My equipment buy list... any red flags?

[Whitey4]

Going into my second year, and now I'm serious. Dumped all my "will call" accounts from last year, got certified for pesticides and got 100% legal. Business plan is as a solo, target of 40 to 50 accounts, all full service apps, planting installations, full maintenance, total IPM commitment. Small properties, most gated, with 3 to 5k of turf, 1 to 3k of beds.

I've decided on the following equipment purchases with list prices:

Quick 32 w/15hp Kawi, accellerator catcher-$2,700.
Kawasaki KHS-750 hedge trimmer- $349. (30' single side cut)
RedMax 8001 blower- $525
Echo 265 string trimmer- $299 (with edgit, $70)

I was looking at the Echo HC-200 hedger, but it's $459, and my dealer recommends the Kawi for 100 bucks less. I haven't seen many comments on this Kawasaki, so any feedback there would be helpful.

The dealer was also trying to sell me on the Stihl FS-90, claiming that the linear power curve/RPM ratio was better on a 4 stroke vs. the logrithmic power curve/RPM ratio of the two stroke Echo 265. List price on both units are 299. I'm no engine expert.... any thoughts on this?

Lastly, if I do change my mind and go with a Stihl, are these power attachment accessories durable and reliable? If I go Stihl, should I go with one of these combi-units, or whatever they call them over the dedicated FS90 string trimmer?

As a solo, only I will operate the equipment, so it won't get abused. Any feedback, thoughts or comments are very welcome before I pull the trigger. (Yes, I can get all of this except the Quick from one dealer, and won't pay list). Thank you in advance.

[brianlooft]

Hey Whitey4,
Seems like you had a good first year. Can you give any tips as to how you had a lot of succes in the first year? I am in the area and want to make this a full time business ASAP. Any thoughts would be helpful.

[Valk]

List looks good, looks complete.

Take advantage of BOP's Free Freight that ends later this week...this counts towards all accessories - extra blades, Pro Pack, mulch plate, etc...

[lawnpro724]

I would get a double sided hedge trimmer instead of single you will be more productive.

[Whitey4]

Hey Whitey4,
Seems like you had a good first year. Can you give any tips as to how you had a lot of succes in the first year? I am in the area and want to make this a full time business ASAP. Any thoughts would be helpful.


I was a hacker last year. Honestly. I took the dreg accounts that even the low ballers didn't want. I wasn't licensed, insured... nothing. I had over 20 "call me when you want a cut accounts". Miserable. I knew this was no way to run an LCO. I was able to get about 8 properties renovated into respectability. Those are the only accounts I carried into this year. I got certified for pesticides, got all the permits and licenses, studied my butt off (I have to mention that I do have some formal training in horticulture, am an avid gardener and have won ribbons at the Nassau county fair for produce) and started this year on a shoestring budget.

Courses, test fees, licenses, permits, et al, ran about $1,700, which is about $1000 more than it would cost elsewhwere, but this is Long Island, NY. I volunteer at the near famous Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, and use that in my ads and door hangers. I've been pounding pavement since last week distributing door hangers. My pitch is IPM, and I have to be able to back that up. I only go after small residentials..... no yellow pages. Tight route, church bulletin ads.

Even though it is snowing here today, got my first call from the 350 door hangers I put out. Why did this guy call me? He said he never sees his LCO, and the lawn looks worse that it did when he started 3 years ago. He sends crews. I KNEW this was my edge. The tag lone on my door hanger says:

We care for your property as though it was our own.
As the owner, I will be on site whenever work is performed.
We don't use large crews, so we can offer professional, personalized service.

So, I can't claim success yet, but I think I have the right business plan, a targeted ad program, and the know how to make IPM work, and do it better than the mow and blow big crews of illegals guys.

I had this customer sold before we got off the phone. Tomorrow, even in the snow, I will walk the property, get the square footage, look over his ornamentals. I told him I won't put down lime without a pH test, which I do no charge. "Why spend 40 bucks on lime if the pH is 6.9?" I talked about how a good turf man REDUCES the use of pesticides and saves money in the process.

