Bad Bulb

I’m not so sure how long it has been out, but someone told on my way out of the work parking lot tonight that one of the fog lights was unlit. I thought I was pretty conscious about checking to see if I could see two lights reflected in some surface of the car in front of me, but I guess I took it for granted that both lights were working in recent times.

The fog light bulb are standard 55 watt H1 bulbs, but for some reason the first two places I checked (Advanced Auto & Walmart) didn’t have them. Oh, they had the expensive Sylvania Silverstar bulbs for $18-20 each, but I wanted no part of them. Not only have they gotten a slightly bad rap on Miata.net, but if I bought just one the light from the fogs would be different from one another. I just wanted 1 plain ol’ halogen bulb for around $5, not 2 hoity-toity bulbs for $40.

Store number three, Autozone, was the answer. They had one left on the self for $5.99. They only fly in that ointment was the counter help was overwhelmed with customers and no one could break free to check me out. After several minutes a clerk asked if she could help me, but when I said I needed to check out, she said, “Oh, I can’t use the register.” About this time I was tempted to walk out, but considering what I went through to find this bulb, maybe the last one in town, I stuck it out a while longer. Cooling my heels I even considered tossing a ten spot on the counter and walking out, but before I could do anything rash, a certified register professional appeared as if by magic from the back and rang me up.

It took about 45 minutes to replace the bulb because you have to jack up the car, remove the front wheel and unfasten a half dozen screw and bolts to peel back a plastic wheel well liner to allow access to the bulb. If they had 2 bulbs I would bought both of them and changed out the passenger side as well. In my experience they usually go in pairs because they each are on for the same amount of time. Plus because I use the fogs as daytime running lights they are on whenever the car is on during the day, so they get quite a bit of use.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 239

What Car Is She Driving?

I just got my hand-me-down copy of the 50th Anniversary Edition of Car and Driver Magazine and boy is there a lot to read in there. Guess that explains why I got got it and it has been out for around a month now. There is a fold out of a 50 year respective of covers from the magazine that is very interesting. I printed a tall one 4′ long on the plotter at work and stuck it to the side of a cabinet in my cubical. The August 1976 cover is of particular interest.

What Car Is She Driving?
1. Alfa Romeo Spider
2. Cadillac Eldorado
3. Fiat 124 Spider
4. Jensen-Healy
5. Jensen Interceptor
6. Mercedes-Benz 450SL
7. MGB
8. MG Midget
9. Rolls-Royce Corniche
10. Triumph TR-6
11. Volkswagen
Click on the thumbnail for a big ol’ version

So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish

There is a big hole in the cycling world now. Lance Armstrong has hung up his professional bike for good. It is going to be strange when next July rolls around and it won’t be, “Will he do it again?”, but who is the heir apparent. I certainly hope for Americans it is another fellow countryman. Not because I’m jingoistic, but more because it raises some awareness in Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public that cyclists are human and you shouldn’t try and run them off the road for sport.

During one of the “Chasing Lance” shows on the Discovery Channel last night, at one point Lance show us a gym bag with some of the Tour de France’s Yellow Jerseys he’s won in it and he calls them Mellow Johnnies. A play on the French term for them, maillot jaune. In honor of Mr. Armstrong’s accomplishment of seven in a row, I have created a special T-shirt: Seven Mellow Johnnies. Buy one and I’ll donate the $1 mark-up to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 239

Like A Pheonix Rising From The Ashes

I got a PM from someone on the Miata.net Forums asking about some Barndoor Fan Club stickers. I sold the last of them just before closing shop on the BDFC so he was out of luck.

Then as I thought about it, I still have all the images I used on the CafePress store, I can upload the logo and put it on one of their 3×5 stickers. Then all he had to do would be cut the 2 circles out and for a little less than the cost of the originals, he would be in business. While I was at it I made up a couple of different T-shirts. So if you missed out the first time get your very own Barndoor Fan Club memorabilia before it is gone for good (really.)

Life of Brian Store Annex

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 239

How Much?

This is from the Friday before last:

Every Sunday for the past month I have had to go out and put air in the left rear tire of the MSV. I put 30psi in and a week later it is down to 15. Never really have had a chance to get it taken care of, but as we had the afternoon off today I figured it be as good a time as any. We came home and picked up the car and headed down by the mall. There is a Goodyear store right next to a Chinese Buffet that would be perfect to go eat lunch at and wait for them to fix the tire.

The perky girl behind the counter took down my information and the car’s information and said that it would be $27.71. To which I said, “I just want a flat fixed, not a new tire. Why so much?” “Well,” she says, “We have to patch it, then rebalance it and then there is the new valve stem.” “Valve stem? Huh? That is way too much, the last time I had a flat fixed elsewhere it was $15,” I tell her. She sighs and says, “Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can do to cut you a break.” She points at a stack of 2-liter Pepsi bottles and says, “Take one. It’s free because of a promotion.” No thanks,” I reply, “Dr. Pepper’s my drink.” Donna and I leave to get lunch.

When we are done eating we walk back over to the Goodyear place and the car is in a different spot, so we figure it is done. When we enter the store the perky clerk says, “It’s ready. That’ll be $18.41.” I write her a check and as I head to the door I turn to her and say, “I think I will take one of those Pepsi 2-litters. I can sell it on eBay and recoup some of my costs.” She wishes us a good weekend.

Do they tell you that it is $27 so you will feel good about paying $18 for a $15 job? My favorite bit from the invoice is: “Shop Supplies*…$1.19.” The asterisk leads to the bottom of the page and an explanation, “*Shop supply fees cover misc materials used in servicing your vehicle that do not appear elsewhere on this invoice and for profit.” What you aren’t making enough profit charging $25 and change to fix a flat!?!

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 238

Appliance Schizophrenia

This afternoon when I cracked the first ice cube tray and dumped it in the bin I noticed that there were fresh ice maker ice cubes in there. Huh?!? Did turning the temp down fix it? Did removing the filter fix it? Was it a combination of both? Why did it take 48 hours instead of the 24 mentioned in the troubleshooting section of the Refrigerator Use & Care Guide? Or does the fridge have issues?

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 238

Odds and Ends

After several frustrating minutes on hold with Whirlpool I headed over to the internet and scheduled a Tuesday afternoon repair visit for the ailing ice maker.

I’m listening to the FRS playing the White Sox on the web using Chicago’s broadcast, not that other station, that still isn’t coming in worth a tinker’s damn.

Shit, I’ve used cuss words in my blog two nights in a row. Gotta stop doing that, it doesn’t do a damn bit of good and it sounds like hell.

I’ve been reading a series of books about an English Detective Inspector named Frost by a fellow named R. D. Wingfield and being a book about cops, or Bobbies, there is a lot of cussing involved. But they use different words over there, so they don’t sound too bad to my American ears. Maybe I should use sod or bloody and that way nobody will know I’m cussing except for my tiny UK audience.

While I’m reading the books, because DI Frost is described as rumpled, I picture Leo McKern of Rumpole of the Bailey fame in my head. I think if they ever make a movie about these books he would be perfect for the role, except he is probably too old now.*

Will trades in his hybrid for a car as close to an X-Wing Fighter as you can get in this century or galaxy: Red Five.

Maybe Will will use one the pictures of his new car for his entry for Photo Friday challenge of Attractive. I know I’ll probably use a picture of the Miata for entry, but right now I have nothing new. Tomorrow after I give it a bath will be another story though.