Vacation: Wed & Thurs

Wed evening after dinner Spouse went upstairs to begin selecting the clothes he wanted to take on our trip, although we thought we had another full day before we'd be leaving.  I was cleaning up from dinner and loading the dishwasher when I got a text from The Newlyweds: "Can't wait to see you guys tomorrow!"  I began typing my response: "You mean Fri", but before tapping 'send', I thought I'd better double-check our itinerary.

When I did, my heart sank.  I thought we were staying overnight at a hotel near the airport on Thurs night and flying out Fri morning, but my itinerary showed we were scheduled to stay at the hotel THAT NIGHT and fly out THE NEXT MORNING!

It was 6:30pm and we hadn't packed anything, plus we had a 2+ hour drive to the hotel near the airport.  I walked up the stairs and said to Spouse "Don't kill me, don't kill me, don't kill me" and then explained my mistake.  He was not pleased but what were we going to do?

I started by logging onto the airline's website to check in for our flight.  Then I called the dog sitter/house sitter, explained my mistake and asked if she could come a day earlier.  Fortunately she could.  Then I joined Spouse upstairs to pack.  Miraculously we were loaded into the car by 8:00pm.

We arrived at the hotel and I showed my confirmation (on my phone) to the front desk clerk but it didn't come up in her computer.  After searching by the confirmation number, my name, and who knows what else, she finally called someone for help.  After about 20 minutes she finally gave us a key to a room.  When we walked in there were no sheets, pillows, blankets or pillows so we went back down to see the clerk.  She sent us to another room and as we walked in I saw luggage on the floor and heard someone inside yell "Wait!!"  We went back to the clerk who apologized, offered us an upgraded room, and sent us to a 3rd room.  The 3rd time was the charm.

The next day our flight was completely full. 

Plane selfie

Spouse had the isle seat, I was in the middle, and a man who must have been 7' tall had the window seat.  Needless to say we had no extra room to spread out, but then again, its what we expected.  We're aware that flying is typically uncomfortable but necessary if you want to get somewhere far away and/or quickly.  We arrived at LAX, caught a shuttle to the car rental lot, and shortly thereafter drove off in this:

Spouse was happy that the front seat had lots of room for his 'ample' body.  I was happy that it was red.  Finally we were off to Palm Springs!

The Newlyweds had already checked into our MisterB&B rental when we arrived around 4:00.  We hung out by the pool and talked for a while, then went for drinks at Chill Bar.  In the back bar area a charity event was going on that was hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence so we decided to check it out.  A date with this bootilicous beau was being auctioned:

He had a very muscular upper body too, but my photo didn't really capture it.  But that butt!!!  Afterward we went to an arts and crafts street fair, then had a late dinner at Bongo Johnny's.  Once back at the house we enjoyed soaking in the hot tub before going to bed.  

I was happy we weren't yawning while out on the town, since CA is 3 hours behind DE.  We managed to stay up until almost midnight local time, and wake up at a reasonable local time too.

Insurance

So yesterday I called our insurance carrier to remove the '06 Chrysler PT Cruiser from our policy and add the '10 Mercedes Benz ML350 to our policy.  It was pretty easy since I had the new vehicle's VIN handy and wanted exactly the same coverage.

Then came the shock...

The agent said our premium would go DOWN by $6.

"How could this be possible?" I asked.  "The Kelly Blue Book value of the new car is literally 10 times the value of the old car!"

As the agent explained, premiums are calculated in part by the frequency of claims submitted by make and model.  Apparently there are a lot more claims filed by PT Cruiser owners than by ML350 owners. 

Still, from a replacement value point of view it seemed impossible that our rate would go down by replacing a cheap car with a more expensive one, but the agent double-checked her calculations and confirmed the lower rate.

So, it costs less to insure this

2010 Mercedes Benz ML350

than it does this

2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser

I was totally floored but accepted the rate reduction.

New car

Spouse is picking up his new car today:  a 2010 Mercedes Benz ML350.

