It's morning somewhere

I finally remembered I needed to Friday Cat Blog. Here are two black cats. I think the big one is part mountain lion.

Happy Friday! As always, check out the wonderful animal pictures linked for Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Memorial weekend, I decided to do some cleaning. I found a notice from the Department of Motor Vehicles that I needed to renew the plates on the car I bought in 2008. I was supposed to have renewed the plates in Jan...I ran outside and checked the plates. Sure enough, they were expired. This is the same car I loaned the niece. We were both very lucky to not get stopped!

During the winter, the gas poured out at the bottom of my bike's tank, so I knew it needed some repairs before being ridden this year. The neighbor told me that I should have been turning the gas nob to the off mode when not in use. He replaced the gasket on the tank, then I took the bike to the shop for a bunch of other repairs/tuneup - I also asked the shop to watch for the leak.

(When I took it to be inspected, a couple days earlier, I noticed a couple drops fell to the ground. I had forgotten to turn the nob while waiting in line to tell them I needed it inspected.)

So, this shop said they watched for a leak, but didn't see any. Yesterday, I paid the shop, went out to the bike, turned the gas nob, jumped on and took off. I made it about half a mile when the engine light came on and the bike motor stopped. I pulled to the side of the road, wondering, "what the hell???" I looked down at the gas nob and realized I had turned it off (back at the shop!). I turned it back on and rode the bike home. YAY!

Labels: bikes, car, dogs, Friday Cat Blogging

My rental from December 2008.

I asked my friend, "If you could buy any car you wanted, brand new, what color would it be?"

"Royal Blue", she answered.

"Exactly! Or in my case, it would be a dark green of some sort."

The reason for my question was that I read the article, What color is your car? Most likely, silver. by The Associated Press, earlier last week, and was stewing on it. Quite frankly, I'm not a silver car person.

I understand that a lot of people are buying silver cars, but I'm not so sure the color is what someone might actually want, when they go to the car store. To me, silver shows lack of imagination. It's just a blah; no wonderful color. Wouldn't the world be an ugly place if it was only silver? Where's that rainbow palette?

I notice television and magazine advertisements show silver cars. All sorts of silver cars. My guess - silver is what's stocked on the lot, and someone goes in, they have to take a silver whatever, because the lot doesn't have any other color.

When I bought my beautiful little car, I went to the lot to buy a new car - the old one, a silver Bonneville (though, I bought it for $600.00 after some guys rebuilt the transmission - and it was a fantastically wonderful, warm car) had broke its engine. I was going to buy a Chevy Metro (4-door), since it was the cheapest I wanted to go. The one I looked at had a beautiful dark blue exterior.

So, I took the car for a spin. I didn't much care for the ride, but I needed reliability, and to me, at the time, that meant new. When the salesman and I were going through the paperwork, I asked, "are you sure there aren't any dark green ones?"

"Not on this lot... however, we do have a new/used dark green Cavalier."

We went for a ride. Yup, that was the car for me! I got the color I wanted, and a better car (for me) than the Metro.

You might, by now, realize that not only don't I much care for silver colored cars, but I fear the car companies are also trying to push mainly silver cars.

I think the people who actually go out to buy a (brand new) car and specifically want silver as the color, want to be part of the herd. "If that's the popular car color, then I should buy one, too. After all, people can re-sell a silver car for more money than other colors!" At least, I assume that's what goes through their heads.

As I was looking for the article above, I found several articles posing the notion that silver cars are safer than any other colored car. Here's a 2003 study that is quoted, and recirculated in quite a few links, as I used the Google search engine, Silver cars are the safest on the road. I think that's bullshit, myself. I pulled out in front of a silver car, several years ago. The reason?...I didn't see it. Apparently, it looked like part of the sky. Also, most of the articles, about silver cars being safe, use the phrase, "are far less likely to be involved in a crash causing serious injury."

One of my silver car owning friends has been rear-ended several times, at intersections. I'm not sure if the drivers could see her, or weren't paying attention. I know, I know, my car was smashed into last December, but that was because the woman tried to stop at the stop sign, and slid on the ice, right into my car. It wasn't because she didn't see my car....or the stop sign. The color of the rental, while my sweet car was being fixed, was very close to silver.

