We are in the middle of a snow storm; the kind that hits the South pretty hard about once a decade. While Mommy is able to work from home this week, I have no choice but to take vacation days.
In the attempt to drive to work, my car got stuck in the ice and snow. As soon as I pulled out of the driveway, I was unable to drive forward. I had no choice but to let me car back down further into our cul-de-sac.
There’s just no way around it: We’re snowed in.
I admit, this event has inspired Mommy and me to seriously consider making one of our next vehicles (whenever that time comes, down the road) a Toyota Tacoma with 4 wheel drive.
Not only have I always romanticized about them, the Toyota Tacoma is my favorite vehicle I have ever reviewed, which I di back nearly a year ago:
While the main roads have been driveable, it’s been literally impossible to escape our neighborhood, which you have to drive through two others just to get to.
I suppose your current favorite Netflix show, The Octonauts, has taught you a lot about animals. So it’s no surprise that you decided to build a bird’s nest, using “snow eggs.”
While it definitely feels strange to not be working right now (and obviously your school is closed), it is nice to be able to appreciate this sort of forced week off with you and Mommy.
Right before the storm hit, we found the perfect small couch/love seat for our bonus room upstairs. We were able to buy the floor model, which gave us nearly a 50% discount.
The only problem was getting it home. I drove my Honda Element separately, and with the front seats up as far as they would go, I was able to awkwardly squeeze in for the most uncomfortable 30 minute drive of my life.
It’s fun to see each room of our house coming together.
Hopefully the rain and above-freezing temperatures this weekend will allow us to live our normal lives again next week.
As for now, you sure are enjoying this winter wonderland!
A few weeks ago in preparation for my son’s upcoming 4th birthday, I requested to review “something special” for him. Therefore, a 2014 Scion FR-S was delivered to my home for me to review the week of his birthday.
I explained to my son, “This is Lightning McQueen.”
It really does look like the character from Disney’s Cars, doesn’t it?
Obviously, this is a very sporty, sharp looking car. There is no denying that.
And to make sure I got the full experience on this sports car, I asked for the manual transmission.
Let’s talk about that…
I’ve driven a stick shift since I was 15 and the Reverse gear has always been the bottom right section.
Not with the Scion FR-S, which is also known as the Subaru BRZ and/or the Toyota 86, depending on which part of the world you are in; more on that in a minute…
It actually required some research to figure out how to use this apparently European style of a gear shifter. I noticed there was a lack of information on the Internet and even YouTube on how to shift the gears.
The main problem I was having was simply getting the car into Reverse.
Here’s the trick, as demonstrated in the video I made for you:
You have to pull up on the “ring” of the shifter before it will allow you to move the shifter left into the Reverse gear.
Once you move the shifter into 1st Gear from there, you will probably feel a slight vibration, sort of like a “triple click” so that you know you’re in 1st gear, not 3rd.
That’s something else that may take some getting used to: the gears are not so much in the tradition squared “U” formation. They are more of a “V”; very tight.
Again, this all takes some getting used to. It might literally require driving around the block a time or two, literally.
I suppose that’s sort of the qualifier for the manual transmission version of the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86:
You have to be pretty confident in your abilities to drive a stick shift to enjoy it. I feel this car is designed for that corner of the market that is still passionate about driving a stick. After all, if you’re like me, you probably see the ability of driving a stick shift as a lost art.
This car is not for most people, which is probably why you don’t see an abundance of them at Toyota/Scion dealerships. Chances are, if you’ve made it this far in to my review, you’re part of that demographic that the Scion FR-S is intended for.
I am 5’9” and 143 pounds. Sitting back in the seat, the top of my head was against the back windshield. Sitting straight up, my head cleared the ceiling by a half an inch.
As long as my knees weren’t together, leg room wasn’t an issue. I sort of have to straddle the front passenger seat; which was not pushed fully back; only about half the way.
