Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

PF_Flyer

Another Mad Mad car chase moment

stever

karhill1 said:

I find it curious why these companies spend so much money trying to get customers yet invariably try to stick it to the customers they already have.

Inertia, and it works.

Bummer @fezo (shoulder, Miata and Mets)

berri

61 Chevy and 62 Dodge Polara (one of the odder front ends!)

abacomike

fezo said:

Been quite a while. I have to catch up. Latest things from here are 1. After at least a year and a half of physical therapy that wasn't getting far they do an MRI on my left shoulder - complete tear of the rotator cuff. I see the surgeon tomorrow and schedule surgery and then will probably be in a sling for a month or so. Right now I can still lay my guitar with it - it raising the arm any higher or elsewhere within limits. I don'y know in the complete rest period. 2. Last Thursday was a gorgeous day and I decide to take the Miata up to Sussex County - the northwest corner of NJ and real God's country. Stopped at a far and got things like real eggs from unstacked, uncooped chicken and other such things. My day has just gone from that part and on Rt. 24 traffic suddenly stops dead. Brakes are not the highlight of the Miata. Hit the guy in front of me, doing almost nothing to his 99 Infiniti but I need a new hood, front bumper cover and one headlight assembly. This is likely to turn into an argument as to whether it's totaled but I intend to fight it out. With my daughter's car I ended up making a little money. I don't expect to do more than break even here and the car will be laid up for the winter by the time it's fixed. If it were really totaled which I don't think it it is wouldn't be the end of the world. I'd have rented it for the summer for $1,000 or so and gotten that bug taken care of. We'll see.

Fezo, I just read an article about this orthopedic surgeon who uses a brand new technique for rotator cuff repairs.  He has an office in Boca Raton, FL and does his surgery at Boca West Medicsl Center.  

He places tissue from a pig (IIRC) surrounding the entire rotator cuff.  After several months, the tissues and muscles had no distinguishing remnants of the pig's tissues.  The body takes over the healing and it acts like fetal tissue in repairing the muscle.

Ask your surgeon if he's heard of that.  There are very few surgeons certified to use this process and the results are extraordinary.

abacomike

driver100 said:

which American car had a rear window that 1) was on a reverse slant, and 2) the center of the rear window could go up and down? Well the first use on a production car that I recall was the 57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, followed in 58 by the Lincoln Continental. But I'll guess that answer is too obvious, and therefore incorrect.

You got it, although snake may be a little more officially correct. I recalled that it was a 65 Merc since my father owned one at the time. We liked that window, didn't fog up, didn't have to clear off the snow, and it made for a nice breeze with the window down. I would say it did first appear on the 57 Merc Turnpike Cruiser: Then it came back more sloped on the 63 to 68 Mercury: Mike, those are the one's I thought of too. Snake says the 57 wasn't sloped enough to count, which is possible. Out of 6 guys who like cars only two in our group remembered those cars.

Driver, perhaps it's because we are soooooo....OLD!  In 1963, I was a sophomore at NYU.  BTW, I looked up the 1955-1968 Mercury line and that reverse slanting rear window that retracted was first introduced in 1963.  Our neighbors had just bought a 1963 Monterey 4-door and I remember the guy bragging to my dad about the reverse angle rear window and showed us the button he pressed to drop it.  I also remember my dad showing his 1963 Cadillac Sedan DeVille to the guy as we got into the new Caddie (that's what everyone called Cadillacs back in our day) and drove off to pick up my mom for dinner.

These posts sure bring a tear to my eye remembering my mom and dad - miss them terribly.

I also remember the day my dad bought his 1967 Coupe DeVille convertible.  White leather interior and a pastel turquoise body and white cloth roof.  He waited 7 weeks for that car.  My mom took our dog to the vet the very next day and rear-ended a truck on the Long Island Expressway which was backing up in the right lane because he missed his exit.  That was the end of my dad's pride and job.  At least he got to drive it a couple of hours.  Honest - no BS - true story!!!  

henryn

stever said:

karhill1 said:

I find it curious why these companies spend so much money trying to get customers yet invariably try to stick it to the customers they already have.

