Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

subearu

Yep, that is what I was suggesting. It's on the way down.

I would likely come down in the morning and head back home that night. So, I don't know how convenient that would be for Juice.

-Brian

jfl

It's mainly my ability to break free and that my daughters used up ALL my frequent flier miles! However, I should have enough miles by the time this comes around.

Jim

ladywclass

drop him off at my house and i'll take him back to the airport ... lol

juice ... i'll have my DH call your DW and vouch for me ...

fibber2

I'd be careful, Juice, that lady is a tiger (or so I hear..).

Hey, if Jim and I do this, there will be at least one car going to and from O'Hare.

Steve

ateixeira

News just in, they'll build Camrys at SIA. 100k/year or so. Toyota may also help Subaru build a hybrid there.

-juice

bat1161

So if enough people are interested, any ideas as to when? I am assuming it has to be a weekday, and we would have to be there for 9AM.

Anyone want to throw out some dates? For those who are parents, or teachers, I would guess after school is out for the summer.

BTW, depending on what day I would either drive (preferred) or fly/drive in.

Mark

lilbluewgn02

It's been a while since I've been on. busy with my students...in fact, as I write this, I'm administering the FCATs, Florida's version of standardized tests; it's the be all and end all here, and there is too much emphasis on teaching to the FCAT; the politics involved is enormous. Today is 2 sessions of reading, tomorrow is 2 sessions of math, and next Wednesday is the NRT (Norm-referenced test) in both reading and math.
We may be going to WDW in a couple of weeks; Michael wants to go on Expedition Everest...Florida residents get discounts on tickets; we usually stay off-property at a Hampton Inn 4 miles from Animal Kingdom...been staying there for years and they know us already, though last year, we got to stay at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort because of the trip Susan won.
I chuckled when Colin asked about the black STI; there is more then 1 in the state....I usually see other Subies everyday.
Muppet 3D is hilarious; we go there everytime we're in Orlando (a 3 hour ride for us). When I was 16, I got a summer job in NYC working as a messenger delivering packages. One was going to Henson's studio. When I rang the bell, Oscar answered it along with Jim Henson. I started laughing, barely able to get the words out about the package...Oscar tried to sign for it, but Henson took the pen from him and signed it...the highlight of my summer...he died much too young.
Susan starts a new job today...internal auditor for anational company...it will mean about 50% travel, but the salary is incredible.

As for other news, after 19 years of marriage, Susan and I have decided to go our separate ways. It's been a long time coming and we have the opportunity to make a lot of money on the house. We'll both be staying here. She has her new position, and it looks like I'll be getting this World History position at my school because the teacher will not be coming back next year. Michael is OK with it...he has seen it coming also, and we'll be keeping a close eye on him.
The balance in life is always there, with good comes bad.
I will keep you guys posted.
From the land of pythons eating gators and vice versa.
Serge

ateixeira

Wait long enough and we could invite the Toyota guys to join us.

Funny story - last night we're waiting for some friends to come over for dinner, and they're uncharacteristically late. Turns out his new Aviator broke down, something with the brake lights not working and it disabling the car (would not go out of Park).

The Lincoln is just two years old and that's already the 2nd time it stranded him.

So instead we drove over there and took the food we'd made, in our Forester. He called Lincoln and they put him in a limp-home mode, and I picked him up from the dealer (in a Subaru that is 7 years older).

He was pretty embarassed, but I tried not to rub it in. He's the same guy who has let me drive his Boxster. The Boxster is also why he needed me to pick him up - they can't all 3 fit in the Porsche.

-juice

ateixeira

We've stayed at that Hampton Inn also, if you're talking about the one on 192 near Rt. 4. Great value for the price.

Sorry to hear about your separation, Serge. Sounds like it's very amicable and Michael is taking it like a trooper, which is good. Try to give him a little extra attention during this transition.

-juice

bat1161

Serge,

Nice story about Jim Henson. That is one memory that will stay with you forever, and will be great to tell your grandkids. Congrats on the job in Fl. I know you were concerned about that.

