Miatatude

The closest I’ve got to the Miata all day is I have walked by it a half dozen times on the way to and from the washer/dryer. It has been raining nearly all afternoon anyway. This morning Donna and I took my sister and her husband over to Hopeland Gardens to walk around and take some photos. Being the heathens we are, we didn’t realize that they were having Easter services at the amphitheater. Fortunately it is a big place and by the time we had covered everywhere else and wanted to head that way, services were over and the crowd broke up. Afterwards, we drove around horse country to breathe in the ambiance…

I have finally made it over 1 year CPU time in the search for ET. I am a member of the Miata Club over at SETI@Home. I am currently in the number 10 spot. The only other person I could possibly overtake unless I rent supercomputer time is #9, Erick Sodhi. He is currently 130 WU ahead of me, but it looks like he has stopped contributing. His last uploaded results were on February 1, 2001. At my current rate and if Erick doesn’t wake up, I will overtake him on the 19th of June this year.

Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 71

Company was in town to go see the harness races this weekend, but this morning started with a horrendous rain storm. Put the top up and drove over to see if the races were still on before schlepping everyone over, nope called off until next Saturday. What are we going to do now. Around lunch the sun came out so we piled into my sister’s car and drove to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. Nice time. We managed to get out and back to the car before it started to rain again.

This evening we needed a trip to the store for some last minute items for Easter dinner tomorrow, so Donna and I dropped the top back down and made the 15 mile drive to the Publix that is 3 miles away.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 71

The cockpit cover Does not need waterproofing, I think. It is made of Technalon and it is supposedly fairly water resistant already. No straps to adjust, just elastic with rubber coated hooks. When I first put it on it appeared too small, but after futzing with it, it seems OK. Got to put the front on first, roll it out and put the tabs under the trunk last. Right now it is rolled up and tucked under the boot to preserve the trunk space.

Made a trip to Augusta to drop off Bike Club newsletters at the three big bike stores over there. The 2 in downtown were a cinch, but getting to the one in Martinez proved problematic. Friday and Saturday are what they call a tax holiday in Georgia. In order to boost sales or cut parents a break, school type items are tax free. Traffic was such a mess around the shopping centers that after trying a couple of ways to get around it, I bailed and came home. We will be out that way next Thursday and will drop the stuff off then.

Started down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 69

Top up for the ride to work, top down for the ride home. Big news is my cockpit cover from Rspeed came in today. Going to spray it with some Scotchgard waterproofing tomorrow for insurance (supposed to already be weather resistant.) Then, put it on so I can get the straps adjusted. We’ll see if using this thing turns into a hassle, I hope not. I hope that using it in combination with the boot I can slow the climb of the number at the bottom each post, thereby increasing the life of the top.

Started down, went up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 69

Didn’t put the top down until the trip home. So in honor of an absolute perfect spring day we took the 25 mile long cut home. After, I ran right back out to go to Mailboxes, Etc. to make copies of the Aiken Bicycle Club’s newsletter for distribution. On the short 3 mile trip there I saw 3 newish Chrysler Sebrings with their tops down (I told you it was a perfect spring day) I also saw a 3-series BMW with their top down. Also a red M1 & silver M2 Miatas with their top up and a silver M1 with it down.

Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 67

Today at lunch I ran to the Post Office to mail off my CD of the Month. I mailed 2 copies and I should get 2 back, one of Josh’s and one from somebody else who sends in two. I just love this idea of random music. When will I get it? Will I love it? Will I hate it? I made up some labels for the CDs and stuck them in one of those plastic cases I get at work. I wonder how intricate the ones I get will be? Wait here, I’m going to check my mail and see if they are there yet. 😀

When I got back from the PO I decided to put the top up. There was no mention of rain in the forecast, but there were a couple of big gray clouds wandering the sky. Went right inside and called Rspeed and ordered up a cockpit cover, this way on days like today where there is a slim chance of water droplets from the sky I can use that instead of taking off the boot and raising the top. My fancy-smancy A/C Cover Plate is not in yet. Two weeks ago they said 2 weeks, today they said one more week.

Started down, went up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 65