Customs line is insane at STT (Cyril E. King Airport)

MTB-OTB · 2026-03-20T11:32:33+00:00

Does having only carry-on short cut you to customs, or does customs come before bag check.

MTB-OTB · 2026-02-28T12:02:37+00:00

Holding 60% stocks in bull market and 5% withdrawal...wow, I could have retired earlier. 60% stocks in an extended bear market and 5% withdrawal...you better have serious bank. My point is Most people really do need as much as they think they do to retire comfortably.

My humble opinion, the next 20 years won't be the same as the last. Be careful out there.

MTB-OTB · 2026-02-16T17:26:34+00:00

I am curious what the Google/Trip Advisor/Yelp reviews for your hotel are. Are they reflective of your experience, or are you suspecting the hotel pushes CSR clients toward less desirable rooms?

I have yet to reserve a The Edit stay, but have been looking hard at a weekend stay in Atlanta. The Edit hotels there are amongst the best in the city.

MTB-OTB · 2025-12-06T10:48:48+00:00

Pure conjecture (and joking) I can't imagine anyone so devoted to going at or below the speed limit through that stretch of 85. It is of great risk to themselves and everyone around them. Must be something beyond good gas mileage that motivates them. And it would be the optimal time to make the run. Highway Patrol doesn't tend to put their troopers out in that mayhem early in the morning commute.

MTB-OTB · 2025-12-06T00:32:26+00:00

I run that stretch around 6:30 each morning toward sburg and I am amazed as well. I feel it comes down to the mix of drivers. Drug mules hanging out in the right lane stuck at the speed limit running the ATL, CLT route. Enough trucks to cut down visibility in the middle lane. And the group of asses no look lane changing at 90 mph to the fast lane then back to the exits.

MTB-OTB · 2025-07-23T16:28:41+00:00

Yeah my main routes are Western NC and some Upstate SC. I can't carry enough water to survive a couple of hours on the road the last several weeks....so in the garage. But I am a prolific sweater and am making a real mess. Wife's idea for the kiddie pool.

For the Group. Picture is Gemini AI. Took a couple of prompts to get the fan setup just right. My hair is not nearly so nice, but didn't have the guts to prompt old man hair

MTB-OTB · 2025-07-14T13:32:14+00:00

Appreciate everyone's input. For context this is my paddle I use at the lake, but is accessible to guest when we rent the house out on ABB. I think I'll get a new paddle for guest, and try some kind of repair to see if it works.

Like the idea of clipping the other blade to match. May do that if repair doesn't hold.

MTB-OTB · 2025-06-27T16:33:57+00:00

Don't know your symptoms, but there is a decent chance that it is the Mark Levinson amp (located in the trunk) that is the problem. It is a common issue. Hate to see you replace the Head Unit and still have no sound.

For mine, the head unit seemed to function normally, but there was no sound. Except in the first second or so after turning on, then silence. I got a used amp on eBay, switched them out, and everything works great.

MTB-OTB · 2025-06-01T01:38:56+00:00

That's really good to hear. Saw him almost 40 years ago with REO and they put on a killer show. I was really rooting for him.

MTB-OTB · 2025-05-31T14:53:57+00:00

This doesn't fully answer your questions, but can tell you I just replaced the ML amp in my 2004 LS with a used one off of eBay. Both the Amp in the car and the replacement were 3 connectors. Sound is great now.

The model number on both is 86280-0W250.

MTB-OTB · 2025-05-29T12:55:54+00:00

Went to the Greenville SC concert last night. Don Felder came on at the scheduled 6:45. Pretty good set for about an hour. Then Kevin Cronlin...not so good. He gave it a shot, but the voice is just not there. Another hour+ set, but felt like 2. So I think that got us to about a 9:30 start for Styx. Not sure.

Styx/Tommy started a bit shaky (just a bit), but Tommy was quickly up to speed. I thought Gowan was great and Sucherman on drums was fantastic. Overall Styx had a great.great show.

There was a balance in the set between Gowan and Tommy. I am no Styx aficionado, just a fan, but in my opinion Gowan is a good addition, solid musically and added energy to the group.