As I mentioned in this post, we've been looking for a new car for him for over a month.  Our friend Bryan owns a great used car dealership and has gotten us great cars in the past, so we told him what we were looking for.  He found a 2007 ML350 but after having it evaluated by his mechanic he found it had a 'soft cam' issue which is documented on the internet for this year/model, so it was returned.  A few weeks later he found a 2008 ML500 (same body with a larger engine) but after evaluation by his mechanic this vehicle had a transmission issue, so it was returned too.

Finally Bryan was able to get us this 2010 ML350 which has been checked out and given a clean bill of health.

This color combination is Spouse's favorite:  creamy white exterior with tan interior.

I've made Spouse promise to keep this new car cleaner than his old PT Cruiser, which means no food, candy, or gum wrappers AND regular washing and vacuuming.

He's very excited!

Car trouble, part 2

In my original Car Trouble post I talked about the problems the BMW dealership was having trying to diagnose the source of the illuminated "check engine soon" light in my 2006 BMW X5. 

After believing they had finally fixed the issue, the service tech drove my car over the weekend to make sure the light didn't come back on.  I expected get a call on Mon to coordinate the swap of my car and the loaner, but I didn't hear anything on Mon.  Or Tues.  Finally on Wed they called and said that they had tried everything the fault codes indicated by the light was still on.  They said a similar situation had been resolved by replacing the catalytic converter, even though the fault codes didn't not suggest that, and the light went off in that vehicle.  So they only thing they could think to do at this point for my car was to replace the catalytic converter, but since it would cost over $4,000. they wanted to discuss it with me.

Keep in mind the car wasn't giving me any problems or exhibiting any symptoms at all.  I love my car and plan to keep it, so normally I would be open to repairing it versus replacing it.  But the service advisor offered no guarantee that the $4,000. catalytic converter replacement would solve the problem, so after giving it some thought, I thanked them for their efforts and got my car back, with the "check engine soon" light on.  I decided I would just try and ignore the light since the professionals couldn't seem to get it to turn off.

I drove my car around the next day and everything was fine.  The following day I started it up and noticed the "check engine soon" light was NOT on!  Before celebrating too much I figured I'd better give it some more time.  That was a week ago.  I've been joyfully driving my car for a week now with no warning lights illuminated on the dash!  As you can imagine, I'm really REALLY glad I passed on the $4,000. catalytic converter replacement. 

I don't blame the dealership or the manufacturer, BMW.  Cars are so full of electronic sensors and gadgetry I find it amazing they don't malfunction and turn themselves upside down now and then.  I'm just happy my car's performance wasn't affected and its back to not having any warning lights illuminated on the dash.

Car troubles

About 2 months ago Spouse had an issue with his car, a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser.  It stalled on him and all the lights and gages on the dash lit up.  He started the car again and drove on, but found that a couple of unrelated dash lights stayed on:  the parking break light, the airbag light, and the check engine soon light.  I also noticed that the turn signals light up each time you apply the brakes.  We took the car to our mechanic who reported that all the seemingly unrelated items were indeed related... to the computer.  He said the computer needed to either be reset or replaced, but it would need to be plugged into the diagnostic machinery at a Chrysler dealership to know for sure which one.

The car is in decent condition otherwise and still drives fine, but it has more than 90K miles on it and we're anticipating that the cost of replacing the faulty computer may be more than the car's actual value.  So we decided we'd trade it in on something else rather than putting the money into fixing it.  We contacted our friend Bryan who owns a used car dealership nearby and told him what Spouse wanted: a Mercedes Benz ML350.  Within a few days Bryan sent us a description and photos of the vehicle and we got excited.  A week later it arrived at the dealership, but several more days went by without Bryan telling us our car was ready for pick-up.  He discovered a 'known issue' with some vehicles this particular year and model, and sure enough - this one had the issue, so he was sending it back.

A week or so later we got another email from Bryan with a description and photos of a similar vehicle.  We were excited as we waited to hear more.  Two weeks later the vehicle finally arrived.  It turns out the vehicle was mistakenly shipped to another dealership with the same name, but in a completely different state!  After several more days of waiting, Bryan informed us that his mechanic found a transmission problem with this vehicle that would be costly to repair, so he was sending this one back too!

