New job

[djminfll]

It had to happen, especially after my posting last week that I miss commuting to work (I work from home) - I got a new job, I start on Monday of next week. The commute is 36 miles each way, almost all highway (I95). I'm looking forward to enjoying the drive each way, especially because Hybrids can use the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle, or carpool) lanes even if there is only one person in the car. I drove up today for the final interview, clocked 48mpg, the got 50.3mpg on the way home. The HOV lanes are not as congested as the regular lanes, but it's not like you can go 70mph either. So at a slow and steady 45-50mph, the gas mileage stays high, I get almost an hour of music on my flash drive or XM radio. Plus, the new job pays much more than my current one, so it's all good! About the only regret is that I won't be able to take the dog to the dog park in the morning any more, except on weekends.

:puppy_kiss: :dogwalk:

[corncobs]

Congrats on the your new job.

Sounds like you signed up for an awesome deal - commute to work - HOV lane usage - more money - is there else you could have asked for.

[GrySql]

Nice to hear, congratulations!

My condolences to your dog...

[acdii]

Congrats! Now you get to enjoy the car more.

[inco]

Happy dog, happy life....oh congrats on the new job too and getting to use the HOV and to getting to enjoy your FFH more. :congrats: You are sending the dog to dog camp or daily dog care, right? ;)

[hybridbear]

Congrats on the new job!

[djminfll]

Here are my babies - the greyhound needs to get her exercise, so she goes to the park regularly. I know she's going to miss her friends, the regular morning crew who go there almost every day. The little ones don't like the park, so I leave them home. Believe it or not, I FOUND the yorkie a year ago - apparently someone just tossed him out. I guess they figured he was too high maintenance.

 

 

[inco]

Great pictures and great looking 'kids'. We have two, one being a Yorkie and 14 years old. We 'inherited him' and called him the dog from hell because he was supposed to be house trained and wasn't. He was two at that time and had been in four different homes by then. He is still wired but a great little guy and has gone through two other dogs in his time with us. We now have a four year old Shiatsu to keep him company. They rule our house and know it.

[djminfll]

The shih-tzu mix is a rescue, he was removed from an abusive home. His owner was charged with felony animal abuse and served time in prison for the crime. He had to have an eye removed, but he doesn't let it slow him down. Then I found the yorkie, no tag, no chip, no response to ad in Lost & Found, so I kept him. I will have had him a year on 4/12, and we just love him. I think his owners just tossed him because he requires grooming every month and wants A LOT of attention every day. And the greyhound, of course, was a rescue from the track after she was retired. I'll never buy another puppy, not when there are so many rescues available. Besides saving a life, I really believe that rescues appreciate the homes they get, because they always remember from where they came.

I know this isn't a dog rescue forum, but this was worth mentioning based on the purpose of my original post.

Edited April 3, 2014 by djminfll

[clummus]

I can't see the pics of your dog's:((

[aaronj1159]

The shih-tzu mix is a rescue, he was removed from an abusive home. His owner was charged with felony animal abuse and served time in prison for the crime. He had to have an eye removed, but he doesn't let it slow him down. Then I found the yorkie, no tag, no chip, no response to ad in Lost & Found, so I kept him. I will have had him a year on 4/12, and we just love him. I think his owners just tossed him because he requires grooming every month and wants A LOT of attention every day. And the greyhound, of course, was a rescue from the track after she was retired. I'll never buy another puppy, not when there are so many rescues available. Besides saving a life, I really believe that rescues appreciate the homes they get, because they always remember from where they came.

I know this isn't a dog rescue forum, but this was worth mentioning based on the purpose of my original post.

 

I'm still living in an apartment so I'm not comfortable getting a dog yet, but I fully agree with you on the rescue front. It's not exactly the same but that's what I've done with my cats. I got my first one as a kitten at an overloaded shelter (and I've taught her to fetch and to sit on command so she's basically my dog), but the second one I found on the side of the road. I think she'd been tossed out as a 2 year old cat. She's still a little skittish but she seems really happy to be in a warm home with people to kindly pet her a lot.

[Kcouture25]

These are mine. I have a Great Pyrenees that we got from a rescue, and a mutt that we got from the humane society. In the first picture that my wife sent me the other day, our Pyr was trying to find our smaller dog through the vet room window lol.

[djminfll]

What a beauty the Pyrenees is!

FYI, this site limits the number of pictures you can post, so if you plan on posting additional pics (like, of your car!), you'll need to either bring them in from iPhoto or a program like photobucket.com

If you need help with that, let me know.

[acdii]

Oh man, this thread has definitely gone to the dogs! I have 2 Collies and a Sheltie, the Collies too smart for their own good, the Sheltie, dumb as a box of rocks, but is cute to look at.

[djminfll]

As long as the thread has gone to the dogs, I'll add to it by saying that in the same way as the Collies are smart and the Sheltie is dumb, my greyhound is smart, and I used to have 2 Italian Greyhounds who were also dumb but cute. Every time one of them saw a lizard or squirrel on the patio, he'd run full force into the sliding glass door. I used to say, "Stop doing that, you can't afford to lose any of the functioning brain cells that you have!"

[djminfll]

First day of the new commute to work, avoided 90% of the traffic by using the carpool lane - can't complain about the mpg, especially when most of the trip was done on ACC at 70mph.

 

 

[corncobs]

I must be missing something here. When I drove back from Tampa to Orlando Saturday night I didn't even crack the 41 and it was all driven very consistent.

I guess my FFH is not wired for interstate / > 65 MPH travel.

Edited April 8, 2014 by corncobs

[hybridbear]

How's the new job?

[lolder]

I must be missing something here. When I drove back from Tampa to Orlando Saturday night I didn't even crack the 41 and it was all driven very consistent.

I guess my FFH is not wired for interstate / > 65 MPH travel.

Don't forget headwinds, tailwinds and traffic. Wind effects are -/+ 3 mpg per 10 mph headwind or tailwind. Moderate to heavy traffic creates a 5-10 mph tailwind. There was a lot of wind in Florida recently.

Edited April 8, 2014 by lolder

[acdii]

loose nut behind the steering wheel does too.

 

Impressive numbers

[djminfll]

New job is great so far. I'm still in training, but I start my real job on Monday.

 

Corncobs, just so you know, I haven't gotten that kind of mileage consistently. Coming home yesterday, I achieved 40mpg, nothing more. Today, I did 42mpg going in, but 47 coming home, so who can figure it out?!?!

[corncobs]

Probably just like lolder said " headwinds, traffic, etc. "

 

I'm not worried we just made it back home safely and thru Chicago traffic I was able to spend a lot more time in EV. I would estimate the last 1.5 hrs of driving yielded around 48 MPG.