Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Las Vegas, NV and the Pontiac GXP


So...I go from Portland to Atlanta on Tuesday, then Thursday morning go from Atlanta to Las Vegas. And oh god was it hot. According to the in car thermometer- 116 degrees.


Now speaking of the car, I previously mentioned I'm fond of the Pontiac Grand Prix. For a rental...it's not bad. This time, instead of a GP...I got a GXP. Evidently there is a difference. First off, I noticed the cross-drilled rotors both front and rear hiding behind the factory chrome wheels. And the V8 badge on the back. And the "tapshift" paddles on the wheel.


This one is different...in a good way.


So she's got some pep. Which is really fun to play with...especially since the traction control makes the car sway from left and right trying to balance out the power. And this "tapshift" is actually kinda fun. But I did find an issue- the gearing. The car has power, but it doesn't seem to put it to the ground effectively. So I decided to test something. I put it in tapshift, selected first gear, and put my foot to the floor. Somewhere between 60 and 65, I hit redline. No joke. This car is geared WAY too tall for that engine. Probably since it would be too rough for the older crowd who would probably fork over the money for it.


Just like the American Auto manufacturers- make something cool and then mess it up with something simple.


So now about Vegas. I hate working in Vegas, because everyone is there to party and I'm there to work. And how lame is this- I was so worn out by all the recent adventures and travel, I was in bed by 8pm. No joke. So no drinking, no gambling, no nothing in Vegas.


It just seems wrong.

Atlanta, GA and the Jeep Compass


This traveling stuff sure can get old. The very next day after getting back from Canada, I'm back on a plane flying across the country. My company is based just outside of Atlanta, and I've been given the nod to apply for a new position within the company. One with less travel :)

So I headed out. I really dig Atlanta...it's in my Top 5 cities list. And I have a few stops I have to make when I'm out there. It's a trip of gluttony. First stop- Krystal http://www.krystal.com/ . Yup...I'm addicted to the little burgers. Krystal is basically White Castle, only different colors. Oh man they taste so good. I'm sure it's just because we don't have anything like them on the West Coast. And I know it's not just me...I have a friend that drove to Minnesota and back in a weekend just for White Castle. Yup...little burgers have a way of getting under your skin. Just make sure mine are minus mustard with lots of ketchup on the side ;)


Second stop...Daddy D'z http://www.daddydz.com/. OMG...the best BBQ evar! This was the first REAL BBQ I ever had, and I make it a point to stop in every time I'm in Atlanta. I remember my first time...I saunder up to the counter and an old lady comes up and asks me what I'll have. I pause, and tell her that I really don't know. I'm from the PNW, and we don't have real BBQ out there. She says, "Oh honey...I'm sorry." and as she hands me the most delicious rib I've ever eaten she says "You gnaw on that for awhile, and take your time. When you're ready- let me know." I think I fell in love at that moment. Stubb's was awesome...but Daddy D'z will always hold a special place in my heart. Try the combo plate- you won't be disappointed.


As for the Jeep Compass- it's a rental. No guts, stripped down, but adequate. Although this particular model had some major clutch slippage at under 10k miles...yup, a rental :)

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Surrey, BC and "The Squareback"


The "Great Canadian" is another car show on the summer circuit, but as you probably guessed by the name, it's in Canada. Just across the border into British Columbia, it's known for it's large number of aircooled entries. Gayle was all excited because it gave her an opportunity to show off her 1969 Squareback with airride suspension that Martin at The DDB built. This of course requires getting the Squareback to Canada. 600 miles in a 40 year old car? I'll let Gayle do that. Thank you...I will drive the support vehicle, the afore mentioned TDI Jetta :)


Friday

So we are supposed to meet up at 8am to head north. Of course, with any car show gathering, there are a lot of last minute changes. Now instead of caravaning up...it's just us. That's fine, we'll cruise up, set up camp, and make an easy day of it.


Well...easy is a relative term.


A late start out of Portland, followed by spending a little too much time in Tacoma (seeing some friends, setting up court dates, etc.), hitting rush hour in Seattle, having to fix the brake lights in the squareback, and getting slightly delayed at the US/Canadian border...it took us 13 hours. Tired, hungry (we skipped dinner), we attempted to set up the largest tent in the world in the dark. And finally around 10pm, we were ready to get some grub. Gayle says she wants to change really quick before we go.