Inertia, and it works.

There are so many instances where this applies. I was with DirecTV for many years, and now I'm with Dish. When my 2 year contract with Dish is up, I will probably go back to DirecTV to get their "great introductory rate", which Dish will refuse to match.

I have 3 accounts with SiriusXM, so 3 times a year I have to call on the phone and negotiate. Which is a pain, but it saves me right at $100 per year per account.

I did have two internet service providers, up until a few minutes ago. Comcast as my primary, and AT&T Uverse as the backup. I have to call every year, and re-negotiate to get the Uverse bill cut in half. But this time, just now, they refused, so I canceled. I'll bet money within one or two months I will get a new introductory rate offer.

So far, Comcast has been quite good about renegotiating every year, I hope that continues. This last time, I had to add their basic TV service in order to get the best rates. Very weird, I don't want it, and don't use, but adding it to my account saves me $20 per month.

Recently, I had a round with electric service rates. I started to say providers, but there is only one actual provider (the company that generates the electricity and runs wires to my house). I had my service switched back and forth (on paper, or "in the billing computer somewhere"), about 3 times, with the rate going down each time I got a phone call offering to top the offer from the other party.

Very strange world we're living in. I guess there are enough people out there who won't negotiate that these strategies pay off for the big companies.

oldfarmer50

fezo said:

Been quite a while. I have to catch up. Latest things from here are 1. After at least a year and a half of physical therapy that wasn't getting far they do an MRI on my left shoulder - complete tear of the rotator cuff. I see the surgeon tomorrow and schedule surgery and then will probably be in a sling for a month or so. Right now I can still lay my guitar with it - it raising the arm any higher or elsewhere within limits. I don'y know in the complete rest period.

2. Last Thursday was a gorgeous day and I decide to take the Miata up to Sussex County - the northwest corner of NJ and real God's country. Stopped at a far and got things like real eggs from unstacked, uncooped chicken and other such things. My day has just gone from that part and on Rt. 24 traffic suddenly stops dead. Brakes are not the highlight of the Miata. Hit the guy in front of me, doing almost nothing to his 99 Infiniti but I need a new hood, front bumper cover and one headlight assembly. This is likely to turn into an argument as to whether it's totaled but I intend to fight it out.

With my daughter's car I ended up making a little money. I don't expect to do more than break even here and the car will be laid up for the winter by the time it's fixed. If it were really totaled which I don't think it it is wouldn't be the end of the world. I'd have rented it for the summer for $1,000 or so and gotten that bug taken care of. We'll see.

Sorry to hear about that. At least you weren't hurt. It stinks when your fun ride gets busted up.

oldfarmer50

berri said:

which American car had a rear window that 1) was on a reverse slant, and 2) the center of the rear window could go up and down?


Well the first use on a production car that I recall was the 57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, followed in 58 by the Lincoln Continental. But I'll guess that answer is too obvious, and therefore incorrect.

I know it was some kind of Mercury (Monterrey?) because on my morning bus run I go through this little village where one has been up on blocks for years.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

berri said:

which American car had a rear window that 1) was on a reverse slant, and 2) the center of the rear window could go up and down?


Well the first use on a production car that I recall was the 57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, followed in 58 by the Lincoln Continental. But I'll guess that answer is too obvious, and therefore incorrect.

You got it, although snake may be a little more officially correct. I recalled that it was a 65 Merc since my father owned one at the time. We liked that window, didn't fog up, didn't have to clear off the snow, and it made for a nice breeze with the window down.

I would say it did first appear on the 57 Merc Turnpike Cruiser:


Then it came back more sloped on the 63 to 68 Mercury:


Mike, those are the one's I thought of too. Snake says the 57 wasn't sloped enough to count, which is possible. Out of 6 guys who like cars only two in our group remembered those cars.

