Miami Trip (now w/ pics)
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From: Minneapolis
Miami Trip (now w/ pics)
The trip was AWESOME!!
I arrived in Miami Thursday afternoon and looked for people with the Scion luggage that we got in the mail the week prior. After walking around the airport for awhile I found a group of them and pretty much hung out with them the whole time.
Thursday night we left our rooms at Loews Hotel to walk down Ocean Drive and hit up a number of fine drinking establishments. At the end of the night, Rob finally showed up. He couldn't miss the work day so he had a later flight.
Friday there was a luncheon between 12 and 3 where we all were in the same room and got to meet all the other attendees, do interviews, take pictures, etc. A few hours later we were shuttled to the MAIN EVENT where we were practically strip searched for cameras (tight security!) and led through a curtain tunnel to the main floor where there were all kinds of famous Scions. There was the xB limo, xB monster truck, 5-axis xB and xA (and a copper tC of theirs I'd never seen before), the Rado Spy tC, shark tail tC, the black xA from those commercials, the SCION FUSE, and various other cars we've all seen before. Of course there was also the NEW xB and xD, under wraps in the corners in the back. Food and alcohol were free flowing and the party was going well. I got Rob to drink a healthy amount, too. More on that later.
The VP of Scion Mark Templin came out and talked for awhile on stage and then we broke again. He came back half hour later and introduced the guest speaker Rainn Wilson.
He was doing his Dwight Shroot shtick the whole time - it was pretty funny! He presented a bunch of silly awards (most connecting flights, hardest to contact, etc) and practically tackled me running off the stage! The VP came back and introduced the new xB and xD.
The xB looked chopped and lengthened some, and while it was still boxy, the corners were less chiseled and more rounded. It also had projector headlights and a single reverse light on the back. The auto transmission shifter was dash mounted rather than floor mounted. I thought it looked pretty good, but Rob disagreed. The manual might be floor mounted though. The gauges are center-mounted again, but it looked like there was more instrumentation and it seemed overall better integrated. The xD is hard to explain - it reminded me somewhat of a Matrix. It had a floor-mounted shifter. It had standard headlights and LED fog lights. It looked like a good replacement for the xA. We practically had to riot to get them to open the hoods of these vehicles! The rumors are true though, the xB has the 2.4L tC engine in it. Just imagine the possibilities. They weren't open long before someone RAN over and closed them. When asked, the engineers (who were attending from Japan) weren't saying... they just said "Go by what you saw." What I saw, were decals on both engine covers that said "2ZR-FE".
They had body kits and special paint on these cars so they didn't look exactly what they will look like.
Even in my hazy semi-drunken state I knew when to get back to the stage when we gathered again. So Rob and I were in position up front of the stage when they came back. Rainn introduced LUDACRIS and we had a show.
Afterwards we all eventually were shuttled to Sobe Live, which was alright. A bit cramped but hey, another open bar situation. Rob and I got pretty trashed. After that a lot of us went swimming, and we packed almost 40 people into the hot tub. I also went diving in a 4 foot deep section of the pool. Ouch. (No major injuries, though!)
Saturday we flew back in the afternoon... I am starting to think that Rob and I were the only ones on the trip that didn't have complications with our flight or luggage. Lucky!
Darren was keeping a pretty low profile but he was around. Tom was the most recognized guy there... you could see it when he blinked.
I didn't see Cajun anywhere - I probably did but didn't recognize him. Plus PAxAgirl was keeping my attention most of the time. 
I didn't get a lot of people-pictures but I posted one with Rob and one with me. I love night photography so whenever I got outside when it wasn't raining (not very often) I got a couple of shots. Otherwise it was usually too wet to pull the digi out.
Main Lobby
Isle between the pool and the hotel
Hotel
Hot tub - we got 38 in there!
Pool
Pool again
Rob (wasted!) and Tito
.... whoops how'd that get there?
PAxAgirl and me
The hall where we had our luncheon - it's a lot bigger than it looks.
Pool again
My one picture with ocean in it!
Miami
More Miami
Still More Miami
Fountain
I arrived in Miami Thursday afternoon and looked for people with the Scion luggage that we got in the mail the week prior. After walking around the airport for awhile I found a group of them and pretty much hung out with them the whole time.
Thursday night we left our rooms at Loews Hotel to walk down Ocean Drive and hit up a number of fine drinking establishments. At the end of the night, Rob finally showed up. He couldn't miss the work day so he had a later flight.
