Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,637
    Good managers hire better employees and demand better work...and provide better training.. I think that has more to do with it than the wages paid...

    There is a McDonalds across the street from where I work, and the place runs like clockwork. Service is quick, friendly and accurate.. There is an Arbys and Taco Bell down the street that I wouldn't send my dog to.... and, they all make the same amount (minimum wage)..

    Most people will do exactly what's demanded of them.. the people that won't do that, likely won't do it, no matter what they are paid (I work with a lot of them, too.. lol).

    Just my $0.02..

    kyfdx
    (visiting host)

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  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    yeah .. there is plenty to that as well ... and having a manager who manages to make the employees feel 'important' and part of the team plays a large role as well ...
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 267,637
    Yeah.... good people managers have a special talent, much like a good salesperson.. they aren't that common.

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  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    I love my tech .. you guys KNOW that ... but my desktop computer is about 7-8 years old at this point. It still does everything I need it to do and I do still use it every day - however, for the past few years, the DVD and drives just do not 'work' ... by that I mean that the drawers do not want to open as they should. I can get it to work but I'll end up spending 15-20 minutes just getting the drawer to open, and as often as not, it opens and closes again so fast that I don't catch it before it shuts again ... because after you've tried 150 times, you just aren't expecting it to open on the 151st time!

    So, the other day I "invested" in an external DVD RW drive so I don't have to go through all the hassle when I need a CD or DVD in the computer. I have also sometimes wished for the capability to hook a USB drive to the netbook - although so far I've managed to figure out the files needed to transfer directly from computer to computer.

    And ... ya gotta love "plug and play" ... but here's how it "plays out" around my desk ... First you have to find a place to put the drive where it's accessible. I have a large desk, but still ... and then you have to drag the stuff out from under the desk so you can figure out where you might be able to plug in ONE MORE THING with the many that are already down there. Oh .. and did I mention the dust and dirt .. so you also clean as you go because it's so NASTY ... after you get that done, you crawl around under the desk to realize that the extension cord has to be moved and ... uh oh .. did you really tip over the full paper shredder so that's all over the floor now, too???!!! ... so you find all the access holes in the desk to get the cord up to the new drive ... did I mention the contortions required here along with the fact that you're trying to get a flashlight in position where you can see as well?

    So once you figure out the tangle of cords .. and .. uh .. what was this that just got pulled out of the socket? ... trace it to the printer and get it plugged in ... then put it all back .. clean up the shredded paper off the floor .. pull the computer out so you can plug in the drive into the back of it (and at least there WAS another USB port) ... straighten up the rest of the desk because at this point nothing is where it was before and .. cross your fingers that it all works now that it's all hooked up so you don't have to crawl around again and undo the whole thing you just spent an hour and half doing (all that cleaning and straightening, etc. while doing the laundry in between)

    Yeah .. it works .. isn't "plug and play" wonderfully easy and fast?

    (Now, what "other" jobs did I leave until the last day of our winter break before I have to trudge back to work tomorrow ....)
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    ".... at least there was another USB port."

    It wasn't long ago that 6-8 USB ports were common on a new desktop. This past spring we upgraded to a new Dell Core i7 system, only to find a measly 4 ports on the back. I ended up adding a 4 port hub on the desk for ipod and phone docks, and an internal card with a few more to support external HDD, UPS interface, a Magic Jack, and other stuff. Crazy the bundle of wires back there!
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    but you know what 'they' say ...

    "oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to receive" ...
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Sometimes I really like living such a simple life. I have a grand total of two USB devices plugged into my computer: Keyboard and trackball! And, if I wanted to, I could plug the trackball into the keyboard, reducing it to one. Beyond that, I have the power cord and an HDMI cable. I can plug my flash drive into a port on the front of the computer, plus I have some headphones plugged into the phone port on the front. That's it - easy.

