Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    I brought Beth home from NYP (Columbia/Cornel Hospital) last night. It is right across the street from her other 'home away from home' Sloan Kettering. In fact, when I was taking a walk around the block on Wednesday afternoon (nervous energy...), I ran into her oncologist also out for some fresh air!

    I think they dismiss too early and had hoped that they would have kept her another day. But I have to admit, that she is coming back to herself very quickly at home. Remarkable after the roller coaster ride we had on Wednesday/Thursday. To make a long story short, the cancer find last winter put a delay on fixing another problem. She got a 'thumbs up' from Sloan a few weeks back to proceed, so it was across the street to the next set of experts. The surgery went into double overtime, requiring longer and deeper anesthesia to which she initially refused to come back from! It is tough seeing your wife on a respirator upteen hours after the surgery was supposed to be complete! She got to say about an extra day in recovery before being moved to a regular room, then out the door.....

    Anyhow, all is well now.

    Steve
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Geez, I bet you went through the ringer on that one! That's got to be one of the scariest things to go through with a family member. I bet that was one BIG sigh of relief at the end!

    Craig
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    steve .... my heart goes out to you and your family ...
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Steve, here's hoping everything turns out okay for Beth and you. Our prayers are with you guys.

    Bob
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,399
    Steve,
    Very relieved to hear that our prayers were answered and Beth is on the road to recovery.
    Jim
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Steve,

    I am glad to hear that Beth is back home with you. I can speak from personal experience regarding NYP = They are a VERY good hospital. Both my parents were patients there, and they were able to give my dad 2 years of life which he would not have gotten elsewhere.

    Stay strong and know we're thinking of you.

    Mark
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Brenda-

    Hope everyone came through with no problems.

    Mark
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Mark,

    I was very impressed by the facility and staff. They and Sloan have really changed my view of what a NYC hospital is like.

    The one (maybe only....) upside of all this city hospital stuff is that I have once again become comfortable with NYC. Driving, walking, etc. And not just the York Ave area - we have been taking side trips downtown when Beth was up to it. Two weeks ago she even took the kids in by herself by train.

    Steve
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    I'm very glad to hear Beth is home. That in itself is one of the best things for recovery. My continued prayers and positive thoughts for you, Beth, and your family.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    From our friends in the TX area?

    It seemed that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Hope you are faring well.

    -juice
  • jimmyp1jimmyp1 Member Posts: 640
    Here in West Houston we have only a few downed trees. Really, those trees must have been pretty fragile because the wind was the only thing that could have caused them to topple. The rain hardly even made it out this far because Rita's moisture would swoop up around counter clock-wise and then meet the hot dry air that we've had out here for so long thereby falling apart almost completely. We dodged a bullet. The poor people who got caught up in traffic had it much worse than I did just hanging out at the house. I lost power for about 2 hours and never lost cable.

    Jim
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    finally heard from daughter at Fort Polk this morning .. phone rang several times around 7 am but I couldn't hear anyone .. thought maybe it was her .. finally on one call heard ... Mom? ... then on the next call ... me: is everyone OK ... she: yes ... then on the next call ... me: are you feeling any better? (she had strep throat accompanied by vertigo last week) .. she: yes ... that really was all that was understandable in the static of about 8 calls .. later today she left a coherent clear message on my cell phone .

    they are fine .. they have no power .. she might take the boys to her dad's in Texas only they have no gasoline ... at least I've now heard from them!

    thanks for asking ..
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    This is pure indulgence - absolutely nothing to do with Subarus but I just love British Obituaries and think the artform should be shared. This is one of the better ones from The Telegraph. The ninth and tenth paragraphs are especially pleasing

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2005/09/27/db2701.- xml

    Cheers

    Graham
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Brenda-

    Glad to hear that everyone is fine, considering. I bet you are relieved! Hope they get everything up and running soon.

    Mark
  • damish003damish003 Member Posts: 303
    Priceless, Graham, absolutely priceless! Thanks for the morning grins. ;)

    -Dan-
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    My organ works also (at least last time I checked.....). Granted, it was a while ago, so I guess I should not be quite so confident.

    Steve
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Steve,

    Just catching up on my messages, but wow, what an experience. "It is tough seeing your wife on a respirator upteen hours after the surgery was supposed to be complete!". I couldn't imagine how tough that would have been.

    Glad everything's okay now.

    Ken
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Great find Graham!

