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[Stuart]

My favorite car is my current one, my first.  It is a 2001 Kia Sephia, in what the dear partner and I like to call "Burnt Champagne," though most others would call it a slightly metallic beige.

Having been one of the native New Yorkers whose mastery of the subway/bus system, as well as other ways of public transportation, and who's arm reflexively shoots up and out at the sight of a yellow car, I had gotten my license in high school, but never really drove until we moved up to Rochester two years ago.  What I was waiting for, I am not quite sure.  Except that people I know pay more for a garage space than I did for my maintenance payment on my co-op apartment.  But come on, what New Yorker would sensibly own a car, and NOT garage it?  Except if you lived in the wilds of Sheepshead Bay or Little Neck, or some such outer-borough place, where you could actually FIND parking spaces, even on alternate side days, of course......

My Kia has been terrific thus far, save for the three sets of wiper blades I have had to put on it.  But with slushy, salty goo being tossed at you on the highways on a regular basis during the snow season, I suppose that is to be expected.

[Ron Pulliam]

My first car:

A 1964 Chevy Malibu Supersport.  White w/red interior.  My father gave it to me in the summer of 1969.  I wrecked it two weeks later when I rear-ended a pickup truck.  My father repaired it (sort of), including the a/c.  I had it my senior year in college and the first two years I was in the Navy.  On a 4th of July weekend in 1972, I bought a new Datsun (forget the model) which I drove until I went to Italy in March 1973.  Sold the Datsun to my father, who drove it as a second car and he had it when I returned from Italy in 1977.  During my time in Europe, I picked up a 1964 VW bug (with a hasp lock on the outside of the driver's door) which served me exceedingly well from August 1975 until roughly April 1977 at which time I bought a Fiat convertible (again, model escapes me) which had U.S. specs and which I shipped back to the U.S.  I was stationed in Washington DC where this poor little Fiat shivered and shook and didn't run at any time there was ice or snow on the ground.  When I left Washington in 1979 for training at the Navy Training Center, Great Lakes, my father drove to Washington and got the Fiat and towed it to South Carolina.  

When my training was over and I was bound for Indiana to teach journalism at the Defense Information School, my father offered to sell me the Datsun.  Essentially, I paid him $300 and gave him the Fiat (I'm now thinking it was the 1200 model) in return for the Datsun.  I drove that Datsun until 1984 when I was assigned to a carrier out of Alameda here in the Bay Area.  Again, my father took the Datsun and drove it a while before selling it.

I didn't have a car again until 1987 when I was assigned to Naples, Italy.  My purchase was a Citroen...model: Deux Cheveaux.  That's right!  It had 2 hp!  It was gorgeous, though.  Maroon body with black fenders and black rag top.  Dove grey interior.  I drove it for about a year and then it was stolen out of my locked garage via my locked driveway gate.  Professional job.

I ended up with a European-specs BMW which I drove until I left in October 1992.

In June 1993, I bought a 1990 Ford Probe SL that had 30,000 miles on it.  I still drive it.  I went over 60,000 miles this past summer.

[Matt H.]

I know my next car will be a Saturn. A couple of friends have them, and I love riding in their cars. I also appreciate their "no haggling" salesmanship. That's the thing I detest most about buying a new car, and I won't have to do that with them.

[bk]

Tammy's got a red Mazda Miata - she'll be selling hers soon she tells me.  Now's your chance.

[Jennifer]

DR Stuart, I see your car in ads everywhere.

[JoseSPiano]

Good Afternoon!

DR JRand54 - Read your post from yesterday, read your e-mail today, and your response too.  As I mentioned in my e-mail, when I looked for a 1757, I didn't see one - unless it was on the part of the road that turned into a private driveway further up the hill.  (Did you catch that DR Jay? )  So, just in case I had written down the number wrong... (I knew there was a "5" in there somewhere.)

And who knows? Maybe the hot sun beating down on my head affected me...  

