Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

jmonroe1 · December 27

@stickguy said:
got it right up here.

got the driveway and sidewalk finished. Daughter is staying with us so she helped. Plow guy came through about 3:00 when the snow had stopped so the bulk of the driveway was done. Just have to do the edges that the plow does not reach, but that is not a big deal.

they are closing on their new house a little north of us on Monday. Planning to buy a show shovel today (hopefully Lowes still has some, but possible the prior owners leave one!) And are planning to look at snow blowers but the driveway is a bit steep so not sure how easy it will be to use one.

————————————————
Use the snowman technique. Make a snowball at the top and roll it down. Let gravity do the work. Might not need to use the shovel too much.

jmonroe

snakeweasel · December 27

jmonroe1 said:

snakeweasel said:

@xwesx said:

I am a big fan of hooks for hanging my bicycles. This way, I can keep them out of the way for everyday purposes, but they remain easily accessible if/when needed. In this way, I have about 3' of vertical space I can use on the floor underneath the bicycles for things like lawn equipment, storage, etc. In @nyccarguy's garage, he could probably park the hood of the Prelude under them and maybe even fit a second car in the garage on occasion!

I keep my commuting bikes inside my shed during the winter months, but then move them to hooks under the exterior eaves during the summer for faster access.

I keep my road bike on hooks on the garage but that thing is very light. The ebikes are too heavy to lift up onto hooks. Maybe a pully system to get them up.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Maybe a weight lifting program.

jmonroe

Maybe it would help, but I am still having issues from the accident which makes it hard.

snakeweasel · December 27

jmonroe1 said:

@stickguy said:

got it right up here.

got the driveway and sidewalk finished. Daughter is staying with us so she helped. Plow guy came through about 3:00 when the snow had stopped so the bulk of the driveway was done. Just have to do the edges that the plow does not reach, but that is not a big deal.

they are closing on their new house a little north of us on Monday. Planning to buy a show shovel today (hopefully Lowes still has some, but possible the prior owners leave one!) And are planning to look at snow blowers but the driveway is a bit steep so not sure how easy it will be to use one.

————————————————

Use the snowman technique. Make a snowball at the top and roll it down. Let gravity do the work. Might not need to use the shovel too much.

jmonroe

I can see it now, a giant snowball of death rolling down the road.

laurasdada · December 27

HOA does a nice job of plowing the road, driveways and shoveling a walkway from driveway to front door (through gate and courtyard). If I don't think/am too lazy to move the A7 from driveway to guest parking (after roads and guest parking are plowed) they also do a good job of plowing/shoveling around the car.
Still breaks my heart a bit to have to leave the A7 out in the cold, cruel world. As well as not being able to charge it consistently.
And you think you have problems!

ab348 · December 27

laurasdada said:
~3" light fluffy stuff here. Beautiful.

^^^ Oxymoron. I hate snow.

jmonroe1 · December 27

@snakeweasel said:
I can see it now, a giant snowball of death rolling down the road.

————————————————
You have to know when to stop rolling, ya know.

jmonroe

explorerx4 · December 27

@jmonroe1,
Was that rolling the snow downhill instead of shovelling technique invented in Pittsburgh?
I can see that happening.

stickguy · December 27

they have enough hills for it to make sense.

oldfarmer50 · December 27

explorerx4 said:
@jmonroe1,
Was that rolling the snow downhill instead of shovelling technique invented in Pittsburgh?
I can see that happening.

A local city has an effective snow removal plan….I think they call it spring.

jmonroe1 · December 27

@explorerx4 said:
@jmonroe1,
Was that rolling the snow downhill instead of shovelling technique invented in Pittsburgh?
I can see that happening.

————————————————
Yes, that was one of our little known inventions until I let the cat out of the bag. We should have patented it. Oh well, too late now.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · December 27

@oldfarmer50 said:
A local city has an effective snow removal plan….I think they call it spring.

