Nissan Pathfinder, 2006: The Weekly Driver

A long-distance haul means different things to different drivers. For me on one recent journey, it was a 400-plus mile trek from Redondo Beach, Calif. (South of Los Angeles) to Sacramento.

It was a seven-hour day in the car. The trip included the long climb over the infamous Grapevine in Southern California and plenty of flat and high-speed miles along Interstate 5.

The 2006 Nissan Pathfinder was my transportation and the mid-sized SUV, now on the market for two decades, performed well. My test vehicle was the four-wheel drive LE model (with navigation system), the most expensive of the four available models.

Several top manufacturers' current SUV models are seemingly interchangeable, and that includes Pathfinder and its top competitors, the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot.

I drove my test vehicle nearly 700 miles, including the climb on the steady grade that connects Southern California to the mid-state agricultural valley. And although I never engaged the four-wheel drive feature or carried a heavy load, those are two attributes that distinguish the Pathfinder from rivals.

In addition to mega-interstate miles, I nimbly maneuvered the vehicle through city streets. Parking lots, narrow driveways and U-turns in tight quarters were all handled easily. The vehicle never felt cumbersome. The LE is the only member of the fleet with full-time all-wheel drive, and it can be left engaged on dry pavement. The Pathfinder also has a 6,000-pound towing capacity.

Each of the four Pathfinder models includes a 4.0-liter, 270-horsepower V6. During my trek, the vehicle advanced adequately even while ascending the most difficult climbs. But it did take a heavy throttle to get the job done, and that didn't do much for the one major downfall of most SUVs -- lousy gas mileage.

The Pathfinder is rated at 16 mpg (city) and 23 mpg (highway), but I averaged just under 20 mpg on my trip. Nissan recommends premium fuel, further adding to the not-so-thrifty costs.

The Pathfinder was redesigned in 2005, and both the interior and exterior changes were nicely accomplished, including added width, height and length. The interior has well-placed, cleanly designed gauges and the console and instrument panel are handsome and smartly positioned.

Unlike other SUVs, the Pathfinder has a standard third-row seat. Without removing headrests, the rear row folds level, and the folding front-passenger seatback further builds the cargo room to 79.2 cubic feet. That's among the best in the class.

The Pathfinder LE model has standard 17-inch wheels; other models have 16-inch wheels. The LE also features standard front-side and side curtain airbags (they're optional on other models).

Regardless of model, the Pathfinder's standard equipment list is impressive. It ranges from illuminated visor mirrors to the AM/FM radio with in-dash, six-disc CD/MP3 changer and heated power mirrors and sunroof to a memory system for the driver seat, mirror and pedals.

My test vehicle also included five option packages ranging from the navigation and rear-seat entertainment system to leather and heated front seats. The various options added nearly $8,000 to the vehicle's base price.

The result is a finely equipped SUV that can certainly ease the ordeal of a 400-mile drive and also provide an equally enjoyable ride around town.

The Weekly Driver: 2006 Nissan Pathfinder

Safety features - Dual front airbags (standard); front and side curtain airbags.

Fuel Mileage (estimates) - 16 mpg (city), 23 mpg (highway).

Warranty -- Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain, 5 years/60,000 miles, Corrosion, 5 years/unlimited mileage; (24-hour) roadside assistance program, 3 years/36,000 miles.

Base price -- $35,550.

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Truck-Mounted Snow Blowers

Truck-mounted snow blowers affix to the front of a pickup or sport utility vehicle. Drawing power from the vehicle engine, a truck-mounted snow blower can eat a path 7 feet wide and 3 feet tall, throwing the snow 40 feet in any non-backwards direction. With its 2-cylinder, 4-cycle, 27-horsepower gas engine, a truck-mounted snow blower carries the same amount of power and force of six full-size push units. Its no wonder people have been using them religiously in mountainous and rural areas since 1980.

The snow blower manufacturer Hanson is credited for first introducing pickup truck-mounted snow blowers; Hanson continues to be the only manufacturer actively marketing them. Based on a long tradition of tractor-mounted snow blowers, Hanson truck-mounted snow blowers are powerful, solid, and efficient.

If youre thinking about buying a truck-mounted snow blower, there are some things you should consider first.

A truck-mounted snow blower weighs 800 pounds. Your truck or SUV must weigh at least half a ton, preferably or a full ton, to support its weight.

Your vehicle must be a 4-wheel drive and have automatic transmission because at low speeds, operating a manual transmission and the snow blower simultaneously can be very difficult.

Truck-mounted snow blowers are compatible with most plow mounts, including Meyers, Western, Fisher, and other common brands. Before buying a truck-mounted snow blower, contact Hanson and tell them what kind of a plow mount youre working with, just to be safe.

Truck-mounted snow blowers take their power from the vehicle engine. All the controls are wired into the truck cab, including the electric key start, choke, throttle, discharge chute rotation and deflection, and hydraulic snow blower lift. Imagine the power of having all these controls in the cab with you as you heroically clear all the snow from your neighborhood roads. They are also great for small road contracting businesses.

Three alternatives to truck mounted snow blowers are:

Truck mounted snowplows: If you live in a more densely populated area, you dont want to be launching tons of road snow onto your neighbors walkways, driveways, vehicles, and pets. Its usually better to get a plow, which merely pushes the snow off the road.

