How's everyone doing?

[redline]

Man, it's been a long time since I've seen most everyone on here! Certain recent events have had me very reminiscent of the good ole' days like the first time I met Jay and Andrew at DATR '07 or the first (and only real) Das Kolorado Treffen and so on and so forth and I figured I would stop by and see how everyone is doing!

I'll start; I'm getting married in August, keeping strong at CSU (one more year left until I'm out with a bachelors in marketing), and working my ass off at Wal Mart and my internship at a local web-design firm doing marketing for their clients. I've had a couple of cars since most of you guys have seen me: an '87 Audi 5000 (committed suicide on a dear 90 miles outside Bozeman), a Mercury Sable (not-so-proud of this one, the not-so-luxury land yacht) and finally a mkIII Jetta in moderate shape.

The fiance and I just bought a red B5 passat wagon that's pretty nice, more so than I expected. Unfortunately, it's already having transmission issues, but we should get those worked out pretty soon with any luck!

I'll probably be in CO for another year while I finish up my under-grad and then the soon-to-be wife and I will likely move to God knows where for her to start her graduate degree.

I hope everyone else is still alive, kicking, and checking this place again. I definitely miss the good times that were had on here, this was the first car forum I ever joined and you guys started the addiction!

So, what's everyone else up to?

[gragravar]

Hey, good to hear from you.    I stated a new job, job is in CA but I refuse to move, so I have been spending a lot of time on airplanes.  Things are going well.  The Audi is getting a little old, but otherwise all is well.  Kids, wife and job take up almost all my time.

[aowhaus]

Nice to hear from both of you, Mike and Andrew, and that you are doing well.

It has been just over a year since I moved to Toronto.
Things are going well and work has been unbelievably busy as the general economy and real estate market has been booming for a while now. I can't believe how much Toronto has changed and how expensive things has become here.
I moved to downtown Toronto in March, after suffering 3 months of the miserable long commute to work from the suburbs.
My new home won't be finished for another 2-1/2 years, so I am renting in the meantime. Long construction delays are very common here, mostly due to the amount of constuction that is going on in the city.

On the carfront I haven't done much to my C (let alone wash it), since I don't drive it much. I really want to use my scooter in the city, however in Ontario I will need to get a motorcycle license (no matter what size of engine), and I need to get my scooter registered and titled which requires some modifications and lots of paperwork, inspections and fees. It's something I am not looking forward to after going through that with my car.  Hopefully I will have the motivation to do it by next spring, as I have been putting it off for so long.

I would like to visit Denver sometime this winter, unfortunately airfares to Denver are pretty expensive which makes travelling to Europe very tempting.

I hope everyone else on RMCB5 are doing well.

[Noob_Shum]

Hey, good to hear from you.    I stated a new job, job is in CA but I refuse to move, so I have been spending a lot of time on airplanes.  Things are going well.  The Audi is getting a little old, but otherwise all is well.  Kids, wife and job take up almost all my time.

Your Audi might be getting older, but it still kicks ass! 

Not much new here, just working in Gunbarrel and still trying to grow our business.  Still have the S4, first "major" work on it in some time. Replacing the front axle and tie rod end. Good to hear from you all.

[ColoradoB5]

Hey guys,

I have been laying pretty low, but I think of all of you often.  Like Andrew, the job and my family are keeping me extremely busy.

I recently sold the B5 and picked up a 2003 B6 A4 Avant.  I'm dedicating some time and money to fixing it up like I like it and hope to eventually go to and APR Stage III setup with in a year or so.

Jen has a Q5 and I'm still keeping the 97 Land Cruiser for trips with the family as well as camping and offroad expeditions.

Alan, I didn't know you moved to Toronto.  I just discovered a band from up there call Walk Off The Earth that is really good and I have been spending time listening to.  That's a real bummer they make you do so much paperwork for a darn scooter.  What the hell!?!? 

Now that I am managing, I spend most of my free time working, but I still get a chance to hang out with Pat now and again for a bike ride

Is everyone doing okay? 

Winston

[JDawg]

Hello everyone.

Figured it was time to poke my head in.  I have been working hard on building VerTech, an organization focused on development of CRM solutions for specific industry verticles and the general market.  A lot has changed over the past several years, including getting married to my amazing wife, Nicole.  I am finally in a position to have time to reingage with my passion for german autos.  I certainly miss the good times and friends, hope everyone is doing well.

Jason
(JDawg)

[ColoradoB5]

Heya Jason,

It's good to hear from you.  I've been trying to get back to more of a life of normalcy that ended in 2005 when I moved to CT and learned how to live life with a 80 hour a week job.  I now manage a team of senior technical JDE consultant, which probably has some similarities to the CRM production you are developing.  There is a CRM product integrated into it at least, although I don't do functional work, just the techie stuff..  I've been working to get back to that ever since and am getting pretty close with my current job. 