————————————————-
That was one of our inventions too. I don’t know who spilled the beans on that one.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 · December 27

I got a couple hours of exercise digging out the three vehicles in my driveway today. Cheaper than joining the gym.

xwesx · December 27

Heya, folks! Just trying to make yal feel better about your weather.

explorerx4 · December 27

@zwesz,
It's Audi, why should I trust the gauges? HA HA

corvette · December 27

@xwesx - 65 here in southern Illinois, where I'm spending a few days.

xwesx · December 27

explorerx4 said:
@zwesz,
It's Audi, why should I trust the gauges? HA HA

Hahaha! That is a good point. But, hey, if there is one thing that does work in this car, it is the temperature gauge. It went down to -45C as I as headed over to my office tonight, so I'd say that it is "safely" between about -47F and -49F, depending on location. Amazingly, the car actually read -40C in my driveway as we were preparing to leave, which is the first time I've seen it read that low at my house since I bought the car nearly nine years ago...

jmonroe1 · December 27

@xwesx said:
Heya, folks! Just trying to make yal feel better about your weather.

>

——————————————————-
You always do. Thanks.

FWIW, I think we approached 50 F today.

jmonroe

nyccarguy · December 27

I think someone mentioned how the media is in bed with the big home improvement retail chains when it comes to these snow storms. I can’t stand when the news sends a reporter to a HOME DEPOT to interview people buying supplies. They don’t need your free advertising!

xwesx · December 27

Kinda feeling like this is the bottom for my thermometer…

It has been sitting here a while, but actually feels colder. 🥶

stickguy · December 28

I would abandon my family before I lived where it got that cold.

laurasdada · December 28

explorerx4 said:
@zwesz,
It's Audi, why should I trust the gauges? HA HA

Hey! I resemble that remark!

snakeweasel · December 28

nyccarguy said:
I think someone mentioned how the media is in bed with the big home improvement retail chains when it comes to these snow storms. I can’t stand when the news sends a reporter to a HOME DEPOT to interview people buying supplies. They don’t need your free advertising!

Wait, Home Depot has supplies for when snow storms hit? So now Home Depot sells booze?

jmonroe1 · December 28

@nyccarguy said:
I think someone mentioned how the media is in bed with the big home improvement retail chains when it comes to these snow storms. I can’t stand when the news sends a reporter to a HOME DEPOT to interview people buying supplies. They don’t need your free advertising!

——————————————————
Being a small business owner I can appreciate your displeasure.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · December 28

@stickguy said:
I would abandon my family before I lived where it got that cold.

——————————————————
Since @xwesx seems to be spending a lot of time in his car showing us those low temps, I’m beginning to think his family has abandoned him.

jmonroe

xwesx · December 28

As long as it keeps running, it gets me by. 🥺

Although, I’m feeling a little light-headed this morning, so I think maybe I have a touch of CO poisoning after sleeping in there all night. 😜

nyccarguy · December 28

So we got a decent amount of snow. While it was falling I did a few passes with the snow blower. Worked well. The next day , when it was thick and slushy, not so well. Grrrrr!

snakeweasel · December 28

It was in the middle 50's here today and overnight it will drop below the teens.

It's not supposed to get above freezing for the foreseeable future. Gotta love these Midwest winters.

snakeweasel · December 28

Hit the jackpot today.

stickguy · December 28

we had bourbon Friday too. Our nephew brought a bottle of Blantons and left the rest of the bottle (was not a large amount left). Even my wife had a glass. Was actually quite good once we got used to it (and had it over the rocks). Might become a bourbon guy now!

benjaminh · December 28

This British study is puzzling to me. I feel like there are maybe parts of the puzzle that are missing...

