Hi Everyone!!!!

I am mostly unpacked, and counting down to be reunited with Matt. He leaves Naples forever on March 01, 2009.

We're all done with housebuying paperwork, got the bills on direct withdrawl, arranged for almost everything that demands my attention, and now that I have internet at the house installed and (finally) working, I'm Baaack!

How has everyone been? For the first time since our first postings, this thread wasn't on the first page! We've really slowed down a lot, havent we, but it makes sense, as we're now all motoring along.

I've joined the SCMM group, they seem active and friendly, and the best part, I'm attending an event they're having on Valentines Day, which is AWESOME since I will still be a lonely navy spouse that day, with Matt still being abroad.

I think I may have seen a week 23'er in LOS ANGELES, exiting Rosencrans Blvd, on my way to the Getty museum in my friend's ford station wagon on Wednesday Jan 28. Was that you???

I've got my week 23 badge, happily motoring along route 805 in San Diego.

Well, cant say I havent found work yet, since I havent really been "looking", still much too busy unpacking!

Cant believe I owned all this junk! Goodwilll!!!!!

Take care everyone, and if you're ever in Southern California please look me up! I hope to see Proximal at the Valentines event with SCMM. Maybe we can have a WEEK 23 reunion at Mini in the mountains or Mickey&MINI or something.

Happy Motoring, miss chatting with you guys!!
Rebecca and Matt

 

Hey Esseys, welcome back and sounds like you have your hands full. You hubby will be with you soon. Did you get Mystique back yet?
The club should keep you occupied.
Do you like your new house? The area?

this side has been dead for a couple months now.
I have met up with Dchaps at a local club meet at the holidays, it was fun.
Nugget has stipes now...
take care and talk soon.

 

Yes! I PM'ed you the address for breakfast as well.

 

i found an issue with my the mini, almost caused a crash....

the hill assist prevents you from cadence braking (pumping the brake) when you are sliding backwards down a hill in the snow.

i am going to contact BMW about it.

 

Dchap,

Everything I have ever heard or read is that you aren't supposed to pump the breaks on a vehicle that has ABS. Consistent firm pressure on the brake pedal. http://www.roadtripamerica.com/Defen...ing/Rule68.htm
Motor Carefully

 

+1 Cadence braking is a non-ABS technique.

Hill assist only engages when you are
1. stopped
2. in gear
3. with the clutch depressed.

If you were stopped and started to slide, I suspect that no braking technique is going to interrupt your retrograde journey.

Glad you didn't bend your MINI!

 

DChap, I'm glad nothing happened too serious.

And this area is nice, meeting neighbors and making friends. The job hunt begins in earnest in April...because March 01 Matt gets back, and we'll be (ahem,) busy, for most of March!

Mystique made it safely, a long double line scratch on her driver door. Nothing too noticable, but the dealer wants $2500 to fix it. Insurance by the ocean carrier should take care of it...once I find 10 mins to do the paperwork.

 

2500 to fix a scratch?

how bad is it?

 

I know that pumping the brakes is a none ABS technique. The problem with ABS is tha as soon as all the wheels have locked up and you start to slide, the ABS will not recognize the slide and not thus not engage. Pumping the brakes is the best technique for a slippery situation like that (no pun intended). I know I could have thrown the car into neutral, and or turned the DTC off inorder to turn off the Hill Assist, but I really didn't want to do either of those.

MINI just told me to talk to a service advisor, so i decided to go right to BMW instead.

 

I'm pretty sure the guy at Brecht MINI was trying to give me a quote with a little "padding". Basically, its three tiny scratches of double line, but according to the quote, he would need to take the entire door skin off, remove the window, remove the Aero Kit, fix the door itself, and reinstall the OEM mudflaps to boot!!

So, I think it was a quote more for the "insurance company" than for me...

It might be hidden (partially) by the MYSTIQUE graphics I still have to install. (Money for that job dried up when we bought the house...Geez, you wouldnt think a home built in 2006 would need another $9,000 poured into it...but I wanted paint, laminate floor in dining room etc etc etc).

So, anyone want to hire a US Navy spouse world traveller with a love of MINIs and costuming? Will work for MINI Graphics!!! HAHA.

Nah, the serious job hunt begins in April.

 

^yea, that's understandable i guess, but jeeze..

depending on the depth of it, you might even be able to get it out with compound and polish..