Gayle: Honey...where's my bag?


Gayle: Honey?


Ed: I love you Baby!


Yes, evidently somewhere along the way Gayle's bag didn't make up to Canada. It wasn't left at home, so the only thing I can think of is somewhere along the way we must have moved it from the car and not put it back. But that still doesn't change the fact that she now has no clothes for the weekend.


This is where I reached the breaking point. You would think Gayle would have been the one to lose it...but no. She was totally understanding and handled it great. I was not nearly as composed, and really frustrated with myself and felt like an ass for losing her clothes. More proof that this girl is somebody very special. Finally, at about 2am, we returned from dinner and crawled into bed. Exhausted.


Saturday

Got up, and cleaned the Jetta for the Pre show Pancake Breakfast at Westminster VW. This is a very cool thing for a dealership to do...let all the car show folks come down and hang out while providing coffee, pancakes, and oj at no charge. It was very appreciated, and the US dealers should take note- there are folks that care about the older VWs out there. The rest of the day was spent in a Canadian mall on a shopping spree for Gayle :) and cleaning the Square for it's debut. Since it was there, we also decided to throw the Jetta in the show as well. It is nowhere even close to show ready, but hey, why not? So 4 hours of cleaning on the Square and 45 minutes on the Jetta, we headed out for a nice steak dinner- we deserved it. The cars weren't quite up to standard- but were decent enough, considering we were camping and all.


Sunday

Do you know what the worst sound in the world is? Waking up to the sound of raindrops on your tent after cleaning your car for a show. It poured...but like they say, the show must go on. We rolled out 2 deep early to make sure we had time to get things set up and ready. But with the rain, there isn't too much you can do. However, that didn't mean we weren't busy. Gayle's Squareback is definitely an eyecatcher and we had many people stop to chat. It was great watching her talk about her car- she gets so excited and giddy around it. I also enjoyed hanging out and watching people check out the Jetta, since it still has my wheels on it and they attract quite a bit of attention as well. We also had some friends come up for the show, and got to spend the whole day catching up and having a good time. Probably the best part of the show was the engine blow. A popular event at many shows, they take an old tired engine, drain all the fluids, and then run it at full throttle until it blows up. Now normally this in done on an engine stand, sometimes in an acrylic case to protect bystanders from shrapnel. The Great Canadian organizers decided it would a good idea to just roll in a Ford Aerostar that was headed for the junkyard. Which works fine...until the van catches on fire. So we were treated to a fine show as well when the Coquitlam Fire Department showed up to put out the blaze. I don't think that they will be doing anothe engine blow next year:)
A great time and a fantastic show. Plus...we took home 3 trophies for our efforts!
Another long, long day in the books, I headed back to the campsite and got my drink on.


Monday

Basically, get up and drive home. Oh wait, that can't be right. Life just isn't that simple.

Getting back into the States is evidently a difficult thing to do. We pulled up to the border and the readerboard told us there was an hour wait. Yeah...it was a bit off. We waited for 3 hours to cross, and evidently we weren't the only ones getting frustrated. There was a time when cars needed to merge into one lane. I watched in the rearview mirror as the guy behind me wouldn't let a car in, flipped off the driver and yelled some nasty language at him. Of course, he was an American and the merger was Canadian. Great...yet another person perpetuating the American stereotype.


So I let the guy in instead.


Oh that did not set well. The guy got out of his car and called me a "world class asshole", among others. Then the guy behind him called me a "punk" and a "communist". I don't know how letting someone in line makes you a communist, but evidently it does. The funny thing is the dude that said it looked a little like early Castro...ironic.


So I let him go ahead of me too. Like it did any good...we still had to wait 2 more hours to get across. LOL.


The rest of the drive went pretty easy- just long.


A packed weekend no doubt. But it was a great time, and we have lots of great new stories to tell. I lost my girlfriend's clothes, ate pancakes in Canada, camped in the rain, took home some trophies, got called a Communist, and spent 26 hours in the Jetta. Sounds good to me!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Bozeman, MT and the Mustang Convertible


Isn't it ironic, don't ya think?


