Life of Brian

a proud part of the 90%

  •  
  • Miatatude
    • New Miata
      Modification List
    • New Old Miata
      Modification List

    • Brian’s Miata Photos
      • New Miata Photos
      • New Old Miata
      • C.T.B.N.L Photos
      • The Emperor Photos
      • 2008 Calendar
      • 2007 Calendar
      • 2006 Calendar
      • 2005 Calendar
      • 1995 Laguna Blue Photos
    • Brian Buys A Miata
    • Brian Goes To College
    • Brian Fights Breast Cancer
    • Brian In A Ditch
    • Brian Buys Tires & Wheels
    • Miata Ipsum
  • Minitude
    • Lady Bug Photos
    • Mini 2
  • Photos
    • Oregon
      • 2020 Klamath Basin Scavenger Hunt
      • #revchallenge
      • Traffic Signal Box Art
    • Moss Motoring Challenges
      • 2020 Moss Motoring Challenge
      • 2019 Moss Motoring Challenge
      • 2018 Moss Motoring Challenge
      • 2017 Moss Motoring Challenge
      • 2016 Moss Motoring Challenge II
      • 2016 Moss Motoring Challenge
      • 2015 Moss Motoring Challenge
      • 2014 Moss Motoring Challenge
    • Travel
      • 2022 Santa Fe Trip
      • 2018 Way Out West Wedding Trip
      • 2012 Northeast Trip
      • 2009 Western States Trip
      • 2007 Northeast Trip #2
      • 2007 Northwest Trip
      • 2007 Northeast Trip #1
      • 2006 Northwest Trip
      • 2006 Florida Trip
      • 2005 Washington DC Trip
      • Gnorthwest Gnome
      • Travels With Brian
    • Memes
      • Phototime Tuesday
      • Tuesday Challenge
      • Lensday Wednesday
      • Theme Thursday
      • Photo Friday
      • Enchanted Ceiling
    • BMW Susan Komen Ultimate Drives
      • BMW Susan Komen Ultimate Drive 2006
      • BMW Susan Komen Ultimate Drive 2007
      • BMW Susan Komen Ultimate Drive 2008
    • Hot Air Balloon Festivals
      • Aiken 2007
      • Aiken 2008
    • Hitchcock Woods
      • Monthly Photo 2006
      • Mr Fletcher’s Ride
      • Signs
    • Various
      • USS Midway
      • Papercraft
      • Action Figures
      • Radio Paradise HD
      • Purple Whale Photos
      • Aiken’s 2010 Snow Day
      • MMC’s Trip to the South Carolina Train Museum
      • NASA Firecracker Run
      • Saluda County Memorial Day Tribute
      • Stuart’s Wedding
  • Post Offices
    • Oregon Post Offices
      • Adams to Cannon Beach
      • Canyon City to Durkee
      • Eagle Creek to Hermiston
      • Hillsboro to Marylhurst
      • Maupin to Phoenix
      • Pilot Rock to Saint Paul
      • Salem to Tiller
      • Toledo to Yoncalla
    • South Carolina Post Offices
      • Abbeville to Cassatt
      • Catawba to Cross Hill
      • Dalzell to Gilbert
      • Glendale to Iva
      • Jackson to Lynchburg
      • Manning to Norway
      • Olanta to Russellville
      • Saint George to Sycamore
      • Tamassee to York
    • Miscellaneous Post Offices
  • Misc
    • Geocaching
      • GA County Challenge
      • GA DeLorme Challenge
      • GA State Park Challenge
      • SC County Geocaching Challenge
      • SC DeLorme Geocaching Challenge
    • Spenser’s Crime Buster Rules
    • Contact Form
  • Shop
a proud part of the 90%

Receipt Inside

Friday, October 10, 2003

My least favorite thing in the world happened to me this afternoon, after finishing pumping some gas using the debit card, no paper receipt came out. “Receipt Inside,” said the LEDs. Fuck. What made it really bad was I had bought just $2 worth of gas (enough to make it back to Rader with the loaner car.) I trudge into the store and get in line at number 3.

#1 finished quickly, but #2 was not so lucky. The woman in front of me can’t get her pump to work right using her credit card. The LEDs keep saying, “See Cashier” when she scans it. The kid behind the counter has trouble grasping this. Finally she says just run my card for me in here. The kid says, “I can’t prepay with a credit card. Use the pump.” She tells him the pump says see him. He says again I can’t prepay with a card. Finally, she gives up and storms out in disgust.

My turn. “I need a receipt.” “What pump number?” “I dunno, that one.” “OK, 4.” He starts mashing buttons and gets nothing but error beeps it seems. I say, “I got $2 worth.” More beeps. Kid say, “This says $12.25.” “That ain’t mine. Two bucks.” more buttons, more beeps. The cash draw pops open and the register reads, $5.47. He closes the drawer, more buttons more beeps. My turn to give up, I say, “Forget it.”, and walk out.