    That probably is a result of how little I use it, though. This weekend I spent installing a new transmission into my plow truck. The end result? An operational truck and a plowed neighborhood! :shades:
    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
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    I've just gone the other way. My strategy is to buy a fairly high end PC and keep it about eight years. I have just replaced the old one and have 13 USB ports including 5 USB 3.0 ports. There are also several ports for devices I have no idea about.

    Should keep me future proofed for a while.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I swapped out my motherboard 3 years ago and wound up with 12 USB 2.0s. This thread just reminded me that two are on the front of my box and I never think to use them (I have some "permanent" extension cables lying around that I just grab for the camera uploads or whatever). Two aren't even hooked up.

    Don't see any upcoming devices or software that really would justify an upgrade. I didn't even go with the latest and greatest cpu last time. Stuff just works anymore. Nice thing about my move last year was being able to get faster net (still "only" 15Mbps though).
  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    I am completely done buying desktop computers. It doesn't matter the price, the features, or anything else. There is wireless in my house and every home I might visit (friend, relative, etc) so it's definitely a laptop, tablet or smartphone from here on out.

    If I need an ergo-friendly setup for serious keyboard mashing on a report or something, I would use a USB docking station and have a proper keyboard, mouse and 20" or larger LCD.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Love laptops also, but desktops still outmuscle laptops for some apps, such as a central home server. We network with the Tivo HD, using the Dell as a long term repository and stream between them. I run the wires (or wireless), my wife makes things talk to each other. We'd be lost without each other!

    I recently took one of our 'abused' old desktops, and revitalized it. Stripped out all the unnecessary hardware (like the video capture card and WinTV card from when we used it as a DVR), reformatted and reloaded the OS & service packs, and only the bare minimum of software (a browser & Office). Made a ghost of the HDD in case it gets contaminated. My daughter just uses it for homework and reports, and I threatened her that any unauthorized downloads would be dealt with harshly!! It's amazing how fast it runs when there is no bloatware or other crap running in the background. Like a new machine!
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    I can't get myself to spend enough time on tech to really make it worth the time to invest in it at all. I used to be all over that stuff, but shifted my focus about ten years ago and haven't gone back.

    I still build my own systems when I decide it is time for a new one; the current system was a March '09 build, but is still more than capable of running everything I ask of it, so I'll likely run it another couple years before doing a completely new build. I have never liked laptops or small-form-factor devices, so they're a rarity in our house.

    When I finally get to wiring the main floor of the house, I'll run Cat 6 cable throughout with the intention of porting it to a central server/hub in the mechanical room. We already have wireless, but I'll reserve that for mobile devices that actually need it rather than rely on it for our entire network.

    As far as all that HD TV, streaming, DVR, and the like junk goes, I don't have a clue. I haven't had "TV" in 12+ years, and am perfectly content with using my CRT television and DVD player that are at least that old. Well, that's not entirely true... my DVD player isn't as reliable as it once was! :P
    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
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited January 2012
    Ugh, the fewer wires, the better. However, being stingy, I don't like battery sucking wireless keyboards, but that means the keyboard gets rewired every year or so because I keep tripping over it as I get out of my recliner desk chair. I have two Ergonomic 4000s so when one breaks, I have a spare. The soldering iron should be nice and cool now from this morning's fix. :)

    My DSL provider gave me a router with wifi built in, and the speed difference isn't worth running cable to my desktop. Especially since my desk is on casters and connected to the wall socket with one plug-in (that goes to the UPS and everything else gets connected to it). Haven't figured out how to get rid of that one plug-in yet. (link and link). Note that the smaller monitor lives upside down to get the flat edge on the desk.

    The laptop usually lives in the basement workshop unless my wife commandeers the desktop for watching a video (I could use the 24" while she watches the 28" on the desktop, but best not go there, lol). No TV here since '99. Didn't know you were one of "us" Wes.

    Anyone else got geek workstation pics?
  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    I think Wes was saying what I'm about to say... that is, I see the value in your home network server, but I'll be danged if I am interested in putting in the time to build one.

    My cablebox DVR never gets all that full. I don't have my own content library because I haven't ripped my dvds that I used to purchase, and everything new is just a rental from a variety of sources.

