I got a new job, sooo ROADTRIP!
I alluded to the trip in the mileage thread. I hope we're over 155k when we return. If I had my REAL preference, we'd be knocking on 160k. ;)
The trip began as a dream the moment my little girl was born almost 17 years ago. All 4lb6oz of her tiny, early arriving frame. I'd like to say its her early start that kept her tiny, but she'd tower over both of her great-grandmothers at just 5'2" today. :p: Anyway, the trip start was a charlie foxtrot for a lot of reasons that I chose to ignore. We persisted with a late start on Monday instead of our planned Sunday departure. In a last minute bid for options, we towed the bikes along as well. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._122013965.jpgWe stopped in Chattanooga, TN for an impromptu visit with one of her Jr High buddies who is in boarding school there. It's a uhhh.. nice campus. :yikes: But the reason *I* wanted to be there was for the handmade titanium bikes made there. I have been dreaming of one of these for a decade before he sold his 1st shop. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._132824357.jpgDespite what folks might think of the South, times are weird, even inTN. I couldn't get anyone on the phone with a voicemail that said, essentially we *might* get in touch with you in a couple days- or longer. I had very low expectations of the unannounced and unplanned visit. But I was surprised (and elated) that they came to the door in the industrial park and even brought some frames outside for me to look at. I was already having a GREAT day when the man with is name on the door (and signature on every bike!) came to the door! He asked if I had a mask and offered to take me on a tour! I walked in the door to the shop and got goosebumps. I would be there as long as they'd let me stay... https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._132836091.jpgThe process is meticulous and well-planned. Some of the machines look like they came with the building.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._131946185.jpgOthers are steeped in a mix of old and new tech. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._131105297.jpgWe talked to the guy measuring tubes for this bike. Each one meticulously planned. He noted that he'd measured to 3,000th/in and was ready to cut. THAT is precision! https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._131622250.jpgHere, they are drilling the tube for cables that will move the seatpost up and down.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._131829228.jpgAnother hit for the day's early start was a female welder. From tiny female State Troopers in New Hampshire (don't ask) to a petite female tig welder, I like to show my daughter her options are limitless. :thumbup: This was no exception. It's great when she gets to see things she may not ever have otherwise. She's growing into a fine young human. I suppose that's the 1st priority for any child. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._132236491.jpg In the next post, we will begin the (relatively?) short saga of how we came to Spartanburg, SC and the nearly Divine intervention that allowed our time here to be a life experience she will never forget! https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._120358105.jpg |
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.
https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._115138778.jpgGetting 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 :wow: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...k-sunshine.jpgMy 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. :thumbdown 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. :banghead: 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!:thumbup: Of course, we had to pose for pics.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._192621838.jpgWe 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.. :rofl: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._195132916.jpgOf course, we had to get the money shot at the Zentrum as well.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._193226201.jpgSpeaking 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?:dunno: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._193846028.jpgI hope I have at least 10 years, but my grandchild.. Ohhh Lawd, my future grandchild.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._194434178.jpgSo 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.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._221508625.jpgOf 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.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._003007188.jpgOur early start this morning welcomed the same from the..erm.. locals... https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._115056640.jpgAnd so I wait in the cafe for her to be free. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._120008249.jpgThere is a *slight* chance I will get to drive today with my other buddy. I am not goin anywhere while I wait for that! :bmw: |
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Thanks, CW. Always nice to have you guys along for the ride. Speaking of that, I am getting live updates from the course. :rofl: Here is one nut that didn't fall far from the tree..
https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...ink-part-0.jpgThe text was accompanied by the note: "M340i. Do want." Speaking of nuts...:bustingup |
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Sounds like a blast. My daughter is only 7 but she's going to help with the next oil change on the wagon this month so hopefully a future trip to Spartanburg will be on her list of "wants" as well. :thumbup: |
Looks like a great trip! Keep the reports coming!
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Seeing this post...You now made it my dream and a bucket list item to go to Spartanburg...