Yesterday I got a 3rd email from Bryan with a description and photos of yet another similar vehicle.  We're crossing our fingers this one arrives and checks out clean!  It feels like we've been anticipating a new car for a month now.

While all of this has been going on, I sent my 2006 BMW X5 to the dealership to have a recall item addressed and to diagnose and fix the check engine soon light.  The next day I got my car back and the following day the check engine soon light came back on!  That day I received a follow up email from BMW America regarding my service appointment, so I explained the situation.  They apparently called the dealership who contacted me about getting the car back.  This time I took advantage of the free loaner car.  After all, I'm a real estate agent and can't be without a car for more than a day. The driver arrived with a 2015 BMW X5 for me to use, and drove off in mine car.  Two days later they said the check engine soon code indicated changing something different this time, which they did, and would be delivering my car back to me.  However, on the drive from the dealership to my office, the light came on again so the driver took my car back to the dealership.

A few days later the service advisor admitted that they were having trouble diagnosing the issue and had reached out to the BMW field rep for help, and asked for my patience as they were committed to making it right.  Today I received an update indicating they'd had replaced something else, but instead of returning it to me right away, they wanted to drive it around this weekend to be sure the fix was sufficient.  So I've been driving this brand new gadget-filled BMW for 10 days now, and should get my car back on Mon.

Second guessing

Even as I was at the car dealership signing the paperwork, I second guessed myself.  Am I justifying this purchase of a vehicle I've wanted even before I was a realtor, saying its for my clients?

I don't think so.  

They say that for a job interview you should dress for the job you want.  Doing so will make you feel confident and will help others believe you are the right fit for the job.

I think the same holds true for a realtor's car.  You should drive a car that makes you feel confident and that makes others believe they should trust you with their home purchase.

I had a lot of home showings on Fri, Sat, and Sun, and doing so in my new realtor car truly made me feel more confident.  Yesterday I received a 'thank you' email from one of those clients who wrote that they appreciated my "professionalism" and patience with them.

I'm really happy with my realtor car!

Mogul mobile

As a realtor I often drive clients in my car.  

"My car" is actually a little Mercedes Benz SLK 230, a 2-seater convertible which is not at all conducive to real estate.  So on days that I have appointments with clients I switch with Spouse and drive "his car", a 4-door Chrysler PT Cruiser.  For the most part this arrangement has worked out satisfactorily, although there have been a few glitches.  

But the PT Cruiser doesn't quite convey the successful realtor image I wish to portray so I'd been considering a luxury vehicle that quietly indicates my success without banging them over the head with it like a cast iron skillet.

I'd communicated my preferences to my friend Bryan who is the owner of a used car dealership nearby and he's been keeping an eye out for me.  He called me to tell me about "the perfect mogul mobile" he'd just scored at the auction. I'm far from being a real estate mogul but the compliment was nice anyway.  

What can I say other than 'its perfect'.

Its a silver 2006 BMW X5 with all-wheel drive, panoramic moon roof, leather interior, and a kickin' sound system.  I love it, love it, love it!

I really like the engineering and thought processes behind BMW.  

When the intermittent windshield wipers are on and you come to a stop, the wipers stop.  This prevents that dry rub sound while you're stopped at a traffic light.  The wipers resume when you resume driving.  

The front seat cushions AND seat backs are heated.  My old BMW and my current Mercedes don't have heated seat backs, although both were older models.

Once you lock or unlock the vehicle with the remote the vehicle makes no more sounds or light flashes if you hit the same button again.  

When you remove the key from the ignition the steering wheel automatically raises up for ease of exiting the vehicle.  

When you put the transmission in reverse, the passenger door mirror tilts down so you can see the pavement behind you, preventing you from backing over objects or people.

The ride is a perfect balance of luxury and feeling the road, and the acceleration is definitely there when you want it.

No more swapping cars with Spouse.  I've got my real estate mogul mobile.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I saw this on facebook and had to share it.  

 This gave me a good chuckle!

A friend sent me this video of a woman juggling 5 balls with her feet.  Its amazing!  I dare you to try this at home.