I found an article that pretty much agrees with me: Silver not safe car colour warns Monash expert, from the Monash University in Australia. Dr Stuart Newstead says that white is the safest color, and warns that, "The safest car colour has now been replaced by one of the least safe." The following article agrees with his assessment that silver cars aren't easier to see.

In the article, Colour of your car does matter, NRMA Insurance research indicates silver cars tend to blend in with the environment. Red is a more visible color - and one of the safest colors.

So, my original point was that new silver cars are probably bought by people lacking in imagination...and even creativity and originality. They are probably conformists, sheep, even, that fear being different, and have a need to blend in. Or, maybe, it's because the car companies insist on having very few other colors on their lots - I noticed several of those articles having the extension .org.

The second point was that silver cars are not safer. Indeed, I believe they are less safe than the articles present. Next time you're out and about, look at the other cars around you.

Which ones do you see easier than the others?
What colors do you think are safer?
What colors do you prefer?
If you have a silver car, why did you buy it? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

If you agree/disagree with my post, please let me know. Did I mention that I'm not a silver car person? If I bought one at a very good price, I would probably think about getting it re-painted dark green.

DriverSense has a fun little article What your car colour says about you. Mine says:
Blue or Green
Blue and green are down to earth colours and if you choose a vehicle in one of these shades, you are probably not that concerned about appearances. Practicality is a priority for you. You are not overly emotional or dramatic. Your friends describe you as the solid one they come to for advice.

******Update apology.
I really don't think that silver car buyers are lacking in imagination, creativity, etc... I was just a little ticked at the article, and the advertisements. If I offended anyone, I apologize. I know people have their own tastes, and they won't always coincide with mine.

Labels: beef, car, gripe

She's coming to stay, tomorrow.

Happy Friday! As always, check out the wonderful animal pictures linked for Friday Ark at The Modulator.

It's been a very hectic week. I zoomed home, yesterday, in the car I bought in December. I made a quick turn, turning the steering wheel all the way to the right. As my car was turning, I heard ths nasty sounding clunk! Then, as I straightened it out, I heard, "jingle, jingle". Today, I drove the first car to get the window fixed. Once it was finished, I hurried home and, very slowly, hoping I wouldn't have to call a tow truck, drove the other one to the shop. As I waited for a shuttle to come, I received a phone call from the shop. Apparently, the hub had locked up, causing the axle to break. The guy told me I was very lucky to make it there. For Sure!

Labels: baby, car, Friday Cat Blogging

has been posted at Kenneth Quinnell's The Practical Press, called Thomas and Tux.

Also, I've been following a story, Hawaiian Christmas Carol, as each chapter arrives. It is being written by my friend, Cosa Nostradamus, at Blog Me No Blogs.

I just added a post, with pictures!! at the other blog. The rental, the new car (old, but new to me!) and a gripe of sorts.

Labels: car, fiction, other bloggers, The Practical Press

Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother to go visit Zorro. All he does is play with his remote controllers. We're watching a movie, and all of a sudden, zap! He's changed the channel to another station, to the DVD player, the VCR, the stereo, or even the I-pod. He's worse than my kitties. There are five here, and they only have 3 remote controllers. He's only one... Though, I hear he now has a new roommate. I'll have to go over to visit.

It's funny, but after visiting Zorro, I am reminded of my own wonderful Rocky Girl. She has a history of remote controlling. **Rocky Girl has been sneezing for the past 3 or 4 days. I've heard worms can cause that, but I'm also wondering if the Derma loss detox foot patch might be the culprit. I decided to try the 5 day treatment, but after the third day, I realized she was sneezing... a lot. In a less than ten minute span, she had sneezed eight times. She seems to be eating alright, but the sneezing is probably scrambling her brains. If she doesn't stop sneezing, I'll try to get her an appointment with her PCP (primary care physician).

Sgt Mango probably needs to go, too. When I got back from vacation, he acted like he was all bound up. He was continually in the cat box, and acted like he didn't feel good. He's even taken over one of the floor plants as a urinal. He's lost a lot of weight, but rallied back. He seems to be feeling a lot better, but he's still urinating a lot.

