Mar 232023
 
Hagerty Reports on BMW M Car Values

About this time last year I reported on a webinar that tracked the appreciation of BMW M Cars. The webinar was organized by Paul Seto, hard-working president of both the National Capitor Chapter (NCC) of the BMW CCA, as well as the director of the M Chapter. The data shared came from Hagerty senior analyst […]

Mar 112023
 
E46 M3 ZKW-R Lens Upgrade

Recently I dove into a DIY project that initially seemed too complicated. If you’re a fan of the Wheels posts you might remember I purchased clear projector lenses to install on my BMW E46 M3. When I realized the ZKW-R lens installation required me to take my HID Xenon headlights completely apart I wondered if […]

Feb 282023
 
Fine Dining in Western North Carolina

Gabriele and I got back recently from a week in western North Carolina. We rented a cabin about halfway between Boone and Blowing Rock. It was a refreshing break that included a little snow, sightseeing and a lot of good food and wine. An old favorite of ours, Joy Bistro, had closed but we found […]

Jan 302023
 
BMW M Lighting Upgrades

Things have been slow on the DIY front this winter. The club DIY events don’t kick back in until March. I’m lucky that I don’t have to daily drive either of my cars in bad weather. In the meantime I’ve been researching BMW M Lighting options for both of my cars. Like many BMW topics […]

Dec 032022
 
Government Marketing 2.0

There is a brand new book out called Government Marketing Best Practices 2.0, available on Amazon. I’m proud to say that I contributed a chapter in the book, along with a number of other government marketing experts. Credit for the book goes to long-time government marketing expert and consultant Mark Amtower. Mark has written the […]

Nov 122022
 
E39 M5 Sensor Replacement

Last weekend I replaced some original sensors in my 2002 BMW E39 M5. Scandinavian Import Servicenter in Rockville, MD kindly invited the DIY program back into their beautiful facility. Last year I replaced my power steering hoses and reservoir at the same location. This time I needed to replace some sensors that were original to […]

Oct 252022
 
Planet Wine Fall Tasting 2022

Last weekend Gabriele and I attended a fun wine-tasting event in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. Planet Wine set up some tables across the street from their location and poured 30 different wines for a crowd of about 50 on a gorgeous fall day. From the email invite: As always, we’re breaking this thing […]

Sep 302022
 
Almost Buying a BMW on BaT

Earlier this month I came close to buying a BMW on BaT, the Bring a Trailer auction site. I enjoy my two M cars and until this month hadn’t seen a car I wanted badly enough to bid. After watching the auctions and sharing comments on BMWs since 2016 it finally happened. The car I […]

Aug 312022
 
Some Small M Projects and a DIY Fail

It’s been relatively quiet on the M car front lately. I purchased new summer tires for my M3, and I had to redo a front sway bar link that blew out shortly after install. I added a far superior, aftermarket drink holder solution to the M5. And unfortunately, I ran into my first DIY fail […]

Jul 222022
 
Special Event Pinot Noirs

Recently I had an occasion to celebrate and it made me think of a suitable wine. The kind of wine you spend more on because of the celebration and the experience you expect. My wife and I both like pinot noir so we did a comparison taste test of some well-known makers. Merry Edwards is […]

Jun 192022
 
End Links and New Headlights

Last weekend was a busy one on the BMW DIY front. I replaced the front sway bar end links on my E46 M3 at a DIY/block party hosted by RevTech Performance. I also installed a brand new set of OE European Hella headlights for my E39 M5. I had noticed the worn end links during […]

May 302022
 
Mark Amtower Talks LinkedIn for Govies

Last week I attended an excellent presentation on the use of LinkedIn in the federal space. The presenter was Mark Amtower, known by many as the “Godfather” of government marketing. The discussion was a GovCon ClubTM event organized by Guy (Go-To-Guy) Timberlake, another long-time luminary in federal marketing. When Mark Amtower talks LinkedIn people listen. […]