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Old 04-07-2021, 10:25 AM
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PropellerHead PropellerHead is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: At the wheel of a Bimmer
Posts: 2,171
PropellerHead is on a distinguished road
And so I write now from the Performance Delivery Center in Spartanburg, SC as my daughter is in class starting her day with 7 other students.
Getting here though was a process wrought with uncertainty and last minute hopes. As I said before, the moment my wife told me she was pregnant (not the spayed cat as I first guessed), we planned to be here. Just two years prior, we'd taken delivery of my wife's 2002 E46 330. We met and befriended both the delivery specialist and the driver from that day. I even made a website (as we did in the day) about my delivery experience. I did not know I'd made friends for life, but after a trip to Bimmerfest a few years later and many, many trips to the track, that's just what they've become. Here's my buddy, 19 years ago last month
My job change came with the cut off of certain benefits, of course. An unexpected benefit is a discount on *any* class at the BMW Perf Delivery Center. I looked and looked for a class this Summer near her 17th birthday in June, but alas, they were filled through August.

When my current employer asked me to to stay on this week and transition, short timer mode kicked in high gear. I was going on a month-long road trip and no one was gonna stop me! And so we headed off.. 1 stop in Chattanooga was definite. The rest were sorta up in the air. Why? Well, ya see, it went like this..

The individual code for a class discount had expired last year. No one had updated the website in 2020. So, as much as I don't like to bother my friends with work stuff, I asked for a favor last week. Could they help in this last minute? And boy, howdy! Did they ever! I got the phone call yesterday on the way to Spartanburg. If nothing else, I said, it'd be worth the trip to see them both again if they're around. We got the code. We got some advice on where to stay, and we were set late yesterday. Class was ON! Of course, we had to pose for pics..

We spent a few minutes yesterday at the Zentrum- her request. Another bit of serendipity was this little happy dappy daddy happy for my little girl and her 2012 128i. I have to imagine demand is pretty low in the US for these..
Of course, we had to get the money shot at the Zentrum as well..
Speaking of $ shots.. For all those folks who think *their's* is the cleanest X5 on the planet.. I submit the limited edition Nieman Marcus E53 from 1999. Is Nieman's even a brand any more?
I hope I have at least 10 years, but my grandchild.. Ohhh Lawd, my future grandchild..
So where to stay? We were told of a new place that just opened across the street from the factory and Zentrum, less than a mile from the Delivery Center. Our view isn't awesome, but it's not all bad..
Of course, it's not the nicest place in the world. Set up like an apartment with a full kitchen and other very basic necessities. The surprise this morning was a LOT of big motor noise from the street. My advice is to ask for a room in the BACK corner of the property rather than the front corner where we are. Otherwise, the room is... serviceable. A Publix is less than a few minutes away. We had dinner by the light of our bicycles..
Our early start this morning welcomed the same from the..erm.. locals...
And so I wait in the cafe for her to be free.
There is a *slight* chance I will get to drive today with my other buddy. I am not goin anywhere while I wait for that!
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Last edited by PropellerHead; 04-07-2021 at 10:48 AM.
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