Friday there was a luncheon between 12 and 3 where we all were in the same room and got to meet all the other attendees, do interviews, take pictures, etc. A few hours later we were shuttled to the MAIN EVENT where we were practically strip searched for cameras (tight security!) and led through a curtain tunnel to the main floor where there were all kinds of famous Scions. There was the xB limo, xB monster truck, 5-axis xB and xA (and a copper tC of theirs I'd never seen before), the Rado Spy tC, shark tail tC, the black xA from those commercials, the SCION FUSE, and various other cars we've all seen before. Of course there was also the NEW xB and xD, under wraps in the corners in the back. Food and alcohol were free flowing and the party was going well. I got Rob to drink a healthy amount, too. More on that later.
The VP of Scion Mark Templin came out and talked for awhile on stage and then we broke again. He came back half hour later and introduced the guest speaker Rainn Wilson.
He was doing his Dwight Shroot shtick the whole time - it was pretty funny! He presented a bunch of silly awards (most connecting flights, hardest to contact, etc) and practically tackled me running off the stage! The VP came back and introduced the new xB and xD.
The xB looked chopped and lengthened some, and while it was still boxy, the corners were less chiseled and more rounded. It also had projector headlights and a single reverse light on the back. The auto transmission shifter was dash mounted rather than floor mounted. I thought it looked pretty good, but Rob disagreed. The manual might be floor mounted though. The gauges are center-mounted again, but it looked like there was more instrumentation and it seemed overall better integrated. The xD is hard to explain - it reminded me somewhat of a Matrix. It had a floor-mounted shifter. It had standard headlights and LED fog lights. It looked like a good replacement for the xA. We practically had to riot to get them to open the hoods of these vehicles! The rumors are true though, the xB has the 2.4L tC engine in it. Just imagine the possibilities. They weren't open long before someone RAN over and closed them. When asked, the engineers (who were attending from Japan) weren't saying... they just said "Go by what you saw." What I saw, were decals on both engine covers that said "2ZR-FE".
They had body kits and special paint on these cars so they didn't look exactly what they will look like. Even in my hazy semi-drunken state I knew when to get back to the stage when we gathered again. So Rob and I were in position up front of the stage when they came back. Rainn introduced LUDACRIS and we had a show.
Afterwards we all eventually were shuttled to Sobe Live, which was alright. A bit cramped but hey, another open bar situation. Rob and I got pretty trashed. After that a lot of us went swimming, and we packed almost 40 people into the hot tub. I also went diving in a 4 foot deep section of the pool. Ouch. (No major injuries, though!)
Saturday we flew back in the afternoon... I am starting to think that Rob and I were the only ones on the trip that didn't have complications with our flight or luggage. Lucky!
Darren was keeping a pretty low profile but he was around. Tom was the most recognized guy there... you could see it when he blinked.
I didn't see Cajun anywhere - I probably did but didn't recognize him. Plus PAxAgirl was keeping my attention most of the time. I didn't get a lot of people-pictures but I posted one with Rob and one with me. I love night photography so whenever I got outside when it wasn't raining (not very often) I got a couple of shots. Otherwise it was usually too wet to pull the digi out.
Main Lobby
Isle between the pool and the hotel
Hotel
Hot tub - we got 38 in there!
Pool
Pool again
Rob (wasted!) and Tito
.... whoops how'd that get there?
PAxAgirl and me
The hall where we had our luncheon - it's a lot bigger than it looks.
Pool again
My one picture with ocean in it!
Miami
More Miami
Still More Miami
Fountain
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,629
From: Minneapolis
Originally Posted by nds_CARnivore
wow the trip must have quite an effect on you..... your new avatar makes me feel all tingly.
Don't mess with the mod!!
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From: Germantown, MD
Re: Miami Trip (now w/ pics)
Originally Posted by Streeter
Plus PAxAgirl was keeping my attention most of the time.
hahaha gotcha biatch....ohhh i know u ain't talkin' bout me haha
niccce.
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From: Germantown, MD
Originally Posted by Streeter
She found me...to quote one of my favorite movies (Wedding Crashers
): "Gloria Cleary: Don't ever leave me!
Jeremy Grey: Ever.
Gloria Cleary: Good. 'Cause I'd find you! "
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From: Minneapolis
Hehe - naaaa, she didn't have THAT much to do with it. She just kept hanging around and talking non-stop! 
(Glad I'm this far away 'cause she'd probably kick my butt for saying that!) :D
HA - no, I'm not THAT "hot scion guy" HER hot scion guy looks bigger than me though! He sounded scary over the phone! 
I am taking local applications, though.
(Glad I'm this far away 'cause she'd probably kick my butt for saying that!) :DHA - no, I'm not THAT "hot scion guy"
HER hot scion guy looks bigger than me though! He sounded scary over the phone! I am taking local applications, though.
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From: Club Daily Driven
lol, I just didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea. I just thought it was funny. Anyway I'll be seeing both Madddsciontist and PAxAgirl tomorrow and maybe saturday. I haven't seen either one of them for weeks. And yes Madddsciontist is big and scary in a Chicago kinda way! lol