Greetings. Posted a "me too" on another person's first post, so count this one as official.

Picked up my lightly-used 2009 Clubman S on Saturday after a two month search, and said goodbye to my beloved but too-high mileage 2000 Ford Contour SVT (Mondeo ST-200 to some).

Semi-retired/under-employed. Way back in the Pleistocene age, I was the founder of the Red River Sports Car Club and the Pedernales Chapter of the BMWCCA. Past member of the Lone Star Region of the SCCA.

So far, after 250 miles, I'm liking the little Hobbit Hearse quite a bit.



I always wanted a Morris Minor Traveler.

 

Welcome from the sunshine state.

 

Nice choice! Welcome to NAM

 

Welcome.

 

Looking good, PM!

Is the stereo system to your liking?

 

Very nice. Fellow BMW-er here too (2002 M3 convertible). Enjoy the new toy and welcome.

 

Yes indeed. The 8-speaker Mini Boost system (6-front, 2-rear) is quite nice. Of course, it came with tone controls set at "salesman settings" (+70% from flat for bass... +50% treble). Once I zeroed it all, the sound is very nice.

I would happily trade the Sirius tuner for a serious HD tuner, but alas, that's not my choice.

 

Another view, with lighting.

 

Welcome!

 

Hey PM, you out of harm's way down there, tornado-wise?

 

The twisters were 200 miles north of here, up in DFW. First time since we moved down here that I didn't miss Dallas. We got a sprinkle.

 

A natural disaster is all it took, eh?

I reluctantly left a great old house in Berkely, CA for family reasons, and headed back to Seattle, back in 1991. A few months later, the big 'quake of that year hit the Bay Area. It marked the first time I saw any bright side to my return.

 

I moved here last year the day before the "Great Super Bowl Ice and Snow Storm" hit DFW. I missed the ice/snow on two levels.

When I lived in the Bay Area, we used to have earthquake drills. My parents were always worried about the quakes. I tried to explain to them that living in 'Tornado Alley' in North Texas was probably more dangerous.

Oh yeah... and the hard water here leaves spots on my black car. :-/

 

That's a problem here, too. I got an inline water softener from Griot's Garage awhile back, and it's a huge help. The replacement filters are costly, so I only use it on the Mini (it's our only black car, anyway). I'd include a link, but can't figure out how to do it from this Windows phone I'm using.

 

A day in the neighborhood with the Hobbit Hearse. Nice view of the defroster elements that allow the passenger to see through the back side-windows over their left shoulder. That ought to come in handy.