Unless the turf grub count is somewhere over 5 per sq foot of turf, no grub control in the spring. Killing overwintered grubs requires a higher dose of insecticide. Much better to kill the much more vulnerable young larvae in late summer, instead of applying grub control on the spring that will only make the surviving grubs and their young newly hatched larvae in late July more pesticide resistant.

This customer was hearing everything he wanted to hear. Around here, they want results, and the mow and blow guys eventually lose their customers as the lawn goes to chit. I also drop off a lot of literature about IPM, proper irrigation, etc. All of this is the cornerstone of my business plan and strategy. When I can get a potential customer to talk to me, he will be sold every time, unless he strictly a price shopper. If he is, I don't want him anyway.

Well, that was quite a tangent.... especially for a relative newbie.

But.... my business plan and my target customer base drives every decision I make, including what equipment to buy. I don't want commercial accounts, so won't buy 48 or 60" machines. I'm looking for the customer that has a relatively small property, wants it to look like a Scott's commercial, and is willing to pay what it takes to get there. The 8 full service accounts I kept from last year will be more profitable than the 30 mow and blows I had last year.

So, anyone ever use that Kawi hedge trimmer? LOL...

[lawnbutch]

Take a look at the kawi handhelds. You can change attachments on any of the commercial trimmers to a hedge trimmer and a twin turboblade.

[newz7151]

The 4 stroke/4 mix stuff has more torque, it just doesn't sound like it has that extra gruff power until you get a trimmer in some stringy weeds that get wrapped around the head and it pulls the trimmer out of your hands.

[Sal200]

Hey Whitey4,
Seems like you had a good first year. Can you give any tips as to how you had a lot of succes in the first year? I am in the area and want to make this a full time business ASAP. Any thoughts would be helpful.

Ya I would like to know too, as I am from Long Island as well. Im also looking to expand my business
Edit: Never mind i read your post up above

[Big C]

List looks good, looks complete.

Take advantage of BOP's Free Freight that ends later this week...this counts towards all accessories - extra blades, Pro Pack, mulch plate, etc...

This does not count toward accessories....I ordered a mulch kit and an extra set of high lift blades on yesterday and was charged $13 shipping to Louisiana.....may want to double check....

[RonB]

I agree, get the double side hedge trimmer. I couldn't imagine cutting to the left (or right) all the time.

The FS 90 R has been real good for me so far. Just today I bought the pruner attachment for some crepe myrtles that were way to tall. Cost $200 but was worth it. The blade comes in handy too. Get shaft drive for sure.

[Valk]

This does not count toward accessories....I ordered a mulch kit and an extra set of high lift blades on yesterday and was charged $13 shipping to Louisiana.....may want to double check....
Well, this may only count for those ordering a new mower WITH accessories. Unless something has changed, this is what I was told when I called BOP back in January.

Guess I'll find out for myself as I intend to order a 32 before Friday, Feb 15. Hoping I'm right cuz shipping on a StepSaver/aluminum-bagger/blades/ProPack/etc would/could be an expensive afterthought.

[Whitey4]

I agree, get the double side hedge trimmer. I couldn't imagine cutting to the left (or right) all the time.

The FS 90 R has been real good for me so far. Just today I bought the pruner attachment for some crepe myrtles that were way to tall. Cost $200 but was worth it. The blade comes in handy too. Get shaft drive for sure.

Hmmmm.... might have to look harder at the Stihl. Now this is just a stupid guess, but aren't the one sided hedge trimmers capable of cutting through heavier branches? I mean the cutting edge is almost twice as wide. Is that too simplistic a belief?

[sdbserv]

I'd opt for the Solo 471 Silent blower for $200 dollars less online. It's a beast and being quiet is a definite plus.

[barefeetny]

whitey....


congrats bro... glad to here it working out... and mazel tov on the pesticide cert..What are you doing with all the old stuff... or are you just getting bigger and badder...