    And this is a guy who used to run his own web server, domain controller and even exchange server. (All MSDN.) I have none of that now, and I don't miss the functionality or certainly not the time spent messing with it all.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    edited January 2012
    I'm actually a bit slow at adopting new technology, so I'll have to shift the blame to my wife! She helped bring in new tech into her office and taught software (Wang & PC) in the late '80's, and was a big advocate of the wired household. As a result, we've been fairly early adopters, although I temper her desires by waiting until I feel that a technology has matured enough to be worthwhile and affordable. For instance:
    VHS VCR = 1982 (2 heads, wired remote!)
    CD player = 1986
    Hi-8 camcorder = 1993
    Used PC (80286) = 1991
    80486 = 1993
    Color inkjet = 1994
    Cell phone = 1996
    Digital photograph = 2000
    Home built PC based DVR and VHS tape converter to digital disk = 2004
    Home wireless & ethernet = 2007

    And if we went on her schedule, we'd have moved many of these dates up by 1-3 years! For instance, I refused to buy a VHS camcorder in 1990, opting to wait for Sony to get their mini units on the market. Man, that was a real source of heated family discussion! Same with a real PC that could run Windows 3.0 so that we could get an account on Prodigy/Compuserve/AOL.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Anyone else got geek workstation pics?

    You know, I can honestly say that photographing my workstation had never crossed my mind. Actually, I'd be a little embarrassed to share such photos. :P
    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
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Well said, Colin.

    I think I've come to the point in my life of feeling a sense of moderation. Too much of anything leaves me squirming. So, I dabble. Between building my own house, working on my own cars, raising/catching my own food, tweaking my own tech (what little I have), raising children, *trying* to keep a wife (:blush: ), and, of course, a job, I find I'm just about full up and content to be so. Perhaps as some of those things drop off the list, I'll consider adding others. ;)

    Although, I'm not sure I would mind having a tech-savvy wife if that meant less expense in other areas (such as crafting). Still, though, I have to think that my pocketbook would suffer somewhat as a result.
    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
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Oh no, I don't get a break on the crafting side either. Tech savvy means computerized things like a Husqvarna Viking embroidery machine, expensive software design tools, etc.

    I look upon it as doing my part for the electronics industry & economy!
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Hahaha; you keep a great perspective on it, Steve. Once again, I am humbled in your presence. :)
    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
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited January 2012
    Okay, Xwesx, instead of workstation pics, you could always post something in What's in Your Garage?. Be fun to revisit that one.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    edited January 2012
    As Beth often says "we love our toys". One of those unifying factors that has helped us weather 32 years together. Electronics and antiques. (what a strange combination!)
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Hmmmm. Another embarrassing one. Is that what makes them so interesting?! :P

    I'll think on it, Steve. I'm one of these guys who has no cell phone, let alone a device (other than a camera) with a camera on it. So, I'll actually have to make the effort to remember to use the camera. :blush:
    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
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Think of your camera as just another tool.

    Steve, sounds like you two should get into steampunk if you haven't already.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Close... Not exactly steampunk, but we have a certain love for science and fantasy fiction. Over the past few years we've re-watched X-Files, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angle, Dollhouse, and the like. My daughter is nuts over Joss Whedon's work, and actually writes some characters at one of the fan fiction sites. We also have several Japanese fiction disks featuring floating houses, witches, and the like (Howl's Moving Castle).
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I was thinking more along the lines of y'all building stuff.
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Great stuff! I have a USB drive around my neck attached to my badge. Need it constantly in the lab. A little steam pipe and clockwork decoration might attract some attention. And I like Brenda's keyboard.

    Been on the hunt for the 'right' keyboard and mouse to help with growing joint problems. My desk is littered with castoffs in my search. As cool as it might look, somehow I just don't think that an IBM Selectric conversion would be going in the right direction, however.
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    disclaimer ... that wasn't 'my' keyboard but I wish it were! I just love that kind of 'mishmash' ... lol
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    edited January 2012
    ... it's been a while and WOW, there's a lot of catching up to do. Sounds like everyone is doing well and survived the holidays.