And here’s a video I made on on that too:
A child will easily fit back there, given that your wife is okay with it…
Adults my size or smaller shouldn’t have too much of an issue for shorter trips. Granted, I don’t think anyone is expecting a “road trip worthy” back seat from the Scion FR-S.
After all, it’s a 2 door sports car. However, it does indeed have 4 seats and 4 seatbelts should the occasion arise.
Lastly, I want to point out the obscure fact that the motor for the Scion FR-S is made by both Toyota and Subaru!
If you’re familiar at all with Scion, you know they are the sportier, younger sister of Toyota.
So I wasn’t surprised to see a Toyota engine in it, but I definitely was surprised to see the Subaru name. Check out my video on that now:
Apparently, overseas, Toyota and Subaru team up for special projects; unlike here in America, where it appears those two companies are competitors.
Notice the “86” emblem on the sides of the car. I suppose that’s a sort of “Easter Egg” that points to the fact that outside of America, this vehicle would be a Toyota 86, or a Subaru BRZ.
As you can see from the dashboard display, I was averaging over 28 miles a gallon in this $25,000 sports car.
I get a free tank of gas with each car I review, and sadly, I didn’t even get through the first quarter tank. I could have easily spent another week driving this one!
At least my brother-in-law and I got a chance to take it out for a spin down Broadway in Nashville late Saturday night.
I’m all for answering any questions you have about the Scion FR-S. I really do feel there’s a lack of information on the Internet about this car, so I’m hoping to change that.
While my fellow journalists, writers, and bloggers alongside me enjoyed the finest steaks (and I’m genuinely happy for them, by the way!) I meanwhile enjoyed whatever the creative chef of the hotel’s restaurants prepared for me.
(I am pictured below in between new friend Chris Brewer and Malcom Hogan on Automotive Addicts.)
I hope to be the coolest vegan you know; not pretentious or judgmental. I chose this lifestyle not because of animal’s rights, but because my eczema (dshyodrosis, to be exact), my 22 years of constant sinus pressure and reoccurring sinusitis, my acne, and my allergies to animals all went away permanently, within 48 hours of me adopting a plants only diet; consistently of only vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, seeds, and nuts, what I call “The Big 6.”
For dinner at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, I had a veggie pasta dish and even a vegan sorbet dessert.
For lunch the next day they prepared a vegan burger patty for me, alongside an array of veggies and fruit.
Of course it was wonderful.
I know this may sound contradictory, but I’m not a picky eater…
It’s okay to laugh to yourself quietly on that one.
But really, I just love anything that’s vegan. And when someone goes the extra mile, like the crew at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club did for me, it really means a lot.
I never want to draw extra attention to myself in how I eat, but at the same time, I am passionate to share my story of natural healing with others who are open-minded to learning what might work for them as well.
So, with that being said, if you’re planning on visiting Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, just tell the waiter or waitress your about vegan needs, and they will be able to discreetly take care of you.
Thanks for reading Family Friendly Daddy Blog today, and please, if you have any curious questions about this plant-based lifestyle, please leave a comment.
I’ll be quick to respond!
Also, I invite you to read my other Vegan Friendly Reviews:
Last week I had the privilege, as a car reviewing daddy blogger, to be flown from my home in Nashville down to Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Pompano Beach; about 20 miles from Jacksonville, Florida. I was invited to the Toyota “Family Reunion” where the updated Sienna, Camry, and Yaris were featured and available for several hours of drive time.
There were 48 of us journalists, writers, and bloggers attending the 2 day event along with me.
We were all given around 6 hours during the 2 days to drive all versions of the updated Sienna, Camry, and Yaris; as Toyota provided dozens of the vehicles for us to choose from.
I admit, I took full advantage of every minute of drive time in the beautiful palm tree filled landscape of Pompano Beach.
Toyota provided multiple drive routes for us to tackle with our driving partners, but I often found myself and driving partner so caught up in conversation about the car, and admiring the sunny location, they we would get off course, then just use the navigation system to help us get back to the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club where we were staying.
From there, we would pair up with new partners and cars.
