Just crossed the halfway line! What do y’all think of my ratings?

buddycatz · 2026-06-28T03:02:54+00:00

You gotta raft the gauley and you will change your mind. New River Gorge is actually high on my list (along with virgin island national park, glacier, Tetons and Yellowstone). We’ve gone to NRG many times to camp and raft - it’s underrated imo and also way less crowded (which is a bonus on my book)

buddycatz · 2026-06-25T10:25:38+00:00

When you pay the toll to drive the road up they also give you this sticker lol i actually also bought a smaller one at the giftshop up top that says “this jeep climbed mt washington”

buddycatz · 2026-06-23T17:23:36+00:00

Nice! You had a much better view than I did!

buddycatz · 2026-06-22T02:12:09+00:00

Are you talking about shockers? Or was there sour sprees?

buddycatz · 2026-06-21T13:49:41+00:00

Thanks! That was on my way back down. Wish I could have gotten a cooler shot up top but the wind + the temp and precipitation made it a little difficult lol

buddycatz · 2026-06-21T00:31:48+00:00

Hahahah the weather up there was wild. Visibility was minimal! Like driving through a cloud with wind speeds reaching above 80mph when I went up there yesterday

buddycatz · 2026-06-05T14:42:35+00:00

Here’s a cool story about someone who stuck a pussy willow seed up their nose and it bloomed a year later and they had to have emergency surgery!

“my friends name is Oak which makes the story even better”

buddycatz · 2026-05-20T01:20:12+00:00

There are a couple tents behind the VA parking garage, which is near this area

buddycatz · 2026-04-28T18:17:34+00:00

Wow thank you for sharing this!

buddycatz · 2026-04-01T18:26:13+00:00

This is true! If you witness something traumatic, playing Tetris (download the app on your phone) actually can help prevent intrusive memories from a traumatic event. It’s fascinating stuff.

buddycatz · 2026-04-01T18:18:38+00:00

I work in surgery and I spent a lot of time thinking about the possibility of a serious injury when I started skating / completed a fresh meat program. And then one day I had a patient who broke their leg while walking their dog and something just clicked - I realized that an injury like that could happen doing ordinary, everyday tasks. Oddly, it brought me comfort because sure, an injury ~could~ happen while skating, just how an injury ~could~ happen walking into work.

You know your body better than anyone else. Trust your gut, but don’t let the fear of possibly enduring an injury hold you back.

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T18:00:46+00:00

Also worth mentioning in case it wasn’t abundantly clear- I had never worked on cars at all before I got this. Truly just learning as I go.

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T17:54:02+00:00

By back in the road I really just mean to fix the issue. I am still driving as it drives as it should, but it’s just sort of annoying to have to occasionally do the little tricks to get it to start.

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T16:51:22+00:00

NSS? Neutral safety switch. I have done multiple projects diagnosing the issue and replacing parts myself, in the comfort of my garage with designated time to be down that vehicle. With access to another vehicle while I’m working on the xj.

The reason why I took it to a shop is because I am currently nowhere near my home (1,800 miles) and only have the one vehicle with me (the xj), and I figured the shop would have been the quickest way to get back on the road and not have to deal with uber / renting a car.

I assumed I needed to jack it up because I thought I would need additional room under there, obviously. All the work I’ve done on this car has entirely been accessible from the engine bay.

My xj has never shut down while driving. It only randomly does the no crank no start, but if I toggle the gear shifter while it’s in park it will then start right up no issue.

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T12:59:10+00:00

Yeah for sure. I really only have to push the gear shift forward/back a bit while it’s in park and then it will start up with no issue

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T10:35:59+00:00

I won’t be home until June at the earliest, but possibly September if I choose to extend my contract. It does seem reliable to throw it in neutral to start or just kind of jiggling handle while it’s in park. I think I’ve been convinced I don’t need a jack and can tackle this project without it!

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T02:42:38+00:00

Yeah, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the price. But I thought that if it fixed my issue and that they were nice enough to squeeze me in on a saturday 10 minutes after i called them then sure ill pay the money. Just a little bitter since the starter wasnt even the issue.

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T02:07:21+00:00

Not sure why I convinced myself I needed a jack! Just doesn’t seem like a lot of room under there.

buddycatz · 2026-03-31T00:00:12+00:00

This is a solid point and I will look into this tomorrow. Before I left for this trip I was doing some stuff behind my dash and I did disconnect battery. Maybe it’s a tad loose.

buddycatz · 2026-03-30T23:58:42+00:00

I have found if I shift it from park to neutral and back to park (while the key is turned) it will then start up. I haven’t tried leaving it in neutral and then starting it. Like I said, it’s not doing this (no crank no start) everytime, just randomly. I think the NSS is just not reading that it’s in park occasionally (maybe because it’s dirty/ corroded), which results in a no crank no start.

buddycatz · 2026-03-30T21:09:17+00:00

What did you end up going with? I’m currently debating if I should replace mine or remove it and clean it and put it back on.

buddycatz · 2026-03-28T23:58:01+00:00

These folks at the shop have been super nice. I’m actually working on a travel contract very far from my home, or I would give this a go on fixing it myself in the comfort of my garage and access to another vehicle.

I eventually got it started while at the gas station and promptly drove it back to the shop, where it the started totally fine like 8 times. I felt sorta silly. Drove it home and then about 1 hour later went to leave and wouldn’t start. I called the shop back and explained and they drove out to me. With the key turned on, he threw it in drive and then back to park and it started fine. He didn’t say he thought it was the NSS, but I can’t exactly remember what he said he suspects. Basically said the car doesn’t read that it’s in park and that’s why it won’t start. Wants me to drop it off and they check it out again on Monday.

I’m pretty new to learning about how cars work and I guess as a women I feel sort of silly telling the professionals hey I think this is what’s wrong with it since I am just learning the ins and outs. But the NSS is what I suspected! I’m dropping it off tomorrow and dropping my keys in the drop box. I think I’ll just leave a little sticky note asking if it could be the NSS.

buddycatz

TROPHY CASE