So we get back to the house from our Austin trip at midnight, and I'm up again at 0330 to hop my plane out to Bozeman, MT for work. As you can imagine...both Gayle and I are dragging. She at least got to go back to bed- I had to work. Gayle texts me after dropping me off and lets me know that I left my sunglasses in the car. D'oh! Oh well, it's only for a couple days- I can manage. So I get to the gate and oddly enough, get back on the plane we had just come in on. This time I sat in 19C instead of 18E...weird huh?


I arrive in Bozeman, and even though it's in the 90s it feels like nothing compared to Austin. It's smokey because of the forest fires (pretty much half the state is burning), but still fairly sunny. I head out from the rental car counter and find I've got a Mustang....convertible.


And my sunglasses are in Portland.


No worries, it's a convertible and I'm sure as hell dropping the top any chance I get. I actually like the newer Ford Mustangs...they are a great car honestly. I've always had a thing for the classic, first gen Mustangs...and what guy hasn't enjoyed the chase scene in Bullit multiple times? There is plenty of "throwback" styling on the car to let you know its a 'Stang, the interior is basic, but again, takes some cues from the original generation. The body panels come up fairly high, giving you the feel that you are hunkered down low in the car. And even the crappy rental car engine provides an exhaust note that makes you feel like you are in a muscle car. It's even better when it's a convertible...I'm a big fan of any car with no top. The only real complaint I have with the car may surprise you. Most people complain about the lack of a trunk in a 'vert- not me. I usually travel alone, so what do I care if I can't fit 8 suitcases in the back? My complaint is the fuel gauge. I turn the car on and it comes up to the 3/4 mark, even though the tank is full. I pull out and drive the 8 miles into town, and only then does it read full. Not that I really care, I mean work covers the fuel...but I could just see someone pulling in to return the car somewhere and the check in person only sees 3/4s of a tank and charges a couple gallons at over $6 a pop to some tourist. That's Lame.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Austin, TX and Bumming Rides


Friday, August 10

After way too much time passed, it actually happened. I started my vacation :D


This day was sooooo long...it actually felt like two or three days! I picked Gayle up from work at 0315, headed to my house for a quick nap, and then to the airport at 0600 for our trip to Austin. Neither of us had been, nor really heard all that much about it. I had a voucher for a flight, and my favorite BBQ sauce maker has a restaurant there...seemed like enough of a reason for me to go ;) Yes...we were flying over 2000 miles just to eat BBQ, and very proud of it.


Now we some time to fill, so we used our resources over on the VWVortex to introduce ourselves to some other VW people and get folks to show us the town. And boy...we were not disappointed. Everyone we met was superfriendly, and they sure know how to have a good time. Gayle had a friend Don that was super cool, and he even picked us up at the airport in his TDI Jetta. We met everyone at Fast Eddie's Billiard Hall (gotta love the name) and planned out the evening. Which really didn't consist of much of a plan....go barhopping and drink a lot. Austin is a crazy town- 6th St. downtown is amazing. Bar after bar after bar...it's endless. We were there in the off season and it was crazy- I couldn't imagine what it would be like with thousands of college kids. You want any type of bar scene- Austin will have it!

Some of the more memorable moments:


-We met Cort, Jake, Jason, and Sasha among others. These were some great locals that definitely know how to have a good time.

-We visited Lovejoy's, Nunos, Maggie Mae's, MooseKnuckle, Apple, Coyote Ugly, and a bunch of places I can't remember (or didn't know) the name of.

-I'm not much of a drinker, but maybe 3 or 4 times a year I cut loose and let er rip. This was one of those times. I think I had 14 beers and a couple shots. I didn't fall down, didn't throw up, didn't drunk dial anyone, but I can't quite remember how I got back to the hotel, where evidently I took a shower and threw all the towels in the tub

-I did the Thriller dance with some random guy named Rob or Ron, who I thought was part of our group but evidently was not. We had it down- it was almost choreographed! I woke up the next morning with my right palm extremely bruised- guess I got a little overzealous with the claps.

-I almost got assaulted by a random dude. He wanted to fight, but I was too happy to fight. My award winning dispostion must have cooled him off a bit.


And that was Friday.