Tractor-mounted snow blowers: If you live in a rural area, a tractor-mounted unit is best. Chances are you have a lot of area to clear, so youll need the snow moving power of a tractor.

ATV-mounted snow blowers: The Snow Hogg (not to be confused with Snow Hog, a maker of snow tires) is a big snow blower that attaches to your all-terrain vehicle, making for one hungry-looking snow chomper. Smaller than a truck-mounted unit, but still more powerful than most push units, the Snow Hogg can clear a path 42 wide and almost two feet deep, with a chute rotation range of 210. The Snow Hogg weighs almost 400 pounds, but thanks to a built-in suspension and traction system, the machine only puts about 10 to 15 pounds of stress on your ATV frame.

Snow Blowers Info provides detailed information about electric and truck-mounted snow blowers, snow blower parts, and reviews of best snow blowers. Snow Blowers Info is affiliated with Original Content Web.

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Unique Wedding Favor - How Do You Gather Ideas?

When you decided to get married, you have to start your wedding planning as soon as possible. You would like to make your wedding, as well as all the wedding items, as unique as possible. This is also true for your wedding favor.

However, you may find it quite difficult to come up with a really wonderful and unique idea for your wedding favor. In fact, you need to seek for different ideas from different sources. The followings are some of the common sources that may give you wonderful ideas.

Search on the web

The first source that both you and I can certainly think of is the internet. It is likely we cannot live without the internet nowadays. It is totally true that you can find many different ideas and concepts of unique wedding favor on the internet. There are a lot of websites and newsgroups which are related to this topic.

You will probably search on the web using search engine such as google and yahoo. And it should be the most convenient way of searching on the web. When you are trying to search for your wedding favor on the web using this method, you may need to try the combinations of different keywords. For example, instead of searching for the keyword wedding favor, you will try to search for unique wedding favor, or even unique Chinese wedding favor.

Consult your friends and relatives

Another great way of gathering ideas is to consult your friends and relatives. In fact it is just like a brain storming process. Since your friends and relatives will have different experiences from yours, they may have seen something that you have never been thought of before. Their ideas can certainly help you when you decide your wedding favor.

However, unlike the case of searching on the web, consulting others may involve personal feelings. You may have immediate judgments on the ideas provided by your friends and relatives. As advised by the book "Six Thinking Hats" written by Edward de Bono, it will be better to just collect all these ideas without any judgment since it is only a brain storming process for gathering ideas.

Consult wedding planners and visit your local stores

The job of a wedding planner is of course to help you to plan your wedding. Since they are actively involved in the wedding industry, they will know the latest trend about wedding. They should know more than you about wedding. They probably try to search for new ideas and concepts everyday in order to survive in the industry. As a result, they should be able to give you excellent advices on your wedding favor.

You may also seek for new ideas from your local stores. You should not limit yourself to gift shops or shops which are specialized in wedding favors. Instead you have to visit different kinds of shops. This is the essence of sourcing and searching. If you limit yourself to conventional gift shops, you may end up with ideas on conventional wedding favor.

Jerry Leung is a wedding invitation designer with great interest in Chinese Style Wedding cards. He designs unique Wedding Invitations in different styles. Besides, he runs A Wedding Blog to share wedding tips. You can also find lists of wedding vendors from his Wedding Directory Websites.

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Surgeons: Help Your Patients Recuperate Faster!

Everyone knows that after someone has surgery, whether it is for a medical necessity or for cosmetic reasons, the patient recovers faster and has fewer complications if they take it easy for a little while and do not return to their normal routines too quickly.

Everyone, except the patient it seems.

As soon as the pain wears off to an acceptable limit, they always get up and start doing things like running errands, doing housework, and all of the other things that are on their physicians DO NOT DO list, because they think that those rules are for everyone else. The patient feels better and they get off the couch or out of bed and start moving around normally, and then they start doing themselves more damage than good. There is an increased risk of infection, and post-surgical complications that can INCREASE the amount of time a patient is out of their normal routine.

So, what can be done to help patients get the rest they need to recuperate and recover from surgery in the least amount of time and with the fewest post-surgical complications? What if their surgeon was to recommend a personal concierge service to help out with errands, grocery shopping, arranging for transportation or cleaning services or anything else that may come up while the patient was recuperating?

A.J. di Pota, owner of a personal concierge service, states that there has been quite an interest recently in recovery centers or spas offering post-surgical recovery packages. While going off to a spa would be great for some people, others prefer to recuperate in the comfort of their own homes, but need some help doing the everyday things they would normally be doing if they were not laid up. says Mr. di Pota. Thats where personal concierge services are a godsend. Also while the patient is recovering, out-of-town relatives and friends can be sure that someone is looking in on and doing tasks for their loved one.

For a marginal cost compared with increased time off from work and the pain and suffering that comes from infections and post-surgical complications, the patient can relax and recover in a minimal amount of time. Not only that, but who wouldnt want to be pampered while theyre recuperating?

Rates for personal concierge services vary throughout the country, and you can expect to pay a premium for service in large metro areas like NYC and LA.

To find a personal concierge service in your area, you may want to contact your local chamber of commerce, where you may find at least one personal concierge service as a member.

So, when making plans for care after your surgery, consider recovering at home with a home health care aide for the medical treatments, and a personal concierge service doing all of the other tasks so that your recovery can be as pleasant and as speedy as possible!

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