[Panni]

Speaking of cars, I was sent this e-mail by a friend who usually doesn't pass stuff like this along. It's apparently from a detective in the identity theft unit of the San Diego Police Dept.
So for what it's worth, here it is:

Be aware of the new car-jacking scheme. Here's how it works:

You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. Then you lock all your doors, start the engine and shift into REVERSE, and you look into the rear view mirror to back out of your parking space and you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window.  So you shift into PARK, unlock your doors and jump out of your car  to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your  view...
When you reach the back of the car that is when the car-jackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. Your engine was running, (women would have their purse in the car) and they  practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.

What you should do if you do see something in the rear window:

Just drive away and remove the piece of paper that is stuck to  your
window later.  

[JoseSPiano]

Yes, I did have a good trip back yesterday.  I guess the only real inconvenience was having to get picked up by the airport shuttle service at 3:45AM(!?!?!?) to get to Long Beach.  Of course, since it was an early Sunday morning, we ended up getting to LGB at 4:15AM(!?!?!) - The airport didn't open until 5:00AM!  Thankfully, the terminal was not completely closed - the doors and bathrooms were still open - and since it was SoCal, waiting outside wasn't too bad either.  And the whole waiting period went rather fast too.

I did get a good laugh watching some of the people stock up on food for the trip at the snack bar since Jet Blue does not serve meals on their flights.  However, they do serve snacks, and the flight attendants are usually more than happy to give you seconds - and sometimes thirds.  I mean people seemed to be stocking up for a snow storm!  It was only a four and a half hour flight?!?!?  Do you really need two sandwiches and three containers of yogurt?!?!  But I guess if you need to eat that much food...  If I'm sitting down for that long, I don't like eating that much anyway - just don't want to be digesting without having a chance to move around normally.  *I also just wanted to get in my seat and stay there for the duration of the flight getting some rest - and a few winks here and there - which I did.

Once at Dulles, it was a bit of a maze getting to baggage claim since they're in the process of remodeling and constructing some of the terminals.  *I also noticed the lack of signage in foreign languages as I was making my way towards baggage claim - kind of strange for a very international airport, dontcha think?

My brother called me from his car just as my baggage was coming off the carousel, so I only had about a two minute wait once I got out to the curb.  And then I spent the ride home playing "I Spy" with my niece.  Boy, was she in a wacky mood yesterday.  She just kept asking me how many plates I could balance on my head?!?!?  -Were Ed Sullivan reruns being shown on TV?

[JoseSPiano]

My niece's birthday party was fun - even though I was sort of in "zombie" mode for it.  There were LOTS of kids there, and a bunch of other families I didn't know.  However, it was nice seeing the ones I did know.

My brother's new house/condo is very nice.  And it's surprisingly big.  It looks small from the outside, but it has three floors, and a nice finished basement with a storage area, plus a brick patio in the back.  It's a good kids party house - enough room for them to run around, but not large enough for them to get lost or out of ear shot.

The spread of food consisted of pizza, fried chicken, various types of chicken wings, chips, dips, etc.  And the birthday cake ended up being an ice cream cake from Carvel.  -My favorite!  Unfortunately, when it came time to blow out the candles, I was already upstairs zonked out in one of the bedrooms.  But I did get to spend some time with my niece - who is still "scared" of me - but she at least let me hug her, and she gave me a few "un besitos".  

And then it was home, and then it was time to sleep... for 14 hours!  I did get up once during the night, and I had absolutely no idea what time it was.  I even thought for a few minutes that I had slept through the following day.  It was only 12:45AM.  I got up to get a drink of water, and then went back to bed.  From what I could tell, my parents were still up downstairs, but I knew if I tried to navigate the stairs at that time, I probably would have ended up falling down them rather than walking down them.

[Jane]

SWW how about "And Then There Were None"?
I’m pleased you are feeling better.  Good luck with the ear.  I hate when a cold goes into my ear.