Saturday, August 11th

Recovery day. We slept in for a little while, and prepared ourselves for that which is Stubb's. I had a game plan to stick to...order everything on the menu and eat it all. And that's exactly what we did. Brisket, chicken, pork, beef, turkey, ribs, sausage, fries, coleslaw, beans, sweet potatoes, collard greens, okra, mashed potatoes, spinach, serrano peppers, apple crisp, blackberry cobbler, banana pudding, and pecan pie. And yes, I ate it all. Maybe not all of it...but I ate a bit of everything and it was all heavenly. Plus, I stole a bottle of sauce. I know...I'm going to hell for it. But with Stubb's looking right at me I had no alternative- he wanted me to have it. Of course, we bought Tshirts galore and even an apron. I think our tab was well over $200...and totally worth it :D


Now that I've recovered from the night before, I needed to recover from Stubbs. Gayle and I went back to the hotel and zonked out. We woke up about 7pm and had an evening to kill. What should we do? Oh...I know. Get a tattoo from Katzen the Cat Lady.


Now...I love tattoos. I am completely facinated by then, and the history and stories they tell. But the crazy part is- I don't have any, and probably won't every get one. I just can't figure out what I'd want on my body for the rest of my life. Now Gayle is another story- she has ink! Two very big pieces, one complete one on her back and a work in progress on her torso and legs, plus 4 smaller ones in various places (ankle, back, back, and calf). I love them all, and she decided to add one more- to remind her of me and our first vacation together. I had never had anyone get a tattoo for me before, and it is quite the feeling. She evidently is planning on keeping me around for awhile- like forever! I'm fine with that...kinda hopin' she does ;)


Anyway, I digress. The Cat Lady. Shannon from Stubb's had some work done, and she recommended we go see this lady, you know, the Cat Lady. Now I thought she meant the person how did the Cat Lady...but no, she meant the actual Cat Lady. Which is kinda cool. She was very accomodating, staying open late to give Gayle her 7th tattoo- an orange lone star. Orange for me, the Lone Star for Texas. It's perfect, and everytime I see it I see the meaning behind it. And I smile :) Out for a quick beer and some live music, before heading back to the hotel to order room service and watch payperview movies. Hot Fuzz is some funny ish!


Sunday, August 12th

So...going to bed at 3am for the third night in a row is starting to catch up with me. Especially when I had to be up at 6:30am to meet Jason and his wife Rene for our lift to San Antonio for the MJM Autohaus BBQ and Show and Shine. This is evidently a big deal for the Austin VW crowd- it sounds like they don't get these opportunities very often. People were cleaning their cars like it was a judged show, and getting pumped up more than I have seen people get pumped in a long time. There was electricity in the air and people were totally giddy. We piled into Jason's GLI and headed out. The drive started OK...but then people started to hang it all out and get a little stupid. This is one time I was happy to be in the back seat- 'cause I probably would have joined them. Like they say, it's all fun in games until someone gets hurt. Or passes a Texas State Trooper at 105 miles per hour. He was about as cool as he could be...he only wrote the ticket for 94, which means Jason can take traffic school and get it off his record (at 95, that's not an option). Plus he only gave him a warning for not having a front plate :) It's a good story to tell at any rate.


The MJM GTG was great too. Kelly at MJM is super cool...unfortunately he was the only cool thing there 'cause the rest of it was freakin hot! I mean like super hot. Nuclear hot! I was melting! My only saving grace was that all the Texans were bitching about the heat more than I was...God knows I wanted to. It was so hot that even though there was free beer, there was no way I could drink it. After sweating my ass off for a couple hours, it was time to go. Jason and Rene suggested we stop at Chuy's for some TexMex...and again I stuffed myself. So in my most recent food coma I slept my way back to Austin, where we were dropped off and headed straight for the pool. Gotta tell ya...pools are freakin sweet. I lounged in the sun, in the water, in the sun again...and let all the stress flow away. Jason and Rene returned, and gave us a brief tour of the Austin area, followed by drinks at The Oasis- a HUGE complex that looks out over a lake. It felt like the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, with all the balconies and stuff. I highly recommend it if you are in the area...especially if you can catch a sunset. Afterwards, we said our "See ya laters" and drifted off to bed...exhausted.


