Month: November 2002

The Scent Of Simple Green

Washed the car today, that is why the top went up. It was fairly filthy. Not only did I was the outside, but the engine compartment got a washing too. Found some quick and easy instructions in a Miata.net forum post and decided that 7 years of road grime needed to go. I really need to wash off the coolant residue left behind by my leaky heater hose incident, I could still smell it and it made me think that the leak was re-occurring. The engine compartment looks a whole heck of a lot better now, won’t win any car shows, but looks good. As a bonus the coolant smell is totally gone, it has been replaced by the scent of Simple Green.

Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 329

Dr. Pepper Commercials II

Watched about half of an NFL football game on TV this afternoon. It’s Thanksgiving, so I felt it was expected of me. Saw the latest loser version of a Dr. Pepper commercial with some sort of Buddy Holly/early rock ‘n’ roll thing that was absolutely without any redeeming qualities. Who were they expecting to appeal to with that? They ought to take a cue from the beer ads, those are funny as well as populated with young, hip twenty-somethings we all wish we were.

Turkey Day

It’s Thanksgiving, which means family, friends, football and food. It also means we must make a good impression on company, so I blew the leaves off the roof and cleaned up the front yard in the morning chill. It was work, but I don’t think it was enough to offset the caloric intake of my traditional 2 helpings of turkey and all the fixin’s.

Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 328

Short Work Weeks…

…always seem so long. By Tuesday it seemed like I’d been there long enough for it to be Thursday. Which if you look at it, was just about right because today was Wednesday, but really Friday because it was the last day of the work week.

Closet Seamstress

Last Friday while out scouting the Christmas Light Tour route we stopped at friends from the Miata Club’s house (they are the end of the line because they are hosting this year’s Holiday Party.) It was getting chilly as daylight faded and we considered putting the top up for the ride home. That’s when John said here try this. He had another member’s old windblocker to copy to make a pattern so he can make one up for himself. John is our Club’s closet seamstress, he has made a bunch of stuff up including bags for the boot and our Club’s Loaner Trunk Bag. We have had to windblocker on quite a bit and it has definitely extended the lower temperature limit for top down driving. Using just the blocker it keeps the cold wind off your back. With the blocker and windows up it is very cozy inside. Still get some cold air in, but hey it is a convertible. I think we are going to get John to sew us one up too.

Upper 30’s on the way to work – no problem, the top was down.

Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/02: 328

The Ol’ Gray Matter Ain’t What It Used To Be II

Went out for bagels for breakfast. When we sat down in the restaurant to wait for our order I noticed that the newspaper print was slightly out-of-focus. It wasn’t the paper, it was me, I had left my glasses on the nightstand. I got tired of hunting down where I put my reading glasses about a year ago, so I went and had no-line bifocals made up of clear glass on top and +1.00 reading glasses on the bottom. Now I just wear them all the time. Trouble comes in the morning, because I don’t really need them to see, unlike my wife, I can get ready for work without putting them, so sometimes I get all the way to trying to read the paper before I realize that I need to get my glasses. Today was the first time I left home with out them though.

Essentially Free To Me

Almost forgot. Back on the 17th one of the door prizes I won in the Poker Run was a $25 gift certificate from MM Miata On the 19th I mailed in the certificate along with an order for some leather seatbelt stalk covers. I already have the leather shift and hand brake boots and this would complete the ensemble. They came in today, pretty good service. The first 4 years Miatas were produced the seatbelts were fastened to the floor. Starting in my year they were fastened to the side of the seat for I’m sure government mandated safety reasons. The sleeves fit all year Miatas, but for mine, about 3 inches had to be trimmed off the length. Now that they are installed they really are nothing special, glad they were essentially free to me. I would have been disappointed to have shelled out $25 for that lackluster enhancement.