I first attended a PCA/ACA national conference two years ago when it was in New Orleans primarily because it was in New Orleans, I had a paper that I could tweak to fit the Library, Archives, and Museums group, and I needed another conference presentation for my c.v. Karen Gracy was also presenting, so I could also relive my single, student days.
It turned out to be an academic fan convention! Sci-fi, fantasy, comic book, film, television, popular fiction of all ages . . . I swore I would attend again.
And here I am, but only by the grace of God and other drivers. The drive out here was completely uneventful, until we reached San Antonio. By then, I'd been driving for 8 hours, it was rush hour, and the idiot GPS began giving asinine directions. First, she tells me to take the ramp toward some street "South." Ok, it splits into a South and North. She says South, I get in that lane. Then she says, "Take ramp for Street South and stay Right." Well, hell, that's Street North, not Street South. I veer over to that triangular bit between the two, that's striped with yellow lines, turn on my signal, quickly check the traffic, and see that I can just get in. I do -- but the unmentionable thing driving the silver luxury car behind me decides to prove that no one can pull in front of her, so speeds by us on the rapidly disappearing shoulder. Mike starts to panic.
Then next exit, then she tells me to "Take the ramp to I35" or whatever. I manage to squeeze into the line of cars stopped at the light, head up onto the ramp as I hear her say, "Take the ramp to I35 then turn right on . . ." I realize too late that I should probably have turned right at the light, not taken the ramp.
This is where it gets really fun. Darlene is screaming at me in point something miles to take the exit on the left. I'm frantically trying to cross literally 4 lanes of traffic to get to that exit -- I can see it, so it's not far! I don't know how I wasn't hit, except that the other drivers managed not to hit me. They are still cursing that idiot driver from Louisiana who had no clue where she was going or what she was doing.
This is why I prefer maps. I study a map. I get the route in my head. I know that, when I exit, I stay right and then turn right at the light.
Mike wonders if we should use the GPS when we leave. I'll use her -- but I'll check Mapquest first.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
And so we say farewell
to the little car that was my near-constant companion for 15 years. Oh, the places we went! Places that a Mazda Protege wasn't meant to go -- which is probably why I had to replace both front axles at various times. But, after 15 years, the transmission failed in its mission. Suddenly, with no warning. Well -- not much of a warning, anyway. A little sluggish to shift first thing in the morning, when it was cold. Not more than that, though.
Irritatingly, I had taken the car in for an oil change just three days before, and ended up spending $450 to fix an oil leak. They told me I could bring it back -- no rush -- but nooooooo, I had to say, "We might as well take car of it while we're here." In classic "life in the middle fashion," I am still trying to figure out away to go back in time and stop myself from making that bad decision. I blame it on Charlie Sheen. The television in the repair shop was on Fox, as always, and they were broadcasting non-stop coverage of Sheen's breakdown, and I was infected by it. That's got to be the reason.
Or perhaps go back and tell myself that I might as well wait until I got back from the conference in Lafayette. That was the next week. But, nope, I gave the go ahead on Tuesday, and Friday morning, no more shifting. Revving up to 6,000 RPM, but no shifting. Had it towed into the shop on Monday, got the call a few hours later. Bit the bullet. Sold it to a salvage yard for $100. Hey -- it was 15 years old. No one cares what kind of shape the engine and body and interior are in -- the transmission repair was more than twice what it was worth. No one was going to buy it or take it in trade, if I could get it there. The salvage yard picked it up at the repair shop.
I called the credit union and got approved for a loan, and started reading through Consumer Reports. The April issue had arrived maybe the week before. Made a list of possible models and years.
Headed off to Lafayette on Wednesday with LaToya, returned on Friday afternoon. She kindly took me to the salvage yard on the way home to give them the title. They were astounded at the condition of the body and interior. The kid they sent out to get the registration from the glove box started it up; when he finally got back, he commented on the state of the engine. We both saw the gleam in the kid's eye and wonder how long it will be before he has rebuilt the transmission and has it back on the road. I'd like to think that it will have another life rather than be stripped of parts . . . must not anthropomorphize!!
Mike and our neighbor Mike (it's the only male name allowed in Louisiana) had spent the day cruising around in his Mustang convertible looking at used cars at Toyota and Honda dealers. We were thinking Prius and 54 mpg. Price LeBlanc had a 2011 RAV4 with 2958 miles on it. It was the dealer loaner, just on the lot that day.
