BMW Drive For Team USA

Today we took the afternoon off from work to help support our Olympic Team. By driving in the new BMW 3 Series, and a couple of its competitors, a Lexus IS250 and a Mercedes-Benz C250* BMW donated $10 for each of us to the US Olympic Team. Now, all these cars were optioned out so that their list price was about 190% of the cost of our much larger Purple Whale, so the fit, finish and interior quietness of them were also nearly twice as fine. Even though they were still more the size we would have liked to have bought when we were shopping last year, their cost kept them off the list.

*The Audi A4 was missing because they didn’t get enough pre-registered drivers to bring out every car.

The driving course was an abbreviation of the Susan Komen loop we used to drive and at only 6 miles long didn’t give a chance to wring the cars out and get real familiar with them, so all I have are little snippets of positives and/or negatives about each.

We first drove the IS250 and as it turned out it was the car we liked the most. We both loved the seats, very comfortable. The navigation screen was large and where it should be, right in the upper portion of the center stack. Nit picks were window, mirror and lock switches were placed awkwardly forward on down on the driver’s door. Back seat legroom was the smallest of the group.

Next we drove the MB C250. This was our least favorite of the group. The seats were hard and flat and Donna never did feel comfortable. Very Teutonic styling inside and out, so not really to our tastes. The only real plus was the turbo motor kicked butt when pushed, but the lag made it show up long after you wanted the giddy-up.

Lastly we drove the 3 Series and this was the Momma Bear of the group. Driver ergonomics were top notch and this is the one I would pick for driving (the IS250 would be the cruising choice.) The exterior is traditional BMW, pleasing, but the interior is not to our liking really (the faux wood interior accents were cheap and had an unnatural waviness.) Plus, I have complained about this in previous BMW drives, but today it seems worse than I remember, the linearity of the electronic throttle was awful, it almost felt like the Mercedes’s turbo lag.

All in all it was a pleasant way to kill a couple hours and we each got a nice little BMW ball cap (well, really I got two caps, because Donna doesn’t wear hats.)

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1137

126,000 Nyjer Seeds

On Thursday afternoon, not long after we left the Valve Store’s(TM) parking lot, the Purple Whale crossed the 18,000 mile barrier.

On Saturday morning, not too far from home, the Emperor passed through the 126,000 mile mark on the way to Augusta.

After losing the first game of the series against the Cleveland Indians, the Red Sox have won the last three games. Is this the start of a turn around like in 2011 or is this just slight blip designed to get my hopes up, so they can drop the next 4 games in a row and crush those hopes?

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1136

Close Encounter Of The Google Kind

It’s Friday, so, as usual, Donna and I rode the tandem to work. As we parked the bike in the rack Donna noticed something hanging from the back tire. On closer inspection it turned out to be a section of the tire about the size of 2 quarters side by side that had separated from the kevlar belts. It was still holding air so we opted to ride it home, but agreed not to bomb down the hills and take it easy on the corners in case of sudden air containment failure.

A little more than half way home we came to a halt at a stop sign we usually don’t have to stop at. Not because our tire blew out, but because there was a car coming from the left. It looked a little weird, there were some odd stripes and it had green doors, so I knew it was vinyl wrapped to advertise some business. I was so intent on trying to figure out what they were advertising for for that it took a while to register that there was something very weird about the car.

It had a 3′ stalk sticking out of the roof with a red disco ball on top – it was a Google Street View Car! I waved meekly as it passed. Because it was going the way we were going, we turned right and followed. The Google car got stopped at the light at the next block and I pulled up right behind it to wait. The light turned green and the car pulled off. I gave another wave as Donna and I turned left to continue on the way home.

I don’t know when they will update the Street View for that intersection and stretch of road, the current images are from December 2007, but when they do, we’ll be famous.

The Emperor got a bath this afternoon because tomorrow is the MMC Tech Day and heaven forbid I show up with a dirty car.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1135

Crooked Hat As A Metaphor For A Baseball Season

When I was up in Charlotte for some training at the end of March, while my compatriots were shopping in the Bass Pro Shop, I stepped out into the Concord Mills Mall proper to buy something different.

The 2012 baseball season had yet to begin and in spite of their somewhat lackluster spring training record, I was optimistic for a nice run to the playoffs for the FRS.

It was time to replace my old Red Sox hat, it had several jagged white lines of dried sweat rings in the cap area* and the brim was getting kind of floppy.

* Sweat rings in a ball cap are only acceptable for superstitious pro baseball players and old school farmers.

