Robert Hall

One thing I do like about working from home full time is I can be selective about when I go out, so I can avoid going out much in the bad weather. I’ve always preferred more northern climates, only a few places that are snow-free that I generally like and they have many negatives. I could see spending Jan and Feb someplace beachy eventually though.

I truly hate scraping ice off of my windshield or brushing snow off of a car...which is why I'm looking for a place w/ more garage space (so nothing has to sit outside next winter).

Reality is complex. Some places get very little snow. Some get a lot. Some tend to get wet snow. Some get dry snow. Some have a lot of sun. Some have a lot of rain. There are many microclimates. I've lived in enough different places across the US to know what I like and what I don't like.

'no-lift shift'...is that like rev-matching? Not familiar w/ it.

I'm pretty sure Erie and Buffalo get more inches of snow per year than Denver or Seattle. The Lake Effect at the NE end of Lake Erie is pretty powerful. Snowfall totals here in Cleveland can vary wildly because of the Lake Effect... Speaking of the C8, I realize I'm now in the target demographic..middle aged, good income, chunky and balding w/ gray hair, got my white New Balance shoes, golf clubs, Hawaiian shirts. But I'm not going to wear jean shorts (part of the Corvette stereotype).

Given that the C8 is 1/3 to 1/4 the price of the F8, the C8 is a more realistic purchase for me.

I had fun w/ RWD coupes in my teens and twenties...for the 1st half of the 90s I drove my '86 Mustang LX notchback and my '87 Mustang GT (both in my tiny avatar pic)...fun, RWD, manual. After the '86 was totaled in '94, I got my first SUV (Bronco II 4x4 w/ a manual). Then in '98 my last manual coupe ('96 M3). Wasn't until I was 30 that I got into Grand Cherokees for my primary vehicle. Looking forward to driving my '87 GT next year (getting refreshed this winter along w/ the '69 Mustang and '67 Cougar). Maybe I can dig out my '90s CDs and mix tapes and remember when I had hair...;)

I remember back in 1990 briefly driving a new Miata...my late brother was then a salesman at a small VW/Mazda dealer, they had gotten a red Miata. I took it on a test drive, was fun on a winding Ohio backroad but I felt too big (at 20 I was 6'0" and about 180lbs) for it..felt very cramped inside compared to my familiar Fox Mustangs. My sister had a '90 300ZX turbo, I drove it a couple times when visiting her in Boston, she had it only a year or so before trading on a more practical Saab 900. Was pretty nice IIRC. I miss sporty 2dr hatchbacks and trunked coupes...30 years ago there were so many choices, most w/ manuals available.

I'd be looking for a 1990 Nissan 300ZX which was available in the fall of '89 IIRC. Always liked these cars.

And a lot of these assclowns intentionally break their toys for the clicks.. and Happy Birthday, @Drew Dowdell!

Love those 80s Town Cars (grew up with them) and the RWD GM C-bodies of the early 80s.

Took a drive down south past Tappan Lake and over to Steubenville for some of my favorite childhood food, then back home. Beautiful 70 degree weather, though most of the trees down there have lost their leaves. Saw these two vintage Corvettes at a rest area at the lake..chatted briefly w/ the owners.. a '60 and '66. On the way home last night got passed by a dark red Lamborghini Huracan followed closely by a dark blue Ferrari 488 Itala.

Nice fall day...love this weather... went out for a couple hikes yesterday in one of the local metro parks and the national park. Mulched some leaves in my yard. Went to my favorite custard stand on the last day open for the year. Going out out again today...weather is too nice to stay at home and watch tv...got to hit the backroads and ramble...

Had the Jeep in at the dealer for oil change, tire rotation, front and rear axle fluid replacement, transfer case oil change a couple weeks ago. Today, got a set of Westin Oval 4" side steps installed. Running great at 69k miles.

Since most 1/2 trucks sold now are 4drs with very short beds (basically used as big sedans by normals), this would make sense...

Yes, pricy toys, nothing for real truck use.

Interesting...another integral cab/bed like the Silverado EV. I wonder when they are going to do a normal separate cab/bed pickup EV?

Yeah, I wonder if it's going to have an Avalanche-tribute rear or a more normal bed.

At the dealer for some service, wandering around checking out their inventory. Only 1 WL GC on the lot, a black 4xe at $60k. Several new and used Wagoneers in the $70-85k range (hilarious, they had a white Wagoneer for $84k w/o a sunroof...). A well worn used Tesla Model Y. A clean ‘16 CT6 AWD 3.0TT ($32k w/ 73k miles) ‘16 C7 ($36k) and a ‘23 C8 ($84k) Lots of new and used Chargers and Challengers.

Back from a quick trip to Plano, Texas to my company's HQ for meetings. We took an Uber Black from DFW airport Monday--a new black Suburban..very nice. Traffic is heavy and fast on the tollways around the Dallas area...was cruising along at 80-90. Yesterday returned to the airport in an Uber Tesla Model 3. Reasonably spacious inside for 3 passengers+ driver...very minimalist dash, plastics seemed relatively cheap. Huge rear window/skylight. Decent headroom but have to watch the sloping roofline getting in/out of the backseat. Strange door handles inside and out. Fast, but a lot of tire/wind noise on the freeway. Sitting in the back it was fun watching the battery gauge go down just like on a cell phone..the side/rear view camera views on the screen were neat when passing. Didn't see much of note around the hotel or the various restaurants/venues we went to in the Plano/Frisco/Addison area, but did see a couple Hellcat Challengers (one orange, one purple), a matte black Lambo Urus (first one I think I've seen), a sharp dark green modified early 70s Camaro on the freeway, Saw lots of trucks. Rode in a coworker's current gen F150 super crew..big interior, comfortable. Did see Toyota's massive US HQ, less than a mile from my office. Had some good BBQ yesterday, sampled a variety of local beers over the 3 days.

Wasn't familiar w/ this band, but I like this track...'Thrill' by Future Islands. Heard it last night in the latest episode of Showtime's 'American Gigilo' series. Guy has an interesting voice and the synths are great.. Which lead to this song, which has a cool video w/ some driving w/ an Civic and an Impreza I think.. Another track by Future Islands..

A third row makes no sense in something as small as the EQB...remember, this thing is smaller than an Equinox.

Googled the EQB, the local Benz dealers are listing them for $60-66k...all black, gray or white..what a dull looking turd. Couldn't imagine spending that much on such a nothing vehicle.

The colors I like on the modern 'Vette are the brown, bronze, and dark green...some were one year only (2020 or 2021) I think...alas, most people go for the obnoxious bright colors.

Saw 3 C8s last week on vacay…a bright blue one on a small town Ohio Chevy dealer lot, one in this highlighter yellow on I-86 in NY and a dark gray one park beside a church’s sign in Erie PA (odd way it was parked, was there two days).