Driver, perhaps it's because we are soooooo....OLD! ;He waited 7 weeks for that car.  My mom took our dog to the vet the very next day and rear-ended a truck on the Long Island Expressway which was backing up in the right lane because he missed his exit.  That was the end of my dad's pride and job.  At least he got to drive it a couple of hours.  Honest - no BS - true story!!!  

Actually, from our group of 6, only two remembered and we were the younger ones. But, in our case younger kids knew all the cars, the adults couldn't keep track. Those were the days when cars changed completely every year....kids could learn the new models like learning another language...easy when you are younger.

Those older cars really bring back memories. When I have to think what year we did something I always try to remember what car I was driving at the time...that helps me to recall the date, approximately.

Another car I remember with a reverse windo was the British Ford Anglia....started in 1960, but, the window didn't go up and down.

suydam

A Ford Anglia features in the Harry Potter stories. That's the only time I've heard of it!

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

Sorry to hear about that. At least you weren't hurt. It stinks when your fun ride gets busted up.

BTDT, I can sympathize 100%

fezo

Well, the good news is that we may escape shoulder surgery. Turns out it would mean not only not playing for 3 - 4 MONTHS but the arm would be in a sling that whole time and essentially useless. I'd probably be suspected of killing Richard Kimball's wife. Cortisone shot and new PT for four months before next shot. The cortisone helps immediately and is supposed to reach peak effectiveness in a few days.

On the other front I'm parts shopping on the Miata. The goal is to have the insurance company total it and then have it fixed for no more than the settlement. We'll see what I can do. May have to settle for a non-OEM hood. That may not be the end of the world.

stickguy

can't find a junkyard hood?

abacomike

fezo said:

Well, the good news is that we may escape shoulder surgery. Turns out it would mean not only not playing for 3 - 4 MONTHS but the arm would be in a sling that whole time and essentially useless. I'd probably be suspected of killing Richard Kimball's wife. Cortisone shot and new PT for four months before next shot. The cortisone helps immediately and is supposed to reach peak effectiveness in a few days. On the other front I'm parts shopping on the Miata. The goal is to have the insurance company total it and then have it fixed for no more than the settlement. We'll see what I can do. May have to settle for a non-OEM hood. That may not be the end of the world.

The cortisone and physical therapy for 2-1/2 months for me did not work.  I ended up having the out-patient arthroscopic surgery 2-1/2 years ago.  Therapy worked for 4 weeks and I only wore a sling for 3 weeks.  The toughest part was this vest they gave me where you have to clip these ice packs onto.  Had to stay in the recliner for 3 days - was not comfortable in my bed at night.

Now, I am completely recovered - for well over two years now.  I tried it the way your doctor suggested, however a torn rotator cuff does not heal by itself - the cotisone is to reduce inflammation and the therapy is to try to improve movement.  Arthroscopic surgery as an outpatient was what made me to decide to have it done - no hospitalization, no nurses with pain medications, and I was in my own comfortable environment.

I wish you the best of luck with the cortisone shots and the PT.

verdugo

graphicguy said:

karhill...I make it a habit of shopping car insruance and TV (Cable vs Sat) every couple of years for the very reason you state....premium creep. It's been so long since I've had an accident I don't recall the circumstances. So, I'm pure profit for them. Yet, they want to flog me even more.

Cable and Sat? Those companies will fight tooth and nail to keep you in the fold. I like that.

So, my wife has been talking about spending a month in China before the end of the year. She lived there for a bit when she was teaching English to Chinese students wanting to learn it. She made friends there, but hasn't been back in over a decade.

I'm not real fond of the idea, and although might be interesting for a week visit, I'm not game for a month visit. But, she's over 21 and can handle it.

That means, I have some free time, sans wife. A quick browse of some vacation options, found out that some of the cruise ships are offereing singles cabins.

So, looks like I'm cruising in December solo on what looks to be a large ship, Anthem of the Seas. Really looking forward to it.