Sorry to hear about you and Susan. Hang in there, and enjoy the time with Michael.

Mark

ateixeira

So my daughter goes to a party this weekend, first time she's ever even seen a bowling ball, walks right up to her lane, and proceeds to bowl a spare on her very first attempt.

It was hilarious.

Even more funny, her score beat my last score, though she did have the help of those bumpers that prevent gutter balls.

Do colleges offer scholarships for bowlers?

-juice

rsholland

Serge, I'm both shocked and saddened. I really enjoyed meeting Susan, Michael and you last year. I wish only the best for all of you.

Bob

lilbluewgn02

It happens, little by little, things went awry and communication ceased. There is a lot of anger, resentment, the usual things that come into play in a situation like this. I'm sorry more for Michael; I know it's affected him, so I just stay close. He's strong, smart, and loved very much by both of us. Susan and I will stay near each other so Michael gets 2 homes, though he'll most likely stay with me more due to Susan's new job. Dina will probably stay with us. It's a very recent decision, so none of this has been determined yet.

ateixeira

My parents separated when I was about 10, all I can say is do everything you can to be accomodating, you won't regret it.

-juice

jeffmc

You got to meet Jim Henson (and Oscar)? Fantastic! That is a truly priceless moment. He did die much too young. In today's crazy world, we need more kind and gentle folks like him who are still able to laugh at the world and at themselves.

Hope your transition out of marriage goes as smoothly as possible for each of you. As much as is humanly possible, don't let it eat at you - carry no grudges and speak kindly of Susan, your son will appreciate it. That was one of the hardest parts for my wife when her parents split - each bad-mouthing the other. Sounds like you two are already taking a very mature approach.

ladywclass

no matter the circumstances .. it's never easy ...
I wish you both the best ...

hondafriek

Sorry to hear of your separation Serge, but if you have tried and it is still not working then the best solution in the long run is to part. Sometimes when you stay past the time you should have left, you finish up truly hating the sight of one another.

Cheers Pat.

fibber2

Serge,

I am so very sorry. Here I was, reading along, smiling and laughing to myself about your encounter with Oscar, than wham, a shot to the head.

I read a very disturbing statistic some time ago about the high number of breakups that follow the recovery from life threatening illness suffered by one of the partners. Not sure the psychology is really understood. Maybe it is the stress itself, or some kind of strange letdown after so much stress? Some say it is related to the ill partner never feeling that the healthy one really understood the depth of suffering. Or that the recovered partner has seen the depths of hell, and now wants to live & change everything? And for sure in some cases the cracks were probably already there, but the split just got pushed off a year or two until the crisis was over.

Needless to say I too think about it from time to time. We are doing well, but yes, we have our moments!

I truly wish you both, and Michael, all the best.

Steve

ladywclass

I was married 26 years, probably 25 longer than I should have been .... however we had 3 beautiful daughters, and I had been raised that marriage is forever and certainly important for the children ...(my mother's parents divorced/remarried one another/divorced again so she went through hell as a child) ...

we had been in counseling and I truly wanted it to work ... after about 6 months in counseling I had to have a breast biopsy .. in my case it was benign, but it certainly made me rethink a lot of the future and how much life I had left to make something "more positive" than what I had dealt with for so long ... at the time, my health insurance was through the husband, and all I could see was being tied to him in order to have medical insurance!!! and .. at least in my case .. he was not concerned about me - only about how it all affected him ... he was an extremely selfish and narcissistic person ...

it scared me to death .. almost more than the cancer ...

i moved out less than a month after the biopsy ... it wasn't the cause of the problems, but it sure helped me make up my mind!

sure it isn't the story with you guys here ... but the health issue really did help me make up my mind ...

I also meant what I said .. it was my decision to leave .. but it still wasn't in any way or form "easy" ... I went through a huge grief period over what never would be ... as long as we were together I had hope that eventually we'd work things out ... I had to let that one go ... along with all the things that went with having grandchildren visiting the family home ... we already had one at the time ... so yes - your son will need you both ... but don't forget to take care of yourself .. and give yourself TIME ...

