Rants

Already?

Today Donna had an appointment to see the dermatologist about having a wart removed off the back of her hand. Last night we practiced driving the big new car downtown, so she could find the place. And even though she was leery of a couple downtown streets with parking on both sides, leaving a narrow path through the middle, she was game to try driving to her appointment.

I felt bad about this because I know how much she a) doesn’t like to drive anyway, b) didn’t want to drive it until it got its first door ding or scratch and c) would be so afraid of hurting the new car she might actually hit something trying to be too careful. Because I had come to work the 1/2 hour early with her all week, I figured I had built up enough extra time that I would just drive her to the doctor’s and sit outside trying to familiarize myself with the 380 page owner’s manual.

When I got to the office building where the doctor’s office is, there were two spots in a row open (thank goodness, as I wouldn’t dare try and parallel park this beast) so I pulled in and eased into the second spot. Only thing is the Sonata is a tad bit wider than a Miata so I managed to hit the curb with the right front wheel. =8O To add insult to injury when Donna got out of the car she had to come back and tell me to pull up as the car’s butt was a foot or so in the parking spot behind me.

I did a nice job, the wheel is scarred for about 3 inches around the diameter, though the clear coat, through the paint and into the aluminum. I called our salesman this afternoon and asked a hypothetical question, “Who would they call, if say, a wheel on a car being delivered was scratched up coming off the truck or something?” He said, “Already?” “Yep,” I replied, “less than 24 hours in.” I told him I was thinking of suing the car dealership for mental anguish caused by their selling me a car I was obviously unable to handle.” He laughed and gave me the name of who they call when they need a wheel repaired.

The name of the Sonata’s color is Indigo Blue Pearl and it is an appropriate name. In the shade it looks like a dark blue, but when you look at it in the bright sunlight there is a definite purple cast. I was thinking of calling the car “Purple Whale” because of its size compared the the Emperor, but that is the name of a form of the drug ecstasy. I can’t see any references to that past 2009, so it might be OK. I can even get one of these cute bath buddies to tack to the dash.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1004

A Composition For One Or Two Instruments

Typically in three or four movements in contrasted forms and keys.

The Brian & Donna Buy A New Car Tour headed west to Augusta tonight and for the second time in three days I have left a car dealership with an agreement on a deal for a car. And again all that needs doing to make it happen is the detailing of the vehicle and the final financial paperwork.

29 HOURS AGO: At 2:30 on Monday afternoon I call the Honda dealership to make sure everything is on track. I’m told salesman Brad is at lunch, so I leave a message to be called back. At 3:30, having heard nothing, I call back. This time I’m told Brad isn’t in, he had called in sick. I tell the clueless receptionist that I am supposed to pick up my new car at 4:30. “Who do I need to talk to?”, I ask. She transfers me to someone named John (really) an he tells me he will have some one call me right back and takes my work number.

Twenty minutes later, literally 5 minutes before I get off work, I get a call from Brian (this name I’ll remember) and I tell him I’m twenty minutes away. He says, “Come on down, I’ll get paperwork started, so it should be almost done by the time you get here.” When we arrive, Brian is waiting in the showroom near the door, but he has not done anything on my paperwork. Our experience goes downhill from there, culminating in Donna and I driving off with the John Candy character chasing us down shouting my name.

Maybe later in the weekend I’ll have time to post about the rest of our fun with the Keystone Kar Salesmen of Honda Cars of Aiken.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1001

Pretty Much How Things Are Going

Even with today’s win the Red Sox still have the worst record in Major League Baseball at 2-10. They also have the dubious distinction of having the worst run differential in the Majors (meaning both the American & National Leagues) at minus thirty. That means they have been outscored in those 12 games by 80 to 50. Those 80 runs allowed are also the highest in the bigs, which means our pitchers probably have the highest team ERA. Indicative of the FRS’s season so far, today I received my Red Sox Nation packet and it was inside a small plastic bag with the following label:

WE CARE
Dear Postal Customer:
We sincerely regret the damage to your mall during handling by the Postal Service. We hope this incident did not inconvenience you. We realize that your mail is important to you and that you have every right to expect it to be delivered in good condition.

Although every effort is made to prevent damage to the mall. occasionally this will occur because of the great volume handled and the rapid processing methods which must be employed to assure the most expeditious distribution possible.

We hope you understand. We assure you that we are constantly striving to improve our processing methods in order that even a rare occurrence may be eliminated.

