Random Drive

I just drove ~90 miles to pickup two fancy hipster coffee drinks and two giant cookies that look better than they taste. I timed it so I would hopefully hit some of the snow that's supposed to be falling right now, but it didn't happen. At least I finally got rid of that $15 Starbucks giftcard.

I never have understood the Starbucks thing. The three cups of coffee I have gotten from them were nasty. Good excuse to go for a drive I guess, but I'll have to pass on actually ordering anything.

Most of the Starbux drinks are more like liquid desserts than coffee.
If I want actual coffee, I like me some Dunkin Donuts. Unfortunately, that is also a 90 mile drive.

Another random/useless drive. This time, I had a Target gift card, but the closest Target is ~ 90 miles round trip (same place as the starbux). I don't know why my famliy insists on sending me gift cards to places that aren't in the town I live in, but I won't complain too much.

Since I just replaced the radiator, water pump, thermostat, belt, rear tires, and lubed up my piece of E36 M3 GMC Sonoma, I decided to take that out and give it the ol' Italian tuneup (it had been running cold for quite some time with the thermostat stuck open). About 30 miles into the trip, I lose overdrive. Then I start losing 3rd. Yeah, this is fun. I bet I didn't tighten the hose clamps enough on the trans cooler line, and it was probably spewing ATF all over the place.

Luckily, I come upon an Autozone 10 minutes before they close. I park under the light so I can see that the lower trans cooler line is a mess. I buy a quart of ATF and borrow a 1/4" ratchet to tighten the clamps. That didn't quite do it. The clamps were tight, but my brand new hose had split wide open and was still spewing ATF all over.... well, it turns out I used crappy emission hose. Shoulda not done that. But then Autozone closes while I was out there fumbling around. Grrr.... Luckily, a few knocks at the door and the nice guy inside lets me in and cuts me off 6" of rubber fuel line for free, since the cash registers were already closed. Thank you that guy! Now I have to find a tool to deal with the hose clamps that I had tightened beyond the abilities of my single flathead screwdriver, the only tool I had in my truck at the time.... eh....

It was only a couple more miles to Target, anyway, so I top off the ATF and limp over there, park under a giant light, and bought an entire set of ratcheting wrenches so I could get my 1/4". It's okay, I like getting tools. Also picked up a new vacuum and a snow shovel, which is what I wanted to get in the first place.

A few minutes in the Target parking lot, and the line is repaired and tightened up. Run it a little bit, stick my iPhone down there so I can get some light on the line and make sure it's not leaking, almost drop it into the radiator fan. Check the ATF level, and the dipstick is dry. Crap. Turns out that Target does not carry ATF. Luckily, there is a 7-11 across the street, so I head over there. I pickup the only two quarts of ATF off the shelf and a big gulp of Dr.Pepper, go back to the truck, pour them in (the ATF, not the Dr.P), and the damn dipstick is still dry. Go back to the 7-11, ask the cashier if there is any more ATF in the back. There is one Dexron/Mercon left, and a case of Type F. I take one of each. Dump in the Dexron, a bit of the Type F, and it's finally at the proper level. By now, it's 11:30 P.M.
On the drive back home, and the transmission shifts better than ever. Guess it needed a fluid change, anyway.

tl;dr don't use emission hose on a trans cooler line

how is it possible to live that far from a Starbucks? I can walk to one in 2mins, after waiting for the cross-walk, and ride my bike to almost 10 others in under 10 minutes. admittedly, i live in a city, but still, did you buy the una-bombers spread?

i will agree on the taste issue. rather than cross the street, i'll pop in for Mickey D's coffee, the service is a whole lot less trifling too, which is ridiculous considering Starbucks has a tip jar out and Mickey D's doesn't.

Ok, there actually is a Starbux in this little town, but it is in one of the university buildings and has weird hours. I didn't go there last time because they were closed.

I don't get the whole Starbucks thing either. I mean, people are willing to stand around in line for a cup of coffee? Yeah right. Get a life.

I make my own coffee and it's pretty good. I buy Columbian whole bean from Sam's Club and grind it up fresh. For the price of a few cups at Starbucks, I can buy 3 lbs. of beans.

And yeah, McD's coffee ain't half bad. and the service is better.

Disclaimer: I own shares in McDonalds

You know, there are probably coffee people who don't understand LS1-swapped Miatas and MGs, either

I hate bad coffee.

I live in a city where there are Starsux on literally every corner. Yet, if you move 90 miles in ANY direction....there aren't any. Where my folks live it's a 60 minute drive to the nearest Starsux, but a quick walk to the nearest Dunkin Donuts. We just got a Dunkin Donuts in this place about a year ago, they were here in the late '80s/early '90s...then left for awhile.