I tried the 4cycle trimmer and the 2..... i don't know the 4 felt good but the 2 was a screamer wish could have thrown them into the heavy weeds..... the 2 did feel better in my hands... balance and weight wise...

Nate

[dfklawn]

ive been die hard echo for 8 years.. i bought a stihl split shaft for my extention trimmers( $ 450). noiceable power difference,. i have echo 310 trimmers.. i know all the carbs are the same but i have trouble wit the echo.. if you have the extra scratch and are gonna be sall for a while, buy stihl and dont be scared to spend. its all in the care.. some say im nuts but i run aviation fuel in the steals and new echos and been alot better off

[eauxkielawns]

I don't know about your area, most of the dealers here won't carry the Kawasaki units. They say it is to hard to get parts and the warranty is terrible. It may be due to slow or low sales volume that they don't get the proper attention. Stihl and Echo rule the roost down here. Both brands have proven themselves year after year to be very dependable. The guys in your area would know better as it concerns parts and warranty issues.

[Whitey4]

whitey....


congrats bro... glad to here it working out... and mazel tov on the pesticide cert..What are you doing with all the old stuff... or are you just getting bigger and badder...

I tried the 4cycle trimmer and the 2..... i don't know the 4 felt good but the 2 was a screamer wish could have thrown them into the heavy weeds..... the 2 did feel better in my hands... balance and weight wise...

Nate

Thanks! I am checking the mail daily, and as soon as I get my cert card, I'll register the business. My old stuff, which was all consumer grade, will go back into the tool shed. I may still haul the 21" Craftsman around with me, but I doubt I will use it much, if at all. Picking up my trailer this weekend.

Any chance of you going to the NSLGA conference at the Nassau Coliseum, I think it's March 3? All the dealers around here will have booths, and so will some manufacturers. That will be my last chance to handle the stuff before I buy. I'll also attend some of the classes, and get started on my credits to go from tech to applicator next year.

Just signed my first new customer of the year last night, a lead from my door hangers. Good account, full apps, only 2k of turf, about a half mile away. He should go for aeration and over seeding too. I wanted that one... I wrote a page and a half report after I surveyed his property. That iced the deal, and he wants to talk his next door neighbor into switching to me, as they used the same LCO, and he was awful. So, things are looking up!

As far as the Kawi hedge trimmer goes, this is from the biggest dealer here, and they carry the Kawi engines and do all the warranty work. I haven't had a chance to feel how it handles, but will at this conference. For $110 less than the Echo, I think it's worth looking at.

[PlatinumLandCon]

What is "IPM" you speak of? I assume its something I've already heard of, I'll most likely be doing this when I hear the answer :hammerhead:

Anyways, nice work growing and taking on the higher-class work. Good luck this year

[joesimoes2]

list looks to big.

[barefeetny]

Any chance of you going to the NSLGA conference at the Nassau Coliseum, I think it's March 3? All the dealers around here will have booths, and so will some manufacturers. That will be my last chance to handle the stuff before I buy. I'll also attend some of the classes, and get started on my credits to go from tech to applicator next year.


iwas thinking about it.... ever been there?.... its a hike for me so i wanted to make sure it was worth my wild ... you know me... i'm not buying new mowers....... would love to see all the mad scienctist inventions...
drool at
let me know maybe i'll make the run... we'll hook up and then we can drool on the cool stuff... and discuss all the junk we'd never own lol

Nate

[Ronniecoleman]

What is "IPM" you speak of? I assume its something I've already heard of, I'll most likely be doing this when I hear the answer :hammerhead:

Anyways, nice work growing and taking on the higher-class work. Good luck this year

IPM stands for Integrated Pest Management, its a way to control pest problems without using large amounts of pesticide and herbicides.

Example water in the early morning to control brown patch instead of watering in the evenings.

http://www.tpma.org/_organizational/ipm_about.htm

[Valk]

Well, this may only count for those ordering a new mower WITH accessories.
Hoping I'm right cuz shipping on a StepSaver/aluminum-bagger/blades/ProPack/etc would/could be an expensive afterthought.
Orders for a new mower WITH accessories MUST be placed by tomorrow, Feb 15th, to receive Free Shipping/Freight for everything (delivered to a terminal site).