    Bob
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    It reminds me of the joy my wife gave to many academics when she chose to study Charles Dickens impact as a social reformer for her undergrad thesis. It was titled "Charles Dickens and the Novel as an Organ of Social Change". With a littl more worldliness she might not go there next time around. It did however ensure that everyone in the history department knew her as the "girl writing about Dickens' Organ!".

    I'm coming up to 20000km in the Kluger (Highlander to you). The only real hassle is the various rattles around the trim, none of them easy to track. The overall noise level is low so you hear things which would pass unnoticed in another vehicle.

    It's still not as fun to drive as the Outback, but seesm to be doing the job fairly well.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    my OBW turns 4 years old, with a scant 34k miles on the clock. Every time I track down and kill a rattle or squeak, a new one rises up to take it's place! But overall, still a nice car to drive.

    Steve
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    Happy birthday to Fibber's car!

    BTW, is the chat being hi-jacked for the Lexus thing this week? Steve_? Mod Bob? Rob M.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Yep, hijacked again afaik. Guess we need auto-locking doors for the Crew chat or something. Something tells me the Lexus chat will subsidize the Crew chat for the rest of the winter. :-)

    Steve, Host
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Glad to hear the folks here (and extended family) were OK.

    Steve: your OCD membership is secure. :)

    Should I send another reminder for the Crew to skip the chat this time? :p

    -juice
  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    This coming Sunday is the Taste of Lexus event at Calder Race Course in Miami...I'm drooling already, both at the thought of driving cool cars as fast as I can, and at the thought of the great food...last year was a veritable feast with incredible wraps, fresh fruit, desserts, etc...excuse me while I wipe my chin!
    Serge
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The DC event passed, I was on the wait list but never made it. :(

    Would have been a great way to "treat" Bob. Meets my budget anyway. LOL

    For those that missed it, we made a bet about the Tokyo Show. He predicted big news, I said it would be quiet. Boy was I wrong - see Future Models.

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Wow, so much has happened to a lot of people in 3 months! I have spent the last day trying to catch up on all the posts (even then I could only scan them). I hope everyone is safe after all these hurricaines and your families are doing better (seem like so much happened this summer).

    I have had a crazy 3 months with work- been pretty much exhausted most of the time (had a partner leave our group during the months most of us take vacations) but I've finally reached the end of the tunnel (I hope!)

    But I think some good things happened too, right? Let's see, Rob finally gave in and got an LGT- how's it going? As fun as your mustang? And Craig got his S2K- cool, (I almost did the same thing- the lease rates were so good! But a convertible in Seattle is not exactly a good idea- so reason intervened yet again. . .) And Juice and Bob had Tribecas for a while- that must have been cool (although I still can't get over the looks). Did I miss anything else good? Oh yeah, everyone survived the Hurricaines. It does make you thankful for the little things. . .

    Well, I hope to be more in touch!

    Ian- sorry about your arm! I haven't had any time to get on my bike either!
    Paul- So much for the Mariners. Maybe next year?

    BTW, is there a chat tonight?

    tom
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    Welcome back Tom! And don't be sorry.

    Yes, the GT is a sweet ride. I never regret buying it. I have put 8k on it since May just commuting back and forth to work. As for my Mustang GT, I started it once this summer.

    I share your pain for the summer from hell. As you might know, I am an IS manager for a homecare and hospice agency with 65 nurses on point of care laptop. My assistant walked out the door in June, leaving me alone for the summer. I was able to take a day off in July. I have been on call for support every night and weekend. I took my laptop, cellphone and beeper when I went on vacation to York Beach in Maine back in August.

    But, my greatest joy is knowing that every night, I get into my GT, smell the new leather, hear the sound of the exhaust, and crank down I95 with the tunes at full volume. I have therapy - it's a car payment! ;) Rob M.
  • hammerheadhammerhead Member Posts: 907
    'Tis okay, Tom... their magic number for next year is 166 :)

    Glad to see you back
    Cheers!
    Paul
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Welcome back!

    RE: Crew Chat - It is being bumped tonight for the chat with Lexus General Manager. Crew chat will return next week.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Lexus chat instead, make sure to miss it! :D

    -juice
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Every party has one.

    :P
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We'll forgive any Crew regulars that go just out of curiosity.

    At least Lexus builds an IS250 with AWD (but no manual - DOH!).

    -juice
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Well guys the bad news here is like the energiser bunny it keeps going and going.