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I'm in Ooltewah, just north of Chattanooga.
My daughter is also 5' 2" but only 11. Well, I'm 6'3" so the apple didn't fall too much far from tree, lol. Nice thread and my daughter is already eyeing my 532M which makes me so proud! Great pictures! |
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I always tell my kids, “a little elbow grease never hurts”. [emoji106] |
Looks amazing! Keep the shots coming.
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This one had the carbon seats. Real.. nut grabbers, if you knowutImean. :yikes: THe car even has a 'drift mode' where you can analyze your best drifts. He hopped in and quickly bested the 4.25 stars to 5. It was then he told me he'd never driven that one. He'd had exactly 5 minutes at the wheel. Yikes. My, uhhh, *performance* was, well.. not even ONE star. :rofl: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._170344414.jpgIn other news, our plans now include a few days at the beach in Edisto Beach, SC. From there? Well, who knows. Maybe Tampa to visit family. :dunno: |
My advice for you all is that if you take someone to the Delivery Center, DON'T LEAVE! One of the instructors asked me and another dad if we wanted to do a hot lap during lunch. Uhhhh.. YEAH! Pics in a bit!
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When a buddy comes up and says.. "Hey, you wanna get on the skid pad?" Your Answer: Yes! A very calm person with grey hair will then say, "OK, We'll go when you're ready." ANd YOU say, "Does that mean, NOW?" :eeps: It helps to be mid-bite or drink. And just as calmly, he or she will reply: "No no, I'll come back in a minute. Finish your meal." They provide no funnels for food, but something alarming happens at the prospect of a hot lap. Lunch is suddenly over... Now, the interesting thing ab congregating with people who share similar interests is that it's really easy to find a common ground. A father whose daughter was the only other one in the class and I were hanging out, sharing BMW stories. He was a man who leases and renews. Me? Well, I'm a guy whose E53's are among the youngest of my Bimmers. It takes all kinds, I suppose. :dunno: And so it was. I'd met a new friend who likes the same things I do and has similar priorities. This is not a place for anything but the human experience. My daughter calls it Disney for BMW's. She's not wrong. Minutes after the 1st 'Yes!" We're climbing into a 4 door sedan packing AWD and 617HP and TQ (or more). A short orientation ensues. Within, a similar set of wake 'em up moments from the day prior occurs. I'll admit I have NO idea if BOTH the M4 Comp and M5 Comp share the option of a "drift mode." (The same M4 I'd slid up one side and down the other of the skid pad) https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._153948110.jpgThey may or they may not, but here's a little silliness from a car with that kind of silly power.. When he was navigating the menus, I had to ask.. "Wait.. Is this an option only *you guys* can do HERE or... Yeah.. anyone can remove AWD if they wanna screw around.:wow: I mean.. really? WTF DOES this who isn't 12yrs old? But then.. Aren't we ALL 12 at heart? And so it was... https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._154034222.jpgWTF? Am I just getting OLD? :rolleyes: They let ANYONE roll in 2WD? I mean.. Is this *on purpose*? :confused: This is 'drift mode' by another name. Here's the lil secret.. If you wanna actually experience 0-60 in under 3 seconds.. you have to use AWD. And we were advised: "It's violent." :popcorn: After the show we had in this 2WD sedan, we were done with violence. Lawd.I will share- (with a mix of pride and disdain for my age) that my right knee was actually sore from banging the door. And yes. It's a little like being sore from too many blow jobs in a day. :cool: Both of us giggled like children the entire time. The instructors simply have ice water in their veins. They will do things that bend physics over the couch and exit with the simple question.. "Errbody good?" :yawn: I've never seen anyone whip my ass with such utter complacency. Every crisis counselor should do this. It's the core of the need to be abused. I will be back- and voluntarily so- each and every time.It's NOT ME with the problem, after all.. The *problem*? The problem is torque. Ask anyone. :( Moments later you'll find yourself the unwitting partner in a fully unexpected (and probably not UNwelcome) bit of shenanigans with the poor fella that drew the Mini Experience hot lap. Just LOOK at the glint in our Instructor's eye. