didn't even know they had tours of the electric generating station (You knew it was hydro...that isn't used in USA I found out here recently)
Nice option load on that, some of those are must-haves for me.
GLA and GLC are built in Germany, the latter also in Finland now I think.
The image above is what it looks like - couldn’t find one in Selenite Gray.
The image below is a breakdown of how it’s equipped
Remember, next to the new GLC SUV in his garage, he has his “real” car - a 2017 S 550 Coupe in Selenite Gray. I drove it and found it too snug for me - very tight inside. But definitely great power and torque.
From what he tells me, he got the GLC so he isn’t always putting miles on the S Coupe. Must be nice?
My S 450 just turned 6 months old and has 4500 miles on the odometer. Still rides and drives like a true DREAM!
Mike, your brother bought a beater so he could save his real car....good idea.
Personally, I would rather have the GLC.....I think it would be a lot more comfortable. Congratulations on your grandson, nice to see his career progressing.
Yes, they did. It was my first car was, 1988 VW Fox, 1.8l (N.A.) engine, 4-speed manual transmission, bought it 10 years old in 1998 on foreign graduate student budget. Paid over 4 grand for it (plus taxes and fees) and I certainly got ripped off by this Nissan dealer by about 2 grand. I didn't know any better back then, just like many other students in Tallahassee. BTW, college town markets are absolute bonanzas for car dealers - lots of clueless kids left to their own devices, looking for a car every six months. I remember couple of years later, when I finally knew a little more about how car retail market worked in the US, I went shopping with a fresh foreign student to find a car for him. Then I really saw how bad the pricing and attitudes were.
I had lots of little problems with that car (hardware, rust, integrity), which cost me way too much vs. my graduate student budget, but the engine was pretty responsive and handling was quite good, just like any other German car. Fox was made in Brazil and it was clearly a poor man's Jetta, both in terms of design and features/equipment. It was old technology, when compared with its contemporary Jetta. I ended up ditching it for a 3-year-old Ford Escort, which was light years ahead in quality (it was much newer, so it was that - plus Ford did quite decent job with Escort, in my opinion, especially for the price). Kept that one well into my corporate engineering job, as the car was reliable enough to get me anywhere I needed. Then, once I got my "adult" working visa (as opposed to student/trainee status), I was finally able to buy my first dream car - new Subaru Impreza WRX. That one I truly loved.
My first new car was a silver '88 Fox GL sedan with a/c, $8165. I thought it was a good car at the time, drove well, was fairly quiet, had some pep and was economical. I traded it after a year for a triple white Wolfsburg Edition Cabriolet. Prior to the Fox I bought a used '85 Renault Alliance DL 1.7 convertible in '86. It was a 5 speed, loaded with 20k. When I traded it for the Fox it had 42k and was becoming very unreliable. I do like convertibles!
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
I have a 1986 Heuer 1000 Professional and a 2015 Tag Heuer Formula One McLaren Limited Edition- both gifts from my lovely bride.
Hey how's the election going? Better not go flashing any fancy watches lest your opponent start spreading dirt.
I still have two forums, a city council meeting and a debate- plus a two day spring festival in my hometown. I'm cautiously optimistic; every week she shoots herself in the foot and winds up alienating another group of voters.
Are you running again? I thought you were retired into the world of BMW Genius.
Still loving the Club Sport.
I was offered the job of City Attorney in December. Not as much fun as working at BMW, but extremely flexible hours, no weekends/holidays and better pay- then I was coaxed into running for Commonwealth's Attorney...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Today I received a letter informing me that my Club Sport was accepted for the Keeneland Concours. As I noted elsewhere I'll be in full-tilt detailing mode from late June on. It should be fun.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Remember, next to the new GLC SUV in his garage, he has his “real” car - a 2017 S 550 Coupe in Selenite Gray. I drove it and found it too snug for me - very tight inside. But definitely great power and torque.
From what he tells me, he got the GLC so he isn’t always putting miles on the S Coupe. Must be nice?
My S 450 just turned 6 months old and has 4500 miles on the odometer. Still rides and drives like a true DREAM!
I test drove a Fox when they first came out. I recall it feeling like a beat old car, brand new. Did not drive well at all.
same as the early days Hyundai my grandmother bought. Strippo, stick. Also drove like crap brand new.
Probably a matter of expectations. I was raised on my dad’s 1974 Polish Fiat 125 with 1.5l carburated engine and later 1992 FSO Polonez (almost the same mechanicals), underpowered rear wheel drive midsize sedans with rear sespensions made of leaf springs. Essentially, Italien technology from mid 1960s licensed by Polish communist party in 1970 and sold for the next 25 years with declining quality until the transformation.
I was out in the fintail last weekend, and stopped at a yard sale. The woman running the sale asked about the car, and told me about her Cabrio - original owner of a red on white 1987 model. She's probably in her 60s, and said she doesn't drive it anymore - afraid of the lack of safety equipment. Pretty funny how things change.
My first new car was a silver '88 Fox GL sedan with a/c, $8165. I thought it was a good car at the time, drove well, was fairly quiet, had some pep and was economical. I traded it after a year for a triple white Wolfsburg Edition Cabriolet. Prior to the Fox I bought a used '85 Renault Alliance DL 1.7 convertible in '86. It was a 5 speed, loaded with 20k. When I traded it for the Fox it had 42k and was becoming very unreliable. I do like convertibles!
