The Ottoman Empire

After a dry run of the route, and dining at the destination, of next week’s MMC Breakfast Rally that we are leading, we did the weekly grocery shopping. With that out of the way, we got down to the serious business of living room furniture shopping.

Our destination was Rooms To Go in Augusta. Not only do they have a big ol’ selection, but I was angling to up the $800 sofa to a $2k, six or seven piece suite with a “Free” 51 inch Samsung 3-D TV. And my plan might have worked had we been able to find something that met our comfort needs and more importantly had the looks/style we liked. Didn’t happen, where we got one, the other was not there or vice versa.

After lunch went back to the store where we saw the couch candidate the other day and to see how well it might match our current stuff we had brought along one of the accent pillows. Turns out it didn’t look half bad, but after a more in depth try out, we determined that the contoured seat areas were really not comfortable for the afternoon nap laying across pose.

On second thought, our current couch didn’t seem that bad, sure it was slightly worn, not nearly as bad as Marty Crane’s recliner, so let’s just say that it had acquired a nice patina. And because what had started this whole furniture shopping expedition in the first place was the desire to remove my feet off the coffee table, which not only holds our obligatory fan of magazines, but doubles as our dinner table on weekdays when watching Law & Order re-runs, we just took the easy way out and bought a $50 ottoman.

Couch Shopping, Desserts Bigger’n Your Head & You Sure That’s Right?

Last time we bought living room furniture we got a 3 piece matching set, couch, love seat and arm chair. Because it is just the two of us, the only piece that has seen appreciable use is the couch, so now we need a new one. The other two items are basically brand new, so we would like to keep them and just buy a couch. Because it has been quite a while, a matching piece is entirely out of the question. The object we seek will be something that will compliment what is staying. Not easy, the current furniture is a burgundy cloth with rolled arms accented with nail heads sitting on ball feet. Not too much out there in that style and to make it nearly impossible we have decided to get a couch with built in recliners. The second store we tried tonight had a possibility, but we still want to look at least a couple more places.

We had dinner out with the Masters Miata Club tonight at the Boll Weevil in downtown Augusta. The food is always good and tonight was no exception. They are known for their desserts and usually Donna and I decline, but for some reason tonight we didn’t. Boy are we sorry. Here is a photo of some of their desserts, our Perfect Chocolate cake (which we “spoiled” with two scoops of vanilla ice cream) was larger than those shown, it was actually hanging off both sides of the plate!

On the way back from Augusta we filled up the Emperor’s gas tank. Regular was under 3 bucks, and because HRH takes Premium it was going to cost us $3.17 a gallon, but with our shopper\’s discount it too was under three at $2.97. I had reset the trip odometer in Clayton when we filled up last Saturday morning, I didn’t reset it when we topped off on Sunday, and so the mileage since that first fill up read 454.3. I took the last two gas receipts, totaled up the two tankfuls and got 15.065 gallons. That means the MPG for the past five days, which consisted of 60% windy mountain roads, 25% 2-lane back roads and 15% 4-lane divided highways was a respectful 30.16.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1072

I’ll Just Use My Special 78-21-1 Mixture

When I backed the Purple Whale out of the driveway on Sunday evening to make a grocery run I was surprised to find the Low Tire Pressure Light illuminated. The car felt fine, so I knew I didn’t have a flat. I elected to make the trip and if the light didn’t go out by the time we got back I’d check the tire pressures.

As part of the dealer installed options for the Sonata was a $99* charge for the Purigen Tire Service. Which they said improves steering response, handling, fuel economy, and decreases false TPMS alarms. I guess I was supposed to assume that they had filled the tires with pure nitrogen and as proof they did, I got 4 bright green valve caps.

The TPMS light was still on when I got home. Not only was the light on, but the entire info display screen was filled with a dire warning that could not be eliminated, so I grabbed the gauge and checked all four tires. Every one read right at 31 psi. Which didn’t seem too bad, but the door sticker said the manufacturer recommends 35 psi.

One of the purported advantages of pure nitrogen is that its molecules are larger than oxygen so they cannot escape trough the rubber of the tire. One of the first things I did when I brought the car home was check the tire pressure all around because they are often way over inflated for shipping and sitting on lots so the tires don’t get flat spots. When I checked them back in April they all read 35 psi. Did, in a mere 5 months, the tires lose 4 psi of pure nitrogen pressure? Or did the dealer fill the tires with air and try and charge $99 for 4 green valve caps? Or did the whipping the Purple Whales received from Team Turner in Fantasy Football this week knock the air out of the tires?