Matthew, Amber India is a pretty name for a restaurant.  If ever I’m in San Jose I will try and eat there.  I’m glad you enjoyed your new experience.

George I like your suggestion of “Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?”  I think it should be combined with my suggestion.

Divarobbie what is wrong with Hobbits?

Panni possibly the theater can still reach her for you.  Did you check to see if she has a website now?

[JoseSPiano]

Are you bored yet?

Well... Once I got up this morning just after 9:00am, I put some laundry in the machine, and caught up on my e-mails.

I also dropped my car off at the muffler shop up the street.  I had it repaired two years ago there, and I could tell something had come "undone" when I was driving up here in July on my way to Dulles to fly out to L.A.  So, I drove it up, and walked back home - yes, more walking.

*And walking back from the shop I noticed - again - how even though there are bus stops along the main road every five to six blocks, there are no real sidewalks - no real place to wait for the bus - no real safe place to wait.  Hmm...

In any case, on the way back, I stopped at my favorite Chinese carryout place, got some lunch, then made a stop at the bank, yadda-yadda....

Once back at the house, the muffler guy called.  The repair was under the warranty!  Yippee!  However, there was one other thing that did need fixing - which I was suspecting needed to be fixed, which would only cost about $130.  Not too bad.  Then he called again a few minutes later... UGH!  Well... Let's just say I'll be paying more than $130 when I go to pick up my car later this afternoon...  It will be a little painful on my wallet, but, hey...  -And this ties in to today's Topic...

The car I own right now is the car the car I've had for the past 11(!) years, a Ford Escort Wagon.  Say what you will about Ford's, but this one has treated me very well.  Besides the basic maintenance and the usual replacements that are needed as a car ages (belts, brakes, rotors, muffler, tires, etc.), I've never had any truly unexpected repairs.  I'd say I've put just over $3000 into over the 11 years that I've owned it.  And this car has 212,000+(!) miles on it!  Not bad at all.  And the gas mileage seems better now than it did when it was new - highway, I average about 40 mpg - truly not bad at all.

Before this car, I had hand-me-downs from my parents... A big, gray Impala (diesel, too!), a Datsun 510 (kind of a mini-station wagon), and a Ford Mustang.  All of them treated me very well, with the Impala seeming to go in the shop more often than the others.  But, boy, was that Impala quite roomy, we used to call it a tank.  It was perfect for small moves, as well as taking a bunch of friends to the movies.

[Jay]

Kudos to Dear Reader Panni who quelled The Wrath of Bruce last night.

[Jay]

Panni:  You often mention that something or other is playing on the TV in the bg.  What is a bg?

[Jane]

Bruce, och!  I broke my little toe and boy did it hurt.  It was sensitive for years and every little bump would hurt.  It is fine now.  How is your throat today?

WEL a car is very vital outside of LA.  LA was the only place I have lived where I could manage without one.

Td are you sure you can’t be in NY on Oct. 6th?

Elan the description of your mother driving the tank is hilarious.  

[Jay]

I liked my 1999 Audi A6 (black exterior, black leather interior) so much that when the lease expired, I got a 2002 Audi A6 (with, yes, a black exterior and black leather interior.)

This has me concerned to some degree that I am turning into my Dear Father, as he is a serial buyer of one kind of automobile.  In his case, it is Big Blue Buicks.  The lease on my Audi will be up in February, and as I consider what's out there, I find myself leaning toward yet another A6.

[Ron Pulliam]

BK - Your California roots are showing.  As with several of the postings already, I've never owned a car.  It's just not that vital outside of CA.

I, too, am confused by this remark.  Not vital?  To whom?

Certainly, those living in NYC would have little need for personal transportation.

But the remainder of the country is vast and personal transportation is absolutely VITAL.

In fact, there are few places in the USA one can live comfortably WITHOUT a vehicle of some kind.