After owning my 1999 Mercedes Benz SLK 230 for over 2 years now, I just realized today that the horn does not blow if the ignition is turned off.  This reminded me that the horn in my 1994 BMW 325ic didn't blow either if the ignition was turned off.  What is it with German cars that the horn doesn't blow unless the engine is on?  What if you've turned off your car in a parking lot and then you see someone backing out of a parking space about to back into you??

A friend posted this on facebook and I literally laughed out loud!!  

For some reason I love the fact that its a cat jumping out of the cake with the sign.

Here's hoping everyone has a great weekend!

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

When I saw the promo for "Project Runway All-Stars" my 1st thought was "these are the people who DIDN'T win... why would we want to see them competing against each other again?"  But when a friend who knows how much I like the regular Project Runway learned that I wasn't watching All-Stars he strongly suggested I reconsider.  So as Spouse flipped around the channels and we came upon All-Stars I asked him to stop so we could watch a few minutes of it.  A few minutes was all it took for me to get hooked!  In some ways it even better than regular Project Runway, because the All-Stars contestants are from the top 4 or 5 of the previous seasons so they're all good designers.  So the DVR is now set to record Project Runway All-Stars.

A friend sent me this and I didn't laugh at 1st...

I ONLY saw 2 people dancing.  I looked and looked and looked at it.  I looked at something else and came back to it and finally saw the other image.  THEN I laughed! 

Our good friends Kerry & Hugh (and others) will be coming this weekend for the annual Polar Bear Plunge. As usual, Spouse & I will NOT be plunging into the frigid water with them.  Instead Spouse will hold their Yorkie and I video their mad dash into the sea.

I took the Mercedes in for new tires yesterday since the tread was really thin and I knew the car wouldn't pass inspection later this month with those old tires.  As if the 2 different size tires weren't expensive enough, I learned that the rear brakes and rotors needed to be replaced too.  It was over $850. when all was said and done.  Ouch!!

I saw this on facebook and really liked this.

This really diffuses the theory that gay marriage would somehow weaken or damage opposite sex marriage.

Here's hoping everyone has a great weekend!

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Never short on funny or topical stuff to share, my friend Jared provided me with this button.

Rather poignant, wouldn't you say?

Speaking of gay, our friends Rick & Nick got married last Fri in Washington DC. They applied for their license on the 1st day it was legal to do so (in March), but had to wait until April 9th to be married by a Justice of the Peace. Although their marriage isn't recognized here in DE yet, they decided to get married in Washington DC and then send a copy of their marriage certificate to the (gay-friendly) Governor of DE, reminding him of all the revenue DE is losing by not legalizing same sex marriage. Rumor has it that if the Governor is elected for a 2nd term, he will legalize same sex marriage. After getting married, Rick & Nick had dinner at Austin Grill where they saw this mural:

This 1959 Cadillac 4-door looks just like Big Ella except for the color. It was very sweet of them to think of me and take these photos!

And speaking of cars, we made our decision and after work yesterday we purchased this 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited Edition.

The color is called Inferno Red, and its highly metallic. Its especially beautiful in the sun. I like that its the Limited Edition with the polished chrome wheels, fog lamps and rear spoiler.

The red dash is pretty cool, too.

We really thought we wanted another Honda CRV, but a couple things made us change our mind. The one Bryan got at the auction was my least favorite color combination: graphite grey exterior and black interior. The CRV was not priced especially well, while the PT Cruiser was. Both are 2006 models but the CRV was double the price of the PT Cruiser. The PT Cruiser has all the features of the CRV except all-wheel drive, but also had features the CRV did not have like a jack to plug in an mp3 player. But the biggest factor was the mileage: 49K on the CRV, 16K on the PT Cruiser, for 1/2 the price. We're quite happy with our new car!

Last night was the end of the 12 week team trivia tournament. Our team did not win, but we did come in 4th place, which is the highest place you can be without winning! It was fun, but I'm kind of glad the tournament is over. Now we can go back to playing team trivia for fun.

All you dog lovers out there will enjoy this cute video and this one too.

