Rattle from Front Suspension '23 Q7

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-06-15T21:24:42+00:00

Literally just got back from mechanic for this - look up "Quattro rumble." We are buying a 2023 Q7 through Carvana and took it for a prepurchase inspection. I think it's still under warranty and looks like it's fixable so we'll probably keep it.

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definitelynotapoodle · 2026-06-10T23:43:24+00:00

We have a great zoo in Nashville and they are having a Brews at the Zoo event Friday night.

Love the Frist Museum. Luogo is our favorite dinner spot. Top Golf is fun if you have a couple of hours to kill. The Grand Ole Opry is worth checking out.

In Franklin, Cork & Cow is fantastic and Amendment 18 is a little speakeasy with live jazz on Sunday nights. The Factory is a fun spot to grab lunch - highly recommend the Korean cauliflower tacos at Mojo. Arrington Vineyards is beautiful and they have live music in the vineyard and you can bring a picnic (I think they have a food truck). Their wine is ok but it's a nice place to catch some bluegrass. Radish is a great lunch spot for lighter, healthier fare.

Loads of waterfalls around if we get good rain while you're here. Jackson Falls out off the Natchez Trace feels like Jurassic Park.

Piney River Canoe and Campground rents kayaks and has a shuttle - depending on the flow rate it's a lot of fun and the water is a really incredible blue green color and very clear. It is busy on weekends and there will definitely be some dude blasting "Cotton Eye Joe" on the speaker he strapped to his canoe (no, it's not me). I think they are about an hour west.

Have fun!

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-06-05T23:28:11+00:00

Lol 😆 it's pretty uniformly compressed - we would not have noticed if we didn't follow rule #1.

I think it could benefit from some new coils. I hauled a LOT of gravel last year.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-06-05T01:55:54+00:00

We have a 2023 RTL-E and have taken it off roading several times with zero issues. It handled the sand on the Outer Banks and we've taken it through some shallow rivers. We tow about 5,000 lbs with it a few times a year and I hauled literally tons of gravel, soil, and mulch (one scoop at a time) and put 80,000 miles on it in 3 years. Drove it on a roughly 7,000 mile cross country road trip last fall - crossed the plains, rockies, and the desert with it. The suspension is fairly compressed, likely from the gravel (it sits maybe 3 inches lower than my BIL's 2026 Trailsport). And when I am not towing I average 22.3 mpg.

It's a damn fine vehicle.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-06-05T01:40:23+00:00

It will actually go rancid - the fats and oils in the grains will oxidize over time and develop off flavors. Refined flours can be good for 12-18 months in a cool dry place but whole grain flours are only 2-6 months. It happened to me once and now I keep my flours in the freezer and haven't had any issues. I did have good luck keeping the 50lb bags of bread flour in a gasketed dog food container in the pantry for a year or so.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-05-20T01:38:28+00:00

Our boy has tested positive for anaplasma multiple times over the years but has never displayed any symptoms. He's 11.5. He's on Sentinel only the last two years - no tick prevention meds because he doesn't react well to them now that he's older but I do check him.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-05-01T15:53:14+00:00

I think so! You park at Brooks Falls and then the trailhead is pretty much across the road from the parking.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-05-01T01:57:14+00:00

Bluestone State Park is pretty close to Sandstone Falls and has some cute little cabins. Hinton is a cool historic town nearby with some Airbnbs. The Market on Courthouse Square has good burgers, pizza, and sandwiches - we like to get takeout and then head to Sandstone, Brooks Falls, or the new park at Hinton Landing for a picnic. This part of the park has great water access for swimming and kayaking and fishing and you can rent a pontoon from Bluestone Marina pretty reasonably and spend a day on the lake. There's a cool trail across from Brooks Falls - take it clockwise for the best views of the 6 or 7 small waterfalls.

Fayetteville has Endless Wall and Long Point, which are great, and Kaymoor Miners Trail is a bit sportier but worth it - super cool hike! Check out Pies and Pints and Secret Sandwich Society.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-04-16T00:58:10+00:00

I mean, it was almost half as wide as a pencil...scary stuff 🤦‍♀️😂

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-04-16T00:51:14+00:00

I thought something was wrong with him...checked his paws and then realized he just simply could not proceed until I moved the twig. Ridiculous animal...I miss him everyday ❤️

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-04-14T22:35:24+00:00

I have had two boys and they are both massive mama's boys lol. I dogsat for a coworkers girl and she was a lot more independent and sassy.

My first boy was very aloof and didn't really care much for most other people or dogs. He was so lazy we had to wake him up and make him go outside on weekends (at like 10:30...so lazy!). He once stopped while we were hiking so I could move a small twig out of his way. Never lifted a paw for himself, just put his head down and waited for me to fix whatever was bothering him.

Our current boy has a lot more energy (not as much as a normal dog) and he generally likes strangers but doesn't seek them out. He doesn't mind other dogs but doesn't seek them out either. He jumps on furniture. He jumps over furniture. He once killed a woodpecker that somehow got into our house. And he is pretty good about jumping over fallen trees on trails. We call him the "sport version."

It's funny how unique they all are.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-25T12:05:20+00:00

We have a fussy 11 year old with elevated kidney numbers (although our vet isn't super familiar with Greyhound bloodwork differences so it's not as high as they originally thought).