[Dan (the Man)]

I just got back from a lunchtime walk to Barnes & Nobel where I picked up an interesting birthday gift for a friend.  It's a series of books that are guides ot the top 100 selling albums of the 50s thru to the 90s.  Each page gives a little write up of the albums, with a nice quality image of the album cover on the opposite page.  I bought my friend the complete set, but after having scanned through them here at my desk, I think I'll head back there tomorrow to pick up some of them for myself (IMHO (I.L.!) cover art went to crap once CDs became the rage, so I'll skip the 80s and the 90s.)  At just $6.95 a pop, these books are a good deal.

[Jane]

Kudos to Dear Reader Panni who quelled The Wrath of Bruce last night.

   

[William F. Orr]

DR Jay:

The bg is the background.  BTW, IMHO LOL, etc, etc, etc.

[Jane]

Jose did you say Carvel’s ice cream cake!!!  Did it have extra crunchies in the middle?  I’m drooling here.

[JoseSPiano]

Jose did you say Carvel’s ice cream cake!!!  Did it have extra crunchies in the middle?  I’m drooling here.

YES!  Yes, it did!!  -That's truly my favorite part!!!  Now I just wish my parents had brought back some of the leftover ice cream cake with them instead of just some pizza and chicken.  -I only had one piece of ice cream cake at the party.  I had just woken up, and was getting ready to head back to my parents' house, so I was not really that hungry - well, I guess "consciously hungry" is the right phrase.

[Jay]

DR Jay:

The bg is the background.  BTW, IMHO LOL, etc, etc, etc.

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("Boy, I feel dumb now" in internet lingo.)

[Jay]

Did you find your checkbook, Dear Reader Jose?

[William E. Lurie]

Okay - maybe I was rash saying CA is the only place where a car is vital, but almost every major city has good public transportation (some better than others) and a car is only needed if you live on the outskirts of town and in some suburbs.  I guess in rural areas, though, a car would be needed.

[Jennifer]

I wonder if DR WEL's car comment was directed towards NYC.  I think most people can get along quite well in the city without a car.

I know in Montreal, one can get along without a car if you live near downtown.  There is a good metro/bus system.

In the suburbs it is possible to survive without a car.  But it would not be easy.  I know I took the bus/metro for a number of years getting to school downtown.  And it took between 1 - 1 1/2 hrs each way.  That's long.  Now I try to bike to a lot of places near by.  

Even though the grocery store might only be a 20-25 minute walk, it's still SO MUCH EASIER with a car!

[JoseSPiano]

Did you find your checkbook, Dear Reader Jose?

Not yet. However, I haven't really been looking for it.  Yet.  I'm also suspecting that I might have thrown it away accidentally with all the junk mail I was sorting through.  *I also have an unfortunate track record of throwing checks away.  It's kind of weird.  I've had to dig through the trash more than once for a paycheck that I somehow threw out - and even ripped up!  Don't ask me how?!?!?  It just happens sometimes.

[Jennifer]

Hmmm, DR WEL was answering while I was typing.  I guess I was slower.

One interesting point.  I think it's possible to get along without a car, when you don't know what having a car is like.  For instance I didn't realize that taking public transport for 3 hours a day was a pain till I had a car to take to class.  Then the car was indispensable.

[Jennifer]

DR Jose, if you threw out your checkbook, wouldn't someone be able to just make checks out to CASH and start using them?  Did you cancel the rest in that book?

[JoseSPiano]

Hmmm... Just checked the latest weather reports.. and the latest status on Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Depression Jeanne... -I may just be staying up here in Fairfax tonight - and possibly tomorrow night - if the rains end up being as bad as they are predicting.  Hmm...

[JoseSPiano]

DR Jose, if you threw out your checkbook, wouldn't someone be able to just make checks out to CASH and start using them?  Did you cancel the rest in that book?

Technically, yes.  But only if someone actually went through and dug through the garbage cans I threw it in.  However, I do know which check numbers were left and my bank has been notified.  *And my bank also knows that I am now back on the East Coast, so any West Coast activity will get red-flagged.  -I like my bank.