    Mikey is doing awesome and there are no signs of his fun-filled (not) summer, other than a large scar that he likes to show off.

    He is settling nicely into the second year of his Computer Drawing technical program at the Vocational High School - i'm now ears deep into AutoCad, Revit, Solidworks ... his home PC has student versions of all his school software, and he carries everything around on a jump drive. Thankfully, I did have two years of Technical Drawing in high school, and a year of Civil Engineering in college before becoming a business major, then a computer programmer, so at least I can eyeball a dimension drawing and tell him what is wrong. Of course, the computer is a challenge for me, only because back in the day when I did it, we had drafting pencils, t-squares and sliding rulers ... the PC was just a vision on the horizon ... it's so hard to imagine.

    Other things:

    Pug - congrats on the Outback.

    Extended Warrantee - I have never bought one for any of the 3 Outbacks, and on the other hand, got it for both Legacy GT's. Never went wrong either way. The Outbacks tend to be very low mileage (34k on the 03 when traded, and 13k currently on the 09), while the Legacy's used to get the brunt of the mileage from my commute. I think I paid $1200 for the 5/100 +100 deductible for the LGT, the cost being higher because of the turbo, and broke even after 2 sensor issues and the driver's side seat heater malfunctioning.

    Blackberry - d-e-a-d, dead. Yeah, after over a year of no RIM updates and lackluster apps, I jumped to the other side and got a Motorola Razr Droid. WOW! What a difference. Better general functionality. I use most of the same apps (but Android is more stable and more features).

    The one downside, I went for Verizon 4G-LTE, and am seriously disappointed. Unfortunately, my lame little town is in the 'Extended Coverage' area, and my phone could not decide if it wanted 4G, 3G, or no connection at all, spending the entire time waffling and looking for my wi-fi connection, most of the time not having a data connection at all that it would completely drain the battery in 2 hours. Several calls to Verizon tech support had a new Sim Card overnighted, then all sorts of configuration changes until one awesome rep had me manually change the network settings to 3g, put the phone in and out of Airplane Mode, then showed me how to override the settings when I got to a 4g area (4 miles from my house).

    The winter in general - imagine being in New England and having almost no snow this winter! Other than the fiasco last October, we have had maybe an inch of snow last week, the months of November and December being above normal temperatures. With so many 60 degree weekends, and the roads perfectly clear, I have actually pulled the Mustang out of storage and blasted around town on several occasions.

    Yes Brenda, Angry Birds is extremely addictive. Karen got hold of my aunt's Kindle last night and actually missed most of the Pats game being so engrossed in killing those little pigs!

    I guess this is enough for now. Happy New Year everyone!
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    Yeah ... I still do "some" Angry Birds, but Words with Friends has taken over (at least I'm exercising some brain muscle with this one!) and I have a sudoku app that is keeping me buys ... lol

    We ended up with a surprise snow day on Friday. The weather showed great "potential" for the conditions but we really didn't get that much snow (maybe 6"). I think the cancellation was more over fears of the extremely low temps and kids that walk to school or waiting for buses - and also the threat of a lot MORE snow and blowing during the day. I was up and watching for an announcement online or a text on the phone and was just 1 step from the shower to get ready for work when it came through. So the one district cancelled and (since I work in TWO districts), I knew I had at least a 2 hour delay before I had to be at work in the other schools (which NEVER cancel). Within a couple minutes, the announcement came through that THEY canceled, too. I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed being home on Friday (even though I'll whine when we have to make it up later!)

    So .... ended up with a 4 day weekend with the MLK, Jr day on Monday ....

    a nice start to the 2nd semester ... lol
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Top O TheMorn to ye Rob, long time no hear. Hope things are well with you, I have been a more frequent visitor of late, but I had been MIA for a while.
    Say hi to Mikey.