Right before I left on vacation, someone had given me a partial bag of cat food (the expensive stuff bought from the vet) and I mixed it with my cats' regular feed. My cats get two different Purina products mixed together, so that was a third mixed in with the other two. I wonder if that was a big mistake? Anyway, they've almost finished that batch, but when I thought about it, yesterday, I decided to open the new bags of their regular stuff.

Happy Friday! As always, check out the wonderful animal pictures linked for Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Ouch! I might have to get a different car for X-mas. I hope not, but the insurance adjuster didn't sound hopeful when she heard how many miles were on my car... and that I hadn't gotten the hail damage fixed...

Labels: car, Friday Cat Blogging, other cats

Cotton knows he's cute! He likes to rub it in, every now and then. My stuff was sitting on the chair, ready for me to grab on the way out the door. Maybe, he wanted to go, too.

Happy Friday! As always, check out the wonderful animal pictures linked for Friday Ark at The Modulator.

Car - Continuation from last Friday. I had to work last weekend. I noticed the car was making the noise, again. In fact, Sunday morning, it was horrible! I probably woke everyone in the neighborhood. At lunch, I took the car to "X" and dropped the key in the drop box. I started walking to the car rental place in the 18 degree weather. Thank goodness! I had my ear warmer and gloves in my pocket! When I arrived at the rental place, I found that they aren't open on Sundays. Good thing I had a cell phone with me.

Monday, "X" called and told me the rocker arm bearing was bad. The guy said it also had some interaction with the serpentine belt which was causing the noise... They could fix it that day, but they also noticed the oil pan had a leak. I had noticed some oil spots in my drive. I was hoping it wasn't my car... I told them to fix it, too. He said one of the parts weren't in, but would be on Tuesday. I went back to the rental place and rented a car. That afternoon, snow and freezing ice started dropping from the sky. When I got home, late, there was a message saying my car was finished. Of course, those were the coldest days of the week. Stupid groundhog.

Labels: car, Cotton, Friday Cat Blogging

The week before last, I posted a picture of Lady Fortuna in her pet taxi. To get that picture, I had to take several pictures because sweet kitties, such as today's featured Friday Cat Blogging model, Rocky Girl, think they should get all the attention.

Happy Friday! As always, check out the wonderful animal pictures linked for Friday Ark at The Modulator.

So, my kitties wanted me to tell the story about my car. The story starts in August or September of 2007. I took my car to a fixit place, we'll call this one "X", to see why it was making more noise than usual. They checked it out and told me I needed a catalytic converter. They would have to order one, and the price would be about $900 total. I told them to go ahead and order it. They had me pretty convinced I needed one. The next day, I called my favorite fixit place, "Y", and asked them how much it would cost to replace. They said they could have the part overnight expressed - and it would cost about $600, if I wanted to bring the car in the next day. I did. They installed it. The noise didn't go away.

About a week later, "X" left a message that the catalytic converter was in, and I could call to set an appointment to get it replaced. I feel bad about not calling "X" and telling them I already got it fixed.

I took my car back to "Y" and asked them to diagnose the noise. They said I needed motor mounts and it would cost about $400, but they couldn't fix it right away, and anyway, if I decided to replace the car, that was putting big money into it. The rep (who I really like and trust) said the car should be okay for a while without getting that fixed. So, I bought new tires, at "Z", for the winter.

I was thinking about the motor mounts when it came time to have my tires rotated. I asked "Z" if they fixed motor mounts. They said bring the car in and they'd take a look. They rotated the tires and told me I needed strut mounts and two new struts.

(My cousin and others have told me that my car could use new struts, so I figured that would be a good investment.) That cost about $600. The noise was still there, but since it didn't seem to be worsening, I forgot about it.

The other night, a different noise appeared. The next day, I took the car to "X" (they're closer than "Y", and they've been pretty good in the past). They advised me that the motor mounts had collapsed. I asked them to go ahead and replace. It ended up costing about $500. Finally, the problem seems to be fixed.

