Recycled

I KNEW Dru was going to say that. I've seen the EPA mileage specs that show comparable mileage, but have not been able to find anyone that has matched that in real use. My in-laws have a '03 Jetta TDI with an automatic that gets about 38mpg with regular diesel and a lot of highway use. I have an '03 Jetta TDI with a manual that gets 47 mpg on biodiesel and 50 mpg when I'm stuck using regular diesel. My conclusion is that the mileage on automatics is overstated in actual use and that the mileage on sticks is understated unless one drives aggressively. Extend that kind of difference to the cross-section of vehicles used in the US and Canada and we're talking a lot of fuel!

I believe it's creeping up on about $7/gallon. Another thing that's kind of funny about the US and cars: I think I read somewhere that >80% of cars sold in the US have auto transmissions, which is a flip of Europe and most of the rest of the world. The 5-10% fuel efficiency differential matters in the rest of the world, but not here. A LOT of fuel is wasted this way, but it never even comes up... Oh and yes I know, the differential between manuals and autos is narrowing but still there and still significant.

This is true in the long run, but there will be a lot of upheaval in the near term. US culture is predicated on cheap oil: think about rural sprawl that depends on cheap gas for long commutes, overly large houses, a US penchant for wasteful vehicles and such. Sadly, I suspect that a large percentage of the US population would support foreign conquest to attempt to maintain cheap oil before shifting into more of a Euro mode of energy consumption. It's appears to be "way of life" thing that trumps ethics.

Nope...I find out way more than I want to anyway. Mr. E actually lives next door to a few of them

Excellent conditions today but the weather's deteriorating a bit. It has been cold overnight lately and there's a hard ice crust up there first thing in the AM. Great boot conditions! Only 4 cars (including mine) at the Blue Lake trailhead today. Where is everyone?

Congrats to him - Reed should be an interesting experience to say the least. So... I get back from a great day at Washington Pass to find a wee bit of hostility coming my way. My post was written very tounge in cheek. NO, I'm not panting after college girls - I have my fill dealing with them as tenants. I DO find it amusing and sad that one occasionally sees suger daddys hitting up students. NO, I'm not one. Phew - I thought this was Spray and a little provocation was all in good humor. Guess I found the new taboo.

Yeah, I use to think that too, but I've been busted before.

It's Spring in Bellingham. All the WWU eyecandy hotties are running around in minimal clothing looking completely hot. What's a middle-aged lecherous old fart to do? Yeah, I'm happily married and all that, but DAMN there are some tasty morsels out there. What's a new age sensitive male to do? Surely there's no harm looking, but for some reason they all think the drool spots on my shirt are creepy. Help me!

Okay now, let's have a group hug. Watch out when the black helicopters start circling.

Make it in Bellingham and I'll come

Nuts! Too bad I had to run off to relieve the baby sitter before saying hi. It was an EXCELLENT show - ...life is good...

Because they are too busy spraying to pay attention to what the little people are doing.

Sounds like a fun day, but the best of all is an impressive photo of Dru to photoshop. Get to it boys and girls. http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15918

Hmmmm. That pretty much limits your age range to <4 or >80. Good luck.

Perhaps that contract is what Arch puts on the table when interviewing prospective male friends. Except the roles are reversed. Might explain a lot.

Or cook both of them? Oh, this isn't the cannabilism thread. Sorry. The solution is arranged marriage. My son's already 8 and I haven't found a future wife to buy for him. I better get cracking. That will solve all this Girl A or Girl B crap.

I checked on the Outdoor Center's web site and it appears to be free and in a reasonably large room at WWU (Artzen Hall 100). No mention of needing tickets. Anyone know differently? Also, it says May 4th on the website: http://outdoor.as.wwu.edu/

Career + meaningful relationship + mountains = no problem. It's the kids that mess it up (at least for a while).

She doesn't need a drum, she's got me - a sensitive new age male.

If classical means old, does Iron Butterfly or Vanilla Fudge count yet?

True story: My wife and I were walking on a beach in Tofino about 10 years ago. There was a group of very unwashed 20-something hippies in a drum circle working it. We passed them and walked around a headland. Around the corner, one of the young women intensly drumming by herself while sitting on an large oblong drum. Something was a bit odd, as she seemed to doing some odd movements and vocalizations. Fair enough, we just kept walking down the beach, drawing closer. When we were about 10' away, we realized... Her skirt was hiked up, the thrusts were definately pelvic in nature and she was getting off in full force. We didn't know what to do and just sort of quietly backtracked and pretended not to notice. She didn't care. I'll bet that was one slippery drum. Moral of the story: don't buy used drums from hippies in Tofino.

Au Contraire, tighty whities are the new black. Particularly when worn high with low pants. You heard it first here.

I was in Zion last week too. It seems like most of the climbers were on the main big wall routes. I scrambled around various parts of the park and didn't see any climbers outside of the main canyon. Nice weather and temps. No dogs are allowed on the shuttle bus or on "backcountry" trails. Elsewhere they need to be leashed. Apparently there are places you can board your pets if you want to wander into Zion or a day or two.

Love that contrast, but when you've been at sea too long anything looks good. 'Course that pubic bone looks sharp enough to cut off one's scabbard.

Don't you just hate it when you get a flea up the nose?