I agree. One month in China is probably too long. Have fun on the cruise. Let us know how cruising solo differs from a normal cruise.

driver100

verdugo said:

graphicguy said:

karhill...I make it a habit of shopping car insruance and TV (Cable vs Sat) every couple of years for the very reason you state....premium creep. It's been so long since I've had an accident I don't recall the circumstances. So, I'm pure profit for them. Yet, they want to flog me even more.

Cable and Sat? Those companies will fight tooth and nail to keep you in the fold. I like that.

So, my wife has been talking about spending a month in China before the end of the year. She lived there for a bit when she was teaching English to Chinese students wanting to learn it. She made friends there, but hasn't been back in over a decade.

I'm not real fond of the idea, and although might be interesting for a week visit, I'm not game for a month visit. But, she's over 21 and can handle it.

That means, I have some free time, sans wife. A quick browse of some vacation options, found out that some of the cruise ships are offereing singles cabins.

So, looks like I'm cruising in December solo on what looks to be a large ship, Anthem of the Seas. Really looking forward to it.

I agree. One month in China is probably too long. Have fun on the cruise. Let us know how cruising solo differs from a normal cruise.

Yeh but about 10 days in China would be incredible. See The Great Wall, Yangtze River, Terra Cotta Soldiers, Bejing and Shanghai. You can't do it alone, have to find a tour company.

It is one of the hi-lites of what you can ever see in the world!

driver100

fezo said:

Well, the good news is that we may escape shoulder surgery. Turns out it would mean not only not playing for 3 - 4 MONTHS but the arm would be in a sling that whole time and essentially useless. I'd probably be suspected of killing Richard Kimball's wife. Cortisone shot and new PT for four months before next shot. The cortisone helps immediately and is supposed to reach peak effectiveness in a few days.

On the other front I'm parts shopping on the Miata. The goal is to have the insurance company total it and then have it fixed for no more than the settlement. We'll see what I can do. May have to settle for a non-OEM hood. That may not be the end of the world.

Good luck with the arm fezo.......hopefully it all works.

About the " The goal is to have the insurance company total it and then have it fixed for no more than the settlement", good luck with that too, but don't tell me about it, I don't want to be an accessory.

driver100

Buick Owners can now listen to audio books while driving.

The full Apple CarPlay feature set will appear in the 2016 Buick Regal and LaCrosse, while the Enclave, Encore, and Verano will be upgraded later. However, the core functionality remains the same. You can download audiobooks to your phone and play them through Bluetooth on any Buick, or stream the content directly through the car’s 4G/LTE connection and CarPlay, if you have one of the supported models.

Related: OnStar’s AtYourService offers retail deals, hotel booking from driver’s seat

Buick estimates that their customers are 30% more likely to be book readers than the industry average. That should come as no surprise, because even with Buick’s generally successful efforts to appeal to younger buyers with models like the Regal and Verano, the brand’s mainstay is still a more mature set of drivers. But there’s more to it than just the people who already read novels. Daily commuters of any age may find a novel or non-fiction book more relaxing than the relentless shrieking of commercial radio or the tired playlists on satellite radio.

Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/buick-adds-audiobooks-to-onstar-and-apple-carplay/#ixzz3q3M46ZsW
Follow us: @digitaltrends on Twitter | digitaltrendsftw on Facebook

graphicguy

fezo...good news on the shoulder. Sorry to hear about your Miata. What year is it, again? The good news there, parts SHOULD BE available. Be well!

Driver....wife and I had a "spirited" conversation about the China visit. I agree with you....week to 10 days would be perfect. I couldn't do much more than that for a variety of reasons that are mostly work related. The other reasons, she will be gone over the holidays, leaving the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and not returning until after Christmas. Her attachment to this trip and the country overall is strong. I prefer to spend the Holidays at home with family.

Given she's a teacher, and has been for a couple of decades, she has a lot of vacation time saved up (nearly two years worth). So, as long as she gives the district enough notice (which she apparently did some time ago). She can take that sort of time off. Fact is, given she's been a teacher for 25+ years, she will get full retirement benefits when she's ready to take them. Teachers are on a whole different set up than the majority of us when it comes to retirement and time off.

