Oh boy...here I go again on my own...going down the only road...you know the rest.

Well, what can I say.

My name is Duane.

I'm about to buy my first Tacoma this week. (insert fireworks)

I have some questions I'll post elsewhere in the appropriate places. For now, about me:

I live in Seattle. My current "truck" is my wife's 2006 VW Jetta, which is part of the reason we're looking for an actual truck. Hauling soil over to the community garden just isn't the same in a Jetta.

Now, way back in 1992, I'd convinced my Dad to buy a Mazda B2200 fresh off the lot. The only change ever made to the truck was to install bucket seats instead fo the bench seat. Eventually that truck was given to me and to this day it remains the single best vehicle I've ever owned. My 2001 VW Golf TDI came close. Even after the power mods that TDI would crack 50 MPG while leaving black strips all over the road.

Now, just prior to the TDI I had a VERY bad habit. Jeeps.

And if I hear a cross word about Jeeps I'll go all on ya'll.

To say I was into Jeeping and offroading is putting it mildly. My Cherokee was lifted 4 1/2" and enjoyed 32's to go over 90% of the trails in Eastern Canada. Yup, there's another Canadian in da hoos! I followed that up with a Comanche lifted 6" on 33's. Both rigs were extremely capable offroad.

I attended many Jeep Jamborees and wound up as a certified trail guide for Jeep Jamborees of Canada. Given the local club was deeply involved, and I was deep into the club, it made sense - not to mention it was a heck of a lot fo fun!

Eventually, land use issues started to rear their ugly heads, so I started another group to help bolster the image of the jeep club in the community. No, we didn't do worse things to offset the Jeep club's activities.

Actually, membership in the group I started was restricted to Jeep club members. And not because of the brand. The Jeep club has a 3 run rule where you are judged on your behaviour by the rest of the group over three club runs/events. Prove you're a dick and your membership will be denied. That rule has worked for well over a decade for the club and still works for them today.

Anyway, this other group was called SWAT - the Severe Weather Assistance Team. If the weather threatened to close public roads, we swung into action. Our goal was to deliver doctors and nurses to local area hospitals regardless of the weather. We did dedicated winter driving training, practiced essential skills in cold weather and had "rules of engagement" around equipment required, a two-car rule whereby two Jeeps were dispatched to every call and when I finally turned the operation of this team over to the next gent, we'd logged over 1,000 deliveries over 3 winters.

The result from day one was very positive local and national TV coverage for the Jeep club, in addition to a public commendation from the provincial legislature for our efforts to help.

During all that, I started a Jeep website - which I shamefully neglect today - but yet, it still gets over 50,000 visitors each month and I still make money from it. (http://www.ajeepthing.com) Not sure if I'll sell it or start investing time again - we'll see. Time is one thing I don't have these days, so who knows... Now, had Jeep simply brought a jeep truck to market by now, this whole truck issue would be moot for me...LOL

So, yeah, I had a Jeep problem...

Upon discovering 50 mpg in the VW TDI, however, I was cured...then began a problem with torque. Can that really be a problem, though...?

Heavily modified, a friend back home (Halifax, NS) still owns it and it runs like a top.

When we reached Seattle, I bought a Yamaha FJR1300 off the showroom floor as my daily driver. That lasted until around Christmas that year (about 6 months) when I decided I wanted a car. Enter our 2003 BMW Z4 roadster - the current daily driver. And now you can see why I refer to the Jetta as a "truck"...LOL

Given Mazda went the route of suckage by essentially selling Ford Rangers, when I started looking for another small truck, I started with 1992-and -older B2200s. Then I decided to get real and throw some money at this desire for an actual truck - enter either a new-ish Nissan or Toyota. After a quick drive in a 2009 Prerunner last weekend, I'm sold. Toyota it is.

What else can I tell you all...?

My name is Duane Forrester. I've written two books on making money online, thinking about a third right now, but time will dictate.

And I'm looking forward to getting to know the community better.

Now...if you'll excuse me, I have to head elsewhere and post unanswerable questions that'll turn your brain into a pretzel.

 

I believe you... Welcome.

 

welcome. thanks for this mni book. and for your next TW novel, share how to make money on-line. some here could use it.

 

welcome, you do like to write don't you?

 

tldr











































j/k... I read the whole thing... Welcome to TW! Quite a history you bring with you.

 

http://www.theonlinemarketingguy.com/

I like you already, welcome

 

welcome

 

Welcome to TW Duane!

 

Ha!

Welcome.

 

Is this the Jeep thing?
















I kid, I kid. Welcome to TW!

Nice to meet you, I have a friend that goes on your site regularly

 

Welcome!!

 

Welcome aboard!

 

We do brain pretzels here, Duane. Welcome home.

 

Welcome to TW from Sparks, NV.
New record for longest intro.

 

haha true.

Welcome from TX, man!

 

Welcome! My best friend lives in Seattle... great town!

Good luck on your purchase!

 

Welcome, it sounds like you have done quite a bit, and sounds like there are some great stories to be had!

Interested to learn more about SWAT cause that sounds really interesting!

 

Welcome to TW

so what books did ya write?

 

Welcome!