Of Gasoline and Wine

When I first got my driver’s license, the only vehicle I got to drive was my Dad’s 1955 Buick Special, turquoise with a white top and no power steering. Dad was very generous about letting me use his car, but each time I borrowed it, a somewhat lengthy negotiation was mandatory in which he pretended he might not let me take the Buick and I would assure him that I wouldn’t be joyriding anywhere and that I would put in some gas to replace what I used. In those days I could pull into a station, say, Give me a couple dollars worth and get 6 or seven gallons. When I graduated from college, I bought a brand new Alfa

Romeo Spyder which got great gas mileage but required premium gasoline. Flush with cash from my first real job, I wanted the best for my baby, so I stopped only at Sunoco stations and chose the highest of the Custom-Blended Grades, 260. Sunoco 260 had an octane of 106 whereas current premium has an octane of 91.

%#@&#$$ Cars

No one has ever accused me of being a car guy, not because I don’t like cars but because I am too cheap and too practical to actually own one of the dozens of upscale vehicles that roam the streets around our neighborhood in North Orange County California. It probably didn’t help that I was burned twice by fun but unreliable vehicles early in my car owning life, a 1966 Alfa Romeo Spyder and a Fiat (Can you say Fix It Again Tony?) 850. Beyond those it has been Chevys, Toyotas and Hondas, all kept until their odometers were well beyond 100,000 miles. I am currently driving an 11 year old Acura TL, which was my big (for me) splurge when our business was doing very well. It is the best car I’ve ever owned but as its odometer inches toward 150.000 miles it is having senior moments more and more often. As I do with my senior friends, I try to be tolerant of its signs of age, but as my Acura’s issues become more bizarre, my patience is waning.

Getting On

I am not a car guy.  OK, when I graduated from college, I bought a brand new Alfa Romeo, which was pretty cool (but, it being Italian) it was a mechanical nightmare.  I moved on to a Volvo when I got married and had a brief rebound affair with a Fiat, which taught me the meaning of Fix It Again Tony.  Since then it’s been Toyotas, Hondas and Chevies.  See?  Not a car guy.  But few years ago when business was good, I bought an Acura TL which is the best car I’ve ever owned.   Quite simply, I love it.  It is, however, Getting On, in years and in miles.  It runs great and is as fast as ever but several of the luxury accessories I love are, shall we say, misbehaving.  For one, the outdoor temperature sensor has failed, so where I used to see 72°, I now see —.  Unless, of course, it rains or I take it to the car wash.  Then, until the sensor dries, I see -22° as the outside temperature.  Big deal, you say.  You live in Southern California. … it’s never cold.  Except that the Acura climate control uses the outside temperature to determine whether air conditioning is required, so it can be 105° outside … the air conditioning won’t come on until the sensor dries out.  I can live with that.

Friday Favorites 8/22/2014

I grew up in what was probably a lower middle class neighborhood, not that I even thought about such things back then.  It was my neighborhood and I was happy there.  Sure, I knew there were more affluent families and more upscale neighborhoods but I didn’t care.  I took it for granted that some of my friends had more money and some, less.  Some friends bought their clothes down at the shops around Yale University … I bought mine at the discount stores like Anderson Little.  A few kids had their own cars.  Quite a few came from multi-car families so they had ready access to a car.  My family had one car, Dad’s.  If Mom needed a car, she drove him to work then picked him up.   When I started to drive, sometimes, I’d do it for her … and sometimes, I’d do it for me so I could drive to school.  Dad was very reasonable about letting me borrow the car for dates and such, although he usually let me do my best negotiator routine before he handed me the keys.

Three Mikes

Muri and I put a lot of miles on our cars, particularly in the winter when we’re driving to Phoenix to see our grandkids.   Muri’s car has over 115,000 miles on it and mine is pushing 90,000.   We have always kept our cars well into the hundred thousands of miles but not two at once.  So, this week we decided it was time to replace Muri’s Toyota Camry.   We took several scouting trips to local dealers and decided on a Honda Accord, the 2012 model so we could get an end of year discount.  That was six weeks ago … we don’t jump into things around here.  But this Tuesday, we drove to the local Honda Dealer to make our purchase, which is how we got to meet the Three Mikes.

Gas

Yesterday as I was leaving for the office where I volunteer on Wednesdays, a plaintive ding came from my car’s dashboard, followed by the glow of the low fuel indicator.  This is not an uncommon occurrence … like many men, I rarely stop a gas station until the fuel light is on.  Since I was running late, I headed for the local Union 76 station, which I usually avoid because it tends to be expensive and very busy.  Sure enough, the front lot was like automotive musical pumps, 17 cars for 16 pumps and the loser … me … was out.  Whenever my Mom went into a crowded store or restaurant, she’d say, Look at this crowd … they must be giving something away.   However, when I finally got to a pump, they weren’t .. $4.17 per gallon for premium.  Yes, my little car likes the good stuff.

Cars and Computers

Well, it’s Top Sites Tuesday #75 – Two Thoughts on Tuesday and I’m thinking about two things can bring smiles to a man’s face or consternation to his brow … cars and computers … in this case, my son’s car and computer.   Let’s start with the success story, one that starts with consternation but ends with a smile.