We were there Saturday morning at 8:30. Drove it. Bought it. Just like that. And they threw in 2 packs of country smoked sausage. Probably shouldn't have bought the extended warranty, but -- 7 years bumper-to-bumper was hard to resist when you're looking at a $20000+ loan for 5 years. They know it, of course. They know that the little imp is whispering in your ear, "At least you'll be under warranty until it's paid for." It's whispering more loudly than the one that says, "It's a new Toyota! It had better be good for more than 5 years!! And if they didn't make money off of that warranty, they wouldn't sell it." What I wish I'd done was tell him to drop the selling price by $1,000 and I'd buy the warranty. Next time, I will.
But, really, a new car for a used car price?! How often does that happen?
I'm getting used to it now, after a month. I no longer feel as if I'm driving someone else's car, but part of me still sees myself as a green 1995 Mazda Protege.
Irritatingly, I had taken the car in for an oil change just three days before, and ended up spending $450 to fix an oil leak. They told me I could bring it back -- no rush -- but nooooooo, I had to say, "We might as well take car of it while we're here." In classic "life in the middle fashion," I am still trying to figure out away to go back in time and stop myself from making that bad decision. I blame it on Charlie Sheen. The television in the repair shop was on Fox, as always, and they were broadcasting non-stop coverage of Sheen's breakdown, and I was infected by it. That's got to be the reason.
Or perhaps go back and tell myself that I might as well wait until I got back from the conference in Lafayette. That was the next week. But, nope, I gave the go ahead on Tuesday, and Friday morning, no more shifting. Revving up to 6,000 RPM, but no shifting. Had it towed into the shop on Monday, got the call a few hours later. Bit the bullet. Sold it to a salvage yard for $100. Hey -- it was 15 years old. No one cares what kind of shape the engine and body and interior are in -- the transmission repair was more than twice what it was worth. No one was going to buy it or take it in trade, if I could get it there. The salvage yard picked it up at the repair shop.
I called the credit union and got approved for a loan, and started reading through Consumer Reports. The April issue had arrived maybe the week before. Made a list of possible models and years.
Headed off to Lafayette on Wednesday with LaToya, returned on Friday afternoon. She kindly took me to the salvage yard on the way home to give them the title. They were astounded at the condition of the body and interior. The kid they sent out to get the registration from the glove box started it up; when he finally got back, he commented on the state of the engine. We both saw the gleam in the kid's eye and wonder how long it will be before he has rebuilt the transmission and has it back on the road. I'd like to think that it will have another life rather than be stripped of parts . . . must not anthropomorphize!!
Mike and our neighbor Mike (it's the only male name allowed in Louisiana) had spent the day cruising around in his Mustang convertible looking at used cars at Toyota and Honda dealers. We were thinking Prius and 54 mpg. Price LeBlanc had a 2011 RAV4 with 2958 miles on it. It was the dealer loaner, just on the lot that day.
We were there Saturday morning at 8:30. Drove it. Bought it. Just like that. And they threw in 2 packs of country smoked sausage. Probably shouldn't have bought the extended warranty, but -- 7 years bumper-to-bumper was hard to resist when you're looking at a $20000+ loan for 5 years. They know it, of course. They know that the little imp is whispering in your ear, "At least you'll be under warranty until it's paid for." It's whispering more loudly than the one that says, "It's a new Toyota! It had better be good for more than 5 years!! And if they didn't make money off of that warranty, they wouldn't sell it." What I wish I'd done was tell him to drop the selling price by $1,000 and I'd buy the warranty. Next time, I will.
But, really, a new car for a used car price?! How often does that happen?
I'm getting used to it now, after a month. I no longer feel as if I'm driving someone else's car, but part of me still sees myself as a green 1995 Mazda Protege.
Monday, January 10, 2011
2010 in Review
In January, Mike became an unconditional permanent resident of the United States. Next step – citizenship, just as soon as he can memorize the words to all four verses of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
April found us in Las Vegas for Spring Break. Although Vegas continues to reinvent itself, and many of the old Rat Pack stomping grounds have been demolished, we were able to toast them in Caesar’s Palace and visit the Bugsy Siegel memorial at the current incarnation of the Flamingo – and we rode the monorail to get there! As I say, Vegas keeps changing. We made also brief forays to Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire, which have not changed.