I filled all four tires back up to 35 psi using my special 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases (i.e. the air we breathe) using a cheapo Sears compressor and the light went away.

* The supplemental dealer sticker not only included the $99 dollar tire filling, but a Xzylon Interior & Exterior Protection Package for $699! These figures never were included in the bargaining process as I started at below the internet invoice pricing and gave a little (88¢ a month.) As a matter of fact I didn’t even notice the supplemental sticker until I pulled all the paperwork out of the folder the salesman gave me once I got home.

Last night when I went to the auto parts store I bought a pack of silver valve caps to put on the silver valve stems on the silver wheels.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1072

The Good Gramps

A woman in a grocery store happens upon a grandfather and his poorly behaved 3-year-old grandson. It’s obvious to her that Gramps has his hands full with the child screaming for candy in the candy aisle, cookies in the cookie aisle; same for fruit, cereal and soda in their respective aisles.

Meanwhile, Gramps is working his way around, saying in a controlled voice, “Easy, Albert, we won’t be long — easy, boy.” Another outburst, and she hears Gramps calmly say, “It’s okay, Albert, just a couple more minutes and we’ll be out of here. Hang in there, boy.”

At the checkout, the little terror is throwing items out of the cart, and Gramps again in a controlled voice is says, “Albert, Albert, relax buddy, don’t get upset. We’ll be home in five minutes; stay cool, Albert.”

Very impressed, the woman goes outside where Gramps is loading his groceries and the boy into the car. “You know, sir, it’s none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don’t know how you did it. That whole time, you kept your composure, and no matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying things would be okay. Albert is very lucky to have you as his grandpa.”

“Thanks, lady,” said Gramps, “But, I’m Albert — the little bastard’s name is Steve.”

One Eyed Jack

On Sunday I noticed the passenger side fog light was out (only one reflection in the shiny back doors of an SUV.) Tonight I popped on down to Advanced Auto and bought a new H1 bulb. I briefly considered a fancy new LED replacement, but they are roughly 3 times the cost and the LED portion is sometimes longer than the standard bulb, making fitment problematic.

As I sat on my butt on the garage floor removing the front right tire, so I could access the fog light housing, I had a distinct sense of deja vu. And it didn’t seem like too long ago that I was doing this same thing and to this same fog light. So to see if this a regular recurring thing I’ve added a “Fog Light Bulb” tag for tracking purposes.

The Emperor got the spa treatment today after work. Not just to wash the north Georgia bugs off, but the interior needed vacuuming to find a couple “dropped in the cockpit” items. At the Tallulah Gorge Overlook earthcache I lost the stylus for the Ipaq and it was presumed to be inside the car. Also, on the drive back from Hendersonville I dropped a maple covered peanut. Didn’t find the stylus, but did find the peanut.

And finally, because it is October, I remounted the Vampire Teeth in the mouth of the Miata.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1071

French Homework & Whales Beached

While geocaching in Athens, GA, in search of crossing off Clarke County, we came up to an old abandoned railroad bridge, there sat a UGA student doing her French homework. She noticed my camera and offered to move, but I said, “Stay where you are, it’ll add to the photograph.”

My Fantasy Football Team is no longer undefeated. The Purple Whales scored a very tidy 110 points this weekend, but my opponent has scored a 148. My only hope for victory is he has the Baltimore Ravens defense, and if the New York Jets can score about 15 touchdowns in the second half of tonight’s game, it might bring that defense’s score to -12 and create a loss. Hey, they don’t call it Fantasy Football for nothing.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1070

Back in the Mountains

After a weekend off, we are back in the mountains again, this time the Georgia & North Carolina ones. We drove up to Hendersonville to see my sister and her husband at the SMH. For the first time in a long time we didn’t eat lunch at West One, but instead ate at Hannah Flanagan’s, where everybody’s Irish. While we are on this trip we are also doing wee bit of geocaching. Nabbed a couple of state parks, a couple of counties and a DeLorme page.

Started down, went up, went down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1069