Monday, August 13th

Our last day...spent sleeping in and at the pool. All day. About 2:30 we headed to a fantastic little Creole cafe and had a light lunch before finding our way to the airport. We caught our plane, and made it home by about 11pm. I was totally exhausted....and completely happy. I don't want to belittle the occasion or anything, but it was about as perfect of a vacation as you can get. It was a great experience for Gayle and I...it kinda reaffirmed something that I think we both know. That we have something really special, and because of each other, the trip was made all the better.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Salt Lake City and the Pontiac Grand Prix


It seems like every time I'm in Salt Lake, I get a Grand Prix as my rental. Seriously, like the last 3 times it's been that way- maybe even the same one! Not that I'm complaining- it's actually one of my favorite rentals to get. Not too big, not too small. It's sporty enough to somewhat satisfy my itch too. Decent styling on the outside, and the interior is definitely one of those "cockpit inspired" interiors too. The dark gray on black color scheme really fit the car as well. There are a couple things, I mean, it wouldn't be a true post if I didn't bitch about something. First off...the seats are covered in some nasty, loose weave fabric that would be a total bitch to clean and would probably work better than a loofah if you drove naked. Second- whoever designed the ventilation system wanted to make sure you were covered. There were 11 (I think) vents in the dashboard...making it look kinda like swiss cheese. But overall, not a bad ride at all.

I like Salt Lake City, especially when I get to go to one of my favorite sushi joints Ichiban. Now I know what you are thinking- Sushi in SLC? Yeah...it goes against my "never eat seafood in a landlocked state" rule, but this place is freakin amazing! Every time I'm in SLC I try to make a point to stop by. On previous trips, I've spoken with the owner and the head sushi chef...and they don't mess around. They fly fish in from Japan 3 times a week, and are VERY picky about what they buy. I took a guy I kinda work with there this time....and he doesn't eat sushi. He was a little apprehensive about things when we first got there, but he said he'd try and keep an open mind. We got a couple appetizers first...one of which is Tosh's Shrimp. He took one bite and looked at me and said "This is the best shrimp I have ever had...EVER! I would totally come back here and just get like 5 orders of this!!!" Yeah...Scott was hooked at that point;) If you are ever in SLC, I highly recommend it.

It's also the little things that you pick up on when you travel. Right before I headed to the airport to come home I stopped at this little island cafe for lunch. SLC is the only place that I have been where when you order something in a fast food type restaurant, instead of asking "For here or to go?" they say "To stay or take with". It's odd...and throws me every time I hear it. I guess it's like getting a "Royal with Cheese" in Amsterdam ;)

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Campbell Lake and my sister's Jetta




When I was a kid, my dad used to take me camping with my uncle Craig and cousins at Campbell lake- which is out in the middle of nowhere in south central Oregon. There are two "towns" that are close- Paisley and Bly...both of which are about 35 miles away from the lake. Now since my dad is retired and my sister is on summer break from school, they went up for a whole week. I didn't have that luxury...so after I got back from Seattle I planned on driving down for the weekend. It's a good 7 or 8 hours away from my house...but since I got some Mom and Ed time last week I figured it's time for some Dad and Ed time.




This brings up an interesting dilemma. The roads to the lake aren't exactly paved all the way, and my car is way too low and way to nice to take on a washboard gravel road. So I did the smart thing- borrowed my sister's car :) This is a new-to-her MKIV Jetta...which did absolutely fine. I started out after my conference call on Friday morning and became one with the road. I drove. When I got tired, I stopped. When I got hungry, I ate. Had to pee...I peed. I really do feel at peace behind the wheel of a car. The rest of the world just drifts away...which is exactly what I needed. Thank god my sister had the good sense to buy a stickshift. I get so tired of driving the automatic rental cars. I like providing the input and being able to tell the car what I want it to do. Between work and my personal life, I have a bunch of mounting stress right now. Camping for a weekend was supposed to be a getaway...but the drive was a big part of it as well.




So was fishing with my dad. Although being out of state sucks. $33 for a 3 day fishing license...what a ripoff! So I caught a couple fish with my dad...which worked out to be $5.50 a pop LOL! Mostly, it was just a time to get away and unplug. No phones, email, or internet for three days. It was great- although I did miss talking with Gayle. She's a helluva girl, and she's going to be in the picture for a long time. I know it.




So Friday, 8 hours in the car. Sunday...same thing. Was it worth it...totally!

