Speaking of crazy: Car Cents vs Car Sense

So my care and commitment to the aged and aging has expanded to the inanimate. Why? Because I just spent a couple of grand on an old car, an amount almost equal to it's Kelly Blue Book value. Now who is showing signs of poor judgment and confusion? You think dementia is contagious?

Let me try to be clear. This car is not and never will be a collectors item. It is not a special edition or a first year model. The only thing remarkable about it is that it has been a very reliable, yet fun vehicle to drive. I purchased it 8 years ago and now at 13 years old with just under 90,000 miles on it, it is in excellent condition showing little road wear. (If only it's owner could make the same boast.)

For everything that it is, a 1993 Audi 90 CS 5 speed, 6 cylinder 172 HP engine; it is not a convertible which I have been coveting for some time now. The problem is I have not found the "right" convertible. I want a manual transmission, not a "multitronic", "Steptronic" or any hybrid automatic and I need a back seat, not for people but for cargo. My bass viol cannot fit into any convertible's trunk.

I drove the new Mustang V8 a couple of months ago, smitten by it's good looks and power but disappointed in it's fit and finish, not to mention the sway of the back end when taking curves (too?) fast. I'm spoiled. My 13 year old Audi has less rattles and squeaks and a considerably more luxurious interior than a brand new Ford. Granted the Mustang GT has quicker acceleration, an impressive 5.2 second 0 -60 mph and a 300 HP 4.6 liter engine (even the 6 cylinder, 4.o liter engine delivers 210 HP). But Mustangs have always been "straight away cars", never built to take the curves so to speak and I like curves especially when traffic and road conditions allow me to really accelerate into them.

I have also considered the BMW 3 Series, specifically the 330 Ci. The size and weight is darn near identical to my car but being a convertible, it has less cargo space. It offers a few more horses 225 reportedly, and remains a rear wheel drive vehicle which always brings up the question of whether it is better to be pushed around the curves or pulled. All my car friends seem to be divided regarding this inquiry. Irregardless, even a used 330 is a substantial investment and makes my recent repair bill look very modest. At around 30,000 dollars, I cannot accept that it would be significantly better than the car I am currently driving.

So there you have it, the real reason why I am driving what some may almost consider a "beater". Long live the Beaters! I think I will splurge and get it completely detailed.

I brought my friend home from the hospital today. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. But I doubt if she noticed. I cleaned out her refrigerator, restocked her pantry and had her prescriptions filled. She takes an antidepressant, an antipsychotic, 2 drugs to "improve her memory" (for her just recently diagnosed Alzheimer's disease) and a blood thinner. I am in excellent health but just thinking of this cornucopia of medications and plethora of possible side effects sours my stomach not to mention my disposition. Of course the symptoms of advanced Alzheimer's is hardly cheering. So I want to believe some of the literature published that these drugs "have helped millions" and that my friend will be one of them.

Back in May

Tsk. Tsk. Not one post made in April, not even an unfinished draft. I should be ashamed of myself. Too bad I'm not. Still, I have a great amount of respect and appreciation for those who do manage to post with dogged regularity. Often they provide the fuel for my procrastination because it has been my experience that if I wait long enough on a certain topic, I will find an article somewhere that expresses my views and often it is better written than anything I produce.

When I began blogging a bit over a year ago, the numbers of bloggers were estimated between 8 & 9 million. I wonder by how much that number has increased?

Of course there are those who have quit blogging altogether (and perhaps I have even been considered as one at times) or left on "hiatus" for an undetermined amount of time. It seems I've known a lot of those and if their websites are still up and open to comments, I find myself typing "where are you?" or "I miss hearing from you" and visiting old posts with a sense of loss and melancholy. It is pathetic I know, like ANY of these cyber folks are duty bound to enlighten me...

Worse yet are the ones that are on line one day and the next a message states "the requested URL was not found on this server", no address change or link to be redirected. Everything said or posted prior has suddenly disappeared as if it never existed in the first place. So what happened? Does the host remove the URL if there has been no activity for a while?
You may have noticed, I have several "dead links". It's as if I can't quite admit they are gone and maybe one day as suddenly as they left they may reappear.

Well, I'm off to practice, string quartets in Longmont and then to the Psyche Ward at Humana. No, I'm not checking in, only visiting a friend. More about that later.