SkekTek wrote:Wife loves the new Scion, but I know she really wanted a Honda Odyssey.

I was looking at the Scion the other day. How cramped were you guys with your luggage for that trip you took?

The efficiency of a hybrid is determined by how you drive it as well as the type of driving you do. If you are mostly on the highway they aren't much better than gasoline cars, but if you live where I do and rarely (think less than 2 times a month) drive at highway speeds, they are significantly more efficient, and you don't get nearly as much engine wear.

dontwantaname wrote:Today is a great day to take Rusty to the park behind the supermarket with all the trees. Except a sign suddenly appeared on the gate saying no dogs.
Why?
This is a totally unused park.
Only bums sleeping on the benches.
The people who live next to it rather have guys sleeping on the benches than dogs?
It is the only shady place around.

I'd keep walking my dog, and if anyone stopped me I'd say it wasn't a dog but a rat with a glandular condition.

You could start walking your rats in the park...

I'm sure it's because someone stepped on poo (probably the aforementioned bums) and complained. It's easier making up (and enforcing) a "no dogs" sign than a "clean up after your pet" sign.

KtCallista wrote:I was looking at the Scion the other day. How cramped were you guys with your luggage for that trip you took?

Well, we had the trunk filled pretty good, so if you pack a lot of luggage, it may be real small. It fit 2 large, 2 medium, and a few smaller bags.

If your dealer does aftermarket, I'd prolly suggest you get a roof rack installed. Could help.

SkekTek wrote:Well, we had the trunk filled pretty good, so if you pack a lot of luggage, it may be real small. It fit 2 large, 2 medium, and a few smaller bags.

If your dealer does aftermarket, I'd prolly suggest you get a roof rack installed. Could help.

We were just wondering, seeing as we'll have one more carseat than you. . .

dontwantaname wrote:My Senena is a 98.
It was one model down from the top. I don't like leather seats in cars and I don't like sunroofs.
I clean the inside really well once a year.
Hubby waxes it once a year.
It only has 90,000 something miles on it, which isn't much for a 11 year old car.
Mostly stop and go around town.
No major accidents.

I'm keeping it until it starts giving me trouble!

I love the fact the seats come out.
The bench in the back comes out in two pieces.

only complaint is the back windows should open.
I don't know if they do in the new ones.

I have 4 captain chairs (or whatever you call them)

The windows do go down now (toured the new Sienna a few weeks ago). I don't think I'd want the middle captain's chairs, I'd rather have the bench, but Orc wants AWD, and from the sites I've looked at you can't have the bench and AWD. . . weird.

PemberDucky wrote:As a fellow Scion owner (and enthusiast), I can see how it would get awfully cozy with an entire family plus luggage.

...especially if certain families have plans for new members.

But the roof rack would probably help a good deal. 'Cept for the consequent drag.

The car seat on the roof rack would certainly affect the aerodynamics of the cube- like vehicle

DA59 wrote:There's this weird lady that goes to our park and collects poo. Can't really describe her but she has a dog with her. It's weird. I'm scared to go to the park when she's there. Why is she collecting poo?

research?

DA59 wrote:With AWD, you might have a slight hump in the floor to accomodate the drive train? (or whatever it's called)

Possibly. . . I haven't seen an AWD one, the one we looked at had the middle bench.

dontwantaname wrote:How do you get to the back with a bench in the middle?

I can see with 3 kids, the bench would be nice.

I loved my chairs with only 2 kids.
With windows that open the car would be perfect!
(if it got 10 more mpg)
Then again, I had a rabbit desel that got 40 mpg, so I average out!

The middle bench was clearly wide enough for three carseats and the door opened far enough you could get behind the bench (kinda had to shimmy in, but. . .) I'd prefer not to have to climb through the car everytime we get in to tighten all the carseat straps. Even though Ver1 can buckle herself it is impossible for her to pull her tighten strap and it will be a very long time before she is heavy enough (and can stay properly positioned in her seat) to use a booster instead of a harness.

I'm really having issues with the gas milliage our current family car gets between 30-40mpg. . .

My Mom had an astro with Captains chairs and one with the middle bench. The captains chairs were fun, but there were only two of us kids and we had that fight for the middle thing when we used to have blazers.

dontwantaname wrote:Do they still sell those hard shell things to put luggage in on the roof?
We have one. I see smaller ones, most likely for ski stuff.

The roof rack is just bars. I don't think there would be too much drag.

They do, but they're more streamlined now (look like they hold surfboards)- the boxes are a think of the past. Don't affect gas mileage much as a result. Bars are aero now too. Overall, not gonna take much of a hit mpg wise unless you like going 120 mph.

I will say the xB has excellent passenger space though. you can honestly put two kids in car seats AND a normal sized adult in the back seat. There aren't any floor bumps due to the FWD, which means things on the floor in the back seat tend to slide laterally.

Plus it's all power everything for 16.5K and the sound system is major WIN.

KtCallista wrote:We were just wondering, seeing as we'll have one more carseat than you. . .

3 carseats would be no prob, I am pretty sure. When we test drove the car, we tried it out with the seats first. You could do the same.