Some people are worried about invasion of their privacy from the new airport scanners. Now I understand why:

We are hosting our Movie Group tomorrow night. I'm disappointed that I didn't return our current DVDs to Netflix in time to get the film I really wanted to show. But I got "Precious" from one of those Red Box DVD rental places, which I hope the group will enjoy. It is sure to provoke conversation afterward.

Sun we are going to our new favorite restaurant Saketumi for Bob's birthday brunch. A good brunch and a good time should be had by all.

Have a terrific weekend!

Crush du Jour: Trevor Adams

Weekend highlights

Fri night our friends Robert & Liz arrived. I've known them for over 25 years.

While Spouse was at his personal trainer appointment Sat morning, Robert & Liz and I had a leisurely morning of coffee, muffins, conversation and lots of laughter. We always have a great time with them. Once Spouse returned, the 4 of us took Big Ella out for some exercise and then we had lunch. It was bright and sunny but a little on the cool side. Rob & Liz took their car to Jiffy Lube for an oil change while Spouse & I test drove this 2006 Honda CRV EX:and this 2006 PT Cruiser Limited Edition:at our friend Bryan's car lot. Afterward the 4 of us met back up at the house and hung out. Rob & Liz got a text from a friend informing them that a mutual old friend James was killed that day when his motorcycle was struck by a driver who was talking on her cellphone. (Please think of this the next time you are tempted to talk or text while driving.) We were stunned. He would have been 40 years old this year. Later we had dinner at Saketumi, which Rob & Liz really enjoyed. The food is always fresh and delicious and the service is top-notch. We decided to honor our fallen friend James with a toast. Back at home we watched a little TV before hitting the sack.

Sun we had breakfast at the Long Neck Diner, then went for a walk on the boardwalk in Rehoboth. The temperature was significantly warmer and there were quite a few sunbathers on the beach. Once back at home we sat on the porch and visited until it was time for them to pack up and head home. Spouse & I went back to Bryan's dealership and test drove this 2004 GMC Envoy:and decided to 'sleep on' the options. He & I went back to Rehoboth and went for a walk on the beach. It was an absolutely gorgeous day! We met Steven & Bob for dinner at Purple Parrot, then came home and watched last week's and this week's episodes of Project Runway.

It was a great weekend, aside from the news about James.

Crush du Jour: Alan Aghazadian

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Work has been super-busy this week and quite stressful at times. I'm not sure to what to attribute this but I'm hoping next week will be calmer. I've had trouble getting my daily blog posts written, to say nothing of how far behind I am with my blog reading list.

Did you hear about the airline that is going to install coin-operated handles on the bathroom doors of their plans? Yep, passengers will have to pay to pee!

Our friend and used car dealer Bryan is going to an auction today and will likely purchase a car for us! Yesterday he showed us info for 4 Honda CRVs that are scheduled to be at the auction and we ranked them. If all goes as planned, we will have a CRV on Sat or Sun.

Yet again, my friend Jared provided me with something giggle-inducing:

Our friends Rob & Liz are coming to visit this weekend from VA. Although its rainy and chilly here today, the weekend forecast looks great with lots of sunshine and warmer temps. We don't have anything particular planned to do so it should be a nice, relaxing weekend.

We've decided to join some friends on a cruise in Nov. As long as I get my sea sickness patch in advance, it should be a lot of fun!

Two days ago it was 90 degrees. Today it is 50 degrees. What's up with that???

I received an email this week from a man I featured last year as a Crush du Jour! He thanked me for classifying him with all the other hot guys I feature, and wondered how I'd come across his name and photo. I couldn't remember, but thought it was sweet of him to write me.

Crush du Jour: T R Pecod

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

We haven't replaced our Honda CRV yet. Our friend and used car dealer Bryan is looking for the right combination of vehicle + low mileage + price. We're hoping to get a Honda CRV, Infinity FX35, BMW X5 or X3, Mercedes ML320, or Nissan Murano. Fortunately we aren't under any pressure to find a car right away so hopefully we'll find what we really want.

As I mentioned in last Friday's fragments, despite having ordered this sticker weeks ago, I finally gave up waiting for it and mailed our census form last Fri without the sticker. Naturally, the sticker arrived in the mail today. Folks, if you're gonna start a little 'grass roots' movement, try and get your fulfillment together so people who bother to join your effort can actually do it.