    Cheers Pat.
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Our eighteen year old, Tamsin has just got her university entrance details confirmed, getting into the course that she wants (Arts) at Monash University, a heavyweight school near our home. Her results were marginally low for the normal cut off but she received some consideration for serious health issues. She is now working through subject choices with the enthusiasm of a hungry girl at a smorgasbord; there may not be space in a single degree to squeeze in everything that she wants to do.

    We had been trying to persuade her to move out and attend university somewhere (New Zealand or United Kingdom, or at least a state or two away, featured in our suggestions) where she could live in college and experience life away from parents; no luck! Maybe we have made things too comfy as she has opted for a university at the other end of the suburb!

    She is taking a gap year to work and possibly travel and also had a job interview today for a good job using her music talents. Here's hoping as the hours she is working in an electronic store will never make enough for her to survive; parents remain the prime source of funding at present.

    After a shocking year of angst and trauma with her, things had to look up sometime.

    Now we move onto worrying about the fifteen year old.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    great news !
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    So much going on with everyone! I can't respond to all, but I'll start with saying that the keyboard on that steampunked site was fantastic! I'd consider making do with something like that just for the "cool factor."

    Rob - glad to hear that Mikey has put the summer's trauma behind him. Right now, I wouldn't mind a 60-degree day! We're hovering near 100 degrees under that, and I managed to let my fuel tank run dry. The boiler went out at some point Friday evening, so Saturday morning it was cool enough in the house to notice something was wrong. Thankfully, even after 12-14 hours of no heat, the house had only lost as many degrees. So, while it picked a poor time to run dry, at least I now have confidence that even in the coldest of temps, if the power goes out for a day or so, I don't have to worry about freezing up. I certainly feel edified over all that effort I put into the house's weatherization!

    Graham, congrats to your daughter! That she is so excited about it makes me think she will make the most of it. Right now (from my perspective with my own children), I would have to agree with you about her choice of college being so close, but I suspect this may work out to be a bit of a blessing, especially since at this point her living in your home has become a matter of choice. I wish you all the best!

    -Wes-
    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
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    we were headed to Port Canaveral for our 30th anniversary Caribbean cruise. After the events off the Italian coast this week, I'm not sure that I'll ever get Beth on a ship again! Horrible tragedy.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Very nice, congrats! :shades:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I was this close to going on a cruise for Spring Break, but we picked a flight to Jamaica instead.

    I'm glad I did, mon!
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I cant believe you guys are afraid of cruises now. Would you stop flying if there was a plane crash?

    The incident in Italy was due to pure negligence. The captain made an unscheduled and unapproved deviation from his course. How often do you hear of accidents on cruise ships? This is the first I can recall.

    Now saying that, I've never been on a cruise and have zero desire to do so.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I didn't change my plans, but seeing that ship freaked my wife out, which is why I'm glad.

    It wasn't a cruise ship, but it reminded me of the Valdez. :sick:
  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    I have never been on a cruise and have no desire to do so. Bigger concerns than a captain running aground:

    - Infectious diseases/ailments. Flu and other viruses, bacterial infection, food poisioning, and so on.

    - Questionable rule of law and protections because of the ship's country of origin, particularly if incidents occur in international waters. Some people have been attacked or just straight up disappeared on cruise ships and very little can be done.
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Would you stop flying if there was a plane crash?

    In May 1979, Beth's older sister missed her LA bound DC-10 connection on A.A. out of Chicago due to a tie-up in NY. I guess you could say that made her one of the very few ticketed survivors. It took her a while to embrace the idea of ever flying again!

    I'm sure we'll probably cruise again, but we'll certainly take the muster station drill a bit more seriously!
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Rita and I were on two different cruises, first one was great, but the second cruise the weather was terrible. We spent most of the time at sea as the weather was so bad we couldn't put into several ports.

    On two of the days we were not even allowed on deck, anything not strapped down was being blown overboard. A lot of the deck chairs were blown overboard.
    Needless to say that was the end of cruising for us.

    Cheers Pat.
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    23 cruises and counting ...

