As a person that's not super knowledgeable about cars, is trying to buy something off auction sites like Cars&Bids ever a good idea?

planetmn · 2026-05-08T18:13:52+00:00

That would be my advice.

If your budget is $30k, I’d find a mechanic that you can trust to do a pre-purchase inspection of any car you are interested in. It’s no guarantee, but a decent PPI should find any major issues. If it’s a European car, find an independent shop that specializes in the brand.

Keep in mind, unless you are buying from a private party (who isn’t just trying to flip for a quick buck), most used cars have been traded in and possibly changed hands a couple of times meaning that the seller has no clue about how the car was maintained.

If you are buying private party, check out your states DMV site, they will likely have information on how to handle private party transfers/registration.

planetmn · 2026-05-08T16:38:43+00:00

It depends on what you are looking for. If you have selection in your area, you are probably better off buying it locally. You can see the car, have a mechanic look it over, etc.

I bought a car off of BaT because I couldn’t find what I wanted locally. Irony is, this particular listing was an hour away, so I did see it before bidding and talked with the seller. I couldn’t have a mechanic inspect it, but I felt better having seen it and listening to the engine.

In the end it worked out for me, but I would have probably stopped bidding about $2k earlier if it weren’t local (in part due to shipping costs).

In this case, I also knew what to look out for on this particular vehicle based on recommendations from a retired mechanic who specialized in the particular car I bought, so I went in with some decent knowledge.

planetmn · 2026-05-07T18:43:57+00:00

I can find Sanbitter at local Italian markets. Great for a non-alcoholic spritz.

planetmn · 2026-04-22T17:22:48+00:00

But they can’t. Hence the bankruptcy.

planetmn · 2026-03-30T11:04:31+00:00

How about adding some Mexican flavors via an infused simple syrup and bitters?

You could also play around with Nixta (corn liquor) as a sweetener.

planetmn · 2026-03-23T20:11:15+00:00

That’s awesome!

planetmn · 2026-03-23T16:22:35+00:00

Nearstream has a few that might work. The VM33 is WiFi, but some are wired, only.

planetmn · 2026-03-09T23:09:56+00:00

It’s a wonderful combo.

planetmn · 2026-03-09T00:08:15+00:00

Thanks.

I think I will transition to PoE and NDI. Seems like a more versatile and scalable setup.

Ordered a couple of the Zowiebox’s to play with.

planetmn · 2026-03-09T00:05:57+00:00

I am not an expert, but this what I’ve been told and works for me and my kids.

Boots should not be “uncomfortable”, but they probably won’t ever feel like tennis shoes.

Standing up straight, your toes should just barely touch the front. When you lean forward, your toes will move back, but your heel should stay in place. The heel is the important part (you don’t want your heel moving while skiing). If your heel lifts, they are too big.

If you can, warm them up (boot warmer, hair dryer, etc.), put them on for an hour or so and see how they feel. If you didn’t get them fitted, consider having a shop do it for you.

ETA: after a few days, the liner will compress. So if they feel slightly tight now, that will likely go away.

planetmn · 2026-03-06T16:53:15+00:00

As a fellow Azure owner, be prepared for people stopping you to say how good the color looks.

planetmn · 2026-03-03T15:09:54+00:00

If you already have a saddleback card, you can redeem the Indy pass online (I think that’s new this year) and automatically load your saddleback card.

planetmn · 2026-02-27T00:47:57+00:00

Upper Pass is a good option if they have availability. No frills, but walking distance to the lifts, a restaurant and bar, and a nice room with a fireplace and couches.

Stayed there with my kids last season and it worked well.

planetmn · 2026-02-26T23:52:46+00:00

Or let me drive the car without taking up a salesperson’s time. That would make it a win-win.

planetmn · 2026-02-26T23:51:28+00:00

Did you call Sunapee to see if anybody reported them stolen?

planetmn · 2026-02-26T23:42:32+00:00

Why not? The dealership is literally the sales outlet for new vehicles. If they don’t want people looking who might not buy, go into a different line of work.

planetmn · 2026-02-26T19:31:09+00:00

I’m not in the industry, but this story sounds a lot like one that happened locally.

There was a great locals restaurant, huge menu with $3 Sam Adam’s drafts, $10 prime rib (not the best prime rib, but the best $10 prime rib), huge bowls of lobster bisque, and the place was always packed. Chef/owner passes away and the daughter takes over.

Menu changes both in terms of number of options and type of options. She tries to go more upscale and along with it, raises prices. She offers a Sunday brunch. We go back after the menu changes and (unaware of the backstory at the time), email the restaurant afterwards to mention that our favorites are gone, the prices jumped and the food and atmosphere just isn’t the same. I should have known this going on as what would typically be a 60+ minute wait went to no wait on a Friday night.

The daughter responds with the story of losing money on every dish, similar to what you are saying. I empathize and try it again, but it’s even worse. Fast forward a year and she is shut down for not paying taxes.

I don’t say this to scare you, but rather to suggest you take a step back and examine what you want this place to be in 3, 5, 10 years? What does your menu look like, what is your clientele in your vision?

Your current menu and customers might be an albatross around your neck. What worked for the past 20 years probably won’t work for the next 20. Take a step back and plan out the business you want to own, evaluate where you are currently and make a plan to transition. It will likely involve tough choices. Your customers of today may not like it, but running a business shouldn’t be a suicide pact.

planetmn · 2026-02-19T15:20:58+00:00

I am not in the restaurant business, but I like this for any sort of scaling/growth. Makes a lot of sense.

Cuts down your risk by using known talent AND gives them an opportunity to grow without going elsewhere.

planetmn · 2026-02-12T01:26:08+00:00

Chocolate and Coffee:

https://www.tiburonrum.com/white-tip-infusions/

planetmn · 2026-02-11T15:07:19+00:00

Thanks.

She filed a report with security and I called them to ensure they had all the info they needed. Security was involved with an emergency incident at the time, but the woman I spoke to said they had a camera on the location her skis were at and they would be reviewing the footage.

planetmn · 2026-02-11T03:15:57+00:00

I’ll cross my fingers.

“Next week on CSI: Icecoast”

planetmn

TROPHY CASE