My friend Jared, who regularly supplies me with humorous photos for Friday fragments, sent me - not 1 or 2 - but 4 gems this week! Click on each to enlarge them.


Yes, those are roses made of bacon!! Naturally Stephen Rader was the 1st person I thought of when I saw them.

Spouse went to traffic court yesterday for his accident. He and many others were given the option of waiving their right to a trial in exchange for an expedient exit from the courtroom. Spouse's ticket was for failure to yield the right of way, so he paid the fine and court costs which totalled $89. and was out of there in no time. While there he happened to overhear the officer talking with the other driver involved in the accident and learned that at the time of the accident the guy was driving on a suspended license and did not have insurance. So that guy was in court NOT for Spouse's case, but because of citations he'd received for driving on a suspended license and not having insurance.

On Mon I mentioned that we had put an offer on another foreclosure condo, along with several other people. We found out yesterday that the bank accepted one of the other offers, so we'll keep looking.

The weather is supposed to be crappy this weekend so maybe we'll finish organizing the stuff necessary to file our taxes. Now THAT sounds like an exciting weekend!

Crush du Jour: Andrea Zanchini

New beetle

No, this is NOT what we chose to replace our Honda CRV. This is the rental car I got this time:
I was surprised, as I've never seen a VW new beetle rental car before, especially not at the little agency near my house.

I found it to be okay. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either, and I wouldn't buy one. One thing I didn't like was how quickly the car got uncomfortably warm when the sun was out. The new beetle has so much glass that its like driving a terrarium when its sunny outside. Tinted windows would be a good option for this car.

Thanks to Facebook, I had dinner and a visit with an old family friend Sandy and her family last night. She lives in Richmond near my hotel. It was really great to reconnect with her after about 20 years!

I'm upset that the hotel's cable no longer has HGTV. That is not okay!

I'm in meetings all day today.

Crush du Jour: Keith Lieberthal

Decisions, decisions...

Spouse met with the insurance adjuster on Mon, signed the paperwork, and got the check for the loss of our Honda CRV.

Yesterday we returned the rental car, a Dodge Nitro that we didn't like very much, due to its low door height and cramped foot wells. So starting today we are down to 1 car (not counting Big Ella), which Spouse drove to work. Since I work from home I don't really need a car during the day, everyday. If I do need to go somewhere, I can fire up Big Ella.

Our 1st reaction to knowing we had to surrender the rental yesterday was to start looking for a replacement for our '04 Honda CRV. I emailed our friend Bryan who has a used car dealership and told him we'd like to replace our CRV with the same thing, since it was practically perfect for us. He didn't have any on his lot but said he'd look for one for us.

However, we did look online at small/medium size SUVs like the CRV to see if we might want to consider something else, in case Bryan is unable to find what we want/had. We found a few that might be decent substitutes, but they don't come cheap. We're trying to spend only the amount the insurance company gave us so we won't have a car payment, but everything in our budget has too many miles. Sigh.

So it appears we'll have to compromise in some way. Maybe a year or 2 older; maybe higher mileage than we had; maybe a lower quality/lower cost SUV that fits our budget; maybe we 'bite the bullet' and get what we want but have a car payment for a year.

In the spirit of yesterday's Simplicity post, we are not worried about rushing out to replace the car immediately. We can live with just 1 daily driver for a while; maybe a few weeks, until we make a decision. But we will definitely get another SUV.

You see, our current car is a 2-seater (roadster). That means there's literally no place for Jordan on our weekend trips back to VA. We will board her this weekend when we go, but that is not a viable long-term solution. Plus with all the weekend company we have, we absolutely need a 4-door vehicle. One with a cargo area for Jordan and the occasional big box purchase is perfect for us.

So that's where we are right now: giving ourselves time to make the right decision.

Crush du Jour: Ted Dibiasi Jr.

Cars

I'm working in the Richmond office today until about noon, then making the 5-hour drive back home to DE.