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/hybrids-increase-risk-of-death-threefold-compared-to-petrol-cars-8cxxd62fq

"Fatal crash risk ‘three times higher’ in hybrid cars than petrol

Andrew Ellson, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Sunday December 28 2025,

...Overall, the data shows that there was one death for every 8,000 hybrid cars on the roads last year compared with one death for every 20,000 diesel vehicles, and one death for every 25,000 petrol engines.The data suggests fully electric vehicles have the lowest fatality rate at one death for every 55,000 of these cars on the road. The figures, obtained by The Mail on Sunday, have alarmed road safety specialists and led to calls for an inquiry into the reasons for the difference. Some experts believe the higher death rates could be explained by hybrids’ combination of petrol engines and batteries and electric motors, which can be harder to control and more prone to fires..."

snakeweasel · December 28

benjaminh said:
This British study is puzzling to me. I feel like there are maybe parts of the puzzle that are missing...

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/hybrids-increase-risk-of-death-threefold-compared-to-petrol-cars-8cxxd62fq

"Fatal crash risk ‘three times higher’ in hybrid cars than petrol

Andrew Ellson, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Sunday December 28 2025,

...Overall, the data shows that there was one death for every 8,000 hybrid cars on the roads last year compared with one death for every 20,000 diesel vehicles, and one death for every 25,000 petrol engines.The data suggests fully electric vehicles have the lowest fatality rate at one death for every 55,000 of these cars on the road. The figures, obtained by The Mail on Sunday, have alarmed road safety specialists and led to calls for an inquiry into the reasons for the difference. Some experts believe the higher death rates could be explained by hybrids’ combination of petrol engines and batteries and electric motors, which can be harder to control and more prone to fires..."

I would like to see the data by mile driven on similar roads and speed. Thats the only way you can truly make a comparison.

corvette · December 28

@snakeweasel - Grand Marnier is one of the secret ingredients for a really good margarita.

jmonroe1 · December 28

@snakeweasel said:
Hit the jackpot today.

>

——————————————————
To ensure you’re able to enjoy all of that to the last drop, somebody should get you a security system with a sniffer.

jmonroe

snakeweasel · December 28

jmonroe1 said:

@snakeweasel said:

Hit the jackpot today.

>

——————————————————

To ensure you’re able to enjoy all of that to the last drop, somebody should get you a security system with a sniffer.

jmonroe

Here is the story behind them. We had a small family get together today and my sister showed up and had us come out to her car. She opened the trunk and there were 4 or 5 milk crates filled with bottles of liquor. Apparently the food pantry where my sister volunteers at had received a lot of liquor as donations over the last month or so. IIRC she mentioned that it was Amazon that donated it. Since the food pantry can't distribute or sell it they have to dispose of it somehow. So many of the staff took some home to distribute it as they saw fit.

kyfdx · December 29

In Cincinnati, it was 70 F, at 10 PM, last night.. It's in the 20s, now.

nyccarguy · December 29

Thank-you everyone for your support with regards to my Electrolux dryer. I did look up how to replace the belt and some of the rollers if need be. It doesn’t seem terribly complex, but in a moment of weakness I went and ordered a new dryer from Costco. It is being delivered today. That means that my poor Prelude had to spend the night outside in the 35 degree & freezing rain.

Even though I chickened out on repairing my dryer, I did replace a circulator pump on my boiler that had burnt out.

tjc78 · December 29

stickguy said:
we had bourbon Friday too. Our nephew brought a bottle of Blantons and left the rest of the bottle (was not a large amount left). Even my wife had a glass. Was actually quite good once we got used to it (and had it over the rocks). Might become a bourbon guy now!

Not a bad way to enter the bourbon world at all.... if you need suggestions on what to try next just ask.

stickguy · December 29

I might as well get a bottle of the good stuff. It’s likely to last us a very long time. Unless my son and son in law get into it.

nyccarguy · December 29

stickguy said:
we had bourbon Friday too. Our nephew brought a bottle of Blantons and left the rest of the bottle (was not a large amount left). Even my wife had a glass. Was actually quite good once we got used to it (and had it over the rocks). Might become a bourbon guy now!

