Miata Mileage

80,000 Nothings

Tonight was the annual Bug Splat Rally for the MMC. Our slightly early start and the two brief rain showers we ran through on the loop conspired to make bugs scarce. Prize awarding was sketchy at best and as a matter of fact the Cleanest Car and Most Bugs Awards were given out based on pre-rally car conditions.

The rain was obviously my fault as I washed the car this morning to make the Emperor look pretty for tonight’s Club gathering. In mid Bug Splat loop His Highness crossed the Savannah River and crossed the 80K mile mark at about the same time.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 288

79,000 Doves Cry

We got up at 5:00 AM and headed southeast, destinations: Dorchester, Ridgeville, Summerville, Summerville, Ravenel, Hollywood, Edisto Island, Adams Runs, Jacksonboro, Cottageville and Round O.

Just before crossing the bridge over the intercoastal waterway in the South Carolina Low Country at the intersection of No and Where, the Emperor ticked past the seventy-nine thousand mile mark. Somewhere within 25 miles either way of that event a young male bluejay tufted titmouse committed suicide by flying right in front of us. He was given an un-proper burial (i.e. dumped) under a bush along the side of the Adams Run, SC Post Office.

I didn’t listen to the ballgame on Thursday or Friday and the FRS beat the MFY. I watched the game yesterday afternoon and they lost. Tonight they are playing on ESPN and I figured that if I didn’t watch they might win like Thursday or Friday. I’m listening on the internet and that might be the wrong thing to do too, as the Yankees are up 1 to 0 in the second. Maybe I should quit listening… Nine o’clock on USA are new episodes of Law & Oder: Criminal Intent, followed by In Plain Sight.

Oh, word of advice, if you live on a hill and your neighbor has a pool, don’t forget to set your parking brake.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 235

78,000 Pieces of Candy

The MMC was “float” #30 and Gnorm was there to make sure we parked in the right spot, in front of the horses and a few participants behind the DJ Man.

This morning when we got in the Emperor to meet the club for breakfast before the parade, the odometer read 78,000 miles even, which is coincidentally the total number of pieces of candy tossed out of the 4 cars to the crowds lining the streets of Trenton, SC today.

This afternoon we watched the last four episodes of Season 3 of House. Instead of waiting to watch Season 4 on DVD when it comes out in August, I thought I’d try my new TV Gizmo and watch it online. Can’t, sorta. All that are available on Fox or Hulu are episodes 1,2,13 & 14. Seems as if they are rerunning the show during the summer and only want you to see it on network TV.

Which leads to a full review of said Gizmo — pretty much what I said before, OK for video, sucks for text. Will I probably get my forty bucks worth out of it? Yep.

Started down, went up, back down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 215

77,000 Lumens

This morning Donna and I had our annual eye exams. First the doc shines a really bright light in your eyes while telling you to look every which way. Then one of his staff Divas of Torture drops a combination of drops in each eye which makes your pupils dilate until it looks like you have no corneas. Then once your eyes are wide ass open the doctor returns and shines a really, really, really bright light in there. Niiiice. Afterwards all you can do is spent the 5 hours inside a darkened house because a mere 60 watt bulb appears to put out about 77,000 lumens.

While entrapped indoors this afternoon I did mount all the shiny new chrome bathroom racks and such. The wall on the left as you enter the bathroom looked so good that we hated to put the door back up because it totally hides it. If it was just us we might have got away with it, but occasionally we have people over and they might not be so comfortable doing their business without a door to hide behind, so I put the door up.

Somewhere between Egypt & Guyton, GA the Emperor cruised past the 77,000 mile mark. I kept my eyes peeled, but didn’t see a welcome to Egypt sign. If I had I would have stopped so Donna could have taken my picture in front of it. I need another image to add to the Travels with Brian gallery.

Started down, went up, back down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 163

76,000 Nitpicks

The contractor is done. Well, all except for he’ll be back next week sometime to install the bottom molding around on the outside of the new walls of the small bathroom. He left behind a few little things that need to be taken care of, might be easier for me to go ahead and take care of them, but I might just leave them for his return. There is one part of the bathroom wall that didn’t get totally smoothed out, probably missed it because it is hidden by the usually open door. The light fixture above the mirror was wobbly and I asked him to tighten it down, but it didn’t get done ( I fixed it tonight.) There is a crack in the grout in the corner seam of the stand up shower, that he touched up today with just some success.