    I had a phone call from my sister in Ireland today to tell me our brother has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. He goes to the cancer clinic from the hospital tomorrow to see what stage it is at and what are his options if any.

    I would ask the crew to keep him in your prayers as a diagnosis of lung cancer is about one of the worst you can get.

    Cheers Pat.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Hey Tom, good to hear from you! That S2K is saving me $70-100 a month in gas over my OB XT, so the low lease payment is effectively even lower. Who thought there would be logic amongst the insanity?!?

    Craig
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    Pat, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Rob M.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I'm registered for the Lexus thing in a couple of weeks (Chicago/Arlington Park). This Saturday I'm going to the GM autoshow in motion at Arlington Park, and at the end of the month is a Mazda zoom-zoom live event there. Lots of fun driving to be had.

    -Brian
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Sorry to hear that Pat.

    Craig
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You can count on that Pat. Sorry to hear the news. Is he a smoker?

    Bob
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Yep, Bob he is a very heavy smoker, but couldn't be told.

    Cheers Pat.
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    It seems it's been a long year for some.

    Sorry to hear, Pat. Hopefully they've caught it early enough to remove it.

    Steve, hope Beth's doing ok. (I'm still catching up on things)

    Ken, is your sister in law doing ok?

    I'll keep them in my prayers.

    Rob, I'm sorry to hear you had a long summer too. Hope you're getting some relief. I know what you mean about the car. Some days the drive home was my only time to unwind! I still love this car! (although I might have to change it, I'll explain later)

    Paul, is that 166 loses? I'd be happy if they were 50-50 next year! Just as well, I didn't have time to go to any games since spring. How're things on the other side of the mountains?

    Craig, that's too funny. I'll have to try that on my wife. "Yes dear, I'll actually be saving money by buying this car!" It's not the most comfortable car in the world, though, is it? :-)

    Karen, thanks for the welcome back too!

    tom
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Ok, here's my problem. My wife has backed into someone for the third time this year! Granted, she's little and driving a huge minivan, but I bought a van with rear sonar, so in theory backing into things shouldn't happen, right? Somehow, I don't think even sonar will help some drivers, unfortunately my wife is one of them. :mad: So far the cost of all the damage could have bought a small Hyundai.

    So, my dilemma is we need one fairly large car for the family and doing church stuff, and my car. Unfortunately, I think I need to give my wife the small car and I will need to drive the big car. My other problem is she still doesn't know how to drive stick (confidently- it's very hilly where we live). So I would have to trade my car in and buy her an automatic. (since I can't trade in my wife :D )

    Any thoughts on an idestructable car that's not too expensive (since she destroys cars) that will not damage other cars much?

    For me, I will need a 7-8 passenger vehicle that's not boring. Or ugly. And I'd like to avoid going back to a huge SUV.

    Oh yeah, one of my cars has to be AWD or 4WD.

    I'm thinking of trading in my LGT for an OB (I'll be losing a lot of money though, and all my fun driving!) for the DW but I can't think of a good large non-SUV I'd want.

    I guess my last option would be to buy a 3rd car (maybe cheap and used) for her to drive around. But she'd still be driving the minivan from time to time and I'm not sure this would solve the problem of her backing into things.

    Help me save my LGT!

    tom
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I think a Forester for your wife might be a good option. The Forester has excellent rear visibility.

    Bob
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Craig, that's too funny. I'll have to try that on my wife. "Yes dear, I'll actually be saving money by buying this car!" It's not the most comfortable car in the world, though, is it? :-)

    On smooth roads, it is surprisingly comfortable, due to the fantastic seats. But, the cockpit is small. At 6-1 225lb, I feel like I'm at the absolute upper limit of the car. I probably would need to get out and stretch for drives longer than an hour or so. This would not be an issue for more reasonably sized people though.

    Where it gets uncomfortable is on bumpy roads, and on the highway above 65mph (noise). The odd thing is, I drive it every chance I get now, and my commute is 35 miles each way over lousy concrete highways with normal flow going 70-75mph! Top has been down the whole time except for a couple rainy days.

    So yeah, it's uncomfortable compared to my OB XT or other larger cushy/quiet/cruiser cars, but I seem to have found a way to overlook all of that! Must be part of the mid-life crisis.... The best thing about the car is the overall feel -- it's very slick and everything works together like a well oiled machine, with little to no "slack" in the driveline or controls. It's pretty much like "wearing" a sports car.

