Have I said how much I love my CG Lock for my seat belt? I love it for "spirited" driving. It is kinda clumsy when getting in and out, but boy does it hold you to the seat.

I'm driving closer to the steering wheel now. I never knew how slouched I was when I drove. Tightening the belt forces you to be "in" the seat, not just sitting on it.

I have to watch taking it on and off because of scratching the door/pillar or window film. It is made of metal and anyone who has piano black knows you only have to get near it to mar it. All I have to remember is to slowly direct the seatbelt tab back to the winder position rather than unbuckling and going.

My wife does not like the extra hassle of tightening and loosening. Hmmm, maybe she won't want to borrow Frodo as much!

Kimberely, I get to go to the PDX MINI event on Sunday! Hope to see you there.

 

Cool. We will see you there!!

 

Frodo is off with his Mommy today. I miss him.

Another big weekend ahead. It is our oldest daughters B-day weekend... 17. A couple a friends, lunch shopping and a movie, not to crazy. The youngest that is now 15... Is going to a formal dance. She looks WAY too mature in her dress. My baby. We hear that she has a boyfriend that is "meeting" her there. She quite secretive about the whole thing. It goes along with the shut doors, hushed telephone conversation, private text messages... Have you ever experienced the panic of a child if you even pick up their phone to wipe the kitchen counter??? It's like you stumbled onto state secrets and she now has to kill you.

I don't mind the cold, but could do without the wind chill. Yesterday it blew at a pretty constant 25-30 mph near the gorge.

Be safe all.

 

Yes, the weather was lovely. And I was out at lunchtime trying to clean up the dirtball, also known as Kermit. He is now a beautiful boy, inside and out. That should last maybe one more day and then the rain/snow yuck that is coming will turn him into a grimely, icky mess again. His boot gets so cruddy so fast. I need to install a shower for him in the garage. I wonder if the hubby would mind......

 

Have a great time at the PDX this weekend! I think MINIs are like little kids. They don't mind getting muddy if they are out with their friends having fun!

Mini2Na, if you don't buy that book 16 Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, I'll send it to you. It sounds like your life! Let me know if you want it. . .we sell and buy books on Amazon a lot, and I could just print up a sticker and have it on its way to you!

I'll be at a funeral tomorrow. . . an aide who worked with a Down's Syndrome student in my class last year(long story, bad placement, insistent parents. . .) just died of a heart attack, leaving behind 7 kids of her own, one of whom has Down's Syndrome. It's just horrible, imagining the life of her family carrying on without her.

Other than that, just a quiet weekend with the family. And I feel very, very lucky!

 

Pack it up and send it my way. I'll exchange addresses with you so I can either get it back to you or pay you for what you want for it. You can also tell me how you "print up a sticker and have it on its way to you". Sending stuff is such a hassle. Maybe you have a trick????

The PDX MINI event was nice. I got to talk to a few new people and got some great information from the ALTA owner and reps. I sat with Kimberely and her husband. It was nice to see and visit with them again. I did not walk away with any raffle prizes. I REALLY wanted the H&R springs that would have lowered the car by and inch. BUT..... Kimberely won twice!!!! the lucky lady. I won't ruin the suprise for you, but I had tickets in one of the things she walked away with. It would have been an excellent Valentine's Day gift for my wife.

The weather remains a **** shoot. Yesterday was a delayed opening of school for me and my kids were out. Today looks like just rain (a lot of it), but it is supposed to freeze.

Be safe everyone.

 

Hi All!

There is a NASTY bug going around down here, and I caught it. Boy am I dizzy. Have to be out for 2 days over the next 2 weeks, so don't want to be out now. Grrr.

The book is on its way, Mini2Na! Labels are easy now. I have a word doc with a link to the USPS Zip code page. I plug in any address I'm given, and get the zip+4 address confirmed. Edit copy paste in my word doc and print out the selected address. Cut and tape on the package. You'll see. It's pretty fast, and accurate. I would hate a book I sell to not make it to the buyer! I think you'll really like it!

So Kimberely won 2 things? Wow! Take that woman to Vegas with you!! Or maybe not, since you won nothing! It still sounds like a fun day.

Our local club is going to a dealer and test driving the Clubman this next month. Should be interesting to see how it handles.

 

Sorry to hear you are fighting a bug.

Alta is having an open house and our local dealer is bringing in a Clubman. I look forward to seeing the Alta performance gear and getting an up close look at a "family" car.

 

Hello y'all! Not a lot going on other than I have survived the month of January (one day to go, but close enough.) The PDXMINI 2008 Kickoff party was interesting. A fun bunch of people, if you ever saw one. We were so glad when MINI2NA showed up as we didn't know a soul, and most people had congregated into their little groups.

I did win two prizes, tickets to a remodeled home show and a MINI necklace. I know that MINI2NA was coveting that one. Sorry.

No major motoring in my future, especially with the weather so cold and dreadful. I am helping put hardwood floors into my upstairs hallway this weekend though. Then to a Superbowl party on Sunday. I have no favorites in this one. I love the Patriots, but the evil side of me would love to see another team (any team) take them down a game.