An additional charge (~$110) is required for home delivery (if available in your area), and that charge will get your ordered mower WITH accessories delivered to your home as well.

[brentcausey]

Hey Big C - I'm up in North Louisiana and saw something on ebay you might be interested in. I can't figure out how to friggin PM on here and I'm a network administrator as my FT Job...go figure. Anyway - There's a guy in gonzales selling his entire business (equipment, accounts, trucks) on ebay and he lives in Gonzales. I doubt it will sell cause he's asking 45 G's for it but maybe you can get some yards out of him. Who knows, maybe it'll work out.

[Whitey4]

Any chance of you going to the NSLGA conference at the Nassau Coliseum, I think it's March 3? All the dealers around here will have booths, and so will some manufacturers. That will be my last chance to handle the stuff before I buy. I'll also attend some of the classes, and get started on my credits to go from tech to applicator next year.


iwas thinking about it.... ever been there?.... its a hike for me so i wanted to make sure it was worth my wild ... you know me... i'm not buying new mowers....... would love to see all the mad scienctist inventions...
drool at
let me know maybe i'll make the run... we'll hook up and then we can drool on the cool stuff... and discuss all the junk we'd never own lol

Nate

Not sure if it would be worth that long of a drive. They had it at a large catering hall for the past several years, and exhibitors dropped out because there wasn't enough space. this year they tripled the number of exhibitors because they can get a lot of display space cheap. Unless you were looking to pick up a quick 3 or 4 hours of credits, probably not worth the drive. The talk schedule looks decent.

It's $25 to get in, and $75 at the door for entry and seminars. $65 if you reserve early.... call the NSLGA at 631-665-2250 or email at NSLGA2@optonline.net for a pre-registration form. It's only 15 minutes away for me, so it's a bargain. Right next to where the Jets have training camp at Hofstra U. Lots of coop extension speakers, and some DEC people too.

I can't call these high-end accounts... this place is different. Policeman make $120k a year here with OT. Teachers get about 100k after they reach tenure. In short, the cost of living is very high, and the properties are pretty small. More than half the houses have impressive landscaping. Maybe no more than 5% of the properties here are over a quarter acre. Except for the retirees who have been here forever, most households pull in 200k a year or more..... and I'm talking about Cape Cods with dormers.

IPM... yeah, Intergrated Pest Management. From simply using mulch for weed control to selecting pest resistant plants, that's IPM. The use of pesticides is a last resort, but something I will still have to use a lot, as my new customers are switching LCO's for a reason... the place is going downhill under their care. With aeration, overseeding, etc, once I get a property shaped up, less chemicals. More over dressing. Weekly scouting to diagnose problems earier, when they are easier to correct.... all that good stuff.

[barefeetny]

i looked everywhere for a talk schedule...What are they giving credits in pesticides?.... no pests for me........

i'm living in ny States A-hole.... our home and garden show has some dork who does faux finishing..... Mr Wall or mr magic wall or some garbage...like that....

do you have copy of the classes/talks?

[Skimastr105]

Looks like a good list - but i would go with a double sided hedge trimmer.

[metro36]

What dealer are you thinking of buying this stuff from? It is not one of the Carls Equipments is it?

[sandman23]

I love my Stihl equipment. I have a BR600 blower, FS90 dedicated trimmer, KM90 Combi with edger attachment and pole hedge trimmer attachment, and a HS45 hedge trimmer. Love the Combi. Attachments are expensive but very durable and versatile.

[Whitey4]

i looked everywhere for a talk schedule...What are they giving credits in pesticides?.... no pests for me........

i'm living in ny States A-hole.... our home and garden show has some dork who does faux finishing..... Mr Wall or mr magic wall or some garbage...like that....

do you have copy of the classes/talks?