Today I received a letter informing me that my Club Sport was accepted for the Keeneland Concours. As I noted elsewhere I'll be in full-tilt detailing mode from late June on. It should be fun.
Congrats
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I had my first chick-fil-a yesterday. Pretty good. Waffle fries too. Yum.
It pays to travel out of state. The only one in my area is locked behind TSA security at the airport.
Once you eaten at Chick-Fil-A, it’s hard to go back to any other chicken outlet. I’ve never had a bad chicken strip or chicken sandwich there and their fries are outstanding.
Want to know the top 10 deadliest cars? Number 1 will probably surprise you. I will tell you what it is in case you don't watch the 4 minute video, it is a Corvette. Not because the car isn't that safe, mostly because of the idiots driving it. It goes to show what I say, people who are over confident about their driving ability are a worse menace than people who know their limits.
Yes; that's it! Clearly, I wasn't paying enough attention.
We also visited the hydro station there. Beck, I think it was?
Sir Adam Beck....I didn't even know they had tours of the electric generating station (You knew it was hydro...that isn't used in USA I found out here recently)
If you guys are into power plants and canals you could tour that little city near me where I posted a picture of the waterfall. They use it to generate hydropower from a plant almost as old as the original at Niagara. The old Erie Canal runs nearby.
These locks are about a mile from my house.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I had my first chick-fil-a yesterday. Pretty good. Waffle fries too. Yum.
It pays to travel out of state. The only one in my area is locked behind TSA security at the airport.
Once you eaten at Chick-Fil-A, it’s hard to go back to any other chicken outlet. I’ve never had a bad chicken strip or chicken sandwich there and their fries are outstanding.
Their Chicken sandwiches are good but Portillos are better.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Yes; that's it! Clearly, I wasn't paying enough attention.
We also visited the hydro station there. Beck, I think it was?
Sir Adam Beck....I didn't even know they had tours of the electric generating station (You knew it was hydro...that isn't used in USA I found out here recently)
If you guys are into power plants and canals you could tour that little city near me where I posted a picture of the waterfall. They use it to generate hydropower from a plant almost as old as the original at Niagara. The old Erie Canal runs nearby.
These locks are about a mile from my house.
There are a few old canals in the Northern Illinois area, one a few miles from my house. Mostly they still have water running through them but a few locks are dry. There is one canal about an hour away from me called the Hennipine Canal that developed innovative building technology that is still being used today. Many of the people who designed and built it went on to build the Panama Canal. It is the only canal that uses Marshall Gates in some of the locks, these gates drop down sort of like the door on a mail box.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Comments
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Still loving the Club Sport.
I had lots of little problems with that car (hardware, rust, integrity), which cost me way too much vs. my graduate student budget, but the engine was pretty responsive and handling was quite good, just like any other German car. Fox was made in Brazil and it was clearly a poor man's Jetta, both in terms of design and features/equipment. It was old technology, when compared with its contemporary Jetta. I ended up ditching it for a 3-year-old Ford Escort, which was light years ahead in quality (it was much newer, so it was that - plus Ford did quite decent job with Escort, in my opinion, especially for the price). Kept that one well into my corporate engineering job, as the car was reliable enough to get me anywhere I needed. Then, once I got my "adult" working visa (as opposed to student/trainee status), I was finally able to buy my first dream car - new Subaru Impreza WRX. That one I truly loved.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
In 2013 on our "transcontinental" trip, my family visited the locks that allow ships to bypass Niagara Falls. Fascinating history, and we watched the process of passing a large ship through a lock: A slow and precise process, yet very much worth the time to see it.
"New tires, front breaks"
I guess my high school English teacher was right, spelling counts.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
And there is a Volkswagon Wolfsburg Edition Jetta;
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
The image below is a breakdown of how it’s equipped
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
We also visited the hydro station there. Beck, I think it was?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Mowed the lawn last Friday and Saturday and it needed mowing again today.
I think the fertilizer guy gave me the good stuff this year,
plus the weather has been alternating between sun and rain.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Their team (Palm Desert High School) is 22-4 on the season. The Playoffs begin tomorrow and they have a good chance to play at Dodger Stadium for the finals for the State Championship - like they did last year - and the team is stronger than they were last year.
If they play at Dodger Stadium, i’m Going to fly out there for the game. Very exciting!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
GLA and GLC are built in Germany, the latter also in Finland now I think.
From what he tells me, he got the GLC so he isn’t always putting miles on the S Coupe. Must be nice?
My S 450 just turned 6 months old and has 4500 miles on the odometer. Still rides and drives like a true DREAM!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
From what he tells me, he got the GLC so he isn’t always putting miles on the S Coupe. Must be nice?
My S 450 just turned 6 months old and has 4500 miles on the odometer. Still rides and drives like a true DREAM!
Mike, your brother bought a beater so he could save his real car....good idea.
Personally, I would rather have the GLC.....I think it would be a lot more comfortable. Congratulations on your grandson, nice to see his career progressing.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
same as the early days Hyundai my grandmother bought. Strippo, stick. Also drove like crap brand new.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Must be nice indeed, yeah, you're really slumming it in that S450
2018 430i Gran Coupe
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It pays to travel out of state. The only one in my area is locked behind TSA security at the airport.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
3 out of 10 are GMs, but, who is counting?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
These locks are about a mile from my house.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D