Winter planning

 It's the time of year when I'm starting to get excited for winter.  Specifically, for winter driving.  This year, the blue Odyssey and GLI are getting new sets of winter boots (Michelin X-Ice Snow+/Snow), and the C4S has its own set of winters.  Which brings me to the tire storage dilemma.

I have 16 wheels and tires that I need to store: grey Odyssey, blue Odyssey, GLI, and C4S.  I did some garage cleaning and tetris-style visualization, and came up with the following plan:

I think it'll work out, I'll post another picture once I have all the winters swapped and summers in the "storage configuration."

71,000 miles

 The CR-V rolled uneventfully through 71,000 miles:

71,000 + 23 miles

Madeline was certainly driving, maybe heading home from school?

Onwards!

I still enjoy it

 It's been a long time since I've ridden the FJR.  I love giving Enzo a ride to school and picking him up, and he invariably has a lot to carry.  I do too: my gym bag, lunch, and laptop.  So, I just haven't been riding much.  That is, I haven't been riding at all.  As in, 101 miles in the last two years.

I've also been giving thought to whether or not I want to keep riding.  I just haven't been using it, and it used to be such a big part of my identity.  I still consider myself a rider, but of late, well, I've just not been riding.

Today is a beautiful day, so I figured I needed to find out.  I took Enzo to school early, and got to play some shadow games as I was backing out:

I love the shadow of the rain gutters

After the gym, I went home, dropped off my bag, and saddled up.  It was lovely.  I still like everything about it - the immediacy, the freedom, the just being out there in the environment, the physics of it. 

Yes, I still enjoy it

So I think there's still a place in my life for riding, I just have to be more deliberate about it.  And I do think the FJR still looks so good, 20 years later.  What a machine.

108,000 miles

 The van rolled inconspicuously through 108,000 miles.

108,000 + 184 miles

I'm not sure when it happened, certainly within the past week or two.  It was probably Allison driving around with the dogs, evading the terrors of the nail gun as progress continues on the front porch.  I imagine she was rolling around town, possibly picking up Enzo from school, possibly heading the the store or another errand, just doing her thing.

41,000 miles???

 The C4S turned 41,000 miles yesterday!

41,000 on the dot!

It happened when I was taking Enzo to taekwondo, right as we were climbing the bridge over the tollroad, southbound on Grape Avenue.

I'm really enjoying the car, and am accumulating miles pretty quickly these days.  It won't be long before the C4S overtakes the Boxster mileage-wise.  When it's nice out and there's no sign of rain, I take Enzo to school and head to work in the 964.  If there's a threat of inclement weather, I take the C4S.

I've been enjoying the stereo quite a bit.  The Bose system does sound really good, and we've been listening to a lot of "How to Train Your Dragon" music, savoring the horns and the other instruments.  It's really good music, and it sounds great in the C4S.

41,000 miles!

 The Boxster turned 41,000 miles this week!

41,000 + 25

I'm pretty sure it happened when Allison was on her way to get a massage after a high-intensity pie breakfast weekend.  I'm so happy that she's enjoying the car!

Houston, Tranquillity base here.

 The Eagle has landed.

239,000 + 282 miles!!

From what I can tell, the distance from Earth to the Apollo 11 landing sight is between 238,900 and 240,000 miles.  The van faithfully spun through 239,000 last month.  Where did it get past 238,900?  I'm not sure.  Olivia went to Champaign this past weekend, so perhaps it happened on the way there?

Either way, the grey van is my first vehicle to accumulate moon miles.  It's taken about $27,500 in maintenance (not including gas) to get there.  So I suppose it's one of those things.  If you want something to last, well, you have to take care of it.  Wash and wax it.  Treat it with care.  Change the oil, and when they wear out, suspension components.

What's next?  How about Artemis II?  That'd be 252,756 miles, which seems like a reasonable goal.

Onwards!