buckle-up

Of late Margo and I have been asked many questions about what we are doing for Christmas, the New Year and beyond. At this time of year it is so different for each of us – Margo growing up in Warsaw and enjoying snow at Christmas whereas for me and my family, it was all about making jokes of a Santa Clause in traditional garb trying his best not to falter under the blistering Aussie sun. As you may recall Margo and I spent this time of year in Sydney only twelve months ago and the memories are returning with a vengeance. With snow on the ground all around us, a little warmth would be much appreciated. And yet the memories of that trip continue to linger if only for another chance to sit on shores of Sydney Harbor. I was about to add how I sure wish we were both back in Sydney, but as they say, be careful what you wish for in case it comes true! No, reading each morning of the devastating bushfires that blaze out of control with some sources telling us the fire line stretches ...

As a car-focused family and just one of many families that simply abhor flying for any reason, we are often asked about our thoughts on future prospects of electric vehicle ownership. Throw into this line of questioning autonomous vehicles and you get the picture. Surely, isn’t it time to modernize your vehicle purchase “metrics” to better reflect imminent changes? Even here, in Northern Colorado, any drive around our township will highlight just how many Nissan Leafs and Tesla Model S, X, 3s whatever can be seen standing on driveways. I have to admit, when Tesla first announced it is taking orders for its then-upcoming Model 3, it was hard to ignore the many texts I received from excited folks who had placed orders for this latest Tesla. As a car-focused family we continue to be inundated with statistics on just how fast today’s electric cars have become and yes, given access to the full amount of torque on hand as soon as the “gas pedal” is slammed to the floor, the numbers s...

It didn’t come as a surprise, but when our third snowstorm of the season bore down on us it was the third such event for the month of October. Thi latest snowstorm followed the absence of any snow in September which was a little out of the ordinary. However, plans had been in place for Margo and me to drive back to the Bay Area to attend a symposium and the sight of snow falling a matter of days before we planned to depart was a little unnerving to say the least – what would it be like up in the mountain passes that stood between us and sunny California? As we had only just returned from our week long trip to Washington DC, it would also represent an opportunity to sample both coasts of America even as it meant adding five thousand plus miles to our cars’ odometers. All the same, it meant not just a change of clothes but a change of vehicles. We enjoyed the time spent in the all-wheel drive Jaguar F Type, but for this trip we opted for the Range Rover. Though we had to be judic...

There are many reasons why one travels to a distant city for the sole purpose of enjoying the company of friends. While at it, you can also take time to visit the city’s main attractions. Spontaneity is a gift most of us enjoy even if it leaves us feeling a little guilty at times – surely, there are other priorities. Throw in the decision to drive to that distant city and you have all the ingredients of a delicate time out spent solely on finding ways to experience life far different to what has become routine. For this particular weekend, Margo and I drove to Maryland to experience some of the best that Washington DC has to offer. It would have been easy for us to call this post Three Perfect Days in DC, but that heading has already been used by one of the major airlines and leaves unsaid much about whom we visited. In this case it was our good friends, the Rosen family – Robert and Randy. Gracious in their hospitality and over-the-top when it came to putting an itinerary tog...