China's not a cheap trip by any stretch, either. C'est la vie!

So, I haven't taken any vacation yet this year. And, I use it or lose it. I get 4 weeks, but as most of us know, trying to take that much time off in the business community is very hard to do. So, one week it is.

Asked my son if he wanted to go. But, he was just hired by a start up, who's offering a very nice compensation package, including pre-IPO stock options. So, he really can't go either.

That's how I happened onto the cruise in a solo cabin. I'm going alone, but won't be alone. It will be warm (Bahamas) at a time when it will be at least "chilly" in the OH Valley. Will come back the week before Christmas, and be ready for the Holidays.

driver100

GG, Agree, teachers have great benefits. I taught for awhile and I would say they earn those benefits......I couldn't take it after 3 years.

I also understand you can't take that kind of trip away when you are working. Besides, you probably want more of an R&R kind of vacation that a learning one at this time......more like an escape from work routine.

I have seen some unbelievable trips to China offered....air, hotels, tours, internal flights for about $1500. Subscribe to travelzoo.com and they send you 20 amazing travel deals each week....absolutely no pressure or hassle. In fact, sometimes just seeing some of the deals makes you daydream so you feel like you are on vacation.

suydam

Wow. China. I would love to go. What an opportunity!

graphicguy

Driver....wife teaches 2nd grade in a fairly nice suburb of Cincinnati. It's pretty low stress from what I can tell. She was in China as part of a teacher exchange program some time ago. It was sponsored by her union and I think funded, at least in part, by some Federal money. This was waaaayyyyy before we even met.

She said she thought about moving there at the time she loved it so much. I told her the new "capitalist" China may prove to be quite different to the one she remembers.

For a month+ stay in China, it's going to cost 5 figures.

PF_Flyer

driver100 said:

Buick Owners can now listen to audio books while driving.

You can listen to audio books now. Heck, we listened to them on a cassette player we had in a vehicle, but I get it... technology marches on.

Will it be long before our cars can take pictures or video and post them to your favorite social media site while driving?? Geez Louise... I like to DRIVE my car.

I have REAL SLR cameras, even still have my Minolta XG-1 that uses FILM. We went to a wedding recently, and while everyone else was holding their phones up, I was taking photographs. People were stopping me to have me take their picture. I explained to them that I was NOT one of the wedding photographers, but they insisted I take the shots anyway. Totally goofy if you ask me.

imidazol97

PF_Flyer said:

I have REAL SLR cameras, even still have my Minolta XG-1 that uses FILM. We went to a wedding recently, and while everyone else was holding their phones up, I was taking photographs. People were stopping me to have me take their picture. I explained to them that I was NOT one of the wedding photographers, but they insisted I take the shots anyway. Totally goofy if you ask me.

Can one still buy film? I thought I was one of the last users of film in my Konica T3 and TC. The local stores did away with their processing with only digital printing available. I switched to a digital that was versatile enough to replace my SLRs.

abacomike

Just received a call from the pharmacy that distributes specialized drugs (Walgreen's, CVS, Publix, Walmart, , etc., do not carry nor can they get those drugs from pharmaceutical companies) that my insurance company has approved the prescriptions for Veikira Pak and Ribavirin. Just waiting to hear if the Foundation will be picking up my copay ($12,000+). If not, I will have to pay it off some how. Merck Pharmaceuticals is coming out with yet another Hep C anti viral medication in early 2016.

The major difference of this drug over Harvoni (which did not kill off the virus completely after 1 month after stopping the drug) is that Veikira Pak does not kill the virus but rather stops it from reproducing which eventually stops the virus from attacking my liver.and eliminates the virus through attrition. The Ribavirin is just an antiviral drug, but when I took it with interferon back in 2006, the side effects were murder. I used to feel faint at times and it kept me from sleeping at night (which Harvoni also did).

I have to take 3 pills in the monring, with food, and 3 pills in the afternoon with food. Also, the treatment is for 24 weeks, not 12 like the Harvoini. The reason they cannot give me the Harvoni again for 24 weeks is because the virus I have will have developed some resistance to the drug because I've taken it.