 

Hi! Getting work in order (progress reports, district work, overnight field trip, sub plans) before tomorrow. WHY OH WHY does everything happen on the same day!!!??? And I'm usually really well-organized!

Oh well. . . I'll be gone until Sunday. Have wonderful MINI drives in between work and chores, and have a great weekend, all!

 

Oh so that's what the holes in the roof of the garage are for...

I added a few pictures to my gallery that tell most of the story of BlueBelle's adventure last Sunday. I'll have to say - I don't think I'd like to live in a "snow all the time" place. She did a good job slipping past some cars in the ditch on a large hill prior to these pictures but we got a little help from my folks at the end. Lost a day of work Monday due to power outages (both home and office) and limited mobility.

The treadmill will be turned up several natches this next week. I still plan on going to the coast with the Eugene group next Saturday. Will be a nice break.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

 

I love the pictures. You are a lot braver than I minicounter. It did look beautiful though.

We've had snow flurries all week, but not much stuck after Monday. Just nasty rain and wind. I hope the weather clears up a bit for your drive to the coast.

I got my desk cleanedup and am ready to collect the tax stuff. Sound familiar to anyone?

Have a great rest of the weekend.

 

Good Morning!

Wow- those snow pics are amazing! Beautiful, but . . . whew! Glad I don't have to drive in that! Poor Bluebelle. She does NOT look happy!

Ugh~ I'd complain about taxes, but with Kimberely and Minicounter, it would be like complaining about 50 degree weather! We DID get our business taxes in last week. Now it's on to the personal ones.

Had a nice 2 days with the hyper 7th and 8th graders in the mountains. There was a bit of snow, and some had never seen snow before! They were thrilled! They all bonded, and had a great time. I'm glad to be home now, though!

 

Hey Scoopmama, I got the book yesterday. Just reading the topics he covers in the book are hilarious. I have a few more chapters in Eat, Pray, Love before I begin.

I found a great place to mount my garage door opener. (I bought a small one) I used sticky velco to mount it under the front edge of my arm rest. It now does not rattle in the tray now.

 

Hi! I'm glad the book arrived! What do you think about Eat, Love, Pray? It looked pretty good on Amazon. . .

I need to mount our toll road transponder on Scoop, and just under the rear-view mirror is really unobtrusive. I just keep the garage door opener in the secret compartment, since I don't drive her every day.

Well, off to Target and child retrieval from schools! All those fun errands that have to happen in 60 minutes flat!

Hope all Tagusites are keeping heads above water (I guess figuratively AND literally!)

 

Well, little child did NOT break his arm, but did bruise the bone. Milked that for all he was worth, and I got a call from his school when I was at the district office with. . . his teacher! I was a bit mortified, but she grinned and said that 2nd graders are like that!

Big child is in a sullen mood today. . . he had to get a haircut, and hair stays shorter until his grades improve. I'm such a mean mom!

Mini club this weekend- it should be a gorgeous morning for a meet and breakfast at the beach!

Hope all Tagusites are well!

Here's a bit of historical trivia. . . Charlemagne (who was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD by a pope who was almost a victim of an assassination plot by some cardinals and bishops) had a priest who was his advisor. This priest created capital, or upper case, letters to make messages more legible, and had this system taught throughout the empire. Pretty cool, huh?

 

AND DID EVER EVEN FATHOM WHAT WRITING IN ALL CAPITALS WOULD MEAN TODAY???
Yes, Tagusites. Motor safely this weekend.

 

HA HA HA!

Had a great morning with the Mini club. Nice folks, great looking cars, and weather in the low '70's and clear!

Hope all is well- I have a ravenous child waiting for me to cook dinner and reading over my shoulder right now!

Bye!

 

I am so sick of taxes! (Sorry minicounter - I know that you will still be up to your eyeballs for another few months.) All those lovely payroll taxes, 1099s, w-2s, B&Os, Unemployment,.....and finally I even got to my own personal income taxes. I am pooped. Thankfully - January comes but once a year.

Minicounter, those snow pics are gorgeous! I do so miss snow. I bet with traction tires a MINI could go anywhere. I know my old Acura could.

On a different note, I watched the 'Italian Job' (remake) last night. I definitely need to own that movie. So many MINI stunts and a classic MINI too! What fun. It almost made me want to put bonnet stripes on Kermit (only almost - he'd probably have an identity crisis if I did.)

'Tis a lazy Sunday - methinks a nap sounds good!

 

Yuck! Taxes. . . We have a friend who does ours, and actually thinks it is fun. She was in 7th heaven doing them for the army, and going between 300 different accounts. My eyes just glaze over as she explains it all and saves us money.

My plates finally came in! I posted a picture in my gallery. Not great, but taken only 3 minutes ago. Hubby spent 2 hours getting them from the DMV today. What a sweetie! Note the really cool bolts on the plates- not easily stolen. AND her plate holders match the vinyl Union Jacks on the visors. . .
Tally-ho!

 

I like it!!

 

Thanks! Now I'm considering the Union Jack mirror cap. . . Does it EVER stop?

 

Happy Valentine's Day, Tagusites and MINI lovers!

 

What she said...

(takes a breath and dives back down... )

 

I gave Kermit a bath for Valentine's Day. He is such a handsome boy.