I truly do send my best to you all during this time of "grief" ...

Brenda

lilbluewgn02

I want to thank all of you for your thoughts. After reading them, I relaized that all of you hit upon some of the reasons;
Susan's illness, my job situation, just many years of going through the motions...it was time. We still don't have a time frame for everything, but the decision was made; that's a step that is good for all of us.
Serge

Karen_S

Yes, they do. And my daughter (age 15) is looking into bowling scholarships. She started bowling at age 9. She was the only Freshman on her high school's Varsity bowling team. Her average now is 160, but she is hoping to get it higher on the summer league as she will be partnering with her youth bowling coach.

So get her some shoes and a ball fitted for her hand now!

Karen_S

Serge,

I'm so sorry to hear about you and Susan. It sounds like you are both handling it well and I'm sure that will be helpful for Michael.

jeffmc

Several weeks ago, we went on a winter trip to the Freestone Inn near Mazama, on the eastern slopes of Washington's North Cascades. About a five-hour drive from Puget Sound. If anyone out there is into heliskiing, this is a great jumping-off point. For our part, we're just hikers/snowshoers for now. Mazama's at the northeastern end of the Methow Valley, which boats the 2nd-largest winter trail system in the US.
Our Outback just accommodated four adults and a 2-year-old in a large car seat, plus all of our gear and food for a few meals. (These are the times I'd like a B9 Tribeca). In nearly 2 years of ownership, this was my first chance to test the Outback in seriously slippery conditions, and it was stellar. We could detect nary a slip nor wiggle on extremely compacted snow and ice on the way there, and with fresh snow on top of the ice on the way back. This is with 30k miles on the orig. tires. Prior to the snowfall on our last day, there were three feet on the ground, but it hadn't snowed in about four weeks, so things were quite icy.
Anyway, finally got around to creating an online album, so I thought I'd share a couple pics. Hope these aren't too large.

rsholland

Great pixs Jeff! A Subie in its environment!

Bob

fibber2

Beautiful shots, Jeff, and the Inn looks terrific as well!

Steve

jeffmc

Steve - We chose to stay in one of their cabins on the site, so our little boy could run around and make noise and we'd not have to worry about disturbing anyone. While it was nice to have that extra freedom and separation from other guests, the cabins themselves were slightly disappointing, being merely average. For the price I expected a little more. The inn and its adjoining rooms, restaurant, library, etc., and its grounds, trails and other facilities, however, were all top-notch. If you were traveling sans children, the inn would definitely be the better choice over the cabins.

fibber2

Jeff, we had the near identical experience on our Christmas - New Year week last December when we stayed at the Sagamore in Upstate NY - Lake George. http://www.thesagamore.com/resort/

Because of the kids, we chose a lodge suite. It really was very nice, but I missed the feeling of staying in the main old hotel building with its ornate architecture, and all of the services available without having to put on your coat and boots!

Steve

ateixeira

Karen: well, she bowled a 107 in her first game ever, and it was the highest score out of the 19 girls at that party. I'll take her again to see if it was beginner's luck.

Jeff: paradise baby! That's just beautiful! :shades:

-juice

kens

...but not from Disney World. I was in Orlando for a few nights to attend a big bio-analytical instrumentation tradeshow. Unfortunately, it was mostly work and I only had one short afternoon to swing by Downtown Disney to pick up a gift for my daughter.

Serge: So sorry to hear the news.

Jeff: Awesome photos. Very therapeutic -- not to mention how clean your OB looks!

Ken

Karen_S

A freelance reporter is interested in talking with people who have named their cars. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, April 12, 2006 containing your daytime contact information and the make, model and name of your vehicle.

Thanks,

Jeannine Fallon

ateixeira

Sure, I'll e-mail PR Lady about that. A lot people here probably could.

Any why not? Get quoted in a major newspaper. She's put me in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and in a book by Michelle Maynard.