I just hope I can handle the side-effects. If after a month or so I can no longer tolerate the side effects, I will have to come off the drug and wait for another Hep C drug to come onto the market. The research and number of treatments available over the last 12 months is geometrically increasing. I just hope this works. I will have to take blood tests every 4 weeks like before in order to find out if the viral load (count) is decreasing or being eliminated. Right now it is 151,000 (it was 354,000 before I started taking Harvoni). I can't tell you how depressing it is to find out after "0" viral load test results for 4 months the final blood test showed fast increases in the virus count.

Good grief, will the stressers in my life ever ease off or am I going to have to live with this constant stress for the rest of my life, however long that is going to be.

driver100

How about the 2016 Richard Petty Mustang...727 HP?




The modified Mustang GT will come in three editions with small production numbers – 243 King models, 43 King Premier and 14 King Premier convertibles. Customers can order the cars through their local Ford dealership.

Starting with a factory Ford Mustang GT, Petty's Garage adds a Ford Performance supercharger to the stock 5.0-liter V8 engine. The supercharger adds 235 horsepower, for a total output of 670 horsepower, backed by a three-year, 36,000-mile powertrain limited warranty. Other powertrain modifications include custom engine calibration, a cold-air intake for better breathing and a MagnaFlow exhaust.

Backing up that power are extreme-duty TrakPak Ford Performance halfshafts, three-way adjustable front and rear sway bars, and a rear axle upgrade.

Custom matte-black Petty's Garage/HRE staggered 20- x 9-inch front wheels and 20- x 10-inch rear wheels with Continental Extreme Performance summer tires are standard.

In addition to the go-fast pieces, the cars are worked over with a number of Petty's Garage appearance parts – including custom rear diffuser with Richard Petty-designed center-mounted exhaust, shift knob, sill plates, floor mats, embroidered head restraints and rear spoiler. The King signs every model on a special dash plate.

The King Premier edition features different HRE/Petty's Garage wheels, a big brake upgrade kit that includes six-piston front brakes and four-piston rears over two-piece rotors, and custom leather trimmed interior. Other highlights include a complete Petty's Garage/BASF custom tri-color stripe package featuring iconic Petty blue, red and white stripes covered in crushed and tumbled glass in clear coat. Petty blue body cladding gets the clear coat crushed and tumbled glass as well.

Options for all three editions include different wheel bushings to minimize wheel hop, a coil-over racing suspension and a supercharger upgrade that results in a total of 727 horsepower.

Starting suggested retail prices are $67,495 for the King edition and $90,495 for King Premier. More details and available options can be found at the Petty's Garage website.

driver100

Mike, I hope the new drugs work. You have been through a lot....it would be nice if this can really work!

driver100

GG, just an example from travelzoo.com:

Seize the opportunity to visit China on a fully guided tour including well-reviewed hotels and air for $649 per person, including tax -- the lowest price we've ever seen. This tour package visits Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Wuxi and saves up to $1050 on similar packages.

The eight-night package includes:

International airfare from Los Angeles or San Francisco
(+$200 from New York; Houston; Washington, D.C.; +$300 from Chicago)
All domestic airfare and transfers
Well-located accommodations (double occupancy)
18 meals
Professional English-speaking tour guide on all sightseeing tours
Visits to the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace and Lingering Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Entrance fees

Personally, I would upgrade to see the Terra Cotta Soldiers, that has to be one of the best things you could ever see!

Mr_Shiftright

I guess in China you have no choice but to go on a tour?? I've always found organized tours pretty tedious.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Mike, I hope the new drugs work. You have been through a lot....it would be nice if this can really work!

Just got a call from the pharmacy telling me the drugs are being delivered this afternoon and that preliminarily, the copays will be covered by the foundation.  That's a relief.  He just warned me about the side effects and what to watch out for.

So, here we go again.  Hope things work out this time.  They say "3rd time is a charm" so we will "give it a go" as the Brits say.

qbrozen

driver100 said:

How about the 2016 Richard Petty Mustang...727 HP?

