"pdish" (pdish)
08/06/2013 at 10:32 • Filed to: None
2
11|
"pdish" (pdish)
08/06/2013 at 10:32 • Filed to: None | 2
| 11 |
I was offered a transfer to our Calgary office and have been working on the details of it. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! The resounding response was that it will work and I need to at least give it a try.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
I haven’t posted recently because we are working our way through, well, moving to a different country. I did go and visit and saw some amazing things while there. My wife was expecting everyone to drive beat up old pickups or subarus. She was shocked, and so was I at the number of amazing cars there. I saw several classic Porsche’s, this beautiful old car and even a V10 R8 Spyder.
It was a beautiful weekend and wasn’t really shocked that nice cars were out, but the number of them spoke a lot to the wealth of the town.
The city is great and we decided to try and stay closer to downtown (my office) to minimize the impact the snow will have on us. The one thing that is shocking me the most from the trip was the availability of a second parking spot with a rental property. I was told the cheapest outdoor spot was $200 per month. Crazy. The easiest thing to do was get a rental close enough for me to walk to work. We have an AWD SUV that we recently bought and that will be the car we will use year round and park at the apartment.
Faced with an additional cost per month in an already expensive town and the thought of my car sitting during the winter without me driving it forces me to make the tough decision and sell my car. What will I miss the most? I love the car in town, it’s the easiest thing to drive like an idiot and not get noticed. It’s the perfect weekend car, enough room for what you need and light weight and nimble in corners. As long as the weather cooperates, top down is tough to beat. Once again , I love my Miata, but will its loss hurt more than not driving every day? I have been driving every day for the last 13 years and am not really sure yet if I will miss that in its self or the car the most.
MonkeePuzzle
> pdish
08/06/2013 at 10:40 |
|
oh you're in Canada, may oppo suggest importing a skyline? :P
I like Calgary, been there a few times on business, and I hear the rodeo each year is straight up insanity, fun insanity.
|
pdish
> MonkeePuzzle
08/06/2013 at 10:49 |
|
We were there the week after the "Stampede" and were told the same. It will be a really fun change, but it will still be an interesting adjustment in day to day routines. If I can find a skyline I will try and figure out its import into the US for the sake of oppo.
Victorious Secret
> pdish
08/06/2013 at 10:54 |
|
Parking downtown is a PITA.
I pay 108 at a school lot and just train from there because downtown parking itself starts at around 250 a month and thats just for an outdoor lot.
No thanks. My 108 is indoors, 190 gets me into underground and heated if I wanted.
Downtown is always a mess.
AddMustard
> pdish
08/06/2013 at 10:58 |
|
I am looking to move much, much closer to work myself. I currently have a 30 minute commute so my car gets plenty of mileage, but I am actually looking forward to living within walking distance of work. I intend to keep my car, but that's solely because parking is free where I will be moving to. Considering how little use it may actually get, I'm a little sad ... I started to say, no, I think you'll be alright, just give it a try - but as I wrote about my situation I realized, nope. It would suck. My GF can't drive stick so clearly if we had to reduce down to 1 car, mine would be the 1 to go. And that bothers me. But obviously, if it doesn't make sense financially, you'll learn to adapt... please, that's possible, right?
*looks out window at car*
Walfisch
> pdish
08/06/2013 at 11:00 |
|
If the car is paid for and you have the title, I suggest you take it with you. Here's why: it's easier to dispose of something if you see that the impracticality is there, versus disposing it then having remorse later on. Who knows, maybe by the time you're fully settled at your new place, you might discover a cheaper alternative to keep your Miata. Or maybe, financially, you might see an opportunity for cost cutting which enables you to keep your car in the city.
|
pdish
> AddMustard
08/06/2013 at 11:11 |
|
I think I can adapt. I do wish my wife had an S4 wagon instead of an SUV now. That would make the transition easier. I am hoping I can make do and reward myself with Skip Barber or the like. At $250/mo saved, I can do 3day racing school at Sebring. I think that would be worth no car, right?
desertdog5051
> pdish
08/06/2013 at 11:20 |
|
Go in Winter, then make your decision. I have friends in Calgary and Edmonton. They cannot stand the winters.
|
pdish
> desertdog5051
08/06/2013 at 12:09 |
|
Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. We are most nervous about the winter, thats why we are making the sacrifice to be closer to work and not have to shovel or drive anywhere if we don't need to. Its going to be an experience, thats for sure.
|
desertdog5051
> pdish
08/06/2013 at 12:19 |
|
Make the best of it. Good luck.
lonestranger
> desertdog5051
08/06/2013 at 12:39 |
|
I lived in Calgary through five winters, and I preferred it over the milder BC Interior winter. Here in Kamloops, clouds seem to stick around all winter long. So dreary. Calgary is a little colder, but the bright prairie sunshine makes up for it.
I guess it depends on what you're used to.
|
pdish
> lonestranger
08/06/2013 at 13:50 |
|
I grew up in Colorado before moving to Oklahoma. The best part of any winter to me is the sunshine. Glad to hear that exists in Calgary.