Please accept our apologies.
Sincerely.
Your Postmaster

At least the Membership card survived intact…

Started down, went up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 998

Why Bother?

It is halfway through game #11 and the FRS are losing 3-0, fast on their way to being 2 and 9 to start the season.

At first I thought it was kind of comical that the team that many predicted to be the best in the majors stumbled out of the starting blocks, but now it is not so much funny as it is depressing. Their fantastic pitching staff has appeared more like little leaguers and their fearsome batting lineup has only about two of them batting more than their weight.

I know, I know Mark, I should have faith and believe that it is till possible to finish the season at 154-8, but right now it is kind of hard to believe that they won’t finish dead last in their division. Right now the only bright spot is that they lead the MFY 2 to 1 in the season series.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 993

Oh & Five

Columbus: It’s amazing how fast the world can go from bad to total shit storm.

9:45 PM
I sit down at the PC and check on the FRS score – ooh, only losing 3 to 2 in the sixth, we’re still in this one.

By the time I get logged into Gameday Audio the Indians have scored another run, it’s now 4 to 2.

Why, oh why, MLB.com, when I click the audio button on the web page of the Boston Red Sox do I get the Cleveland radio announcing team. You would think if I’m on the FRS page I would get the WEEI crew of Joe Castiglione & Dave O’Brien.

By the time the audio player is loaded and I have changed broadcasting teams, I hear like two pitches called and then on the third pitch some moke for the Tribe hits it into the right field seats with two runners on base. 7 – 2.

9:50 PM
I close the Gameday Audio player and open up Winamp to listen to the soothing sounds of GotRadio New Age Nuance.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 988

The World Is My Oyster

Not me, but the woman in the car with two kids I saw Saturday.

As we like to do on Saturday morning we have breakfast at DD. I get a small coffee with cream and sugar to go along with, aptly, a coffee cake muffin. Donna gets a toasted plain bagel with butter and cream cheese on the side and washes it down with a small hot chocolate/no whipped cream. We then, if possible, sit at the stools looking out over the parking lot and read the store’s copy of the Saturday WSJ.

Near the end of our breakfast this Saturday I notice a small 4-door car pull into the nearly empty parking lot and stop smack in the middle of the traffic lane. I could see a short overweight woman behind the wheel. At first I thought maybe she was trying to figure which spot to pull into, but she didn’t move. After about 30 seconds, both back doors open simultaneously and out out step two kids, a boy and a girl. They both look to be somewhere between 9 to 12 years old, maybe 5′ tall and weigh about 200 pounds. They close their doors, start walking into Dunkin’ Donuts and mom starts to drive off.

I go into full cranky old man mode: I say, inside my head, to myself, “This is the last place she should be bringing those kids for breakfast, they need a little lean protein, a small glass of juice and some exercise. And I can’t believe she is just dropping these kids off. Where is she going? Back down the street a bit to buy a lottery ticket?” But she doesn’t go far, she pulls into the opposite side of the lot to park, taking up the better part of two spots with her 1998 Ford Escort. This sets off another volley, again inside my head, about how people can’t park worth a flip, either through arrogance or ignorance (kind of wish I had one of these handy.)

For all I know my crappy attitude towards this family is totally unfounded. It could be that the woman just got Social Security check on Friday and could finally pay to get her car out of the shop, where they still haven’t fixed the power steering right and she has a few dollars left over so she can buy her two grand-kids, who she rarely gets to see, a couple of hot chocolates on this chilly morning.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 986

No Dam Blogging On Monday

Last night I didn’t watch House and I didn’t download the torrent today either. The show is now officially dead to me. It started a couple weeks ago with the dream sequence show, during which Dr. Taub showed up to deliver a machine gun for blowing up something while driving a Hyundai Sonata. At the next commercial break, guess which car company had the first ad? Right, Hyundai, you get 20 points. And ended with the movie/musical very special Greg falls off the the wagon into a bottle of vicodin because Cuddy might die and she rewards his mis-guided concern by breaking up with him.

Instead of House, I watched something more “exciting”, the last couple of innings of a spring training game between the FRS and the MFY. I did not recognize a single player name mentioned for either team.

The rest of last night and then again tonight was spent vacation planning. We are going on another trip out to the west coast. Nine days of visiting western Washington, western and central Oregon with a brief foray into northern California (as long as the radiation levels are not too bad.)

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 969