 

I'm attending the MINI clean day with SCMM.org in long beach CA. on valentines day so we'll see what other MINI owners have to say when they can look at it in person. Its not bad, really. But, we'll let Matt decide- Mystique is HIS baby!!

 

I just spend a few hours cleaning the winter off of Altoid.... man was it nasty. Black rims, brake dust had eaten into the wheels, salt took its toll on the body.

I washed it, cleaned the wheels with soap, mild acid wheel cleaner, then a normal wheel cleaner, did it a treat. Polished the car, waxed it, cleaned the windows, vacuumed, washed the rubber mats, waxed the wheels, and more. Looks brand new again.

 

i can't wait till spring to get my car looking prim and proper again.

I'll give it the full detail treatment. I've gotta pick up an orbital soon.

 

it feels so nice to go look at it and see it shinny

 

My passenger window stopped auto dipping when the door is opened, so here I am at Ottos getting it looked at. The auto dipping failure is apparently a software glitch that BMW is trying to rectify, for the moment however, there is a patch.

Other than that, how is everyone?

 

At this point I don't think I even notice when the window does that. I'll have to pay extra attention at lunch to make sure it is still working!

I will likely be crossing 14,000 miles tomorrow on my commute home from the office. It is amazing how fast that odometer has turned over!! I still love this car as much as I did when I drove it off the lot! That being said, this failing economy is causing some strain between my MINI and I.

One could make the case that I am directly tied to Wall Street and all of its woes. Accordingly the reasons for me to have my MINI seem to be getting fewer by the day. My office has turned into a graveyard and the team that I came out here to work with (and therefore bought my MINI for the commute) no longer exists and many of the others folks around here are or will be on the chopping block soon. Thankfully (or stupidly?) I'm not currently fearful for my own position, but it is definitely giving me reason to think about removing the MINI from my life. It is not even the cost of the monthly payment that gives me pause, it is mostly due to the price I pay to park and the premiums to insure it where I live. I'd have to get permission to move back to my old (also deserted) office and as of yet I don't have any concrete reason for making such a request, but as you can tell, it is definitely on my mind.

I really don't want to do it, but I feel like it might be the responsible decision in this day and age. Stupid economy.

Anyway, after that downer, hooray for warm weather and sunshine! WEEEE!

 

zonedguy, that would definately be some sad news if you had to part ways with your MINI. I really hope there is better news on your horizon.
I have lost my job 3 months ago, so I know what you mean about the dam economy!!
good luck to you!

 

Yeah the economy sucks, but hopefully it will soon be on the mend and companies will start to hire again. I'm still stuck in Apple retail with no hope of an exit anytime soon. On the plus side, just did my taxes and I can say that there will be a gift coming to Altoid soon.

 

Random Thoughts from Rebecca...These are my own observations, and my own musings...
Having just returned to the States from Europe, and now having cable TV, I'd like to share some observations;

The TV is full of commercials for medicine, weight loss and debt relief.

If we simply don't buy junk food in the grocery store, we wouldn't be tempted to eat it in our homes, so we'd never have the extra calories and health issues, thereby negating the need for medicines and weight loss. And, only spending the cash on essential foods helps with the budget.

So, I think the secret to happiness is to shop for groceries on a full stomach, with a list.

That was observation Number One.

Anyone want to get all muse-y with me, and offer their observations?

 

Especially during the day. Those products are pretty applicable to the people who are watching daytime TV.

 

if you could explain that to the rest of the country, maybe the country wouldn't be overrun with obese people...

until then, I'll keep myself healthy, no need for medicine or weight loss.

 

Good point about the time frame. I put the TV on as background noise while I'm alone in the house. Two more weeks to go...

Timing of commercials is a valid point-- i.e. cereal commercials during Saturday morning cartoons. Remember that, way back in the day, when there was no cartoon network, and you had to patiently wait for "good" (i.e. kid) TV to come on, for a few hours only on Saturdays...

And, good for your restraint in the chips aisle, dwf137!

 

glad to see most everyone is still doing okay.

sorry to hear about the windows DC.

Mystique's scratch must have been a shock, also sorry to hear it happened. Maybe you can have them paint the arches while it's in the shop.

--
My mpg has gone up 2, I dont know if it's the hot side tube or the oil change that did it since i did both at the same time. We'll see. Otherwise, Yuko is filthy from the rain and me being too busy to wash her.

 

Krim, do you play with any of the SCMM folks?