    Last cruise was in October. Non-Stop - Lisbon, Portugal to San Juan, PR. Nothing but sea for 10 days ... I loved it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We did a Disney Cruise when my dad turned 70 - it was one of our best vacations ever! Loved it...
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Our 2 cruises on Royal Caribbean were for my 50th (2007) and for our 30th. I had a great time on both, but Beth had some problems with seasickness. Our best man and his family joined us on our anniversary cruise.

    I never thought I would be an advocate for cruising, but we had a great time on the ship, and at the points of call.
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Hi gang!

    Well it took a few days but I just got done skimming thru the 1600+ posts that appeared in MTM since the last time I was on Edmunds. Glad to see everyone successfully weathered the snow storms, hurricanes, earth quakes etc.

    I’ve certainly had an adventurous past year and a half. The majority of it was spent in Afghanistan. Although you wouldn’t know if from the press coverage, much of the country is really quite beautiful. Snow capped peaks of the Hindu Kush mountains looming in the background behind picturesque centuries old villages perched along the banks of rushing rivers in steep mountain valleys. I’m quite sure the many Afghans could make a very respectable living on tourism if they could just stop killing infidels and themselves :(

    Anyway, I’m glad to be home again, although I’m still trying to figure where winter went. Seems like all the snow is stuck up in Alaska. However from the weather report this morning, it sounds like Tom got a fair amount.

    Good to see most of the regulars are still around and nice to hear from Pat and Kate too! Anybody heard from Jim or Ken or Mike Smith lately? How about Patti with SOA?

    I’m starting to get new car fever but can’t find anything comparable to my 2004 Forester XT. I really like the new Forester XTs but unfortunately Subaru dropped the manual transmission/turbo option several years ago. In fact, finding a well-equipped performance-oriented compact SUV with a manual transmission is proving a real challenge. Heck even BMW dropped the manual transmission from the X3 when they redesigned it and moved production to SC last year. Ultimate driving machine? NOT!

    AJ, Bob, anybody else interested in going to the DC auto show? It runs 27 Jan to 5 Feb.

    Frank P.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Welcome back Frank! Been wondering about you, and I'm glad to hear you're back home safe and sound. :)

    DC show? Yeah, my arm could be twisted—not sure how my back will hold up, but I'm game to give it a try. AJ, how 'bout you?

    Bob
  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    Hey Frank! You just mentioned a lot of names that I haven't seen on here in years upon years. Mike Smith pops in now and then but I've not seen the rest. Of course, my visits are pretty sporadic as well. :)

    Regarding your vehicle choices, yup, performance SUVs or even CUVs with a manual transmission are very rare these days. The only things I can even think of that are remotely close to what you're looking for are the MINI Clubman ALL4 and maybe a VW/Audi product like the Tiguan or something. Pretty sure the latter have manuals only when FWD... 4Motion or Quattro instantly gives you automatic in the SUVs/CUVs.

    How about a nice wagon? Might have more luck with a manual in those. Or, alternatively, you can test drive a manu-matic and see what you think. I still row my own but it's because I haven't replaced my car. As soon as I do, I'll be ditching manuals forever, excluding motorcycles!

    Take care,
    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Good to "see" you again, glad you're back safe.

    DC Auto Show - definitely. I have b-ball both days on weekends, can you guys go during the week? Maybe opening day, the 27th? If not, pick a weekday the following week, I'm game.

    Ken is still around, he popped in for help buying an AWD Sienna a little while ago. Not recently, though.

    I spoke to Patti off line last year, also. I think she had health issues after that, but didn't hear back when trying to contact her. Hope she's OK. paisan seems to be best in touch with her.
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Colin - There a several models that can be had with manuals in their entry-level configurations (Forester included). But I have zero interest in driving an under-powered 4-banger with FWD :P

    Unfortunately I have this irrational fixation on only owning/driving MT equipped vehicles. The GLK is the first AT equipped vehicle I've ever bought but it's not my daily driver.

    -Frank P.
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