Seattle Trip #2.5- Subaru Outback


So I was in Seattle working for a couple days after Waterwagens. Since Gayle had to go back to Portland before me, I rented a car to drive around for work and then back down to Portland on Wednesday. So I roll to the airport and head to Hertz...and they have my chariot all ready for me.


A Subaru Outback.


Now there's really nothing wrong with a Subaru...except for the fact that it's a Subaru. Frankly, it's boring as hell. Bland interior, bland exterior, no get-up-and-go...just blah. Plus living in the Northwest, there are a stigma surrounding the brand....it's a hippie lesbian ride.


So I rocked the hell out of it. I went total Yuppie on it- talking on the phone, texting, and emailing from behind the wheel. I drove like a bat out of hell- favoring the aggressive style rather than the laid back hippie approach. Eating processed foods and visiting a major chain coffeehouse every chance I could get. Until it was time to go home.


I've made the drive from Seattle to Portland more times than I can remember...and it's boring. I find the best way is to just put it on cruise control and just zone out with some tunes. However, the Subaru has another trait- it's evidently a cop magnet. I got popped for 70 in a 60 between Tacoma and Olympia...even though I had been getting passed left and right just before hand. LOL!


Oh well, I chalk it up to karma. I drove like an ass for a couple days before and even though I was just chillin this time, Karma found me. No big deal...I have no tickets on my record, so hopefully I can defer it. If not, I'll hire a lawyer and see if we can't get it dropped completely.


As for my opinion of Subarus- they still suck ass.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Seattle Trip #2 and Gayle's Jetta


Yes, you are reading this right. I drove up to Seattle Thursday, back to the Portland area Friday, and then up to Seattle again on Saturday- this time to partake in what is probably the largest VW/Audi car show on the west coast, Waterwagens (www.waterwagens.com). Being fairly active in the VW community in the Pacific Northwest, this is a great time to catch up with friends and really let my geek hang out talking about cars. This was the 5th year for the show, and the first time I didn't show a car. Instead, I judged the Golf/Jetta V classes. I have to admit, it was kinda nice to kick back and not stress about cleaning the same car for three days straight before the show. We did roll in true VW style though, taking my girlfriend Gayle's MKV TDI Jetta. This was so much better than rocking a crappy rental car- I could actually enjoy driving in style. Gayle is an awesome chick, and has definitely built a fantastic car- R32 front end, lowered on coilovers, Votex rear valence, LED tails, REVO software, and for this show we added my 19" Maybach 62 wheels for good measure :) The car is hot, but there were a few drawbacks:

- Because it's a TDI and gets 600 miles to the tank, bathroom breaks are significantly farther apart
- It makes me miss my TDI :(
- There were too many people that said my wheels look better on her car :)

So Saturday night we head up to our friend Meister's house for a little pre-show party, which was highly entertaining. But the downside is rolling into bed at 3am and having to be up at 5am to get to the show (judges and volunteers have to show up WAY early). As you might have guessed, I hit the snooze button and promptly fell back asleep- waking up with 15 minutes to get ready before we had to leave! I kicked Gayle out of bed and told her to get in the shower while I headed out the front door to wash her car (old habits die hard I guess).

The show was awesome, except for the sudden downpour that soaked me as judging started. (It rained so hard my socks were squishy all day). I saw a TON of old friends and had a great time catching up and checking out some sweet cars. As far as my judging duties went, I have to say that I was very disappointed with the MKV category as a whole this year. Evidently no one really knows how to show a car. Most cars were filthy, and two of them even had people in them while I was judging (for future reference- that's bad!). It made it very hard to see so many cars that people obviously care about and take points away because they just didn't know how to properly prepare their cars. Hopefully they will learn and be ready to rock at the next show.

I also feel kinda bad about how I carried myself at the show as well. Towards the end of the day, I was exhausted and cranky, and really didn't respond very well to some people that were curious about my wheels. Mostly questions about how much I paid for them. That question really gets old, and frankly I find it a bit rude to ask. I gave them smart ass responses, or tried to spread rumors that they were fake or from a different car. I'm usually not like that...and I hope I didn't piss too many people off. Don't hold it against me, OK?

But all in all, the show was a smashing success. The day after I picked up a rental since Gayle had to head back down to PDX for work before I did. I'll continue that in it's own post...so many stories to share :)