"promoted by the color red" (whenindoubtflatout)
03/23/2014 at 05:03 • Filed to: None
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"promoted by the color red" (whenindoubtflatout)
03/23/2014 at 05:03 • Filed to: None | 5
| 5 |
So I finished the last final of my undergraduate career this afternoon for that engineering ethics class. All I learned in 10 weeks is that I basically have to quit my job - to avoid conflicts of interest - if I ever see my friends in the workplace.
Went out for a drive afterwards. Started with a 1/2 tank of gas. Should have fueled up, but didn't. Hondas are economical vehicles and mine just happened to burn up 1/2 tank faster than usual and turn on the oil light, so no big deal, right? I pressed on after giving it a bit of extra oil and the car seemed happy.
The funny thing about California Road 128 is that it abruptly goes from farmland to residential to farmland again - you'll think it's some kind of bait and switch - before melting into some of the best two lane roads in the area. I'm heel-toe downshifting and revving that Honda inline-four the way Soichiro would have wanted it. Only one brief OH SHIT moment when a Chevy pickup squeezes over onto the yellow lines to pass a cyclist.
Did a long stretch of the 128 before the 121 juncture pops up, taking you to Napa. Hum. I already skipped the Lake Berryessa detour because I was low on fuel (5/8th tank gone). So I decided to head on over to the closest town (supposedly 7 miles away). More twisties and I end up getting chased halfway through by a local firetruck with in full GTFO mode. It blows past me after I swing into a turnoff and I rendezvous a few miles later with the 911 party: one of a pair of Harleys had some kind of spill (it looked ugly) - I didn't linger and drove off carefully (well, enough that the cops couldn't catch me).
The "town" appears and it's not a town - no it's a Census Designated Place - which is another way of saying "some people live here but not enough to have a town - nothing good to see here." Just vineyards, vineyards all round. Tell that to my fuel tank. A Gallardo Superlegerra swings a left at the T-intersection and I follow. I'm blasting down the Silverado Creek at 55-60 trying not to hold up traffic as more vineyards fly by. Seriously, it's like the only thing they do up in Napa is make wine, wine, and more wine. It's almost like I'm in California's wine country or something...
Made it to Napa and bring the tanks back up to normal. Whaddya' mean it's $4.15/gallon? At this time I get a text from The Apartment saying that one of our friends came back and there were dinner plans. I just had to make it back by 8 pm. It was 6:30 and Google Maps was telling me I-80 would bring me back in 57 minutes in "light traffic", in the sense that Noah's Ark had to suffer through some "light rain".
No, forget that dick punch that was I-80. The Road Less Traveled beckoned and I took it in third and fourth gear. Like any "good driving enthusiast" I spent most of my time listening to the car and the environment around me and less to the the tachometer and the posted speed limits (I took a 25 mph corner at 30). I probably shouldn't say this but I was bookin' it where I legally could and touching speed limits in areas that it was probably prudent not to, but who am I to argue? The engineers said this is a 30 mph right-hander so I'll take it at 30. The car does not argue, it swoops and swings round the bends, and sings to four grand.
Christ, CA road 121 is beautiful when the sun sets; it's like I'm driving in a car brochure with the caption " ACURA INTEGRA GS-R SPORT SEDAN shown in Frost White ". floating under the car. I think of all the road trips in the back of the 190E, the Camry, and the Sienna as a child where the roads got interesting and I thought "Man, this would be fun if I had a cooler car" and I think " I'm doing it." I finally have that exiting car with the sunroof open and tossing it around the corners and it is everything I have dreamed it would be.
Then the cyclists came. For the most part, they were courteous people who shared the road - full disclosure: I ride a bike 5/7 days of the week - and I tried to return the favor by keeping a respectful distance and watching out for them. The Nissan Sentra in front of me decided that it would be doubly courteous by slowing to 20 mph. Eventually that driver realizes that the cyclist wouldn't be THAT offended if we passed, so we both do so in rapid succession. Everybody's happy!
I hit Winters at around 10 past 7. No cops so I travel a hair brisker than is perhaps prudent in these parts. Farmland melts back into urban and back into farmland as 128 feeds back into The Little College Town at the other end. Ah, what the hell. I do a VTEC pull and it sounds magnificent. I swing back into the parking lot of my apartment at around 7:39, right on schedule.
Yeah, let's eat. The Integra wants more miles and I'm down.
Today I drove too many miles and consumed way too many gallons gasoline. And I wouldn't change a thing.
deadlypixels
> promoted by the color red
03/23/2014 at 05:21 |
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Awesome. A good read too. What being an enthusiast is all about.
Squid
> promoted by the color red
03/23/2014 at 05:28 |
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I have yet to drive the 128, I did the 29 back in november in search of a more fun way to get back home from my cousins house and there really was only one bit of fun to be had on it. Hopefully this summer I'll get the opportunity to take a drive out to the coastal redwoods and check out that part of the state. CA route 32 is the closest fun road I have near me and it takes a good half hour to get to the fun part from my house.
Congrats on finishing your undergrad!
John Norris (AngryDrifter)
> promoted by the color red
03/23/2014 at 08:23 |
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Congratulations on the engineering degree. I expect there are a lot of rewards to follow.
thebigbossyboss
> promoted by the color red
03/23/2014 at 09:10 |
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Jealous. Yesterday the driving here sucked. Stupid snow storms haha!
I remember when I finished my under grad. Walking out of the last exam, into the sunshine was the greatest feeling....in the world!
whoarder is tellurium
> promoted by the color red
03/23/2014 at 10:07 |
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Wow, much VTEC. Such DB8. Very B18C1.
No but really, thats awesome. An Integra sedan with the optional 8000 rpms of goodness.
I'm amazed it appears completely stock.