That's very early '90s looking. I remember a friend in high school trimming out his black Chevy Blazer with turquoise blue turbo wiper arms, window covers, fender flares, etc.

stever

Would be a popular color down here in NM, at least the turquoise part. The shade on the Mustang is a bit lighter than the usual color here though (yep, have that color, but more of a blue, on my front gate and some turquoise flower pots - it's a state law I think).

abacomike

On my way home today, I stopped off for gas at Costco.  $2.37.9 a gallon go PUG.  I don't remember the last time I saw Premium that low.  That's an amazing price for South Florida where our gasoline has the highest taxes in the State.

henryn

^^^ that would be a really fun toy. If I had the money to throw around, I just might consider one. Put it another way, I would do this MUCH sooner than spend the same amount on a Mercedes or BMW. But that's just me, tastes differ, YMMV, etc.

stickguy

Man, to me, that mustang looks hideous. RB should get one. 727 HP might be almost enough for him.

stickguy

I got gas at the 76 station today. Says top tier. PUG for 219.9. RUG was 175.9. I lived large and sprang for PUG

stickguy

Mike, good luck. Like I said about chemo, treatment might suck but it beats the alternative.

Just keep chugging ahead. All anyone can do.

henryn

stickguy said:

Mike, good luck. Like I said about chemo, treatment might suck but it beats the alternative.

Just keep chugging ahead. All anyone can do.

+1

hang in there, Mike!

graphicguy

Thanks, driver....interesting. The numbers I'm seeing from my wife, the airfare alone is $1,700 to get there and back, plus another $1,000 for travel within China. 30+ nights of hotels will be in the $3,300-$3,500 range. Add in food, land based travel, etc, and the price is not cheap.

She's not part of any tour. She's just visiting schools, former students, friends from many years ago.

Mike....hang in there.

Got the Cadillac back today. We'll see if it stalls again. They replaced some sort of vapor parts in the fuel system. And, shock of shocks, they replaced the windshield wipers without me asking, nor charging me.

Heard from the buy back dept at Cadillac today, too. Apparently, my case moved up to the next level. Someone is supposed to contact me to talk about numbers. I don't know what numbers they want to talk about. It's a swap, plain and simple. The number I bought for should equal the number on the replacement. How they make the balance sheet work is up to them. We'll see.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

I guess in China you have no choice but to go on a tour?? I've always found organized tours pretty tedious.

You couldn't do China on your own....you have to go on a tour. We are like you though, if we can do it on our own we prefer that anytime. Tours by there nature are boring and you probably won't see things you really want to see....so on your own is better.

IMHO the best way to see most cities is a Hop On Hop Off bus, they give you facts and you will get an overview of the city. I stops at any hilites you may be interested in seeing.

Some countries though, a tour is the only way to do it, St Petersburg Russia for one - you can't do it on your own unless you get a visa. Egypt because there is no way you want to venture around on your own. China is another, you wouldn't have a clue how to manage on your own.

PF_Flyer

imidazol97 said:

Can one still buy film? I thought I was one of the last users of film in my Konica T3 and TC. The local stores did away with their processing with only digital printing available. I switched to a digital that was versatile enough to replace my SLRs.

They still sell Fuji in Walmart. You have to send it away to get processing, but it's still there. I have a couple of B&W rolls to shoot. Been toying with the idea of setting up a darkroom for B&W processing. I've done that before, not super difficult.

Just what I need, another hobby that east money

driver100

graphicguy said:

Got the Cadillac back today. We'll see if it stalls again. They replaced some sort of vapor parts in the fuel system. And, shock of shocks, they replaced the windshield wipers without me asking, nor charging me.

Heard from the buy back dept at Cadillac today, too. Apparently, my case moved up to the next level. Someone is supposed to contact me to talk about numbers. I don't know what numbers they want to talk about. It's a swap, plain and simple. The number I bought for should equal the number on the replacement. How they make the balance sheet work is up to them. We'll see.

