Huge thank you to @i86hotdogs . Today, a package arrived with a blow off plate for the Abarth. He refused to be paid for it, and he also refused to be paid for shipping - he just sent it to me. Real spirit of Oppo here, and he also sent me a fridge magnet with his race team logo

Thanks a million, and may the crab Lord smile upon you.

Wife came home to the Abarth with the hood up. Her first sentence? “Maybe we should trade the RDX and the Abarth for the GR and I’ll drive the Tundra”.

The bug has been planted successfully.

So, Moab today….

Woke up with the idea of checking the weather before any activities as it was supposed to rain today. Forecast called for 0.15” of rain, so I figure that’s nothing, we can do anything we wanted to. We decided to hike “Professor and Marry Jane”, trail we did last year. It’s a primitive trail that follows a creek through a slot canyon and you have to cross the creek like 70+ times before you reach the end. Winter makes it tricky with ice on the edges and on the rocks. Last year, it was pretty challenging and we did it probably on the same day as today. AllTrails rates this trail as easy - maybe in summer, maybe with no ice.

It was raining when we arrived at the trailhead, but not much, more of a mist. We struggled with the creek crossings from the start, as there was so much ice all over - but it was not thick enough to use. It wasn’t thick enough to jump from, it was not thick enough to land on. We soldiered on - making makeshift crossings with rocks - spent 3 hours for 3.4 miles, and made it 95% of the way. We were so close to the waterfall at the end, and then we finally made it to a point where we couldn’t cross the creek, so we turned around and headed back.

Rain started picking up. All these cute misty waterfalls coming from top of the canyon turned into real waterfalls. All these tiny little tributaries turned into real creeks. All the dry creek beds suddenly had a lot of water. We were basically in a flash flood! We started booking it back, but every crossing was twice as hard - the rocks we used to cross earlier weren’t even visible! We managed to cross about 20 times, built a massive rock pile to hop over the creek, and finally got to the point of just having to cross it on foot. By this point, the creek depth went from “I can maybe cross it with mid height shoes” to “water is at my shins, touching my knees and is threatening to carry my away as it’s so fast”. We both had mid height waterproof shoes, but we were stepping mid calf to knee depth and got soaked. We kept crossing, water kept growing and getting colder. My pants got soaked from the rain, below knee they were soaked already, my backpack contents got soaked, my rain jacket was a godsend though.

It got colder, rain turned into snow, and even decent crossing with big rocks ended up being too slippery, so we kept crossing through the water. We had 3.5 miles to walk back, at least half of that if not more was with wet feet.

Finally made it to the car, some 5 hours after we started. Soaked, muddy, tired, knees on fire from all the rock jumping..

What a day! What did I learn?

Get a rain jacket to store in my backpack, no doubt there. Buy a backpack rain cover. Buy water resistant hiking pants, or have something to wear over - my Kuhl pants performed admirably, but we’re no match to this much rain. Have change of clothes in the car. DO NOT trust the forecast, especially when heading 15-20 miles away from the city. Microclimates are real and flash floods are not a joke.

8 weeks old German Shepherd puppy. Fun times - my two adult dogs are not fans.

I had to get rid of my 2014 GQ Convertible when my wife opened up her own law office. She always felt bad about it as she knew how much I liked it, so when our finances were back in order, we looked for another one.

Two years ago, we found a 2019 Abarth 500 hatchback, loaded with everything but nav, and 750 miles on the clock. We bought it right away, and since then, I’ve put just under 11000 miles on it. Considering the car doesn’t see snow or rain ever, and we’re in Colorado, not too shabby to drive 5500 miles per year.

I love this car.

I just made my office look good. It’s 95% of where I want it. So, I’m working, Johnny comes for some love, I rub him and he leaves. I hear a noise, and he managed to pack himself in a tiny chair behind my back.

Almost made me cry, because Bruno used to do this too

It’s been 22 months since Bruno crossed the rainbow bridge and I miss him like crazy.

He is so cute, sleeping outside, while I’m working on my patio.

