This Is It

2016 Miata Front View

145,000 New Parts

As I pulled into the Valve Store(tm) parking lot the Emperor’s LCD odometer twitched past 144999 to 145000.

Tonight is the unveiling of what might be our next Miata. There is a live reveal on YouTube of the 4th generation car that is going to happen any minute now. Looks will have something to do with whether we buy one in a couple years, but most important will be if they return the passenger leg room back up to something resembling the driver’s. We do road trips in the Miata and when I’m not driving I need to be able to somewhat stretch out.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1418

Et tu Georgia

On the way back from Florida we stopped in Statesboro, Georgia for lunch. We ended up at an Olive Garden (where everyone is family.) While I waited on the whole settling of the check thing, I suggested Donna go across the parking lot to Cracker Barrel to get some more of the candy sticks we keep in the car for road trips. She had a Gift Card for there with $5 left on it and because that isn’t enough for a meal it would buy an awful lot of candy sticks.

I finished up and walked over there to see how she was doing. Donna was just walking over to the checkout with a nice sized plastic bag full of the sticks. There was just one cashier open and about 5 people ahead of her in line, so I said I’ll go wait outside instead of clogging the counter area more.

She had spent quite a bit of time going through the jars full of the 4 or 5 flavors we like, getting the sticks that weren’t already broken into pieces inside the wrappers. So what do you the cashier who waited on her did? She took the bag and turned it upside down from a foot above the counter and dumped the sticks out to count them. Donna just looked at her incredulously, thinking to herself, “Idiot, after I spent the time to get unbroken ones…”

The sticks sell for 15¢ a piece and the sign also says that if you buy 8 you get that amount for a dollar. Donna did the math and picked out 40 of them. The cashier counted out forty and multiplied that by fifteen cents, so the total came to $6 and change because of tax. Donna had the $5 gift card and I’d given her a buck to cover any tax, so she was short the total. Rather than try to explain the quantity discount thing, wait around for her to have the sale voided and then re-rung up, she told the cashier forget it and walked out.

Six Weeks Old

I’ve said it here before and I’ll say it again, if Donna’s sister didn’t live in Florida we wouldn’t come here. I would be willing to admit that that attitude does play a role in our dislike of visiting the state. We have visited many beautiful spots and enjoyed the state, but we have seen pretty much all of that we want to. Here is a little scenario from yesterday morning’s drive down that illustrates why we would rather avoid the the state.

We stopped for gas at the usual kind of exit off I-95 (see previous post) and while I was topping the tank Donna went inside to get a hot chocolate and a People magazine to read while it was my turn to drive. She came back out with the magazine, but no drink. The place had a nice machine for various kinds of hot chocolate, but all that came out into the cup was a stream of light tan, to mostly clear in color, steaming water. She showed it to the person behind the counter and told him that she wasn’t paying for that and someone should fix that machine. She did get her People magazine.

She came out of the store while I was still pumping gas. I wanted to wash the dead bugs off the windshield too, but had to wait to do it after filling the tank because I had to stand there and hold the handle to keep the gas flowing, the auto shutoff lever was busted. With still a while to go before we would be ready to roll, I suggested that she go next door to McDonalds and get the hot chocolate as they have that McCafe thing that serves all those starbucks-like drinks and would have what it.

Just as I was finishing cleaning the window, up walked Donna without a hot chocolate. When she had got to the counter and the associate asked what she wanted, she told him and he was dumbfounded. He turned to another personn behind the counter, “Do we make Hot Chocolate?” She looked back at him like he was speaking French. Donna decided that even if they could find someone back there who knew that they did in fact have hot chocolate on the menu, the chances of anyone actually knowing how to make it were pretty slim, so turned around and left.

With us both in the car, the tank topped and the windshield transparent, I started to drive out of the gas station lot for the 1/2 mile, 10 minute trip back to I-95. It was then she noticed the date on her new People magazine, July 14, 2014, or about 6 weeks ago!

46,000 Floridians Waiting At A Light

The Purple Whale clicked past the 46,000 mile mark just before we got off I-95 to head into Palm City, Florida. This is about the fourth trip down to visit Donna’s sister in as many months and we are starting to get the hang of it. It is still a long dang trip, but each successive time it seems to get easier.

The part that we still despise is the side trip off the Interstate to get gas, snacks, a meal or a rest room break. Invariably there is a traffic signal at the end of the off-ramp with a No Turn On Red sign in which we have to wait 2 or 3 minutes to turn in our favor. Then we race 100 yards or so to be stopped at another light with the same or longer wait for the cross traffic left turns, the cross traffic straight across traffic, then we wait for our left turners before we can finally proceed. Sometimes we even have to wait through yet another light a 1/4 mile further down the road before we reach where we want to be. Then we repeat the process all over again to get back to the Interstate.

I think this adds at least 20 extra minutes on top of whatever time it takes to complete what we got off the highway for…

2014 Draft Day for the EZEFFL

I Drafted in the 7th position, didn’t pay attention to a player’s Bye Week (as you can tell) and I’m pretty sure I’ve totally mucked it up. But if I manage to win just half the games I play, I’ll finish at least two games better, record-wise, than last year. And then maybe lightning will strike twice, and I win the last 4 games and get to keep the Championship Trophy in my cubicle.

PURPLE WHALES
Player Pos. Bye
QB Peyton Manning, Den QB 4
RB Arian Foster, Hou RB 10
RB DeAngelo Williams, Car RB 12
WR Andre Johnson, Hou WR 10
WR DeSean Jackson, Wsh WR 10
TE Julius Thomas, Den TE 4
FLEX Hakeem Nicks, Ind WR 10
D/ST Seahawks D/ST 4
K Graham Gano, Car K 12
Bench Stevan Ridley, NE RB 10
Bench Fred Jackson, Buf RB 9
Bench Cecil Shorts, Jac WR 11
Started down, up, down, up, down, up, down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1416

Wrest of the Week Wrap

Shappire Valley

Wednesday: Top down morning drive, work, top up drive home, watch Red Sox lose on MLB.tv

Thursday: Top down morning drive, work, top up drive home, watch Red Sox lose on MLB.tv

Friday: Hawaiian Shirt Day, ride tandem to work, ride tandem home, watch Red Sox lose on MLB.tv

Saturday: Top down morning drive, lunch in Highlands, NC, top up drive home, watch Red Sox lose on MLB.tv

Sunday: Top down morning drive, rollerblade around the block, grocery shop, watch Red Sox lose on MLB.tv

Started up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1410