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Joined 5 months ago
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Cake day: August 2nd, 2024

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  • I drive a 2018 Subaru Forester. I got it because I wanted a SUV with AWD and a turbo charger. My previous vehicle was a Camaro, and while I loved driving it, having a RWD car in the winter sucks, and I had recently bought a house, so having a vehicle that can carry more than just groceries made sense.

    I was driving the Camaro around Xmas time and there was a light dusting of snow on the highway. I hit a patch of it and started to fish tail, and that scared the hell out of me, so I traded it for the Forester the following fall. The Forester has handled any conditions I’ve come across so far like a champ, including heavy rain, snow, ice, and muddy hillsides.

    Trading the Camaro in and getting the Forester marked the transition (in my mind) from being a young adult, to becoming an older, more sensible one. I was driving home from work one day, and a Camaro passed me on the highway. I couldn’t help but sigh and ask myself why I had to get old. The Forester is a good vehicle and very nice (got the XT Touring package), but the Camaro was way more fun to drive, and I still miss it. I’d like to get another sports car in the future, but we’ll see if that happens.









  • Definitely not a single-serving recipe, but my favorite is chili.

    This was originally a recipe I found on chowhound, then modified it. I make this recipe in a 6qt slow cooker:

    • 2lb ground beef (I use 80/20)
    • 1lb chorizo (can be replaced with any type of spicy sausage or omitted)
    • 2 yellow onions
    • 6-8 chili peppers (I’ve used jalapenos, serranos, and habaneros before, or replace with 1 red/orange/yellow bell pepper)
    • 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes
    • 1 15oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 15oz can black beans
    • 1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
    • 4 cloves minced garlic
    • 4 tbsp chili powder
    • 3 tbsp cumin
    • 3 tbsp smoked paprika
    • 2 tbsp cayenne pepper (for added heat, can be omitted)

    Brown chorizo and add to slow cooker. Brown ground beef and add to slow cooker. Dice onions and peppers, add to pan and let soften using the beef/chorizo fat, then add to slow cooker once beginning to caramelize. Puree or finely chop chipotle peppers and add to slow cooker. Add all canned items to slow cooker. Add garlic and spices to slow cooker. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hrs or high for 4; 8 hrs is preferred, as chili benefits from longer cooking times for flavors to develop and meld.

    Chili is a great recipe, now that we in the northern hemisphere are headed into winter. It’s also a great meal prep recipe, as 2nd day chili is better than 1st day IMO, it reheats well, and also freezes well.











  • I learned to drive using a manual transmission vehicle. I spent a lot of time in empty parking lots, then in empty subdivision roads. It sucked, and having my dad as a teacher made things worse (he had a bit of a temper). As you stated, learning the clutch friction point for your vehicle is crucial (and it’s different in every model of car, so that’s fun), but once you get that down, the rest falls into place pretty easily.
    I have had 4 vehicles since I got my license, and only the most recent one is automatic. I much prefer driving manual, but they’re getting increasingly difficult to find outside of sports cars.