As you likely know, I consider myself a 'car guy'. I love cars, and have loved them since I was a small boy. I used to keep myself occupied for hours on end playing with my Matchbox cars. I also liked to look at car ads in magazines, and occasionally went to local auto shows. This may help to explain my longstanding fascination with cars and my desire to own cars like Big Ella, my BMW 325i convertible, and our newest Mercedes Benz SLK 230.

My company decided last year to have remote employees rent cars for their trips to the corporate office, rather than reimbursing us the government-mandated rate for mileage. That was fine with me, as it kept me from wracking up lots of miles on my personal car, AND it gave me an opportunity to drive different types of cars.

The only car rental place near me is Enterprise, and I have found them to be incredibly nice and accommodating. In November I reserved an intermediate class car but they offered me a free upgrade to a brand new 2010 Nissan Maxima.What a nice surprise! It was a nice car to drive and I enjoyed having the moon roof.

In Feb I again reserved the intermediate class and was upgraded to a 2010 Dodge Journey.
It was very windy but I found the Journey to be solid and sure-footed. I did not feel as if I were about to be blown off the road.

This week I got a Chrysler PT Cruiser. I've driven this model before when Spouse & I were visiting The Newlyweds in Portland. One of The Newlyweds has a silver PT Cruiser exactly like the one I had this week.
I found it to be comfortable and solid.

I believe I will be returning to Richmond again in early May so it will be fun to try out another new car.

Crush du Jour: Craig Reynolds

Weekend highlights

As usual, our weekend began at Fri Night Dinner with 'the usual suspects'. We had a smaller than usual turn out, but had a good time none-the-less.

Sat morning while Spouse had his personal trainer appointment, I took the BMW to our friend Bryan's car dealership to get a trade-in quote and price on the potential new (used) car. Later Spouse & I had lunch, ran some errands, drove to the beach to look at the ocean and look forward to the arrival of spring. Once back at home he took a nap while I tried to catch up a bit on my blog reading. (I'm still so far behind.) I talked to Betsy, our realtor back in VA, regarding a condo foreclosure that could be a good investment for us. She emailed me the listing and comps to review. That night we had dinner with Steven & Thad and 1 of The Bobs at Cottage Cafe, which was quite tasty and fun.

Sun morning we were up by 7 and on the road to VA by 8 so we could meet Betsy at the condo. Considering its location, condition, price, and foreclosure status, we decided to make an offer on it. However, we were told the listing agent was expecting other offers so we are remaining cautiously optimistic. If it works out then we believe we will have gotten a very good deal on a very rentable place. If it doesn't work out, we'll keep looking. So for now, we wait. When we finished at the condo we stopped for a quick lunch before heading back to DE. I love the drives between DE & VA because Spouse & I really talk, undistracted, about whatever is on our minds. Those are the times that I really feel the most connected to him.

Remember on Fri when I teased you with this sassy interior?
Well, now I will tell you it is the inside of this sleek little roadster.It is a 1999 Mercedes Benz SLK 320 retractable hardtop convertible. We absolutely LOVE that sassy red and black interior! I probably wouldn't have given this car a 2nd look if it had charcoal interior. There were several reasons for trading in the BMW, most of them small when viewed alone, but annoying and too expensive to fix when you put them all together. The BMW had 126K miles on it so it really didn't warrant spending the money to fix all the small problems. But the biggest reason for trading it was that it had begun to leak when it rained. Last summer I discovered the trunk was wet and then shortly thereafter Spouse determined that the passenger front seat and carpet were wet. Again, fixing this would have been too expensive for a car with so many miles.
So on Sun we said goodbye to the car we had lots and lots of fun owning and driving for 9 years, and welcomed another, sassier car to take its place. Although the new car is 11 years old, it only has 64K miles, and is in pristine condition. Now I'm really, REALLY ready for spring's arrival.

On the way home from Bryan's dealership we stopped at the grocery store, then Spouse made dinner and we watched a bad DVD I'd gotten from Netflix. With all we'd done that day we both felt pooped and decided to go to bed early. I can't remember the last time I went to bed at 9:30, but it wasn't long before I sailed off to dreamland.

Crush du Jour: Paul Wagner