A big shout out to the Chicago MOTly Crew! I had a great time again this year.
MINIs on Top 2007
June 25th, 2007Flexcar experience
May 20th, 2007
One really important last minute change to my schedule prevented me from driving to the Dragon with my CMMC friends. No problem. Gota have my cake and eat it too 
So I booked a flight for Friday afternoon from Chicago to Atlanta and around 9pm I was in my Flexcar (a brnad new MINI Cooper Cabrio) headed for Fontana Village.
I really liked the whole Flexcar experience. After a background check, Flexcar sends you an card with an RFID chip embedded in it. It’s the key that unlocks any Flexcar!
The coolest best part about Flexcar is that gas and full insurance are included in the price of the rental. If you run below a 1/4 tank and fill it up, there is a gas card in the glove box for you to use. They’ll even deduct a small amount from your bill as because it was an inconvenience to
you 
All in all, if I’m visiting a city with Flexcar, I’ll look them up first. Chances are I won’t need a call the whole time I there.
Food in Tokyo
April 18th, 2007What do I eat tonight? Sushi? How about curry – Japanese or Indian? Cute, little “I could die from asphyxiation” Fugu? Maybe some French moules frites? How about American hamburgers with Champaign in a place where I’ll have stand and eat below crystal chandeliers? Yakitori from a street vendor? So many choices. So little time… and 34″ pants that don’t expand at the waist line.
I’ve enjoyed this week what I’d consider some of my most memorable meals. It’s all bitter sweet in a way; I return back home next week.
Toilet fires break out across Japan
April 16th, 2007
Well maybe not that widespread – only 3 have caught fire with a handful of others only going up in smoke.
If you’ve been to Japan, there’s a good chance that you’ve experienced the wonders of Japanese automatic wash and dry toilets. Yes, toilets with automatic seat covers, heated seating surfaces, warm water, fans, music… and probably a dozen other things I’ll never know about because I can’t read the Japanese on the Saab like array of buttons and dials attached to the toilet.
So I was a little surprised (and perhaps worried??) when I saw on local Tokyo news tonight that 180,000 warm water-spraying toilets were being recalled. Yikes! A Toto spokesperson is quoted as saying that, “fortunately, nobody was using the toilets when the fire broke out and there were no injuries.” That’s a good thing, as I’d hate to explain to friends that I suffered burns and injuries while sitting on my toilet!
My lunch at らーめん おんぱと
April 16th, 2007
Ok… so I should have taken the picture before I started eating! This shop is right around the block from my apartment.
The shop is located here.
Best pasta in Tokyo!
April 15th, 2007
Winter shoes for the MINI
April 12th, 2007Can you believe, it’s still snowing in Chicago. It’s April already… the Cubs should be playing!
Good thing the MINI is still wearing its winter shoes!
It’s not uncommon for Old Man Winter to dump a lot of snow on us here in Chicago. But with super efficient snow removal and the fact that I’m rarely far from home during the winter months, a set of pure snow tires (Blizzaks for instance) are probably not necessary. So after some focused research I settled on buying a set of Nokian WR in 185/65/15.
While not a real snow tire, the WR provides much better snow performance than regular all season tires. One salesperson person I spoke with said that he’s able to drive through a foot of snow in his WRs with no problem, though probably not in a MINI At www.snowtire.info, it’s reported that the WR are “marketed as a high speed snow tire” in Europe.
So after a full winter of running on them I can say without a doubt that these are terrific tires. First off, they handle well on dry, slush and snow covered roads. At highway speeds, they’re extremely stable. Rain performance is good too. They’re also really quiet – so much so that I hear the wonderful exhaust burble all the time now. My MINI is a treat to drive in the summer and with appropriate shoes in the winter the fun continues year round.
Shinjuku Eye
April 11th, 2007
One of the many hidden gems located throughout Tokyo.
Only in Japan
April 10th, 2007
Safe Driving Charm
March 11th, 2007
It’s always good to have one with you on the road! For some reason I can’t recall, I think these charms have to replaced each year. Not too sure on that.
Picked it up the other day at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa.