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._154217008.jpgI have this feeling that they so rarely get to have fun outside of sliding newbies around a track that messing with one another is pretty much the best times they can have. And if you watch them together, this is the banter. It's like any sport any time but the playing field is levelled. Bring us a girl, I hear them say in my head. She'll get better, too. :huddle These are good people. The most fun of the hot lap is when the driver catches up with the tire smoke from the previous turn. Why is it so satisfying to blow through air we can see and smell? :dunno: The smell of paper mills on the side of the highway as a kid were just never this fun.!ouch: And so we returned to the paddock. I took some shots, but I did miss the *pristine* 4.6is there for a scheduled service. Ya see, there lies within the grounds a facility wherein they rotate cars to the Zentrum. I've been advised that it's worth 100's of millions of dollars (to the rt buyer I have to suppose), I understand it contains such old-made-new novelties as Elvis Presley's 507 from his Army days. If you ever thought BMW was just a driver's brand, I will offer that BMW *gave* him a 507 while in Germany. These folks *knew* what they were doing. Oh, and BTW.. the 4.6is with like ZERO miles on it sits alongside. No word on any other E53's but the Nieman Marcus one. But I have to believe the LMB 4.8is I saw there during the 2006 delivery of my buddy's E90 330 sits somewhere within. The 4.8is was a special moment while M figured out how to do an SAV. :thumbup: Tomorrow after we pick up wifey in CHS and arrive on the SC coast, I will most likely go for a bike ride. But I'll catch us all up on the bonus factory tour and yet another 'YES!" moment. It has been the best week in a LONG time. :bmw: |
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https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._123659470.jpgI stopped into a local bike shop in Anderson, SC that I'd discovered a few weeks back when my daughter was on an overnight tour of Clemson. We may be further along on our way to a fat bike if we can find parts. Fat Bike. :bounce: Do want. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._141933668.jpgThis was 70 miles outside of Charleston, SC. I swore we'd be two hours late for her flight. But, just as there was ZERO apparent reason for the backup, there was the same lack of reason for the clearing traffic. :dunno: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._151103916.jpgI've never been to the SC coast, but Edisto Beach is ab as quiet a place as I have ever been. One loop around the island is a 7 mile ride. :thumbup: This morning's ride was a calm one except for the one redneck who doesn't understand bicycles are the same as any other traffic. :rolleyes: I offered him the return of his single finger salute with my very own as well as my most passionate offer to discuss it more personally and in deeper depth. He declined. :nanana: It was early and he did not make the cut. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._142318752.jpgBut it's tough not to have a good day when it starts the right way. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._142738763.jpgWe're off to Savannah, GA to visit with an old college buddy today. I owe you guys some reviews from our last day at Spartanburg. I haven't forgotten. For now, this bit of clamaity was a fun surprise from Anderson, SC. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._012605665.jpgI leave you for the day with the trend I can't seem to change. Whether it's a '+1' mile pic or a +'10'. I just cant seem to remember to snap in time, :stickpoke https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._160526037.jpg |
Prop, it looks like you and yours are having a blast.