The one that is most noticeable was not within his control. We bought Price Pfister porcelain cross handled faucets for both showers and one for the bathroom sink in the big bathroom for two reasons, 1) we like the look and 2) they would match our already existing faucet in the small bathroom. The existing one works in a manner such that you turn both knobs counter-clockwise for on and clockwise for off. We were thrown for a loop when we started to use the new shower in the small bathroom. This set works by turning the cold counter-clockwise for on and the hot clockwise for on. Now in the newly completed big bathroom at least the shower/unit controls are identical to the ones in the shower of the other bathroom, but incredibly the vanity faucets are just the opposite of the shower units, you turn the cold clockwise for on and the hot counter-clockwise. So now we have to learn how to operate 4 separate faucets in three different manners. I hope I don’t scold something important.

Today on the way home from work the Emperor reached the 122,310km (76,000 mile) plateau.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 132

Pedro Sez 75,000 Crappy Trinkets Available Here

The Emperor passed through the 75,000 mile mark just east of Columbia on I-20.

After breakfast this morning we hopped on the interstate and headed east not getting off until somewhere north of Florence on I-95. We then spent the rest of the day traveling the back roads of rural northeast South Carolina nabbing photos of Post Offices. We ended up the day with 14 captured. We even had to stop at a library in a city along the way to find a PO we had a map for (we were looking north of town instead of south)and one that we didn’t (even though I have an image of it on the thumbdrive.)

The rude employees at a Subway in Lake City did us a favor. After we walked out in disgust, we ended up at a Mexican place, La Bamba, that was terrific. Their Carnitas were scrumptious and the ice cold Dos Equis was much better than any fountain drink available at the other place.

Tomorrow morning — Cinnamon Bun.

Started up, went down, back up, back down, went up, went down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 117

74,000 Sequins

74,000 SequinsDonna is in the other room watching the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships on ESPN. Tonight was the Ladies Short Program which Italy’s Carolina Kostner won.

I am in front of the computer watching the NCAA basketball tournament. With 28 of 32 1st round games played in the “Big Dance” I have correctly picked exactly half, which leaves me nearly dead last and in the company of people with names like Susan, Lorrie, Kella & Jean…

We went back to Augusta today to order our tile for the bathroom. Afterwards we went back to the Home Depot in Evans to try and get a look at the top color for the vanity we have picked out. The floor tiles are grayish-blue and there is a stock color by the company that makes the vanity we have picked out called blue pearl that we wanted to see. Our Home Depot in Aiken had a sample of every other color but that one. When we told the tile lady that we really did want to see the vanity top before ordering. She asked what the color was called and when we told her, she said we have a sample of that and she showed us. It was a lot more black than the blueish tinted web photo, but it would definitely work.

I still wanted to see what Pegasus called Blue Pearl because it might be completely different. Well the nice new big store in Evans did have the color and lo and behold it was just like what they had at the tile store. As we walked the bath aisles there was a vanity sitting in the middle of one that looked awfully familiar. Wait a minute that is our vanity! It was at a reduced price because it was damaged. There was a whole section with that style stuff in various sizes, including the desired 48″ one. These things, according the HD web site, are online order only, what’s this store doing with them?

Donna went up to the service desk to ask if we bought it here would they transfer it to our local store. The person wasn’t absolutely sure, but delivery would be expensive for us because of our over 25 mile distance from the store. We weren’t buying just then, so we figured we would ask that question at our store later. Big mistake, the people at our store knew even less. They even doubted that the store in Evans had what we saw with our very own eyes.

We have got a 10% off coupon (Thanks Patti) and it would be nice to take advantage of the discount on that high priced item. It has to be used on a single in store purchase, so I guess we will need to figure out how to do that. Unfortunately in this case a Miata is not as good as a pick up truck because of the objects size. We may have to borrow a friend on this one.

On the way back from Augusta the Emperor passed the 74,000 mile mark.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/08: 86