Of course I catch hell from the wife because of no receipt and then even more grief when she thinks that I’ve been charged $12.25 for two dollars worth of gas – we’ll see.

Tagged: Rants

Home Again, Home Again

Friday, October 10, 2003

The old car is back in the garage this evening after sleeping around for the last 8 nights. God, it is good to be back in a real Miata again. I always just clucked when confronted with the Father of the Miata, Bob Hall’s, quote, “The NB is a better car, but the NA is a better Miata.” but now I know how right he is having spent 4 days in a second generation Miata. A good part of the “better car” is admittedly that it had 120,000 fewer miles on the clock, but it is structurally stiffer, the interior & dash construction are better thought out and the trunk, while just marginally bigger, is a lot more usable due to the relocation of the spare. Driving a new car is seductive and had this one been a laguna-like blue, I might have been tempted.

The first two or three shifts back in the old Miata I almost hurt my wrist. The new Miata had a pistol style shift lever and the normal short Miata throw, but my car has a smaller round knob and a short shift kit, so I was trying to push too far.

I also missed the audible feedback, the new Miata has a much quieter muffler. The 1st generation has a sweeter sports car rumble, not rice-boy annoying, but just enough to let you know what you are driving.

Purchased Today: $0 on new timing belt
Money spent since 03/03/03: $2451.97
Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 249

Tagged: Miatatude

Too Late

Thursday, October 9, 2003

Kelly called at 5:00 PM to tell me the Miata is ready. Unfortunately it was too late for me to get it and get back for when I wanted, so I told her I’ll get it tomorrow. I went out to run a lunchtime errand and stopped at an old warehouse building and took a couple pictures for posterity.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $2451.97
Started up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 248

Tagged: Miatatude

I’m Filing A Protest With The Commisioner

Thursday, October 9, 2003

Tonight was the big “gala” opening of the Drive By Photo Contest and with it the announcement of the winners. Boo-hoo, I didn’t even get an honorable mention. I think that whoever judged the pictures forgot that it was supposed to be a drive by, in your car or within 5 ft of it. There were only maybe 3 or 4 others beside myself where a car is visible.

OK, I’m really kidding, I could tell that neither of my photographs had a chance. The 1st place winner was actually my favorite photo and the others were not bad at all. Here is the entries page, 1st place was the pumpkins.

Tagged: Rants

Andy Jones Mazda

Wednesday, October 8, 2003

On our afternoon walk around the parking lot I glanced back at the bright green car and noticed that the front plate (that says “Rader”) was hanging crookedly. Walked back and noticed that one screw was missing and the other was really loose, so I just took the plate off and threw it in the trunk. This gave me an even better idea for when I return the car. Instead of yesterday’s Wabbit Teeth, maybe I’ll just get a dealer plate from the competing Mazda dealer, Andy Jones, and put it in the holder on the front. 🙂

Tagged: Rants

Silly Wabbit

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

I wonder what the sense of humor level is over at Rader Mazda? I have those stupid Wabbit Teeth in a cabinet in my garage that I put on in place of the Alley Gator teeth for about a week a while back, I’m thinking of taking off their front plate and putting the teeth in before I return the loaner.

Tagged: Rants

8 to 2

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

That is the ratio of people at work who didn’t like to liked the Splash Green Miata, so I guess it does take all kinds. Truth be told, I think it looks better in the daylight than in the incandescent light of my garage, but I still wouldn’t own a car that color, got to be bright blue.

We just got our insurance bill in the mail today and I have uncovered a huge accounting mistake – on my part. I haven’t been including that money in the count at the bottom of the page. We pay on a monthly basis, but I never see it as my wife does that stuff. Seeing as I will never remember to put it in monthly I am just going to tack approximately a year’s worth of insurance on today’s post and be done with it.

Purchased Today: $642.60 in insurance
Money spent since 03/03/03: $2451.97
Started up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 248

Tagged: Miatatude
« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 … 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 … 919 920 921 922 923 Next »

sturgeon’s law

"Ninety Percent Of Everything Is Crap"
Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said, "Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of everything is crud." Oddly, when Sturgeon's Law is cited, the final word is almost invariably changed to 'crap'.

instagram

Bonus post today. I've passed through Tuskegee sev Bonus post today. I've passed through Tuskegee several times in both directions, but today I had time to stop.

#tuskegeeal #tuskegeeairmenmuseum #tuskegeeairmen #pt17trainer #p51mustang

site search

the best of

2025 | 2024 | 2023 |2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

the rest of

  • 2025: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2024: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2023: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2022: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2021: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2020: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2019: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2018: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2017: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2016: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2015: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2014: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2013: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2012: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2011: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2010: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2009: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2008: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2007: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2006: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2005: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2004: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2003: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
  • 2002: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12

fuelly

Fuelly Fuelly

meta

  • Log in

Copyright © 2025 Life of Brian.

Lifestyle WordPress Theme by themehit.com