Congratulations!!! *side note I was worried I needed glasses because your X was looking like a Nissan, plus I thought it was parked outside a club with neon flamingos [emoji1787] Aww crap I do need glasses (preferably filled with bourbon! Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk |
JDM cars are certainly always well optioned... :-)
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Awesome trip, Prop! Thanks for sharing your experiences. The pictures bring them to life :thumbup:
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One of the best things about being at the Perf Center is the attention to detail they put into the little things. I walked out on her last day to find the B(M&M)W's all lined up just so. Our host said they like to arrange the colors this way and even do different sets for holidays.. Black, orange and white for Halloween, Red, White and Blue for July 4th, etc. I was reminded of our time there so long ago. Could you imagine walking ANYwhere and seeing THIS scene today? (Oh, and don't laugh. Digital cameras were all the new found rage in 2002. These pics are small for a reason. :throw: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...link-zzzzs.jpgToday was a 'normal' day so they just made pretty look more pretty... https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._135117903.jpgMy daughter made a friend with the other female in the group. I mentioned her dad and I got along well, too. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._180716766.jpgOn the last day of the 2 day course, they saddle up in a number of different cars. It's brilliant, really. Let the customers send their children- future BMW owners- around the course in all different kinds of Bimmers. The best part? Have your customer *pay* for the experience! :yikes: And yet we do. So gladly... For *this* smile... And oh yeah.. the defensive driving part. That too. :stickpoke https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._181141864.jpgParents do not ride along with kids and signs warn about being in the paddock. Be aware that access here is an invitation, not a foregone conclusion. Make yourself a polite partner in the experience and the good folks here will offer their graces when they can. I don't know what it's like if someone is an ass about things. That's just not my approach. I have found the flies and honey approach most effective. To wit, the invitation for the factory tour complete with a drive over to the plant in an Individual X5. I didn't get invited to do the full X5 off road course, but I'd done it before in an E70. It was still fun to topple the brief exit path and see how things have changed across 2 decades. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._135700191.jpgThe huge center screen is beautiful and bright. The glass dash is delightful and detailed. I am betting that there's a reason they don't ask us to parallel park these huge things. It's easy to forget how big it is behind the wheel. Like an M5, nothing that big should be so nimble. And yet.. they each snort like a monster pissed about its cage. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._181455962.jpgAnd so it was finally time to go. We arranged dinner in Greenville with our new friends and really enjoyed the conversation, milkshakes, and camaraderie. We were both anxious to extend welcomes to our home cities. I expect I will make a trip to Vail for another bicycle experience. Metal and cadaver bits in my knees will keep me off the slopes. But good people are their own reward. I sure hope we meet again when it's time for more classes or before. The people here amplify the fun of the cars. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._005614880.jpgI mentioned that we were then set off in a last minute invite to the South Carolina coast. We loaded up the bike on the BMW carrier and toddled off to the unknown. We'd never spent time here, and it has been glorious. Edisto Beach has maybe 6 places to eat (2 on Monday's) and a bit fewer places to drink. Cheap beer is not cheap on an island 60 miles from the nearest Costco. But a few bucks is plenty to enjoy the function and form of the beach rider's choice. This from the bait and tackle shop just a 1/4 mile up the road. Something ab buying beer at a bait and tackle shop makes me enjoy it more. And I don't even fish. :dunno: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._180155351.jpg |
My final post from Edisto Beach comes at the welcome relaxation derived from hauling bicycles 1/2 way across the country on the back of an E53. I've always said the 3.0 and 4.8is V8's are great city cruisers and I believe they still are. I still think that same peppy i6 my wife drove for nearly 20 years is one of the smoothest motors BMW has ever put out- on any chassis. But there is *just something* about running down those Carolina left-lane bandits with bikes, family, and weeks of luggage in tow. I ran a number of folks down who took some exception to being passed on the right- after they refused to yield. It MUST be embarrassing for them when passed with bikes hanging off the back. :rofl: Jackasses to the one. :nanana:
