Miatatude

We took half a day vacation from work and are off to Hilton Head for the weekend. We get to stay free at a condo on the beach. Payback for doing a web page for the owner. He owns a couple he rents out and manages a few more for rent as well. I designed the original page and now I keep it updated and add/remove units as needed and he thanks me by letting Donna and I stay one weekend a year in the off-season.

Really cold morning, but by noon when we left Aiken it was warm enough to put the top down for the trip. It stayed down for the 2-1/2 hour trip to HHI. We shopped for breakfast items and tonite’s dinner, headed over to condo, parked and put the top up. Supposed to rain tomorrow and maybe Sunday, might have been the only time the top is down all weekend…

Started up, went down, went back up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 37

Braved the chill this morning on the way to work. When we get in the car in the morning it is relatively warm from sitting in the garage all night which makes the first part of the commute OK. Today we wanted some Hardee’s Biscuits ‘n’ Gravy for breakfast. So while we were inside the car was outside cooling off. Turned on the heater for the 6 miles, no big deal, but I’m sure we looked nutso to the environmentally challenged. I had the boot on because there was no mention of rain for the next couple of days (just cold and we ain’t scared of no cold.) Fortunately I had to run an errand at around 9, because as I was coming back to the plant it started to sprinkle. When I got in the lot I quick like put the top up. As I walked back into the building from the far corner of the lot I actually got a little wet. As fast as the errant shower appeared, it disappeared just as fast. By lunch and for the rest of the day it was mostly sunny. Dropped the top for the ride home. Probably be up for the next couple of days, weather folks are predicting 40 degree days and teens at night.

Started down, went up, back down for the ride home, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 34

Drove to work as usual with the top up. There was frost on the fields, but we are going to get to 70 this afternoon. Spring is slowly approaching though, almost don’t need the barndoors up for the morning commute, getting lighter every day. I really should be working on the next edition of The Driver, but instead I am posting on RoadsterChat, Miata.net forum and blogging about my dull day. I don’t mail it ’til Thursday, so I probably won’t start working on it in earnest unit Wednesday. 🙂

Started up, went down for the ride home, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 32

We had our first little MMM…Time with the Miata Club. 10 Miatas and one RX-7. We met at the Sno-Cap Drive In in North Augusta. We popped the hoods and chatted outside. We chatted inside nearly filling all the booths. We pretty much over ran the joint. Before we over stayed our welcome, Stacey Timmerman lead us on a 20-25 mile drive around north of the Interstate. Fun time.

Started down, went up, went down, now up.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 31

Note to self: Never make a snap decision on the tire you buy.

If you need a set of tires because one is irreparable, put on the tiny spare and go home, check Miata net. Back in December when I needed tires in a hurry and the guy told me what tires he had, they sounded like a tire I had read favorable reviews about on MN, but they were not. Turns out 910 is a lot farther away performance-wise from 930 than the numbers let on. The tires I bought were 3 performance levels down from the ones I thought they were and 4 levels down from where I was. The Pole Positions I now have are at the top of the street tire line and one step *up* from where I was when this whole mess started. I think that next time I will know, I ended up wasting the $270 I spent on the 910’s. I got my money back on them and they took it off the price of the S-03’s but I still ended up paying as much additional for them as they would have cost outright from the Tire Rack. If I don’t get out and look at the scratches those chuckleheads put on my rims installing the tires and just drive, I’ll be fine.

Started down, went up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 28

Started out even warmer than yesterday and it is supposed to be a couple of nice days, so I put the top down and the boot on. Really starting to feel like spring (I know it is early, but the pine pollen was back today.) The new Bridgestone S-03 Pole Positions are more like it. They may be even better than the RE-71s I replaced. I just don’t know as I am not a tire expert, but I do know the Miata once again handles above my fear limit. I can hardly wait to wear these things down halfway, woohoo!

The first person to try and send me money via PayPal for the 2″ stickers was using a credit card. PayPal wants money for me to accept credit cards. (2.9% + 30 cents) That amounts to 36 cents on $2 and 45 cents on $5, I declined the payment because I’m cheap. But now that I think about, I was never in this for the money, just the fun. Maybe I was too quick to decline? Yeah, I think I’ll change it so I can get the Credit Card money…

Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 26

The sticker folks emailed back to let me know that they goofed by showing me and approving a design that they could not print. They need 1/8″ of non-printed border and we had agreed to a design that left only 1/16″, that is why the image was smaller. It was off center by a 1/32″ and they told me they would reprint them, but couldn’t guarantee any better centering as 1/32 was within “industry standards.” Because the image size was their fault, they offered to knock 25% off the price charged, to which I agreed. The stickers are now on sale in the Barndoor Fan Club Store along with all the other club merchandise.

Started down, went up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/01/02: 25