Over the summer, Mike continued his career as a lab rat for the Pennington Biomedical Research Institute here, with a stint as a research subject in a 14-week study testing a new weight loss drug (indications are that he got the placebo). It included a 2 and ½ week stay at the Institute and a later one of 3 days, during which he was not allowed to do anything but read, watch t.v. or movies, eat, and sleep (it’s a cat’s life!), and weekly visits. No alcohol or caffeine from the week before the study through to the end. He endured it like a trooper, and was rewarded with $4500. He got the HD video camera he’s been coveting, and the house got sorely needed new windows – and we’ll get a tax credit.
We played host to two lovely women from Australia in August. Denise and Nivette, friends of Mike’s sister, Judy, were on a month-long driving tour of the U.S. They rented a car in Los Angeles, and drove to Memphis and Graceland, then dropped down to Baton Rouge for a few days, then to New Orleans and back to L.A. via Las Vegas.
They were so enthusiastic on their return to Australia that Judy decided to see what all the fuss was about. She arrived in Baton Rouge just in time for Halloween and Mike’s birthday, and stayed through Thanksgiving. We thoroughly enjoyed her visit, and hope that she felt the same.
In October, I began my apprenticeship as a volunteer open hearth cook at the Rural Life Museum’s Harvest Days and continued with a Rural Life Christmas in December. I also told ghost stories at the Museum’s Haints, Haunts & Halloween celebration. The best part is that I get to do it dressed in 19th century working-class garb, including mob cap and apron!
We ended the year with a long-planned train trip to the Big Bend National Park and area in Texas. Film buffs that we are, we stayed a night at the Hotel Paisano in Marfa, location for the movie “Giant,” then a night in the ghost town of Terlingua, and 3 days and 2 nights in Big Bend itself, and were home again on New Year’s Eve. Find photos, videos, and more detail on our blog, S & M on the Road.
April found us in Las Vegas for Spring Break. Although Vegas continues to reinvent itself, and many of the old Rat Pack stomping grounds have been demolished, we were able to toast them in Caesar’s Palace and visit the Bugsy Siegel memorial at the current incarnation of the Flamingo – and we rode the monorail to get there! As I say, Vegas keeps changing. We made also brief forays to Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire, which have not changed.
Over the summer, Mike continued his career as a lab rat for the Pennington Biomedical Research Institute here, with a stint as a research subject in a 14-week study testing a new weight loss drug (indications are that he got the placebo). It included a 2 and ½ week stay at the Institute and a later one of 3 days, during which he was not allowed to do anything but read, watch t.v. or movies, eat, and sleep (it’s a cat’s life!), and weekly visits. No alcohol or caffeine from the week before the study through to the end. He endured it like a trooper, and was rewarded with $4500. He got the HD video camera he’s been coveting, and the house got sorely needed new windows – and we’ll get a tax credit.
We played host to two lovely women from Australia in August. Denise and Nivette, friends of Mike’s sister, Judy, were on a month-long driving tour of the U.S. They rented a car in Los Angeles, and drove to Memphis and Graceland, then dropped down to Baton Rouge for a few days, then to New Orleans and back to L.A. via Las Vegas.
They were so enthusiastic on their return to Australia that Judy decided to see what all the fuss was about. She arrived in Baton Rouge just in time for Halloween and Mike’s birthday, and stayed through Thanksgiving. We thoroughly enjoyed her visit, and hope that she felt the same.
In October, I began my apprenticeship as a volunteer open hearth cook at the Rural Life Museum’s Harvest Days and continued with a Rural Life Christmas in December. I also told ghost stories at the Museum’s Haints, Haunts & Halloween celebration. The best part is that I get to do it dressed in 19th century working-class garb, including mob cap and apron!
We ended the year with a long-planned train trip to the Big Bend National Park and area in Texas. Film buffs that we are, we stayed a night at the Hotel Paisano in Marfa, location for the movie “Giant,” then a night in the ghost town of Terlingua, and 3 days and 2 nights in Big Bend itself, and were home again on New Year’s Eve. Find photos, videos, and more detail on our blog, S & M on the Road.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)