Labels: car, Friday Cat Blogging, Lady Fortuna, Rocky Girl

Well, I have to admit, I didn't vote yesterday. I got up too late to stop on the way to work. I thought about stopping in between jobs, but my car had other ideas. It started making this nasty high pitched noise.

It sounded like a microphone squealing, so I thought it might be the radio. I turned that off. The noise persisted. I turned off the heater. The noise continued. I got to work and hoped I'd make it home once my shift was finished. I made it home. The car sounded really sad, though.

Once home, I had to worry about getting the car to the shop in the morning. I figured out which route would be best (less hills, traffic, etc). Well, I got in the car this morning, started it up - no noise. I started driving toward the shop - no noise. About half way there, the noise started up. I was so happy to get the car to the shop without it breaking down!

The car is now fixed, and my mother assures me that it's fine I didn't vote. She doubts it would have made a difference. I know what she means.

Labels: car

One day, recently, I was on my way to work, running ahead of time. I was thinking of all the stuff I could get accomplished before the day really took off, once I arrived at the shop. I could even get a close parking space!

Ha... I ended up stuck in traffic. An accident had happened only minutes before. I had to call work and tell them I'd be late. I also called my mother. We had a nice leisurely conversation, so it wasn't a really bad morning, except for the people in the accident. I hope they weren't severely injured.

Labels: car, work

It finally happened. I can see how it might happen to others. The last post is about silly things we've done. Yesterday was a good day for something really stupid. My brain was thinking of too many things, I guess. I needed to get to the bank, I needed to get coffee, I needed to remember to write down the gas mileage because the gas gauge doesn't work, I needed to get to work. So, I stopped at the station and started gassing the car. I got back in the car to find money, get my cup, and get the pen and paper ready. While I was doing those things, the pump stopped.

I jumped out, entered station, got coffee, and paid the clerk. I got back to the car, got in, and wrote the mileage, date, and how many gallons. I started the car and slowly started moving. A loud clunk! clunk! made me stop and put the car in park. I got out and found I'd forgotten to remove the pump and restore the gas cap on the car. I remedied that. Luckily, I had been going nice and slow.

The pump had fallen to the ground, nothing spewing, nothing broken; a drop of gas on the ground. I put it back in its holder. Closed the cap. Made some inane comment to the open-mouthed guy standing at the other side of the pump. Got in the car and, once again, slowly made my way out of the station. This is the first time its happened and by golly, I was so glad I hadn't torn the darn thing off. It's not going to happen again. Gas up, restore pump and cap, THEN find money, cup, etc.

Labels: car, human nature, stupid

I did, indeed, mean to put that $ in the place of 4. Independence Day is a great day for sales. People buy, buy, buy. Gotta celebrate in the normally correct American way, right? Here in America, Celebrate is just another word for Consume.
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I'm pissed...can you tell? It started out as such a lovely day.........

When people go to the internet and ask questions about how to do things, such as changing a front signal bulb on a car, they need good directions. These aren't the old cars some might have worked on in the past. No, these cars have a lot more junk to be removed. So, if one has the knowledge to share, it would be best to consider that the asker is totally stupid. Start from the beginning and continue until the end.

This is a real SUCKY answer. What the hell is a "light assay", and if the bulb has one of those little plug-ins (which is what the store manual showed as the replacement bulb), I don't think I'd better turn it. I think the old one should be pulled out, and the new one plugged in.

A better answer. I can follow this. In fact, I did... except I can't get the light out. I lift it up and the little rod pulls out of the catch, but the whole thing won't move out. The signal cover seems to be molded onto the light cover (which it probably is). If I take a hammer to it, I'm sure something would break. I'm sure it would be pretty darned expensive, too. Probably a lot more than the shop would charge, and while they're at it, they can check and see if anything else needs topping off or changing.

An even better answer. So, since I was afraid of breaking the whole thing, the bulb didn't get changed. Now, one of the many answers (not linked here) said, "Clue; check your Owner's Manual". That's a real pissy answer. Don't you think I'd have checked the damned Owner's Manual if I knew where it was? In fact, I took it out of the car, THIS year, but don't rightly recall where it is.

Labels: car, consume, gripe, stupid