I don't think you have driven the car enough to go through a pair of wiper blades....unless they were sub standard. The dealer probably wanted to make a bit extra on doing some repair work.

Go over numbers! That sounds ominous. The only numbers are the time of day they want to do the swap.

abacomike

Got the pills 1/2 hour ago.  Geez, just reading the possible side-effects of the three medications is enough to scare the excriment (how's that for avoiding the "S" word?) out of anyone.

Because the insurance company did not approve larger dose of the Ribavirin, they substituted a larger amount of the smaller dose pills.  So, I take 6 pills every morning with food and 4 pills every evening with food.  The Veikira Pak comes in individual daily pkgs. showing which pills to take in the AM and the PM.  Who needs to take these pills with meals?  The amount of pills is a meal in and of itself!

ab348

stickguy said:

Man, to me, that mustang looks hideous. RB should get one.

"Whaddaya saying?!?"

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

fezo...good news on the shoulder. Sorry to hear about your Miata. What year is it, again? The good news there, parts SHOULD BE available. Be well!

Driver....wife and I had a "spirited" conversation about the China visit. I agree with you....week to 10 days would be perfect. I couldn't do much more than that for a variety of reasons that are mostly work related. The other reasons, she will be gone over the holidays, leaving the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and not returning until after Christmas. Her attachment to this trip and the country overall is strong. I prefer to spend the Holidays at home with family.

Given she's a teacher, and has been for a couple of decades, she has a lot of vacation time saved up (nearly two years worth). So, as long as she gives the district enough notice (which she apparently did some time ago). She can take that sort of time off. Fact is, given she's been a teacher for 25+ years, she will get full retirement benefits when she's ready to take them. Teachers are on a whole different set up than the majority of us when it comes to retirement and time off.

China's not a cheap trip by any stretch, either. C'est la vie!

So, I haven't taken any vacation yet this year. And, I use it or lose it. I get 4 weeks, but as most of us know, trying to take that much time off in the business community is very hard to do. So, one week it is.

Asked my son if he wanted to go. But, he was just hired by a start up, who's offering a very nice compensation package, including pre-IPO stock options. So, he really can't go either.

That's how I happened onto the cruise in a solo cabin. I'm going alone, but won't be alone. It will be warm (Bahamas) at a time when it will be at least "chilly" in the OH Valley. Will come back the week before Christmas, and be ready for the Holidays.

Why not take your week off and surprise her by showing up unannounced? Bet that would mean more to her than if you stayed the whole month.

abacomike

@graphicguy:

"Asked my son if he wanted to go. But, he was just hired by a start up, who's offering a very nice compensation package, including pre-IPO stock options. So, he really can't go either."

You didn't ask me!  

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Mike, I hope the new drugs work. You have been through a lot....it would be nice if this can really work!

Just got a call from the pharmacy telling me the drugs are being delivered this afternoon and that preliminarily, the copays will be covered by the foundation.  That's a relief.  He just warned me about the side effects and what to watch out for.

So, here we go again.  Hope things work out this time.  They say "3rd time is a charm" so we will "give it a go" as the Brits say.


God luck Mike. We'll keep an eye out for you in case you start taking crazy and mention a desire to trade into a Fiat 500 or something.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I got gas at the 76 station today. Says top tier. PUG for 219.9. RUG was 175.9. I lived large and sprang for PUG

Just got RUG at $2.07. If you joined their "club" you could get $1.97. First sub $2 since 2005.

abacomike

@oldfarmer50 said"

"God luck Mike. We'll keep an eye out for you in case you start taking crazy and mention a desire to trade into a Fiat 500 or something."

If I had to pay full copay for the pills for the next 6 months (24 week regimen), I would be driving a "KIDDIE CAR!"  Could never have afforded a Fiat 500, that's for sure!  

verdugo

graphicguy said:

For a month+ stay in China, it's going to cost 5 figures.

With 30 nights and hotel, that doesn't seem unreasonable. $1700 for a flight? Man, I thought they'd be cheaper.