We connected with my 1st ever college roommate and his bride who was my fraternal 'Big Sister' 30 years ago. Just down the road a piece is Savannah, GA. What's a 90 minute roll out in an E53? Nothin. That's what. :thumbup: Herein was the namesake of Savannah's founder and that of our small college up the road in Atlanta. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._220055217.jpgBut the stay on an island with less than 7 miles of pavement comes with its own speed. I top out at about 17mph on this thing, but then, I don't have any real place to be... https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._130122088.jpgWe've arrived at the end of Spring Break for most folks, so the time here is gloriously absent a crowd. I don't mind a crowd, really. But it is nice to have clear paths absent the same idiots who can't find the correct lane on the highway. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._204312250.jpgRiding on the beach is impossible in some places and awesome in others. The mirror of this experience with life is not lost as waves crash a few feet away. Neither does the siren's song of the fat bike- perfect for sand and yet beyond my reach so far. We'll get there. Hopefully before the big bills from college arrive. For now, the bike on which I've upgraded both the drivetrain (1x12/oval chainring for those interested) and the wheels and disc brakes (cause, obs) is the perfect little transportable commuter. I don't normally drink caffeine except on vacation. This trip's black coffee binge set itself in motion at the BMW center. It continues. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._142738763.jpgThe best part about hauling your own is the same as the best part about driving your own. Just a few miles up the road is a state park with some short trails of historical interest. One of the more fun points along the trail is- as best historians can tell- a ginormous trash heap for all kinds of shells from animals the ancients ate. I find my self bemused at the thought of those huge landfills around the country and what significance, mysteries, and realizations will be told from them to generations beyond ours. Clearly, a deserted trail allows the mind to wander. Deserted indeed.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._171629378.jpgPro tip: Should you find the perfect pier for a shot, be judicious in your placement. A gust of wind shot across and shifted my ride away towards the water on the camera's click. I was worried I would have to either swim or walk home. The water was far from clear enough not to accept my time there as anything less than a terrible lesson. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._162711761.jpgGuard rails needed. Like I said: Riding parallels life. This trip so far has been no exception. when the wind blows you too close to danger, find yourself a spot with guardrails. It's a much more relaxing memory. :rolleyes: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._162828013.jpgTomorrow, we're off to the thriving metropolis of Charleston, SC. We will stay there as we did for my sister's wedding many years ago. There it was that my tiny lil wifey discovered the mint julep. (And her 1st real hangover) :D We're both anxious to reunite with the historic hotel bar there and of course, the hangover-inciting freshly minted bourbon. I'll drop them for a plane ride home on Thursday while I take off to visit family in Florida. It's been much too long since any of us have been able to move so freely. I'm taking full advantage before the new role starts in May. More on that as we load up the E53 and roll on to the next stop. See you fellas soon. |
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https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0c2fa10c_b.jpgM5Zentrum by Al Mancuso, on Flickr https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ebae98db_b.jpgX5zentrum by Al Mancuso, on Flickr Propellerhead, if you had stayed to the weekend, the BMW CCA was there with the M X 1 event for all M and X vehicles. It was a really fun time. |
I got a new job, sooo ROADTRIP!
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Was at the Performance Center on Friday with my wife and at an “X Event” on Saturday. The ‘06 LMB 4.8is is still there and still has near no miles.
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Ya see, what had happened is that I was on a regular, ya-see-any-place-normal kind of pish-poshy street with stores that sell stuff for folks without financial concerns. Yeah, so there was this sign.. Read: "(Somebody's- I forget) Alley Bar- In the alley behind the Yeti store. Coldest beer in town." We all have our siren's song, amIrite? If I am not tied to the mast of a ship already, well.. I'm in THAT bar. (There's a literary joke in there- bonus if you guess it) :popcorn: I mean, who *doesn't* look for a place that has beer cans on a deer? I can't say I've ever considered it a necessity, but I will say that the *type* of place that's crush cans on antlers is pretty much where I wanna see what's going on... https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...5367.night.jpgSure enough, at the next alley was... well... a right turn down an alley. I was compelled. A parking lot or 2 that I wouldn't leave *any* car passed by and there again.. an arrow on a sign to sing along with the song. By now, I was too far in. One turn later and there it was. The sign (with another arrow down a yet smaller alley) directed me as promised.