I've learned a lot along the way, but I also sure do miss the great days of the RMCB5 crew hanging out and being a great group of friends.  Maybe we can plan a GTG later this summer and all catch up.

It's great to hear about your happy marriage.  I've 2 boys now and am keeping plenty busy with that, but I am teaching them about cars to ensure they don't lack appreciation for the finer things.

I have been trading A4 parts with a guy that lives up near DU near where Jay used to live.  That sure brings back some memories.

-Winston

[JDawg]

Winston,

Great to hear from you too.  Sounds like busy is an understatement!  I can certainly understand.  We are hiring, always open to talking about opportunities with you if you are interested. 

I love the idea of a GTG late summer, would love to see everyone.  No kids on the way for us yet, but when Nicole finishes her masters program next year, we are planning for kids something thereafter. 

If others are interested in a GTG, let's make it happen!  We could do a detail day, a BBQ, meet up for dinner, etc. 

- Jason

[hotani]

Just popped in to update my sig............. 

Sorry I've been seriously MIA around here, I have no excuse! Glad to see there's some folks still hanging out on rmcb5. I'll make more of an effort to check in more frequently.

I'm mostly on G+ and have a pretty good automotive (but mostly VW/Audi) circle going. If you're out there circle me up and I'll add you in.

Oh and I just picked up a 2006 A4 yesterday - it's a clean slate! I'll make a new post so as to not sidetrack the "catching up" discussion.

[ColoradoB5]

Good to hear from you Charles!  I'll check out your Audi thread and see about the new hotness.

[jayryan]

Hey guys, great to hear how you all are doing! Figure I'll poke in with an update as well. My wife and I are expecting our 2nd, a girl in less than two months. I finally moved the businesses out of the house into my own studio/office space. I started an ATM Vault Cash Financing company which is growing well and in the between time, producing non-profit feature documentaries. And I don't mountain bike enough.

I'm still in love with my A4. Last fall, I go the USP blades swapped out with carbon fiber ones, just changed out bumpers to the Deval with carbon fiber insert. Got a VEI dual guage installed in single Podi (like, yesterday). Little things since all the big stuff is done. Talking with Randy now about bringing it down this winter to do some CA/TRE replacement work and maybe replace the stock suspension with CO's. I only put 2500 on it last year since I usually bike everywhere in the summer.

My wife's still driving our beasty '07  Toyota 4Runner. And that dammed '68 MG C still isn't done yet  Might drive it to the car show next week though anyway. I'm on the web, G+ mostly and chat's usually up all day. Anyway, hope to catch up with you guys in person sometime sooner rather than later.

[ColoradoB5]

Hey JR, it's good to hear from you.  I was just thinking about you the other day when I saw a Nogaro A4 on Audizine.  I'm in the B6 A4 club now too and I have a few things left to do to mine, like retint the windows, get the lowers and some new body parts painted and put on and lower the sucker.  But I'm really enjoying it.  That quality of the A4 over the Passat is night and day in my opinion.

Let me know the next time you are down and bring your bike if it's riding weather!

Dub

[jayryan]

Winston,
Yeah, I saw that somewhere you're now in the B6 A4 club. I gotta tell you, my car will be 10 next year and I've had it since spring of '07 and it still drives and runs and feels like new. Granted, the rubberized plastic interior is starting to wear off and I've to replace a few interior things have worn on me under general use but man, it's a great car and holds up incredible well when cared for. I remember back in the day at your place you said after the Passat you'd have to upgrade to an A6 because the A4 is just a little too small. I still remember that and now I chuckle I think Pat was on to something with his.

I just built up a Titus Racer X frame with X-Fusion Velvet RL up front and a Fox RP23 in the rear. Spank and Thompson with Hayes Nine and SRAM XO/X9 in a 2x9 round out the rest of the setup. Man, it's a sweet, light bike. Now, if only the rider was worthy I'll try to make it down in a warm month. Maybe push my car's front end maintenance to spring or something we can go ride.

[jayryan]

Winston,
Yeah, I saw that somewhere you're now in the B6 A4 club. I gotta tell you, my car will be 10 next year and I've had it since spring of '07 and it still drives and runs and feels like new. Granted, the rubberized plastic interior is starting to wear off and I've to replace a few interior things have worn on me under general use but man, it's a great car and holds up incredible well when cared for. I remember back in the day at your place you said after the Passat you'd have to upgrade to an A6 because the A4 is just a little too small. I still remember that and now I chuckle I think Pat was on to something with his.

I just built up a Titus Racer X frame with X-Fusion Velvet RL up front and a Fox RP23 in the rear. Spank and Thompson with Hayes Nine and SRAM XO/X9 in a 2x9 round out the rest of the setup. Man, it's a sweet, light bike. Now, if only the rider was worthy I'll try to make it down in a warm month. Maybe push my car's front end maintenance to spring or something we can go ride. I've got an average joe MTB blog at: http://mtbikeguy.tumblr.com/. I'm also on Strava.