My last hat had the big B on the front, but the Sox had a new manager this year and hopefully a new attitude, so this time I wanted a new look. Ducking into a Lids store nearby the Bass Pro Shop, I picked out my hat, tried it on to make sure it fit and paid the man. I opted for the dangling socks logo – Style 20000459.

I wore my new cap proudly in April even though they got off to a rocky start, showing that my fandom for the Red Sox was sincere and I was not just some bandwagon hopper. But the deeper in the month we went, the less likely this was that it was only a slow start, but more an indication that I was in for a long losing summer.

I had the hat on this weekend and when I looked in the Purple Whale’s rear view mirror, noticed that dangling socks were not exactly centered** over the brim. Hmmm. Probably off by only a half a degree and noticeable by only me, but it kind of soured my wanting to continue to wear the hat.

**Should have checked myself in a mirror when I tried on the hat.

Monday morning when I read The Soxaholix web comic, it captured my feelings exactly: The Glass Is Completely Vacated

I guess I will wear the hat one more time, it will be on a cloudy day when Donna and I go out to eat somewhere in Augusta, so I can “accidentally” leave it in the booth and not really “notice” it until it is too late to go back for it.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1134

My Cookies Have Names

I get some cookies for a morning snack. The quantity varies depending on how many total are in the package and dividing that number by five and I try and mix it up by getting something different each week. Nutter Butter, Oreos* (regular and reverse), Fig Newtons and several Keebler varieties (Deluxe Grahams, Fudge Sticks or Fudge Stripes.) This week, a Keebler cookie I hadn’t tried, E.L Fudge(R) Originals, were on sale for $2, so I picked up a pack.

Two vanilla cookies with a layer of fudge in the middle, but they’re not as tasty to me as the other Keebler offerings or the reverse Oreos. They are shaped like the little elves that live in that hollow tree and even have names, Ernie, Elwood, Buckets & Fast Eddie. They are a little disconcerting to eat, espscecially because I usually start by bitting off their heads.**

*Did you know that along with the Titanic and Fenway Park***, Oreos are also celebrating their 100th Anniversry?

**Does it make me a zombie because I eat the brains first? Or am just being zombie safe by killing the brain?

***There is definitely a joke in that pairing somewhere.

Critisism

I love some Mad Men. At first I was just sucked into its pitch perfect take on the early 60’s, but the more you watch, the more you realize that this is one of the most nuanced things on TV. The trouble with that nuance thing is that while I still enjoy watching the show, following the characters and their story arcs, the big picture if you will, I now need help with recognizing all the small brush strokes that create the total piece of art.

For that I have to turn to various reviews and recaps, plus their ever entertaining and sometimes informative comments. Usual reads are HitFix, Vulture, PressPlay and my favorite, the AV Club.

Tonight’s homework assignment kiddies is to watch this past Sunday’s episode, Lady Lazarus, then go read the AV Club review and see what you missed. If you can’t be bothered with watching the show, just go read the AV Club piece.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1133

May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

Donna, I and 20 of our closest strangers saw The Hunger Games this morning. Went for a bike ride to DD for breakfast and when we got home there was enough time to shower, change and drive to Augusta to catch the 10:30 showing in some stadium seating.

Neither one of us has read any of the books, we both had a sketchy idea of the plot from media immersion, but the real reason we went to see it was that it was filmed mostly in our favorite part of the country, western North Carolina. Not a bad little movie. I enjoyed it more than Donna, but neither of us will be waiting with breathless anticipation for the second installment.

After doing all the prep work the last couple weeks, re-watching Iron Man 2, watching Thor, watching Captain America, and seeing the trailer in the theater today, I can now say, “I think I’ll be waiting for the DVD of The Avengers.” I almost hate to admit it, but I buy a dystopian future where teenagers battle to the death on television before I swallow the premise of an Asgardian villain attacking Earth and to the rescue come this group of “superheroes.”

The next movie I see in a movie theater will be sometime after June 8th:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UEv03g51kU&start=8

If baseball success and fan satisfaction were measured in innings played, this weekend’s three game set with Baltimore Orioles, totaling 39 innings (more than 4 complete games worth) would mean great things. Unfortunately they don’t, winning does.

The odds certainly are not in the favor of the Red Sox.

A little less than a month into the 2012 season the FRS are 11 and 16 leaving them in last place, 7-1/2 games out of the division lead. After today’s loss they are on pace for a 66 win, 96 loss season. Maybe if they try a little less harder they can get an even 100 losses to honor this 100th year anniversary of Fenway Park.