Blanton's is excellent! I've had it once. Four Roses is very good too and reasonably priced.

corvette · December 29

@stickguy - there are two bourbons that I really like because I pick up strong hints of vanilla: Four Roses Single Barrel and Maker's 46.

tjc78 · December 29

stickguy said:
I might as well get a bottle of the good stuff. It’s likely to last us a very long time. Unless my son and son in law get into it.

Blanton's is tough to get and is allocated and many times will sell above retail.

Similar bourbons to it are Eagle Rare (also allocated), 1792, Buffalo Trace and EH Taylor Small Batch. All are basically the same mash bill, but aged, stored, and produced differently. 1792 is the easiest to find of the bunch.

Some notable bottles (mid-level under $100) that are far easier to find in addition to @corvette solid suggestions -

Basil Hayden Toast
Russell's Reserve 10
Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond
Knob Creek 12
Angels Envy
Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked

tjc78 · December 29

nyccarguy said:
Thank-you everyone for your support with regards to my Electrolux dryer. I did look up how to replace the belt and some of the rollers if need be. It doesn’t seem terribly complex, but in a moment of weakness I went and ordered a new dryer from Costco. It is being delivered today. That means that my poor Prelude had to spend the night outside in the 35 degree & freezing rain.

Even though I chickened out on repairing my dryer, I did replace a circulator pump on my boiler that had burnt out.

Awesome, I'm sure that saved a pretty penny. Weil McLain boiler... good taste

ab348 · December 29

On the bourbon subject: I had long been a scotch guy but within the last few years here the prices skyrocketed and the assortment available became far worse, both apparently due to an explosion of demand from the newly-rich Pacific Rim countries that now manufacture everything. So I stopped buying scotch and pivoted to bourbon. At first I found it disappointingly simple in flavor as compared to scotch but eventually found what was good and what was rotgut. Over time I began building up a decent collection of it instead, although the assortment available here was pretty pathetic. I gather that bourbon was never a big seller here, or that my former employer just didn't care to get off their duff and find better products. Knowing those running the place since my my departure, I suspect the latter.

Despite that I was able to build up a decent selection for myself mostly by traveling to other places to bring back what we never bothered to get here. Then about a year ago the dispute between the govts of Canada and the US broke out and wrecked all that. Liquor boards in Canada (with the exception of Alberta) are run by provincial govt agencies and all of them pulled all bourbon (and other products made in the US) off their shelves in early March in response. So that put an end to that. I tried to switch to Canadian whisky but found it a poor substitute. Imagine my surprise, then, when a few weeks ago it was announced that our liquor board would begin selling off the inventory that had been gathering dust in warehouses and back rooms until it was gone, with profits going to charity. Last best chance!

I braved the madness in a couple of the larger stores and ended up with a couple of cases of decent stuff. A couple of Blantons, a few Rare Breed (my favorite, I think), some Buffalo Trace, Michters, Makers 46 as mentioned and a few others. All of that inventory now is close to being gone except for some bottom-shelf stuff like Jim Beam white label and JD Old No. 7. Thankfully I now have what is probably a lifetime supply.

nyccarguy · December 29

@tjc78 - Thanks! I wish I could say the boiler was my doing, but it came with the house when we bought it 15 + years ago and I want to say it was close to 10 years old at that point. It runs on oil.

tjc78 · December 29

@ab348 said:
On the bourbon subject: I had long been a scotch guy but within the last few years here the prices skyrocketed and the assortment available became far worse, both apparently due to an explosion of demand from the newly-rich Pacific Rim countries that now manufacture everything. So I stopped buying scotch and pivoted to bourbon. At first I found it disappointingly simple in flavor as compared to scotch but eventually found what was good and what was rotgut. Over time I began building up a decent collection of it instead, although the assortment available here was pretty pathetic. I gather that bourbon was never a big seller here, or that my former employer just didn't care to get off their duff and find better products. Knowing those running the place since my my departure, I suspect the latter.

