05/19/2011
Perfect weather - for toads
Everybody, including myself, has been waiting for some really nice spring weather to finally come along. So far there is no such luck. It's too cold for the season, and too wet. I rode my motorcycle to work only once this year.
At least one species doesn't seem to mind, though. This little guy was sitting on our front porch today, while our dog tried to break through a window to get out there and catch a toad for breakfast.
18:17 Posted in 10, Nothing special | Permalink | Comments (0)
05/01/2011
αλήθεια + χαρακτήρα
Truth and character are the two motto ideals of the National Alpha Chi Honor Society to which I was formally inducted today, among a group of 19 students, during a solemn and very moving ceremony at Indiana Tech.
13:45 Posted in 08, Making Progress | Permalink | Comments (0)
04/07/2011
'Expert' Solution designed by Ford
Our 2000 Ford Windstar van was one of roughly half a million vehicles recalled with rusted out, ready to fall apart, rear and front axles. The rear end wasn't that bad on ours, but the front was dangerously rotten. Which is why we had been driving a rental car for over six weeks now.
Today I got a call from the repair shop. They finally got the necessary parts in, fixed our van, and wanted us to come by and pick it up. When I looked under the vehicle, curious to see what they had put in there, I almost laughed out loud.
No, they did not replace the rusted pieces of metal that connect the wheels to the sub-frame! They just bolted some funny looking braces onto them. Hilarious! I will never buy a Ford again.
17:54 Posted in 08, Making Progress | Permalink | Comments (1)
03/30/2011
Getting a NEW new car
Last Thursday, while I was driving home from work, the transmission in our 2005 Ford Taurus died without warning. I was lucky to be able to safely roll onto the left turn lane. Other than bruising my knee, when I fell on the parking lot where we pushed the car to, I suffered no injuries.
Two people going to work need two cars to get there, so we had to find replacement quickly. Transmission repair was estimated to cost between $1,200 and $2,000 - more than we were willing to pay, not knowing what would be next. So we went car shopping on the weekend and picked up our new vehicle today.
Proudly presenting:
2011 Hyundai Elantra
with manual transmission
19:25 Posted in 08, Making Progress | Permalink | Comments (3)
02/22/2011
Recall
Last weekend we received another recall notice from Ford Motor Company. The third of its kind for our old Windstar van. This time it was for corrosion issues with the front axle that could cause the wheels to just break off the car.
On a vehicle that was built in 2000 I would expect anything to fail at any time for any reason. If that happened to me, I would just consider it bad luck and decide whether I want to pay for the repairs, or ditch the old junker. Not so in the USA, where companies can loose millions of dollars in a lawsuit because one of their products failed and somebody got hurt. Which is why manufacturers recall thousands of cars as soon as they learn about a potential problem.
On the previous two occasions our van passed the inspection, but this time it didn't. The repair shop doesn't even have the parts in yet, so while we are waiting, we get a free rental car. I'd hate to be Ford right now! Can you imagine thousands of customers, all of them getting free loaners with full coverage insurance for weeks or months, and free major repairs on their own cars that are over ten years old?
Anyways, meet our (temporary) new ride: 2011 Toyota RAV4
19:30 Posted in 10, Nothing special | Permalink | Comments (0)