EF15

[doc_moreau]

So, there's this picture here of everyone at Eurofurence 14 last summer (at least most everyone - i'm sure there are a few people who didn't make it into the photo) and i'm amused because... well... scanning the crowd, i see like maybe a dozen females XD Haha. You know, the gender ratio at US cons i've been to is fairly balanced. Probably a few

Comments

[dreamaria]

Huskie and I are thinking about going to EF next year :3 It sounds all very complicated though...with the limited spaces and everything. But everyone I know who has gone has said what an amazing experience it was.

As for work, my job actually said something similar to me a while back, about taking too many vacations...and I more or less told them that job isn't my life so I'm going to things I enjoy when they come up :P So seriously don't feel bad about it.

[doc_moreau]

Next year being the EF in 2010?

Yeah, it's awfully weird compared to our cons... how they have an attendance cap. Only four people per room, and how the registrations are linked to the hotel reservations.

You're Huskie's horse... she should just ride you over there :3 You can surf a shark to Morocco and then gallop!

[dreamaria]

Yeah, 2010. Pretty sure everything's already all full up for 09! It seems to fill up so fast. I check the website every once in a while, because if you order your plane tickets early enough, sometimes you can get super cheap flights to Europe.

I was in Europe last June, and since then I have wanted nothing more than to go back, but if it's for a furry con that just makes it better! Yes, Huskie will ride me there XD

[furfoxmccloud]

I would enjoy meeting you on EF. :)

Even though this year's EF is booked out, I think.

[doc_moreau]

Yeah, that's the biggest problem with EF, the attendance cap (it's an odd thing to me, since no cons in this country have a limit) ...but, there are three people in a room at the Ringberg who offered me their vacant fourth-person spot, so if i am able to make the trip i should be set on getting in at least.
Paying for it... now that's something else :P

Anyway, hope to see ya!

[nahaniotieno]

I've had my Honda Civic for seven years now. I bought it at 27,800 miles, it's going to roll 206,000 miles today, and it still keeps on going. It's no AWD or 4x4, but with a good set of snow tires I go anywhere I need to go, it still gets 32MPG city, and costs me less than $20 a week to put fuel in, 89 octane. This is also the basic SOHC four cylinder with a five speed, but surprisingly, it's a bit spirited. My only grip? Not enough room to stuff things into the trunk, I wish it was a wagon.

If you're going to go for a Subaru again, and you're not able to afford a new new new one, look for the 2.2L engine. The older 2.5L motor, as found in the older Outbacks, tend to blow head gaskets and have a lot of other quirky crap go wrong.

If you absolutely need to get an automatic, well...let's just say most people don't know how to take care of a Subaru, so most of the used ones wind up being junk. It's good policy to, regardless of mileage, flush the transmission fluid once per year on a Subaru.

[nahaniotieno]

Random addendum as i'm sort of not paying attention...

...if the thing is blowing white smoke when you drive it, yeah...new car time, head gasket is gone.

There's also something else, I forget the name of it...I wanna say (something) intake that is a fairly common leak on GM vehicles, but this plus non-working 4x4 plus whatever else?

Probably about time to shitcan it, IMO. If whatever your driving gets to the point of unreliability that you can't trust it anymore, should go buhbye.

[doc_moreau]

I haven't seen any smoke... the white smoke you're speaking of is definitely obvious? Not just a little bit like exhaust on a cold day?

If it means anything to you, in regard to the 'something' intake, the leak seems to be on the bottom of a projecting part of the engine in the front, right below where the big hose to the radiator connects. It's not from the hose or where the hose connects, but right below it on the same sort of blocky part. The hose attaches to the side, and on the front there's a big wheel that the belt goes through... and right below it is another belted wheel that gets the majority of the coolant splattered on it (probably splashing the stuff all over the place when it's spinning)

The non-working 4x4 i can deal with, but this is a real problem, because it eliminates the possibility of long range travel without stopping a bunch of times to refill. (and i wouldn't trust it not to get worse on such an extended run)

[nahaniotieno]

Oh!

That sounds like your water pump, if the drive belt is going around it.

If you can do it yourself, a not-so-bad repair. If a garage does it, probably staring down between 200-300 and change...but don't quote me on it. External water pumps are usually not that expensive parts wise, it's the labor that gets pricey.

I'm not sure if the A/C compressor would be spitting coolant, as well, but IIRC, that runs on R134A, which is entirely different.

If it was blowing white smoke, it'd be VERY obvious if the head gasket was gone. We're talking like...huge billows, looks like you're a cloud factory smoke.

[doc_moreau]

I've always loved them. The models i fell for are all pretty old now, but ...i don't think cars will ever look so beautiful again, which is sad.
The XT6 is my favourite. Brats are also amazing.
I wouldn't get one now though, too old, too much maintenance, only if i was a collector or a gearhead...

[doc_moreau]

Oh and yeah... we get one week of paid vacation... but that shouldn't mean we can't take unpaid leave... I guess they just expect us to not really have any life or hobbies. (Which i guess isn't too surprising, since a good percentage of the employees in retail like this probably don't.)

[blacksnip]

*Whinnies*

Will be good to see you there Doc M!