I looked... can't find it, I think it was on the pre-registration form, which I forgot to copy. If you email the NSLGA they can send it back to you via email. The talks were on turf, another on ornamental insects, some organic alternate classes, all done by PhD's from the extension.I picked out three 3hour classes that will give me 3 credits. I could squeeze another on in if I wanted to for another hour as I recall. Oh, it's Tuesday March4, not the third.

I'll likely buy from LI Power Equip. or Phelan. Both are very close and have good reps. I think I want to handle the hedge trimmers at the show before I make a decision on that piece of gear.

Laughing at josimos there.... the list is too big? I laready cut a stick edger and a 3 wheel edger off. If I pick up an abused property that hasn't been edged in a year, I'll rent for the first cleanup. Can't see me doing hedges with a clipper again this year!

[dfklawn]

my dealer doent carry kaw any more.. he carrys echo, red max(which he doesnt recomend buying, and tanaka, he likes stihl but to be a dealer, you have to carry pretty much everything the sell.. the big expo around my area is the Green industry expo.. demo anything and everything you could ever dream of using or renting

[Whitey4]

Well, things certainly fell out differently than I thought they would!
Today, I bought all Husky:

The blower, an exact clone of the RedMax 7001
Double sided 29" hedge trimmer 326HD75
326LS trimmer-weed whacker
SD22H- this was the surprise, even to me.

Of the 11 new customers I have, 10 have compaction/thatch issues. This SD22 is both a power rake and over seeder, with the options I got. Now, the only thing I will need to rent is an aerator in the fall. Almost every new customer wants me to de-thatch (with spring tines, not flails) and over seeding in the fall.

I was never big on de-thatching, but I know my zoysia lawns need it badly and of these 11 accounts, 7 are zoysia. Using spring tines is a lot less damaging to the root system as opposed to flails from what I've seen. I'll just set it a bit higher on my cool season grasses.

Road tested the blower and trimmer. The blower seemed to vibrate a bit after going from full to half throttle. Good power, but just a little less than I expected. Should still handle what I need to do. This is my first backpack blower.... I hope I get better at getting the derned thing on my back! I must have looked pretty lame attempting to do that... good thing it was in my backyard! I had to take one of the blower extensions off.... too freakin long!

The weed whacker was nice. Smooth throttle, great power, handled egding a sloppy over-wintered bed with no trouble at all. Nice balance. I've used lighter edgers that felt heavier than this one.

Friday I get the hedge trimmer and power rake (which is a clone of the BlueBird, same unit with bagger and seed box).

Total: $3, 028

Lastly, my BOP 32 arrives tomorrow. I'm about ready to crank it up now....

[rmmllc]

Just for future reference- I'd get a KM-110 or 130 (split shaft stihl unit) then add the hedger, edger, trimmer, tiller, etc. as needed. That would work great for a solo guy. Just something to look into. I love my stihl- switched when my Maruyamma dealer took 4 weeks to get me an airfilter cover- he did me a favor. Good luck

[bill8379]

I'd love to know how the 32 mulches with a 15 HP engine. I'm considering buying a toro proline, 6.5 hp 21 inch... they cost $1500 around here.:(

[Whitey4]

Just for future reference- I'd get a KM-110 or 130 (split shaft stihl unit) then add the hedger, edger, trimmer, tiller, etc. as needed. That would work great for a solo guy. Just something to look into. I love my stihl- switched when my Maruyamma dealer took 4 weeks to get me an airfilter cover- he did me a favor. Good luck

I thought about going that multi-tool route. I just worry about having it go down on me, and having to wait for parts. I can get by if one of these goes down.... but if I lost 3 or 4 tools at once... that would be a disaster. I can rent if I lose one.... if the motor on a multi tool went down, I'd have to rent 4 machines. I think at some point, Id' go multi-tool, and have my own backup equipment.

Thanks.

[rmmllc]

good point- I have all stand alones to replace, but you are right.

