It's been awhile......

Like the Discourser, I just haven't had much to blog about lately. For an amusing anecdote on Gooberness please click on the link to the Supergoober's blog and read about the Goob rating we all have......I've got a 9.2.....I'm referred to as Cajun in his list.

Now on to my latest entry....

Awhile back I wrote about the Vehicular Cold War that seemed to erupt with the popularity of the SUV. A good portion of SUV owners have them as a means of keeping themselves safe from the "other" more "reckless" SUV owners out there who will run into them at any given moment of any given day. Most of these people are not equipped, driving skill wise, to handle a large vehicle with multiple blindspots. Again, the Soccer Mom with 2 kids does not need a Hummve to drive to the grocery store. Not sure where in Draegers small parking lot she was going to park it, let along get down the narrow streets of Downtown San Mateo. I have always purchased vehicles in a price range where I could afford the monthly payment and that got great gas mileage. Because at whatever price gas is, who wants to fill up their gas tank all the damn time!!!! If I can go a week and a half between fillups, I'm doing fine. Usually this means I've purchased some sedan or hatchback of one kind or another.....whatever. When one makes a certain salary one should only buy what one can afford. The Perfectline makes 6 figures....he has for awhile. He has no long term Girlfriend, no Wife (ex or otherwise) and no kids (that he knows of anyway.... ;)). He can afford the sports car or the nice BMW. He can also afford the insurance on such a vehicle. I can't. So I get what I can afford. Being a homeowner, I'm seeing more and more uses for a truck, but as a hauling crap to the dump/bringing stuff home from Lowes/Home Depot vehicle; not a daily driver. I wouldn't want a truck as my daily vehicle. I like my Scion. It's a great handling car and gets 35 mpg. I'd lose a street race, but I'm almost 43....who the hell cares about a street race at 43....sorry I'm an old Married man. Don't need to race thanks. If I want to race, there's a go-kart place near the house I can go to and race. Lot's of folks though don't see things the way I do. I know of Families with Kids who just "can't" get a minivan because they make you look like "you're an old married soccer mom". Let's see, you're married, in your 40's, have 3 kids who compete in sports (and yes soccer is one of those sports)....guess what? It doesn't matter what you drive, you ARE an old married soccer mom....So why get the ginormous vehicle when you can get a minivan which actually gets decent mileage. They are also easier to get crap in and out of.... Ever since gas started creeping up in price....okay who am I kidding.....ever since gas started going up in price by leaps and bounds by the minute (literally it would be one price at the Kroger gas station when I passed it in the morning on my way to work and it changed by the time I got home that day!!!), people have been stopping me on my way to my car asking me "hey how do you like that car? Does it get good mileage?". This is usually some person that is driving an SUV or some full sized Truck. I respond in kind, telling them the mpg of the vehicle and what I like about it, all the time resisting the urge to say "OH NOW YOU WANT ONE!!!! WHAT DID YOU THINK THAT GAS WOULD LAST FOREVER WITH YOU AND EVERY OTHER PERSON ON THE ROAD SUCKING IT UP EVERY SINGLE DAY??????" There are still some that don't get it. My Godfather told my Dad the other day that he was thinking of getting a SUV because they are only "8 grand now". My Dad replied "why the Hell do you think they're 8 grand...no one wants them anymore!!!!" Talking to a local car salesman on Friday revealed that the trade ins they are getting are just sitting there. I've also noticed that those "nerdy Mopeds/scooters" aren't so nerdy anymore. Neither are those "stupid" looking Hybrids (you can't get a Prius in the lot anymore......they have to be ordered now....).