Me? I'm no coffee connisseur (sp?), but the WORST coffee is at Mickey D's as it ALWAYS tastes like it's burnt. I think DD's makes a great cup of coffee and I've started drinking their "make it at home" coffee. And Starsux? Why pay outrageous prices for a barista's attitude? or the PRIVILEGE of standing in line for a cup of coffee?

I hate bad coffee. I recently purchased a big honking tub of folgers to save some money. I hate it with a passion, but it is cheap. Robusta-poooloooza.

Starbucks is OK, I guess. It isn't terribly expensive unless you purchase a fancy drink. Stick to black coffee and it's not too bad.

The McDonalds "Newmans own organic" from Green Mountain Coffee is quite good and much cheaper than starbucks. $1 an size. It is a true benefit of living in New England.

BTW, RoosterSauce, I used to just get into the car and take a drive....I stopped doing it for some reason. Just this past weekend I was remembering driving the streets of Jacksonville, Fl. in my Spitfire just so I could feel the gentle slide of the car through the curves.

In Canada, McDonald's has changed their coffee. It's better than almost anything else from a chain (except for Starbucks, imho). Timmy's has gotten worse.

And Starbucks is cheap and fast if you don't order a specialty drink. Sure it's a bit more exensive than the other chains, but not painfully more (10 to 25 cents a cup). Plus, it is fair trade, and that makes a difference to me.

Clean language, SFW:

http://comedians.jokes.com/lewis-black/videos/lewis-black---the-end-of-the-universe?title=lewis-black---the-end-of-the-universe&videoId=191883

I had me a big old cup of instant this morning. Made it strong enough to dissolve the spoon. Add a little cream and sugar to knock the edge off. Gourmet coffee is wasted on me. I prefer the cheap stuff.

Coffee addict here. French roast beans, ground real fine, a spoonful of chicory, pinch of salt, pinch of nutmeg. Mmmmmm.

Toyman01 wrote: I had me a big old cup of instant this morning. Made it strong enough to dissolve the spoon. Add a little cream and sugar to knock the edge off. Gourmet coffee is wasted on me. I prefer the cheap stuff.

This...........

Cream, sugar or a large dose of French Vanilla cream effectively cover the taste of black coffee. Which is more than OK for me; I despise the taste of black coffee. Any black coffee............

Halle Berry, et al, are exceptions.

Black is the only way to drink coffee. Sugar makes it sickening. Cream just takes the edge off. If you don't like black,you don't like coffee.

iceracer wrote: Black is the only way to drink coffee. Sugar makes it sickening. Cream just takes the edge off. If you don't like black,you don't like coffee.

I'm with you on that. sugar in coffee makes me gag

Black coffee all the way. Often the trip to the coffee shop is much more important that what I actually get there. It is usually reserved for when I need to relax and get away from whatever I am doing.

I also like to take different ways home from destinations just so I can see different areas and different cars for sale on front lawns. Most random road trip for me has been an epic journey through a true northeaster snowstorm just to go to Outback steakhouse 40 miles away for the hell of it.

Usually, me and Vince would be happy with some freeze-dried Taster's Choice right, but he springs this serious GOURMET e36 m3 on us!

A past random drive.

1980

Illinois drinking age: 21

Wisconsin drinking age: 18

68 miles to pickup a case of beer - Kenosha.

76 miles to spend the evening drinking beer in bars - Lake Geneva.

When did they put a AutoStoned on Alpine? Or is it a Target on Plainfield? Weird hours for ANYTHING inside Rankin? Surely you jest!

As for the trans fluid and shifting, Type F doesn't compress the same as Dex/Merc3. So it does create a firmer shift. Much like how people are using JD HyGard tractor hydraulic fluid or synthetic 5w30 in race autotragics.

Brian

I'm kinda addicted to the black stuff. Black, cream, sugar, whatever. Just give it to me. I think it comes with being in college. Dunkin Donuts has the best, followed by McD's, which if you haven't had it in the past few years, you need to. Its much better than it used to be. Starbucks isn't bad, I actually go there pretty often because my friend works there and gives it to me for a very good price. And my mom seems to get a lot of gift cards there from kids at her school. She passes them on to me.

pete240z wrote: A past random drive. 1980 Illinois drinking age: 21 Wisconsin drinking age: 18 68 miles to pickup a case of beer - Kenosha. 76 miles to spend the evening drinking beer in bars - Lake Geneva.

Sounds like you were making some brat-stop runs in your day.

I need a random drive... Maybe I'll take the new Accent up Mt. Ascutney this week some time. Jag needs too much work to take out and really enjoy right now.

I used to hate coffee while in the Navy, I just drank it to get by. After finding SBUX though I really enjoy it - that's all I drink. A splash of cream and a little bit of honey and I'm good to go.