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GottaB

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Posts posted by GottaB

  1. Just adopted this weekend.

    I’ve adopted from shelters and a greyhound rescue group. Totally different experiences.

    Choosing a dog that fits your idea of a dog is important. If you don’t like constant barking, ask about barking. If you want a fetch pal or a hiking buddy, ask about their activity level. The shelters have been good at communicating their sense of the dogs they see every day.

    Right now, most shelters are doing virtual adoptions which can make it hard to get a sense of the dog like you would in person. After reviewing their website this past week, the first 9 dogs I inquired about, the staff suggested against them because I had a small old dog and have kids. I insisted to see one and they were right. The dog was way too energetic and would have pummeled my dog just trying to play.

    I was lucky the last time I adopted that the dog was 95% housebroken and did some basic commands. She was 2 years old. Now she’s 16 and much slower. The personality at the shelter was shy and timid, but the report was more promising and it worked out.

    The time before was a greyhound rescue group that did a phone interview, then a home visit, then a meet up. The adoption required things like “if you go out of town, you will find a rescue group member to take the dog while you’re gone” and a reference from a neighbor but I guess it makes sense. They deal with horror stories all the time.

    The shelters are pretty good about giving you material on how to crate train, how to potty train, etc. and they usually have places that will do the first vet checkup for free or reduced price.

    As for supplies: food, training treats, water dispenser, bed(s), collar, leash.

    Plan on possibly $1k/yr in vet fees (dental cleaning, two checkups, flea and tick prevention, heart worm prevention).

    I’d plan on being off 3-5 days when you first get the dog home so you can supervise the dog in their new home.

  2. Yep, we have done that tour. Fun group of guys. Did you do lunch at the tilapia farm? That was cool as well.

    Yeah. We did lunch at the tilapia farm. It was very good.

    Today, we did EL SANTUARIO CANOPY ADVENTURE TOUR for some zip line fun. I’d recommend them.
    • Hook 'Em 1
  3. Paddle9.

    It wasn’t so much a “hike one long trail and see a bunch of postcard waterfalls” as much as it was “let’s drive to 4 different spots and check out one 10-20’ waterfall at each and cliff jump at each.” This was great for me. I love jumping off rocks. The wife not so much. She was expecting something more like waterfall tours you’d get in Washington or Oregon where it’s more of a spectator activity.

    We also stopped at Playa Ventana (the beach) and had lunch at a local place near the last waterfall. Everything seemed farm/ocean to table.

    None of the trips from the van to the water was treacherous. But it did seem like 20 minutes in the van and 30 minutes at each site.

  4. How did you go and what happened? 

    It was a van. The roads wind and there was some traffic. The driver liked the brake as much as he liked the accelerator. I get motion sickness (rarely but it does happen) and we had to stop two hours in for me to toss cookies on the side of the road.

    We had stopped a couple times, once to look at crocodiles, and another just for a break, but I couldn’t help myself.
  5. As a kid I had a buggy 1/16 scale that handled roads well but grass not so much.

    I got some Amazon no name 1:18 buggies last year (they’re 8 now) and was reminded how much of a bummer an RC that is slowed to a crawl by short grass.

    4a14fc690a49ee4d3c280833b214bf7a.jpg


    So this year I was determined to find an RC that could handle grass but not be so fast they would break them Xmas day.

    After some YouTube videos I bought a New Bright 1:10 Jeep at Walmart, a Rock Force 1:10 at Target and a 1:10 Wltoys 104311 4x4 off Banggood.

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/New-Bright-4x4-1-10-Radio-Control-4-Door-Jeep-Wrangler/907342390

    https://www.target.com/p/rock-force-4x4-rc-buggy-1-10-scale/-/A-79391319

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083422QBH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_Egu6Fb0JT53ZV


    All are toy grade but the Wltoys is far and away a better toy.

    bab05105bfa338725c46cdde2e266cda.jpg
  6. In searching for them I bought myself a Wltoys A959 1:18 buggy and a Xinlehong9125 1:10 off-road crawler. Both are LiPo powered unlike my kids NiCd batteries and came in around $65.


    7a039d51fa48649cd37bbee9fc6fa57d.jpg


    731475abcd6d3f2236f1a4b7683fd987.jpg


    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XLB9DZF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_Fhu6FbJ673EYX?psc=1


    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PBBDNFM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_Ziu6FbD8RNDRR

    Both are faster than anything I had as a kid and fun as hell to drive. I won’t let my kids drive either.

    The Wltoys A959 is borderline hobby quality and seem quite durable. I’ve since ordered another Wltoys 124018 1:12 buggy which has received a lot of good reviews and has part support on Amazon and Banggood.

  7. As a kid I had a buggy 1/16 scale that handled roads well but grass not so much.

    I got some Amazon no name 1:18 buggies last year (they’re 8 now) and was reminded how much of a bummer an RC that is slowed to a crawl by short grass.

    4a14fc690a49ee4d3c280833b214bf7a.jpg


    So this year I was determined to find an RC that could handle grass but not be so fast they would break them Xmas day.

    After some YouTube videos I bought a New Bright 1:10 Jeep at Walmart, a Rock Force 1:10 at Target and a 1:10 Wltoys 104311 4x4 off Banggood.

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/New-Bright-4x4-1-10-Radio-Control-4-Door-Jeep-Wrangler/907342390

    https://www.target.com/p/rock-force-4x4-rc-buggy-1-10-scale/-/A-79391319

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083422QBH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_Egu6Fb0JT53ZV


    All are toy grade but the Wltoys is far and away a better toy.

  8. Went with an explorer. Got a 2018 XTL 3.5L v6, black, black leather, black wheels, 28k miles for $25k+TTL.
    Feel like I got a good deal. Car is in great shape. Gotta get some rubber floor mats and mat to go in the rear to cover up the third row seats.
    Thanks to all for the recommendations.

    Seems about right.

    Last year my wife bought a “new” 2019 Ford Explorer XLT from Covert.

    Sticker $43k
    Mileage 3000 miles on it (must have been a manager user, but still new since it had never been registered.)
    Selling price $30,500

    It seems like a pretty good car. We’ve been back and forth from Austin to Houston and she’s gone to Tennessee and back with our three kids. There is plenty of room for seating but if you don’t fold down the third row, there is not a lot of room for luggage.

    I was doing the shopping for her and test drove the Explorer, Toyota 4Runner & Highlander, Subaru Accent, Honda Pilot.

    Of the lot, the best for her was the explorer. She’s partial to Fords so it would have been a hard sell to get her to change. If I were driving as a short commuter I would have gone 4Runner. For a long commute, the Highlander.

    The explorer seemed to have a bigger interior than the Highlander.

    My issue with the explorer is that to me it’s hard to see out of the right rear window when changing lanes. It had the worst sight lines between the group.
    • Like 1
  9. Now that Disney+ has completely upped the ante, and shocked the hell out of everybody, wonder if WB/HBO is going to announced even just 50 new shows and movies.

    Well if the 2021 strategy works (making all theatrical releases available online for the first month) in addition to what HBO has done for years (must see series) they could be competitive for sure.
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