Despite that I was able to build up a decent selection for myself mostly by traveling to other places to bring back what we never bothered to get here. Then about a year ago the dispute between the govts of Canada and the US broke out and wrecked all that. Liquor boards in Canada (with the exception of Alberta) are run by provincial govt agencies and all of them pulled all bourbon (and other products made in the US) off their shelves in early March in response. So that put an end to that. I tried to switch to Canadian whisky but found it a poor substitute. Imagine my surprise, then, when a few weeks ago it was announced that our liquor board would begin selling off the inventory that had been gathering dust in warehouses and back rooms until it was gone, with profits going to charity. Last best chance!

I braved the madness in a couple of the larger stores and ended up with a couple of cases of decent stuff. A couple of Blantons, a few Rare Breed (my favorite, I think), some Buffalo Trace, Michters, Makers 46 as mentioned and a few others. All of that inventory now is close to being gone except for some bottom-shelf stuff like Jim Beam white label and JD Old No. 7. Thankfully I now have what is probably a lifetime supply.

I just can’t warm up to Scotch. I’ve had Johnny Blue and Macallan all the way up to 18 and just prefer bourbon more.

Nice assortment. I love Rare Breed (I’m a Turkey fan) and Michters makes some nice stuff too.

I’m very lucky, I’ve been able to buy and sample a good bit on my own but a very good friend of mine has a collection that equates to a nice classic car (maybe 2). He is very generous and I’ve been on the receiving end many a night and tried all the higher end and allocated stuff. He buys tons so the liquor stores give him any allocations he wants.

I’m not sure how many bottles he has but I’m gonna throw a guess at close to 1000 at his primary and 300-400 at his place across the street from mine at the shore.

This picture represents maybe 10% of what he has.

graphicguy · December 29

Just checking in. Hope everyone had a great Holiday.

No new punch to report. And, after being 65º yesterday, it's supposed to drop 20º today. OH Valley weather....go figure.

I think I mentioned previously that I live on a small cut-de-sac. So, all the residents on the street know each other. Guy who usually buys BMWs, ended up with a Jeep Grand Cherokee in his driveway. Was walking the dog past his house yesterday and I stopped to chat with him as he was in the driveway...burgandy with blacked out trim and wheels. Very fetching.

Sharp vehicle. It had a sticker of $47K. He said he bought it for $36K, which seems like a huge bargain to me.

Started dating someone 30 years my Junior, which is something I never thought I'd do. She's added a different dynamic and certainly an upheavle for my fairly staid life recently. C'est la vie!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

graphicguy · December 29

tjc78 said:

stickguy said:
I might as well get a bottle of the good stuff. It’s likely to last us a very long time. Unless my son and son in law get into it.

Blanton's is tough to get and is allocated and many times will sell above retail.

Similar bourbons to it are Eagle Rare (also allocated), 1792, Buffalo Trace and EH Taylor Small Batch. All are basically the same mash bill, but aged, stored, and produced differently. 1792 is the easiest to find of the bunch.

Some notable bottles (mid-level under $100) that are far easier to find in addition to @corvette solid suggestions -

Basil Hayden Toast
Russell's Reserve 10
Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond
Knob Creek 12
Angels Envy
Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked

There's a place near @kyfdx that has Blanton's regularly. It's called the Prohibition Bar and it's connected to newberrybroscoffee.com

I like your other suggestions.....especially that Basil Hayden Toast.

carnaught · December 29

driver100 said:
I had a 1960s style Raleigh Classic style. Mine was red body with white fenders....a 3 speed.

Sharp bike !

stickguy · December 29

Bourbon sounds like a complicated habit.

28firefighter · December 29

It’s actually simple. Buy and drink what you like!

I just happen to enjoy many different ones.

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