Wobbly Tables

Is it quality control at the factory and they are shipped out that way? Is it that when shipped they are damaged in transit? Are they so cheap that after a short time in use something bends? We have been in 2 local restaurants in the last 2 days that have only been open for 2 months or less and both times we got a table that wobbled. Yesterday’s was cured by 6-8 napkins folded in half. This after moving from the first spot we tried because the table there wobbled too. Tonight’s table required the handle of Donna’s knife (approx. 3/8″ thick) to steady it.

No Smelly Bathrooms

Totally bailed on the drive-in event with the Club. It wasn’t all because we had spent most of yesterday with the group either. Several other factors entered into it. First off being that we have been on the go for the last 2 weekends and not being lovers of living in the fast lane, we wanted some down time for ourselves. Second, the more we thought of going to the drive-in to see a movie, the more we realized why people stopped going to them in the 70s. So instead we did the 90s thing and watched a DVD in the comfort of our living room. No mosquitoes, no stale tasting popcorn, no kids running around, no mini-vans in front with there tailgate in the air blocking the view and most importantly no rickety, smelly bathrooms.

Speaking of minivans, I saw my first Chrysler Pacifia this evening, this is the minivan that a man wouldn’t mind being seen driving.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $208.98
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 85

Dawn Launch

Gassed up for the dawn launch. We are leaving the house 30 minutes earlier than we would if we were going to work. It will be a long day, over 300 miles, but it should be worth it. Panoz here we come. Not only are we touring the street car factory, but the race car site and the racing school facilities as well.

Purchased Today: $14.50 in gas
Money spent since 03/03/03: $195.73
Started down, went up, went down again, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 82

Every Man Has His Price

Rainy day. Tonight after work was a busy one, first it is our every 4 week haircut appointment and then we had just time enough to get a bite to eat before going to 2 hour class on the basics of understanding stocks. It was put on by a local Edward Jones Investment Advisor and was intended as an intermediate course in evaluating stocks. I wasn’t interested in going, but Donna said she’d pay me $25 to go with her, so I did. Every man has his price and fortunately for her, mine is really low.

Purchased Today: nothing
Money spent since 03/03/03: $181.23
Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 77

Spam

Went away for the weekend to go hiking in the Georgia mountains. I left early Friday morning and returned Sunday at noon. I checked the email before I left and when I go back I had received 42 pieces of spam at the Master’s Miata Club Yahoo email address in those 54 hours. My favorite is the one from Venessa with the subject line, “Sick of Deleting Junk Email.”

Trip Home

The trip home this morning was uneventful and along our now familiar route. GA 52 to Lula, GA 51 to Washington and then GA 17 to I-20. Settle in for a 4 day week of work before we travel to middle Georgia again next Friday. This time not so far up north and we are coming back Friday night. The Master’s Miata Club is going to visit the Panoz Factories over near Braselton (the town that Kim Basinger once owned.) We have to come back as the Club’s annual trip to the Big Mo is on Saturday night.

Purchased Today: $8.00 in gas & $2.13 in oil
Money spent since 03/03/03: $181.23
Started up, went down, went up, back down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 74

One Smart Bear

After a hearty breakfast the four of us began the trek back down the mountain. To add a little variety to the trip we took the alternate route back down. You continued on the trail to the inn for an additional mile and ran into the Appalachian Trail Approach Trail and went back to the top of Amicalola Falls where our cars were parked.

To make amends to the Miata for leaving it out all night in the “wilderness” we used the 4 hours we had to waste before checking into the lodge on the state park and went for a drive in the surrounding mountains. We tried to duplicate the loop the bicyclists took last weekend in the reverse direction. We almost made it, missed one turn, so we didn’t drive across the one-lane bridge, but that wasn’t a great loss. The best part of the drive is GA60 north of Dahlonega. There is a stretch of it that is nicknamed “The Snake” and is a Mecca for motorcyclists because of it’s twisty loopy route over a couple of mountain passes. Yehaw! The highlight of the whole drive was about 03/4 of the way through when about 75 yards in front of our 2 car parade a decent size black bear bounded down from the woods on one side of the road and beat feet across to jump the guardrail into the woods on the other side. That was either one smart bear to wait for a gap in traffic or a lucky one.

Purchased Today: $14.50 in gas
Money spent since 03/03/03: $171.08
Started up, went down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 71