Patrick Beeson

Fast is fun!

Yes, my new VW GTI finally arrived last Wednesday and I've been trying to make excuses to drive it ever since. It's an absolute blast to drive. I've also decided to name it Mortici after the falcon in The Royal Tenenbaums.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to let loose all 200 horsepower quite yet. But once the break in period is over -- I'm counting the miles, believe me -- I expect things to get even more fun. So far, mile 225 just ticked off the odo.

I love all of the little touches those cleve German engineers put into this car. For instance, the little ice warning that pops up on the information screen when the temperature drops below 40 degrees.

But what I love most about the car is how it drives. It's not a lightweight by any means, but after taking it over the hills around south Roanoke as well as bits of the Blue Ridge Parkway, I can definitely commend its flickability. Again, I'll get more feedback after the break in concludes, probably this weekend.

The electro-mechanical steering is also quite nice. It feels heavy compared to say, Lindsay's Scion xB, but when you're darting around curves you begin to appreciate the feedback it brings into the equation. And that leather-wrapped steering wheel feels so nice in my hands [insert Homer Simpson sound of pleasure here].

I've posted a few photos on Flickr, so take a look those that are interested.

In other news, the Mud, Sweat and Gears cyclocross series in uppereast Tennessee has finished up. I placed fourth in the last race, which I'm blaming on my skipping the fifth race for a wedding in Alabama. I could also include the two generous Thanksgiving meals in there as well, nah.

I really enjoyed this (new to me) style of racing, and will definitely be back to race this series next year. A big thanks to all of those kind souls that helped make these races happen!

Lastly, I am officially over living in an apartment. I hate noisy neighbors singing rap lyrics at the top of their lungs. I hate landlords who make you sign a huge, complicated lease and then space on fixing little things around the unit. And I really hate the parking situation out front, or perhaps the lack thereof.

Unless something crazy happens between now and May 31st, this will be the last apartment I live in. That means it will soon be house-hunting time (but perhaps not in Roanoke).