    Now, onto your dilemma, here are a few things that rambled throught my mind.

    * Forester offers the hill-holder clutch which should eliminate the hill-issues many people fear with a manual transmission. Still, if your wife is used to automatic, she would probably find the manual-trans inconvenient and awkward (though fun). XT models would keep a smile on your face, but even the non-turbo models are a lot of fun to drive. It's a small and nimble vehicle. If you could find a leftover 05 "X" model with the unpainted cladding, it would be inexpensive and tough (unfortunately, 06 models get paint all around).

    * If you need a bigger vehicle with AWD, the Tribeca would be hard to overlook. It drives extremely well for a 7-pax SUV. In fact, I don't think you would find an SUV that corners flatter or handles better. Price is reasonable too considering what you get.

    * Not sure what you'd gain with an Outback -- could you just get a Legacy GT with automatic transmission? Honestly, the 5EAT is as good as it gets with automatics.

    * Any way to lock-out reverse on your wife's vehicle? ;-) What kind of minivanis she driving BTW?

    Craig
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    sorry to hear, Pat .. you know your family will be in my thoughts ..
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Interesting details from Fuji detailing Subarus efforts at a hybrid. i like the look of the concept. Interesting that, like Toyota, Subaru are looking to use a Miller cycle engine in tadem with an electric motor. Wonder why a Miller cycle is used. What are the benefits?

    http://www.fhi.co.jp/english/news/press/2005/05_09_28e.pdf

    Cheers

    Graham
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    Tom, LOL on trading the wife! You might consider an Outback XT to replace the GT. Has the oomph of the GT, and is practical at the same time.

    I use my GT primarily for commuting back and forth to work. It basically gets parked on the weekend. My wife's car is a basic 03 Outback wagon. The only requirement was AWD and heated seats. This car sees shopping, errands, soccer and ski trips. In really bad weather, I leave the GT at home and use the Outback.

    My wife does not drive a manual, and never will. I ended up traded my 92 Loyale 5 speed wagon for a Legacy GT sedan. Automatic, so the dw could drive it if necessary. Looking back, although I like to drive a standard, I really don't miss it - even more so with the 5EAT sportshift in the new GT. Good Luck! Rob M.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Nissan Pivo: "The egg-shaped cabin of Nissan Motor's concept car "Pivo" swivels around atop its wheeled platform at an unveiling in Tokyo Septemer 30, 2005 at a press preview for the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show 2005. Named after the word "pivot", the 360-degree-revolving feature, which makes parking in tight spots a cinch, operates on an experimental drive-by-wire system, which eliminates the mechanical linkages between cabin and chassis to enable steering, braking and shifting through electric signals sent to a central computer. REUTERS/Toshiyuki Aizawa"

    http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsPhotoPresentation.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&imageID=20- 05-09-30T075110Z_01_NOOTR_RTRIDSP_0_OUKOE-UK-AUTOS-NISSAN-CONCEPTCAR.XML

    "New concept car: a rotating egg on wheels"

    http://today.reuters.co.uk/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2005-09-30T0- 74300Z_01_MOL019089_RTRIDST_0_OUKOE-UK-AUTOS-NISSAN-CONCEPTCAR.XML
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Hey Graham, there's been a lot of discussion on the new B5-TPH over in the Subaru Crew "Future Models" thread. Yes, it's very exciting. :)

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Pat: sorry to hear that. It's a tough addiction, I guess I'm lucky enough to never have started, so I'll never know how hard it would be to quit. My aunt has serious asthma issues from a life time of smoking, but she did kick the habit eventually.

    She has bounced back, and it a lot healthier today. So let's have hope.

    Papa Bear: I also registered for the Mazda event. I'll probably try out the new MX-5 and hopefully the AWD MazdaSpeed 6 if one is available.

    tom: I'll second the vote for the Forester. In that thread we talk about "magic" bumpers that bounce back into shape after a collision. When NHTSA still published the bumper damage in their basher tests, Forester has the least damage in its class, far less $ than average in damage in 5mph collisions, your wife's specialty.

    Top that off with good visibility and all-around safety, and there you go. Try to get an '05 X, with unpainted bumpers, for even less damage from dings and bumps. The '06 models all get painted bumpers.

    Unpainted Forester bumpers are dirt cheap. I got smashed in the back, wholesale was something like $125 for the whole bumper, and you don't even have to paint it.

    -juice
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