astarte

car is at dealership getting all of its coils/spark plugs replaced again (maybe the FOURTH time will be the charm?) so i don't have her here...

Hey All, My Vinyl stripes have faded anywhere where a line drawn tangent to the curve on the car is nearly horizontal, where the stripes are vertical they're fine. For a 2012 MINI this seems more than a bit fast (especially since I first noticed it a year ago) Talking to Alexandria MINI I have been informed that Never Before in the ENTIRE history of MINI has this occurred, and therefore it must be user damage. (Considering that Alex MINI has been the one doing all of the car washing I'm a bit confused, maybe there was a chemical attack on one of the DoD sites I work on that we never knew about?!?) Since my every experience with Alex MINI has been horrific (the car is back in the shop Yet Again, where it lives a minimum of a few times a quarter) I am having serious trouble believing them. Could you let me know if your vehicle (or someone you know's vehicle) has had this issue? Right now the best offer is that they pay for the stripes and I pay $240 for the reinstall. My stripes are silver & blue since I have a blue & silver coupe. -l.

we're doing Elie's birthday a weekend early that day. Someone plan something for memorial day since we refuse to leave the area that weekend.

I'm going to need all of my leave for wedding related events this year.

I can't imagine going from a Hummer to a MINI! That's like a serious philosophy change there... Like tomorrow I know that I can de-ice the 4Runner but wow, I'm impressed...

I can see US 1 from my office window and live off Mount Vernon Hwy and both are in good shape, people are driving full speed. I heard Arlington got 2 inches but I imagine as long as stuff is salted and they started before noon yesterday it should be OK.

Legend of Isis is a stick and she is female, because stickshifts and women are more precise.

I kept saying if I worked there I would really get good at riding a bike and ride in at least a few days a week (and get skinny!), then again I'm a CTR not a Jr Officer so my treatment is entirely different but not entirely better...

Hey I'm in Alexandria and have a Comp Sci degree did two years of law school and bailed and now do computer security and am a lot happier for it (and work with a lot of lawyers with comp sci degrees). Not that I'm saying you shouldn't do it as there are certainly people who ARE happy with that combo, but I think if I'd known more going in things would have been different, or my assumptions would have been different. I'll feed you coffee.

the steaks is way better than the burgers. I don't like teh burgers but I'll be nice to darn near anyone for almost any period of time for the promise of a Rays The Steaks Fillet. So amazing, so tasty. Their Mac and Cheese is fantastic, Elie makes himself sick on it. Do East River though as otherwise its really hard to get in and you'll pay about half for a larger than half sized portion (although for a big monster steak Rays The Steaks in Arlington is just so so so, yum) ok, I've hijacked the thread dreaming of steak, its a sad sad world.

you would have rocked the hat but your hair isn't that white and you're definitely the wrong gender for that driver! it would have been awesome to have seen you. ugh, the MD 495 MINI drivers in the morning are no fun... -l.

but when as a whole we're looking at factors going into attendence I was trying to point out what happens when you put things into DC or parts of DC. This comes from years of my trying to organize stuff at friends houses in Capitol Hill. I do a lot of analysis for a living and i think I may have geeked out too much. Another good place to do in DC that has good parking and awesome food and is really trying to help the local area is Rays East River (Its Rays the Steaks with smaller portions at a fraction of the original price with the same quality meat, just in a less awesome neighborhood.) The restaurant staff has pretty much stayed with the place since it has opened, its provided a bunch of jobs to the local area, has helped bring other business to the area, and the food is phenomenal. The restaurant's parking is under survelliance but we normally park in the grocery store across the street. Plus they have an expanded menu of non-steaky southern food at a way lower price. -l.

I learned to drive stick in DC (Anacostia to be precise), I routinely work and drive in DC, and I despise dealing with Adams Morgan, and I'm probably not going to drive my MINI as I don't want it to get banged up down there, I'll take the 4Runner if I end up driving. DC is hit or miss with people, its theoretically central but if parking isn't easy or people decide they're scared (I'm the only one of my grew up in NOVA group that will drive into DC the rest are petrified even to drive to the Smithsonian after hours). AM is fun (its the new Georgetown I believe) but you have to convince the suburbians to head in. (The ones who have a really hard time in the older parts of Arlington/Alexandria as the streets aren't wide and gridded, and 4 way stops baffle them. The fiancee and I have been horrified and amused at the confusion at 4 way stops in outer fairfax and woodbridge these days, as going through DC they're really fast and everyone just goes, no hesitating!) -l.