-juice

PF_Flyer

Juice will be signing board posts :P

fibber2

I just got a short, tearful call from my mom. She figured that by now we had heard the news and might have put the event together with the itinarary that is tacked to the fridge door. Their ship, the Millennium, had docked in Chile (?), and they went for a tour inland when one of their buses crashed. Among the dead are several of their friends from their retirement community in Monroe Township, NJ, including the trip organizer. Needless to say, I think she wants to come home!

Steve

rsholland

Oh that's terrible Steve. I think I saw that on the news today.

Bob

fibber2

Unbelieveably enough, the media does not yet seem to know that they are 'locals'. I have tried to get back in touch with my folks, but the ship-to-shore phone lines seem to be clogged.

Steve

ateixeira

Wow, at least they weren't on that bus. Must be very tough for them, though.

I'm gonna call my mom tonight.

-juice

damish003

What a terrible thing! I can imagine that the plane trip back home will be awfully tough on them. What a shame.

-Dan-

bat1161

Steve,

I am glad that your parents were not part of that, but my sympathy for them and those in the community. We were watching the video on CNN.com this morning.

When you see them, give them a big hug.

Mark

Karen_S

Oh my gosh! I saw it on the news this morning. What a horrible tragedy for everyone. I hope your folks get home safely, although it will be a very sad trip for everyone in their tour.

kens

Oh no! That's terrible news. I was just reading about that on the paper today and thought "what an awful thing to happen let alone on a cruise".

Reading your post just sent shivers down my spine.

Ken

fibber2

After my attempts go get thru on the radio-phone failed, I called Celebrity directly and they hooked me up with my parents via e-mail.

I have been able to help them out by contacting the administrator at their retirement community in NJ, to help them update their list of survivors. As you can imagine it is a real mess. I'm still a bit fuzzy on the details as I didn't want to ask too many questions, but apparently there was more than one bus / bus run involved for the 60 people in their group. They got back, the other bus did not... Luck of the draw?

Steve

hondafriek

That's wild Steve, but glad your parents are okay physically, but they will take some time to recover mentally.

Cheers Pat.

ladywclass

I'm glad they're ok !!

lilbluewgn02

Steve, thank G-D they are ok. It wasn't their time.

ateixeira

DC Area Metro crash blamed on trains not being made by Subaru



An NTSB study has concluded that this crash was caused by a roll back of a train that happened because it was on an uphill incline. Due to the lack of a Subaru Hill Holder clutch, the train rolled back and crashed into the one behind it, causing several injuries.

Mike Whelan was not heard saying "it's a shame that Subaru did not get the contact to build these trains, because we surely would have included a Hill Holder mechanism to make them safer".

The DC Metro Transit Authority could not be reached for comment, but rumor has it many of the employees have since traded in their cars for Subaru Foresters equipped with the Hill Holder system.

The Subaru Crew is the coolest club on earth, and part of the Edmunds.com Inside Line community. Founded in 1999, this on-line community of Subaru Owners gathers weekly for a chat on Thursday nights.

All rights reserved. Subaru is a trademark of Fuji Heavy Industries. Inside Line is a trademark of Edmunds.com.

hammerhead

"BREAKING NEWS"

Juice, that's an absolute hoot!

Cheers!
Paul

ladywclass

thanks juice .. i needed a big laugh!

kens

LOL.

But it would only be good for the Forester line of DC Metro trains. ;-)

Ken

goneskiian

Steve,
Glad to hear your parents are OK.

fibber2

I am a bit freaked out by what I learned this evening. Picture this connection. Another town resident, within about a half mile of my home is also a member of my congregation in Poughkeepsie. That is over 20 miles away. A tiny, relatively new congregation of only 60 families. Their cousin lives in Stamford CT, my parents in central NJ. They both join a charity organization active in the Tri-State area. 65 of their thousands of members book as a group on a 1500 person ship, and sail half a world away. A small group of them decide to make good use of shore time. Those on one bus live, those on the other die.

Does it make any sense?

Steve