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...3495.night.jpgSee? the thing is at this place, they'll sell you a $4 PBR. And for a mere $1 more, they'll add on a shot. :( I hope this only works on adventurous folks who follow blindly signs for cold beer.)Which is to say, it uhhh worked. :p: After the 2nd shot (tequila instead of bourbon) I told the tender that I was happy to buy him the shot if he'd just keep the PBR's cold. We toasted 3's (or so) before The Call came in. The measure of any bar is the shitter. Here's what the sh!tter says ab this place: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._211300842.jpgExcept for some open-market shopping finds in Charleston of shit-our-kids-will-sell-for-pennies, we had shrimp and grits that will, as my buddies are prone to say, "make a puppy pull a freight train," Charleston was a nice prep for the plane ride home for my girls. I would say *we* had not planned for my daughter to return, but teenagers are teenagers, mommas are mommas, and my plans? Well my plans are some sort of sub-atomic matter that scientists wonder why it exists, *if* it exists, and whether it does or not exist, will just call by it's name shit that they can't explain. I'm a husband to her mother and a daddy to a teenage girl. My opinion isn't even dark *matter*. My opinion is equal the shit that keeps dark matter from colliding with our planet. The smart folks call this 'dark energy' cause they can't explain it. either. So yes, gentlemen. My opinion isn't even the masses that simply must exist but we can't find.. My opinion is the unexplainable enigma that holds that shit in place. In other words, my opinion is pretty much off the readable scale. The short answer is that my girls departed as a pair that day. And I was left to see what- and where- was next. I straddled up the circa 1999 pivot bike BMW rack for the E53 and off I went... Searching for either a tree or a pot. I needed to pee.:yikes: |
Mrs. OB and I were there in Charleston the past 2 days. We had a wedding at the Wide Awake Plantation in Hollywood, SC and then spent the next day in Folly Beach. Love the SC coast. :thumbup:
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PropellerHead,
Remarkable thread, images, and narrative as your usual! 5 Stars and excellent stuff! GL, mD |
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https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...34540224-2.jpgAs dusk darkened past the point that a bike lane offers safety, I had to leave the Amelia Island Greenway. It was very nice. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._235619544.jpgI toddled off to 'dinner' of dried fruit and peanut butter. I am a simple man. The morning was an early start after a late planning session of the northern side of the Island. I rode in circles for a little bit, but finally got away from this section of WTFamI. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._134414623.jpgONce on the longer path and in the the state park, all kinds of fun was to be had.. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._142701673.jpgAnd so next was the sign that I feel like I might've appreciated sooner than 2 miles into the damn woods. :confused: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._142956925.jpgAnd so it was, back to my room for a shower and a checkout before heading off to see family near Tampa, FL. This little bit of humor had me smiling for a little while. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._001103762.jpgSo I loaded up the bikes on the E53 and prepared for another few hundred trouble-free miles. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...21950818-2.jpg |
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https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._163105090.jpgI think the resistors on my LED AE's is fading in and out of service based on heat. Sometimes, the 'check side lights' error would come up and then just as quickly, it'd fade away. The light themselves are my DRL's along with the fogs, so I can see them in the reflections from shiny cars. They never blinked. :dunno: Add to that bit-o-fun that my tail lights need to be soldered after fewer than 3 years in service. :( Every now and again, the error to check my rear tails would ping up as well. Then the socket would make a solid connection and poof! All good again. :popcorn: Anyway, I will attack that sometime this weekend. Minutes after a quick bike repair and test ride in Tampa, I was relaxing in the warmth of a Spring sunset with my nephew, brother and sister in law. This is a new place for them in Apollo Beach, so it was nice to see their new home and relax. Like many of us, it'd been over a year since I had seen them. Always nice to be around the people you can relax with. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._224619826.jpgAfter drinks on the patio, a nearby brewery allowed some time and a new friend for about 13 seconds. She went right back to sleep almost as soon as we'd met. This happens to me with bitches in bars all the time. :D https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...0282.night.jpgOn our last night, we went to a beach bar to watch the sunset. What are they teaching the kids these days? :stickpoke https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._233014632.jpgBut it was a nice sunset looking out across the bay at St. Pete. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...35644035-3.jpgAnd then, the happy E53 surprise of the week. I sooo wanty this for dedicated snows. :wow: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._233356641.jpg https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._233334680.jpgAnd so it was my time to run home. For my last post in this thread, I will wrap up a great day in Edisto Beach. A bit out of order, but a fun story nonetheless. I hope you guys have enjoyed this little adventure. It sure has been nice feeling like catching up with the world again. I'm looking fwd to my new role on Monday. For an added twist (and a huge, why the hell not factor) I selected a MacBook Pro for my new job. That's quite a thing as I have not used an Apple product for my primary device since the MacPlus I had in 1988. :wow: This should be a fun adjustment while I learn a new job. Nothing like jumping into the fire, rt fellas? |
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https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._140605302.jpgThey were so good I loaded up for lunch and carried it home for the girls. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._162134248.jpgOf course, it was after noon (if not barely so) and I decided the smart thing to do was to finish the 12 pack from the other day while I watch the world go by on the deck. Minutes later, and out of beer, it was time for another ride. This time, I thought I'd swing in to the bait and tackle shop just to see if they had some bright shirts for being seen whilst riding. Sure enough, I found bright pink, orange, and yellow. As reflective as traffic cones each one. What I did not realize is that I'd picked up an orange one that did NOT have the requisite Edisto Beach livery.. No.. no.. This one had some other endorsement that my lit up ass did not see until my wife challenged me the next day: "What is ON your shirt?" "What? The orange one?" Pro tip: When you buy clothes at a bait and tackle shop, it's buyer-be-warned. And for the older fellas...pack your readers. :nanana: https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...6513.night.jpghttps://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes...64.night-2.jpgSo, while there, I asked if they'd let me drink beers out of the cooler while I sat on their dock. They were accommodating and I headed to the water. There, I found an older gentleman named Gordon in a kayak. He called for help so I told him I would. I said I don't know much about boats, but I could lend him a boost if he needed out. He didn't have the wind to blow into the whistle they gave him at the shop, so I ran to get the young man in the shop and we both oriented Gordon and his rented kayak. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._210548615.jpgGordon looked like he needed a beer, so I offered him a seat and as many beers as he'd like. Me and Gordon got along well while the natives kept a watchful eye. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._204507776.jpgWe chatted for an hour or so before he said he'd need to get back to his bride who is infirmed and cannot walk. I walked with him up the peer to send him off and he stopped at the bike rack. Sure enough, Gordon hopped on a bike from the early 80's and toddled off to ride home. Gordon is 84 years old. :thumbup: After beers with Gordon, I invited my wife to walk up to the bar for dinner. The BBQ was unexpectedly on point for a place above a bait shop. We went around the world on their 4 taps and then I did everything I could not to face plant on the ride home. It was short, but I probably rode twice as long by doing way, way too many circles. :p: Our last day in Edisto had been a wind-down special, and it was glorious. https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._215259520.jpgMy last week before the new job has been spent home, buttoning up things on the X5 and elsewhere that I don't expect to have time for a while after next week. And goes today's project with the tail lights. That will begin in a bit. The pool is open today and that's a project that will keep the midnight oil burning for awhile. That brings my updates from the road to a close. Thanks again for reading. And remember, all of this fun was brought to us courtesy of an 18 year old BMW. Nearly 3,000 miles, break neck speeds, and 80lbs of rack and bikes in tow. Narry a whisper of trouble from the car but for the silly light warnings. Something weird happened to me at 150k... Lights on the dash are no longer a problem. Like a baby that cries when hurt.. at least the thing is breathing. Until next time, fellas... |
I hope that new Apple product is going to be put to use at some hipster online publication doing travel blogs. *Fingers crossed* That way we can all enjoy more great yarns written in your bard-like style.
Great read as always prop. Thanks for taking us for the ride with you on the tandem cycle via your keyboard and camera. :thumbup: |
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