SkekTek wrote:3 carseats would be no prob, I am pretty sure. When we test drove the car, we tried it out with the seats first. You could do the same.

yeah we plan to, we didn't go this weekend, although we probably should have, no one had the energy. Last time it was really really hot and moving carseats did not appeal to anyone!

PemberDucky wrote:This is why I take issue with pet deposits for rentals. My cats barely shed and they poop in a box. Many dogs know to poo outside and not eat walls (cannot say that about the ones that live with us, but...).

People will do anything from staging epic flour fights to indoor slip-and-slide parties to running a distillery in their garage.

Man, those flour fights were great.

haven't had flour fights, but I do know that if you leave a "soft-style" chipsahoy cookie in the microwave for 20 mins instead of 20 seconds it does very very very bad things.

oh and the glow in the dark powder on glow in the dark condoms sticks to the wall and ceiling really really well.

KtCallista wrote:oh and the glow in the dark powder on glow in the dark condoms sticks to the wall and ceiling really really well.

I don't think you're using them correctly...

SkekTek wrote:I don't think you're using them correctly...

I'm not sure. . . if I remember any of the details I think it was one of those kinds of parties. Much clearer than my memories of Calgary anyway.

KtCallista wrote:I'm not sure. . . if I remember any of the details I think it was one of those kinds of parties. Much clearer than my memories of Calgary anyway.

Didn't know Canadians were that fun!

Okay, we just vaulted past 90 here. Heat index 97. Yippee. Think I'll go out and mow the lawn and do some fencework... NOT.

SkekTek wrote:Didn't know Canadians were that fun!

Okay, we just vaulted past 90 here. Heat index 97. Yippee. Think I'll go out and mow the lawn and do some fencework... NOT.

I don't know about the ones on your side of the country, but on this side, Canada is the place to go for a good time.

KtCallista wrote:I don't know about the ones on your side of the country, but on this side, Canada is the place to go for a good time.

They do have some mighty fine casinos...

When we were near Toledo, OH, we would drive up to the casinos in Windsor. They didn't have drinks for comps though. Haven't been in a casino since a trip to Niagara.

I can't stand gambling. Personally. I hate losing money.

SkekTek wrote:Didn't know Canadians were that fun

We inventented fun
In a polite passive agressive way

SkekTek wrote:They do have some mighty fine casinos...

When we were near Toledo, OH, we would drive up to the casinos in Windsor. They didn't have drinks for comps though. Haven't been in a casino since a trip to Niagara.

I can't stand gambling. Personally. I hate losing money.

I've never been to a Canadian casino. . . hmm I haven't lost money at the couple of casinos I've been to... Not that I gamble much, because I don't.

KtCallista wrote:haven't had flour fights, but I do know that if you leave a "soft-style" chipsahoy cookie in the microwave for 20 mins instead of 20 seconds it does very very very bad things.

oh and the glow in the dark powder on glow in the dark condoms sticks to the wall and ceiling really really well.

Trying to bake "canned" (are they canned if the come in cardboard tubes?) biscuits in a microwave oven is also a very very bad idea.

glow-powder is almost a little TMI, though it leaves one wondering how it managed to get on the walls and ceiling.

Turken wrote:Trying to bake "canned" (are they canned if the come in cardboard tubes?) biscuits in a microwave oven is also a very very bad idea.

glow-powder is almost a little TMI, though it leaves one wondering how it managed to get on the walls and ceiling.

I think at least half the high school ski team was in the room and the majority of the condoms were not being used exactly as directed on the packaging. . . sheesh people! The glow in the dark ones aren't really that good anyway, they are a novelty, not intended for use preventing pregnancy or STDs.

KtCallista wrote:I don't know about the ones on your side of the country, but on this side, Canada is the place to go for a good time.

Reminds me of the "Weather Report" sketch done by Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. Worth a listen, along with some of their bits like the "Internet Help Desk" and the "War of 1812" song. I'd go look for links to post, but streaming audio sites are blocked at work.

Turken wrote:Reminds me of the "Weather Report" sketch done by Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. Worth a listen, along with some of their bits like the "Internet Help Desk" and the "War of 1812" song. I'd go look for links to post, but streaming audio sites are blocked at work.

Ah, the War of 1812. =) Good song. =)

Kids eating a white lunch. Bagel with cream cheese, milk, and nilla wafers. Daddy's punting with the meal

And the 3.5 year old just went poop on the pottie, without prompting or help! Yay! End of diapers is near!

SkekTek wrote:Kids eating a white lunch. Bagel with cream cheese, milk, and nilla wafers. Daddy's punting with the meal

And the 3.5 year old just went poop on the pottie, without prompting or help! Yay! End of diapers is near!

Congrats on the potty! Ver2 is still struggling with the poop issue here, but she's getting better.

Turken wrote:Reminds me of the "Weather Report" sketch done by Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. Worth a listen, along with some of their bits like the "Internet Help Desk" and the "War of 1812" song. I'd go look for links to post, but streaming audio sites are blocked at work.

My favorite Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie

A shirt for D'name