Cars

Enterprise Car Rental

When we picked up the rental car and were doing the walk around, Donna mentioned to the agent that the left front tire looked low. She replied, “We are on a hill.” I looked, and the way the car was parked, it looked like a reasonable response. After about fifty miles of driving we were thinking about seeing if we could swap cars in Orlando because it had a vibration that was bordering on annoying. At a stop for refreshments on all level ground the tire still looked low. We put some air in it and the vibration went away. What do you know? Never doubt Donna when she says a tire is low!

Silver Fish

You’ve seen them on the backs of cars, those symbols of Christianity placed so you can tell that the person in front of you is a religious sort. Tonight I was behind a car that had a variation of one on the trunk lid that I had not seen before. In place where the eye of the fish would be, there was a small cross. I suppose it was there to maybe clue in the uneducated as to what the fish symbol meant, but I thought the x-ed out eye made it look like a dead fish.

Stoplights And Shops And Cars And Stuff

Drove home from Chattanooga, TN today. We left the Hotel at 9:00 PM and pulled into the Garage at 6:00 PM. That is a lot more driving than we really like for one day, but it is done and we now have the next 4 days to recover from it before heading back to work. We know better but somehow forget to leave all big towns via the Interstate for about 20 miles before getting onto US or State Highways. Left out of Chattanooga via US 27, then 41 figuring we would be in the mountains sooner, NOPE. Just lots of stoplights and shops and cars and stuff. Oh well, once we got into north Georgia we found some awesome roads. The trip to Elijay vis GA 52 was excellent. The rest was pretty good too, but after 150 miles of it we were ready to be home. Stopped at Amicalola Falls for a peek at the 729′ water fall, cool, but a bit of a hike/walk/climb to get to it. They have a neat lodge in the State Park and we plan a revisit to spend a night and explore more.

Holiday Inn

Maybe back in the day Holiday Inns were a nice place to stay. Nowadays unless you get to stay in a newly constructed motel, they all seem like a place going to seed, not yet there, but drifting that way. Our home away from home these last four days has been the Holiday Inn Choo-Choo Hotel in downtown Chattanooga. They have changed the elegant old train station into the lobby, restaurants and offices of the hotel. They have even turned some of the old railway cars into rooms and dining. A nice concept, recapture the glory days of rail travel in America. Unfortunately today’s tourist is not really interested. The kids get a kick out of climbing on the steam engine and standing in the engineers spot, but only for a minute, then they want to go to the pool or play in the video arcade. The place fits my expectations of an older Holiday Inn and it is sad. The rail cars look like they need a renovation instead of the every other year paint job on the roof. You just know that today’s style corporation will use and use just patching things until it stops making money then discard it. Pardon me boy, was that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?

Watermelon Festival

There were 5 cars at the Welcome Center for the Miata Club’s trip to Hampton, SC for the Watermelon Festival. Of that number, only 2 made the trip. The weather forecast didn’t look good, rain was predicted and it was already raining in Charleston and heading north. Tony decided to push on and go anyway as we had made a commitment to meet the folks from the Low Country Miata Club for the parade and festivities. Because of the weather in Charleston I figured nobody from there would come, boy was I wrong, they had 6 cars make the trip. Good thing Tony did go. They got wet waiting on the parade, but had a good time anyway. Donna and I did a little shopping and spent a quiet day at home.

Started down, went up, went down, back up again, still up.
Top Transitions sine 02/02/02: 146

Romulan Cloaking Device

Almost didn’t drive the Miata today either. Lazed around the house all morning. Friends came over for the mandated-by-law Memorial Day grilling of hot dogs and hamburgers. Then afternoon nap followed by watching some of the X-Files marathon on FX. Caught a couple of good ones including 2 of my all-time favorites – “Bad Blood” and “Small Potatoes.” After Small Potatoes we went out for a drive to check the Aiken Bicycle Club mail, buy some CD labels and take a walk. Beautiful night for a drive, temperature was around 80 with low humidity. The only problem is even though I had my lights on, I must have had the Romulan Cloaking Device going without knowing, as 2 cars made me slam on the brakes to avoid hitting them as they pulled out in front of us.

Started down, still down.
Top Transitions sine 02/02/02: 119

Really Nice Leg Warmers

Cool time at the drive in on Saturday. Eight cars made the trip to the Big Mo and 7 stayed for the movie. We moved the time for leaving the Sonic up a half hour and it paid off. We got there before the gates opened and were like 4 cars back from the ticket booth. The last 3 times we have gone we have been stuck in the back row or split up. This time we got in the 3rd row and all in a line. Actually, after a close call with a minivan parking nearly in front of us, Stacey Timmerman and I moved our cars into the row right in front of the other 5. There surely wasn’t going to be any problems blocking the screen with a Miata. The dozen of us pulled out the folding chairs and chatted and snacked away the hour before show time (pun not intended.)

During the day on Saturday it was nearly 90, so quite few of us were unprepared for the coolness that arrived after sundown. A decent breeze made it seem even colder. It was a good thing that Rudy finally picked up the Club T-shirts and brought them to the Sonic. He passed them out to those who had ordered them and a couple of them made really nice leg warmers for those bare legs.

In between movies we lost 3 cars to early departures. Too bad too, as they missed the highlight of the whole evening, a marriage proposal over the PA system. Seems a couple had their first date at the Big Mo one year ago to the night. (Coincidentally the Miata Club was there too.) They decided to come back on the anniversary to see another movie. The guy had a plan. In between the usual announcements and trivia contests, the owner asked this fella’s girl friend over the PA would she marry him. After a few minutes the answer was announced, she said yes.

Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 115