I guess you could say I was “professionally joyriding.”
As for the 3 vehicles being featured at the Toyota “Family Reunion” Press Preview, I’ll start with the Sienna.
It was the first Toyota vehicle I ever reviewed, back in September 2013; in fact, it’s what got me started regularly reviewing cars for my daddy blog here.
With the updated 2014.5 model, I noticed a lower dashboard, easier to access controls, and of course their new Driver Easy Speak feature which enables the driver to use the cars speakers to communicate with whoever is in the back seat.
The acoustics are designed in such a way that if you are in the backseat, it’s almost like the driver’s voice is inside your head, like your conscience or something. That’s the best way I can describe it.
Moving on the Camry; I had never been in one my entire life until this trip! That’s ironic, considering that it has been the best selling car in America; 12 years in a row! Since it’s introduction in 1983, more than 10.2 million have been sold. And there are currently 6.6 million on the road today.
Something else I want to point out about the Camry is how American made it truly is. The production of the Camry employs 7,000 U.S. workers and the vehicle contains 75% North American content.
I view Toyota as more of an American car company than many official “American” based car companies. I realized that back in the summer when I reviewed the Highlander and saw the sticker on the door, showing that it was built in Texas.
My last vehicle to drive was the new redesigned Toyota Yaris; which has adopted more of a European look. As expected, I really enjoyed it; especially because I got to choose between a stick shift or an automatic.
You better believe I chose the stick shift. It’s a lost art these days to drive a stick and I am just the classic gentleman for the job.
In fact, I’m interested in driving more stick shifts when I review cars from now on, but I get it that there are less of them out there.
I hope to review the Yaris, as well as the Camry, in upcoming months. I really enjoyed driving them both in Pompano Beach, but unlike the Sienna, I haven’t already reviewed them back in Nashville with my family.
It will be interesting to me to see how those vehicles mesh with my family. I can see my son Jack really liking the 5 door Yaris.
He would say, “Daddy, this car has 5 doors? I didn’t know cars could have 5 doors!”
My job here today has been introduce you to the newly updated Toyota Sienna, Camry, and Yaris. I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse, as I know I definitely enjoyed getting to be a part of this Toyota “family reunion.”
Stay tuned for more Lexus/Toyota/Scion reviews right here on Family Friendly Daddy Blog! I am reviewing a 2015 Scion FR-S the week of November 11-18 for my son’s 4th birthday.
This past Sunday afternoon as a Nashville man, Nick Shell, 33, was rounding the turn at Old Hickory Boulevard and Nolensville Pike in his newly restored 1985 Toyota 4Runner, he slid into a giant mud-filled ditch.
“I had never seen mud that deep and thick before. It was all the way up to the windows. But then I looked up and saw a monster school bus and a big black monster truck with the phrase Crusader written across it. It was such perfect timing. How the monster trucks appeared immediately after my moment of need, I’ll never know,” Shell explained.
The giant monster trucks were able to nudge the 4Runner back up to the main road to safety. Perhaps miraculously, after all the mud was washed off, both the driver and Toyota 4Runner escaped the crash without even a scratch.
However, the monster trucks mysteriously drove away shortly after the 4Runner was saved from the mud pit. One anonymous eyewitness who happened to be driving behind the monster trucks stated that the two vehicles had directly left from seeing Disney’s Planes: Fire And Rescue.
Did the new Planes movie help inspire the monster trucks to be on the look-out for smaller vehicles they could rescue? It’s possible.
Some wonder if, in the likeness of the anonymous kindness of comic book super heroes, there will be more stories to come which tell of other monster trucks helping out drivers in need out there on the road.
It is also uncertain what exactly caused such a large area of deep mud so close to the main road. Large, asteroid-like clumps of rocky mud were also discovered near the site of the rescue.
We can only hope that where people are in despair, heroes continue to mysteriously appear to save them.
As for now, to the monster school bus and Crusader… whoever and wherever you are, your good works have not gone unnoticed.
Family Friendly Daddy Blog 