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Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
I’ll get out to Copper tomorrow to put another few hours on these K2s, but barring changes in my impression of them I do not think I’ll be buying them.
Impression is changing. Good powder. These K2s are great fun in this snow. Surfy yet stable. (Just not hard snow rippers like my Völkls.)
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
Fantastic 10 runs in powder this morning. (Then darted home—will pick up elder child from school.)

10 was perfect. Snow was getting tracked out after glorious fresh tracks after fresh tracks, I was getting tired, and visibility wasn’t getting any better.

I loved the K2s in all this powder. Had to ski them centered to back even at their width but they turned happily, surfed around, and were playful.

Snow accumulation on the Tesla is from being parked 3.5 hours, for the record. (I hung out in the car on the charger for half an hour before booting up.)

314A0B24-7770-47F5-B232-CFA555FB978F.jpeg
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
And I ordered the K2s. Mindbender 108Ti, 179 cm length. Hopefully these will have a longer and happier tenure in my stable than the Moment Bibbys did.

Shall get them mounted with the Look Pivot 14s I have in the garage workbench. REI might balk at the worn heel pads on my boots wrt binding adjustment—if they can replace the current ones that’d be great, otherwise I have replacements en route.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
IMG_2322.jpeg


I think my ticket has finally come up for the FSD hardware upgrade! (Of course, the underlying software is still not released, let alone having demonstrated competency on snow-covered roads, so my dreams of my car driving me up to the mountains is still a bit off.)
 
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CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
View attachment 141286

I think my ticket has finally come up for the FSD hardware upgrade! (Of course, the underlying software is still not released, let alone having demonstrated competency on snow-covered roads, so my dreams of my car driving me up to the mountains is still a bit off.)
Will be cool to hear if you see any improvements but not sure if you will detect it when you are still forced to have the hand on the wheel all the time? Vs the latest Kia offering that seems to allow for more freedom at least on highways.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
Will be cool to hear if you see any improvements but not sure if you will detect it when you are still forced to have the hand on the wheel all the time? Vs the latest Kia offering that seems to allow for more freedom at least on highways.
The nags will still be there for a few years yet, but it's not as intrusive as Volvo's (plus the disengagement behavior is much better instead of fighting you like Pro Pilot).

I think the only concrete thing that the FSD hardware will net me now is on-screen visualization of cones in traffic zones.



 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
Ah, mid-ski season, where my thoughts turn to what gear my kids will need for the next season. Context is of currently 7, 4.8, and 1.1 year old girls, the older two of whom ski and the third who no doubt will down the road. So I can get repeated use out of gear, in other words.

What we currently own:

What we rented for this season (through Larsen's--old gear and reasonably high price, would not do again; note that we rented before my wife found the above 100 cm skis on the local swap page, thus the duplication):



As my wife has Blizzard Black Pearl 98s I think it'd be super cute if my oldest kid were on Blizzard Pearl Jrs. She's 120 cm tall on 100 cm skis this year so I think being 125-130 cm tall next year on 110 cm skis would work fine... and again I have 2 other kids to use 'em in later years.

They're 104/67/93 so would feel fine on piste as compared to the rentals she's carving it up on this year. I'm a bit worried those bought K2s with their less carvy sidecut might hinder the middle kid's progression to carving turns.



(I also briefly considered getting her K2 Mindbender Jrs in 119 cm to match my Mindbender 108Tis but at 110/84/98 for someone who is all of 43 lbs I don't think they'd be great for carving even if she'd float like a champ.)
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
An update: snagged a used pair of 109 cm Blizzard Pearl Jrs for $94 shipped from an eBay seller in Vail. They'll just need a little super glue for two spots on the top sheet.

During vacation I'll probably make offers on some promising looking used 100 cm and 120 cm skis to round out my household's collection. Might start collecting various small boot sizes as well.

:D

My own little ski-empire I shall build in my garage.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
My financial mantra is to avoid cash drag. I invest every last cent available each month, if I'm running at a surplus.

I also run at a deficit for about half the year due to the vagaries of how I get paid (involving end-of-April and -October bonuses, last year of which combined was >20% of my total compensation), FICA, and the IRS total compensation limit that affects when my 401(a) cuts out.

The long and short of it is that from January through April I draw down each month from my taxable account. Due to the carnage in the market exceeding the rate of my various savings accounts (6.17% x $1k at DCU, 6.00% x $2k between 3 kid saver and 1 normal account at BECU) I'm therefore going to liquidate these savings accounts so as to minimize the amount of money I need to draw on from taxable.

On the other hand, for my own selfish personal sake I hope that the market dip continues at least through May 1. This way I'll get to buy cheap.

(And if it continues further yet perhaps it'll pull down the mountain second home real estate market in a few years? Maybe? Or maybe we'll all be lining up to head to the crematorium...)
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,862
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
My financial mantra is to avoid cash drag. I invest every last cent available each month, if I'm running at a surplus.

I also run at a deficit for about half the year due to the vagaries of how I get paid (involving end-of-April and -October bonuses, last year of which combined was >20% of my total compensation), FICA, and the IRS total compensation limit that affects when my 401(a) cuts out.

The long and short of it is that from January through April I draw down each month from my taxable account. Due to the carnage in the market exceeding the rate of my various savings accounts (6.17% x $1k at DCU, 6.00% x $2k between 3 kid saver and 1 normal account at BECU) I'm therefore going to liquidate these savings accounts so as to minimize the amount of money I need to draw on from taxable.

On the other hand, for my own selfish personal sake I hope that the market dip continues at least through May 1. This way I'll get to buy cheap.

(And if it continues further yet perhaps it'll pull down the mountain second home real estate market in a few years? Maybe? Or maybe we'll all be lining up to head to the crematorium...)
I have to talk to the bank again. I had asked if I could take out equity in the house and invest it. Snag up some cheap investments.
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,928
14,447
where the trails are
Jalopnik featured a @Nick special on Nice Price or Crack Pipe recently

I voted crack pipe. Mine is in vgc, 25k less miles and I'd guess I could get $5k tops.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
D488A3D1-DEAF-4CB1-B66D-241A2F9E71B1.jpeg



Relevant to my temp tag/registration travails with that shitty XC40. That’s an Oct 8, 2019 expiration. 143 days expired.

:facepalm:
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550


As my wife has Blizzard Black Pearl 98s I think it'd be super cute if my oldest kid were on Blizzard Pearl Jrs. She's 120 cm tall on 100 cm skis this year so I think being 125-130 cm tall next year on 110 cm skis would work fine... and again I have 2 other kids to use 'em in later years.
Resolution to my kid skis quandary is me buying used skis in 100, 109, 120 cm from eBay. (The Dynastars are actually new. The Blizzards have top sheet damage so will take some super glue action.)

Take note, @stoney if there are years where your kids might use 'em between the spacing of my kids, noting that we now will have 70, 92, 100, 109, 120 cm options:

Capture.PNG
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,550
AF026592-6BAD-490A-849D-3FEDAF28C8C8.jpeg


How does google ads know me so well?!

(Wrong island and wrong kind of electric vehicle that I might be interested in, though. I favor the OG Rascal, naturally)