Why am I working on the patio, you ask? Well, we went out back to throw frisbee, and someone decided that the drainage ditch was awesome

Little fudger finds a way to be a menace every day.

**well, put a deposit on one that is on the way and arriving on 9/6 or so

It is a 2022 Tundra, TRD Sport, Double Cab, in Lunar Rock.

A dealership in WY had one on order, in pretty much exactly the trim I wanted after we realized we'll never get the one with airbags and tow mirrors, and it was not spoken for when I called them. I just gave them the deposit.

I've been washing the old Tundra all day long today, and took some photos to sell it. I am probably going to receive 200 hundred "is it still available" and then I'll be ghosted when I answer.

Now I need a topper. Fun fact - no one makes one yet

Toad got dusty when we did the CO Oppo meet. I took it to the gym and then Costco and it was raining when I left the store.

That got the car too dirty, so I did some quick svending, and just had to take a few photos.

I love this car. We return to regularly scheduled programming.

This little bugger just scampers in and plops on the cool floor

@Britishvillaininatl It does explain the price - usually a price that low means previous accident, salvage title, or some body damage. As with all other cars during the pandemic, they had a weird price jump for used ones. One used to be able to buy a brand new Abarth for $17-18k, and it seems that used ones are trading for a few grand over what they used to.

@davesaddiction I voted no, for multiple reasons. When Tesla was ramping up their numbers, they were they only game in town. They quickly became the new 'it", the "car to have", like when Prius held that crown.

Today, Rivian is struggling to make 25000 trucks per year. Their prices are through the roof. A decent R1T is $85000. However, they face competition from Ford, Chevy, GMC, Hummer - at lower or similar price range. New Tacoma is coming out with a Hybrid, which might take some customers away too. If Cyber Truck ever makes it to the market, it might sign a death warrant for Rivian consumer vehicles.

They are also not producing enough BEV Amazon vans either. Their contract is calling for a lot of vans, but at this pace of production and bleeding money, I don't think they can last until they are making more money from production than they are spending. Without more money, they'll never be able to get enough factory space to ramp up the production numbers to make the vans. Without making vans, they'll never get enough money for more factories.

I want an R1T badly. If I felt like wasting money, I'd trade my wife's RDX for one, keep it for myself, and have her drive the Tundra. I just don't feel that $85K is a reasonable number.

They might survive, but they'll probably survive as a commercial vehicle maker. Their stock valuation is just another example why I think stocks are bullshit.

@derp FIAT 124 Abarth over a Miata anytime, but probably out of the price range here. For me, FIAT 500 Abarth over a Miata for anything that is not racing.

@Qaaaaa @Britishvillaininatl I love the Abarth, and will never convince someone not to get one :). Especially convertible - roof down, and just listen to that angry puppy growl!

However, this one would scare me. I don't think I've ever seen one with so many miles. Engine replacements can be had on eBay for $2000-3000 if this one goes, but labor is an unknown cost for me.

@ibRAD got one in a very similar, although hatchback, spec, with fairly high miles. I am on my second Abarth and I put maybe 20k total on both of them.

@Future-Next-Gen-S2000-Owner They are all my neighbors now ;/

@farscythe I had shin splint many times - usually early in the snowboarding season, first day or two. I never experienced a pain like yours, not even remotely close. Uncomfortable to walk, and pretty painful - sure. But, never to the point of icepacks and days of being down. That seems like an extreme case. Glad you're better.

@davesaddiction 53.6% inbound migration to Fort Collins / Loveland area. Yay.

With the legend as-is, it seems like the same shade of red over 45% of the left side, same shade of blue over the right side, and tiny sliver in the middle of different maroons and purples. I guess I would have done it differently, but we all have different brains and we all ingest information in our own ways.

@davesaddiction Based on the number of new houses in a 20 mile range around my house, they all moved here! Hello 5000 new neighbors!

@Cé-hé-sin That is rather obvious. All other shades, without a numerical value assigned to them aren't.

@davesaddiction Map already has 6 colors that I see - why not just make the legend have 6 colors as well, with defined number ranges, and be done? I can guess that it stayed flat, but I am honestly not sure.