Whoever the blue countryman-S was wearing the awesome hat was last night in Old Town you totally made my evening (especially since you also had purple interior lights going!)

The Key Phrase in this recall is "The Percentage of Vehicles affected in this Recall is 100%"

full text of recall from recent NHTSA: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/latestRecalls.cfm Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s): MINI / COOPER S 2007-2011 MINI / COOPER S CLUBMAN 2008-2011 MINI / COOPER S CONVERTIBLE 2009-2011 MINI / COOPER S COUNTRYMAN 2011 MINI / JCW 2009-2011 MINI / JCW CLUBMAN 2009 MINI / JCW CONVERTIBLE 2010-2011 Manufacturer: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC Mfr's Report Date: JAN 10, 2012 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 12V008000 PE11036 NHTSA Action Number: PE11036 Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Potential Number of Units Affected: 88,911 Summary: BMW IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2011 MINI COOPER S, 2008-2011 MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN, 2009-2011 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE, 2009-2011 MINI COOPER JCW, 2009-2011 MINI COOPER JCW CLUBMAN, 2009-2011 COOPER JCW CONVERTIBLE, AND 2011 COOPER S COUNTRYMAN PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 14, 2006, THROUGH JANUARY 18, 2011. THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP THAT COOLS THE TURBOCHARGER HAS AN ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT BOARD THAT CAN MALFUNCTION AND OVERHEAT. Consequence: THE CIRCUIT BOARD MAY SMOLDER WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE. Remedy: BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WATER PUMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-866-275-6464. Notes: OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV . PDF of Full text of recall from BMW: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=12V008&docType=RCL http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=12V008&docType=RCL

should be there if anyone wants to carpool from Ft. Belvoir.

we should do a great tagging of Old Town Alexandria someday, there's a MINI every 100 feet (which is part of why I got one is I go to old town so often, and then because my new commute is 90 miles RT) Probably would get a few hits off of it.

have him get a coupe roadster--I'm loving Legend of Isis and she's insanely comfy (mmm punch leather seats of happiness and a burbling exhaust) and the trunk is crazy big.

It was great fun, everyone was awesome about sharing. You shot my Paraord. 1911 which fires a .45 caliber. -Laura (not en) :-)

Ok, so I drove her for about 4-5 hours today (remind me to buy Elie a large beer at Mad Fox) incredible car--spent a few miles trying to figure out why she was being so loud between 30-40mph, realized it was just the supercharger rumbling (hmm, 3rd and 4th gear are about the same loud--ooh its just the car being AWESOME sexy, sweet!). The clutch is so much easier than the subaru I've been driving's. Anti-rollback is awesome, and as I proved more than once, you don't have to start her in 1st, second and third will also work, although they *will* rattle your confidence a bit if you're new to a manual (excuse me while i go put some rouge on my white knuckles). Punch leather seats with heating are phenomenal--so comfortable, i may go nap in her now, and the trunk has now been big enough for a costco run and a grocery run. Plus she's well laid out enough to have room for a non-ski jacket and purse behind either seat, and the arm rest has a storage compartment for little stuff, and under it another cupholder which is perfect for my phone, keys etc. I'm even happier than i was previously. He tried to back the car up in 6th once, i'm sure i'll try to back his up in first once (that's more scary!!) but totally in love love love!!

Lots more photos can be found at: http://www.cosanostra.net/~astarte/pics/2011/Legend_of_Isis/ from the side: showing off her spoiler with the door open: frost on the spoiler while spoiler is down: Yelling "Hey Laura get off the computer, Lets GO!"

finally got her, will take photos of her tomorrow to put up. Made Elie drive her home as it was rush hour and i panicked, so I haven't driven her yet--later tonight, although hearing her rev in the 4Runner was lovely.

I guess I'll be paying for Legend of Isis next time I see the club too.

I am sooo excited about getting to pick up Legend of Isis on the 30th. I am hoping that the weather is nice and traffic is pithy so that I get to drive her home not my fiancee who has been very awesome about letting me drive his car. I will post pics as soon as I have them.