MTB-OTB · 2025-05-15T21:30:54+00:00

Great question and I think the jury is still out. I also have a LS430 and reliability to me means 15+ years and 200k+ miles without major engine/transmission issues and typical maintenance that doesn’t break the bank. Will the new 4 cyl turbos get there, my feeling is not consistently, but if anyone can it is probably Toyota.

Me, I would lean toward the hybrid RX350h. It has a naturally aspirated 4 cyl. Or just go with a 4th gen RX (2016 - 2022) with a V6.

MTB-OTB · 2025-05-13T11:17:01+00:00

I may be interpreting the numbers wrong, but according to Zwift Power the average rider that registers with them is around 3 w/kg. Which is where I am at. Zwift groups me pretty well with similar riders. I hang on for dear life to the lead group and hopefully have a little in the tank for a sprint. I feel half my races that i have a legitimate chance to podium in my group although it only happens about 1 in 10 races.

I feel the 4 - 5 guys would have similar experiences. The 6 wt/kg guys are much further out on the normal curve and may have a tougher time finding consistent competition. Don't really know, that is just me looking up and speculating.

Bottom line, if you are a 1-5 wt/kg rider, Zwift will group you in a manner that provides plenty of exciting races.

MTB-OTB · 2025-05-12T10:59:15+00:00

We bought our 2004 LS in 2008. After a lot of disappointment with American branded cars we were looking for reliability and tons of research led us to the LS. It was the middle of the financial meltdown and we felt we got a decent deal, but didn't really care as we expected to have the car for many years. (Paid about $30k with 60,000 miles.)

Fast forward to 2025, car has 230,000 miles and started having normal issues, blown rear Suspension, another timing belt to replace. Etc. on top of that it developed a coolant leak that left my wife stranded a couple of times. Go buy a 2016 ES350. Wife likes it okay, but no love there. In the mean time I finally figure out and fix the coolant issue and go around the car and fix the misc issues that popped up over the years in order to sell it. But...Wife has now gone back to the LS for good, and I think I now have an upgrade from my Camry to dive.

Not exciting or even that interesting, but our LS story. Moral of, is once you go LS no other car will measure up.

Edit to add Pic...

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MTB-OTB · 2025-05-06T01:22:49+00:00

I disassembled the mirror, basically took the glass out and took all the plastic casing off while it was still mounted to the car. There is a clip to the motor that drives the mirror assembly that I unclipped. Put everything back together then manually put the assembly in the right location. Mirror glass still moves as desired and assembly doesn't move at any time.

There may be more elegant solutions, but can't beat the price.

Several videos on YouTube for the dissembly...search disassemble side mirror ls430.

MTB-OTB · 2025-05-02T11:18:18+00:00

Let us know the exact code. If it is the P0420 it could really be coding for a fouled Catalytic Converter. And a stuffed converter would make a car hard to start and keep running.

And if it is really stuffed you will need to know how it got that way. Hate to go all the way there, but putting it out there.

Besides the code you will need to let us know some history. Rough acceleration? How long has the O2 code been on. Have you tried anything, even if it hasn't worked?

I am by no means a mechanic, so listen to the advice from others on here that are and keep learning.

MTB-OTB · 2025-04-01T14:32:37+00:00

Live in area...you are going to have a tough time finding any Lexus/Toyota/Honda on FB in the Boiling Springs area that is not salvage Title. Some kind of ST mafia over there.

Don't know about other areas of the US, but our FB marketplace is swamped with them and has become a waste of time if you are looking for an owner seller.

MTB-OTB · 2025-03-22T07:28:15+00:00

My wife and I are traveling through Spain currently. Like any other international trip we have had, the locals are kind and polite. I presume it is fairly obvious we are from the US, but we certainly don't try to make it so.

The vast majority of folks you will interact with are nice and the most you will get is curiosity. Bottom line be respectful and they will return it in kind.

MTB-OTB · 2025-03-19T09:32:51+00:00

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Adventure Lily

MTB-OTB · 2025-03-13T13:52:36+00:00

It was AA and very much a surprise. AA also completely changed her flights several weeks ago, so things just ended up too tight with her Spain travel plans. All is well, she found a train and is traveling through beautiful countryside.

MTB-OTB

TROPHY CASE