[Whitey4]

I'd love to know how the 32 mulches with a 15 HP engine. I'm considering buying a toro proline, 6.5 hp 21 inch... they cost $1500 around here.:(

Well, I have a fairly sloppy yard to do a spring cleanup on ... Monday looks like. I will blow the leaves out of the beds, and run the Quick 32 on them. Then power rake, and run the Quick on that again. That 15HP Kawi isn't likely to bog down on a 32" machine, me thinks. I didn't buy the mulch kit yet... but hitting those leaves might give me an idea.

[bill8379]

Well, I have a fairly sloppy yard to do a spring cleanup on ... Monday looks like. I will blow the leaves out of the beds, and run the Quick 32 on them. Then power rake, and run the Quick on that again. That 15HP Kawi isn't likely to bog down on a 32" machine, me thinks. I didn't buy the mulch kit yet... but hitting those leaves might give me an idea.

Without a mulch kit the best you can do is reduce volume and blow them, with the mower, into a central location. I did that with my 36 toro before I bought the mulch kit. My concern with the Quick is that its mulch kit is just a plate over the discharge chute while the toro mulch kit completely encircles the blades.

I've heard that the Quick can't mulch, it basically throws everything to the discharge plate, which is blocks, then it drops down to leave a line of mulch. Not too mention, you shouldn't mulch in spring clean ups, at least that's the way I understand it to be.

[Whitey4]

Without a mulch kit the best you can do is reduce volume and blow them, with the mower, into a central location. I did that with my 36 toro before I bought the mulch kit. My concern with the Quick is that its mulch kit is just a plate over the discharge chute while the toro mulch kit completely encircles the blades.

I've heard that the Quick can't mulch, it basically throws everything to the discharge plate, which is blocks, then it drops down to leave a line of mulch. Not too mention, you shouldn't mulch in spring clean ups, at least that's the way I understand it to be.

What I though I would do is use the discharge shute a couple times blowing towards the middle of the yard, then use the bagger for those left over leaves wihth the mower. Bad idea?

[Valk]

Today's delivery day Whitey4! Set aside a good 20-25 minutes just to uncrate your new beast! Think crowbar...or two!

Got my Q32 last Friday, but an overnight snow precluded any chance to hit some dormant turf. Will finally be trying her today in mulch mode...& a full report tonight! :walking:

[Whitey4]

Today's delivery day Whitey4! Set aside a good 20-25 minutes just to uncrate your new beast! Think crowbar...or two!

Got my Q32 last Friday, but an overnight snow precluded any chance to hit some dormant turf. Will finally be trying her today in mulch mode...& a full report tonight! :walking:

I'm still waiting for this stinkin truck company to drop my 32 off. It's one of those "sometime between 9 and 5" things. I hope the driver isn't looking for a tip! :nono:

[bill8379]

What I though I would do is use the discharge shute a couple times blowing towards the middle of the yard, then use the bagger for those left over leaves wihth the mower. Bad idea?

Yeah that's what I meant, you can use your mower to blow it to the middle or where ever.

and to that other guy that couldn't test his mower due to snow... you can do the same thing. You can clear your drive way with your mower. I actually seen a video of a redneck doing that.:laugh:

[BUCKEYE MOWING]

Today's delivery day Whitey4! Set aside a good 20-25 minutes just to uncrate your new beast! Think crowbar...or two!

Got my Q32 last Friday, but an overnight snow precluded any chance to hit some dormant turf. Will finally be trying her today in mulch mode...& a full report tonight! :walking:

LOL :weightlifter: That thing is packaged to withstand a nuclear attack ...all that effort will be worth it. Good luck with the new machine.

[Whitey4]

My Qick didn't show up till 4:30... and on top of that, I have a major case of the flu. 101 temp, the whole enchilada. I managed to get it uncrated, pushed into the yard and covered it. It felt good, wasn't hard to push, but I was wiped. Luckilly. my nephew showed up just when I had to install the handle bars. So, my BIG BOP day... and I'm in the infirmary.