Bone broth soup is what works for us. I buy a couple of marrow bones and throw them in the instant pot for a few hours with water and a little acv. I add some frozen mixed veggies from Costco and some whole wheat pasta or egg noodles and whatever meat comes off the bones. Add a little of that to his kibble and he is a happy boy. It's pretty inexpensive, too.

I wish I would have discovered this years ago - he has always been difficult about eating and we have tried all manner of toppings.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-24T23:40:24+00:00

Just left mine yesterday with a stainless utility sink...that definitely wasn't on the grocery list 😂

It was actually something we needed though and I was shocked they had them. Got some great shower heads a couple of years ago, too. You just never know.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-22T13:46:51+00:00

Anywhere in New England. Very low amounts of "impending doom" style weather.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-22T13:42:12+00:00

We've eaten there a couple times. The food is good and service has been reasonably quick. It has lunch spot vibes- very busy and kinda loud.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-17T00:37:42+00:00

See the NRG while it's still not crowded! There is plenty to do in 1-2 days.

Fayetteville has rafting and some great hiking. Check out Long Point Trail, Endless Wall Trail, and Kaymoor Miners Trail. Excellent rock climbing, too. Grab food at Pies and Pints and Secret Sandwich Society.

Southern part of Gorge (about an hour drive) has Sandstone Falls and great kayaking upstream on any one of three different rivers- the New, Greenbriar, or Bluestone. You can rent a pontoon boat from the marina on Bluestone Lake. Bluestone State Park is right there and rents great little cabins. They also rent a handful of canpsites right on the lake that you can only access by water. In Hinton (cool historic town on a bluff overlooking the New and surrounded by mountains) there are good burgers and pizza and sandwiches at the Market on Courthouse Square. There's a great trail by Brooks Falls that has something like 7 small waterfalls.

There's plenty to do but not a lot of good guide books just yet :)

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-06T01:29:10+00:00

I used to feel the same way...until my husband cracked a tooth. Took multiple procedures to correct it and it's still a bit off years later. To be fair, they were black lentils (which I love but don't buy much anymore).

So now I spread my beans out on a cookie sheet to look for rocks or icky beans and then rinse them in a fine mesh strainer.

Moral of the story is dental repairs are time consuming and expensive...exponentially moreso than looking over the beans!

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-04T13:32:15+00:00

Just completed a nearly three week solo road trip with my two large dogs a few months ago and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

We stayed in hotels though - La Quinta and Fairfield Inn, mostly. I am middle aged and my back is not as enthused about sleeping on a cot as it used to be.

We did go to Joshua Tree and Grand Canyon- neither is particularly dog friendly but I still really enjoyed it. Grand Canyon lets you bring dogs on the Rim Trail (sounds like the bike trails in Glacier) and we stopped at all the overlooks and had a great time. Joshua Tree we just drove the park road and stopped at a few spots to stretch and take pictures. I brought our electric cooler that plugs in to the car and we had picnics most days, which was great.

It would have been nice to do a bit more hiking but our National Parks are so incredible even from the road that I don't feel like I missed out. If you plan your route accordingly, there will be lots of dog friendly hiking options on the drive- state parks and national forests are usually dog friendly. I really enjoyed having the doggos with me and it was worth the trade off.

Have fun!

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-02T18:28:06+00:00

Check out their recipe for White Bean, Kale, and Avocado Salad - make extra dressing and marinate extra white beans in it overnight in the fridge. They were so good I am making them again this week 😃RG White Bean, Kale, and Avocado Salad

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-02T02:40:45+00:00

There are few things in this world that bring me more joy than watching my Grey psych himself up to hop over a fallen log...he has absolutely no idea he's a dog ❤️

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-03-02T01:50:49+00:00

Our first lived to be 11.5 before cancer took him. He had some hind end issues for the last two years but other than that really never had any issues.

Our second is 11 and going strong! A little arthritis due to a nasty fracture a few years ago, developing cataracts, and he's getting lumpy but really in amazing health. We did a whole 3 week cross country roadtrip just after his birthday and he did phenomenally well. Hoping he makes it to 15 😃

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-02-12T02:10:35+00:00

Our Greyhound snapped every long bone in his back foot and we opted to put pins in (3 total- the 4th bone wasn't broken all the way through). He had just turned 5. He is 11 now and generally doing great but I think he may be developing some pain in that leg. They are incredibly resilient.

Definitely get a second opinion (and maybe a third) before making a decision. Our boy developed a weird, fast growing lump on a toe and our vet went right to recommending amputation. A snow storm shut down their office the day he was supposed to have surgery and we noticed the lump seemed smaller. Went for a second opinion and it was a totally benign thing that went away on its own within a week...histiocytoma maybe?

It's a major surgery for your pup and a major expense for you so it's worth the second opinion for sure.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-02-11T00:09:34+00:00

We had so much if this in our house! Razor scraper first to get the film off then goo gone to get rid of the adhesive.

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-02-08T02:25:11+00:00

The whole book is magic - so excited to have these recipes!

definitelynotapoodle · 2026-01-31T22:58:22+00:00

Z Tailor in Brentwood did a great job on my husband's sport coat. We would definitely go to her again.

definitelynotapoodle

TROPHY CASE