This was kinds funny... I take the Accelerator bagger out of the box, and I'm saying to myself, "This sucks!" It's like 45 pounds!" I'm thinking, well it LOOKS like it might be that heavy... look at those welds... oh man, I messed up when I bought this!

Then I see it's stocked full of goodies, like a stuffed stocking hanging on the mantle at Christmas! Extra blades, filters, spindle, even extra oil and Stabil! Fluid film too! All sorts of stuff! I get all that stuff out, and the bagger can be lifted with a pinkie finger!

So, hopefully tomorrow I'll be feeling at least a little better... I havta go collaspe again now.

[bill8379]

I'm not going to call you a liar... but I don't see any pics :P

btw, my sister and her husband took a vacation to New York and she got the flu to, just a few weeks ago. She spent 5 out of 7 days in the hotel room near Central Park. Some of the things she said about that city were funny. Keep in mind we come from a small Canadian Prairie city.

They would wake up in the mourning to people honking their horns, nobody honks their horns here. Plus, people would yell and scream at other drivers, they would even lean out of their cars so they could scream. They thought it was like a movie, they did like it though. There were buses that go on routes but nobody would get off the bus in Harlem, lol. Also, she went to the doctors and they charged her $85 even with a $10 off coupon. Here we have free medical.
She did say it was cheap to eat if you didn't want to spend too much money, and they took a carriage through central park, 20 min. for $45. Had a good time over all but they couldn't get over how many people there were, and Cops EVERY where, protests etc.

[Whitey4]

I'm not going to call you a liar... but I don't see any pics :P

btw, my sister and her husband took a vacation to New York and she got the flu to, just a few weeks ago. She spent 5 out of 7 days in the hotel room near Central Park. Some of the things she said about that city were funny. Keep in mind we come from a small Canadian Prairie city.

They would wake up in the mourning to people honking their horns, nobody honks their horns here. Plus, people would yell and scream at other drivers, they would even lean out of their cars so they could scream. They thought it was like a movie, they did like it though. There were buses that go on routes but nobody would get off the bus in Harlem, lol. Also, she went to the doctors and they charged her $85 even with a $10 off coupon. Here we have free medical.
She did say it was cheap to eat if you didn't want to spend too much money, and they took a carriage through central park, 20 min. for $45. Had a good time over all but they couldn't get over how many people there were, and Cops EVERY where, protests etc.

Man... coughing too much to sleep.

NYC is a crazy, but still facsinating place. I drove a subway train there for a bunch of years. Not much I haven't seen. Yes, you can find cheap eats, and off-off Broadway (that is reference to the size of the theatre) plays are the best, and very inexpensive too. Then you can lose a lung in some joints just buying an appetizer.

$85 for a doctor's visit? That's cheap. Nothing they can do for the flu anyway, so I didn't go. This is a late flu season here. I haven't had it in maybe 10 years, but this one is kickin my butt big time.

I don't know how to post pics here. If someone can show me, I'll throw some up this weekend after the rest of my new gear comes in. I think my digital camera is still working. I do feel a bit better right now.... think the nieghbors would mind if I fired the Quick up now?

[bill8379]

I go to photo bucket and have an account then I copy/paste the link in my post. Or you could put your pic somewhere on your computer then hit the Attachments thing, it looks like a paper clip on teh top row next to the white smiley face. You navigate to your photo and hit upload. It will appear in your post but I think there might be a size limit 800x600. I'm not sure about that anymore but I think I needed to use photoshop to resize pics, other sites are more forgiving and resize automatically.

But if you go to photobucket and make an account then you could just post the link.

[Whitey4]

I go to photo bucket and have an account then I copy/paste the link in my post. Or you could put your pic somewhere on your computer then hit the Attachments thing, it looks like a paper clip on teh top row next to the white smiley face. You navigate to your photo and hit upload. It will appear in your post but I think there might be a size limit 800x600. I'm not sure about that anymore but I think I needed to use photoshop to resize pics, other sites are more forgiving and resize automatically.

But if you go to photobucket and make an account then you could just post the link.

I think I'll just email the pick to... YOU!:weightlifter: