Thursday, September 29, 2005
It's a done deal! Almost
Exercise: 2 mile run. Yes a run. I finally made it back out there and even though I was able to average about 8 1/2 mins per mile, I could definitely tell it had been awhile and my lung capacity isn't what it used to be. The cooler air didn't help much either other than to make me wheeze. Oh well, it was good and something I think I really needed.
The new car is ordered! A nice pretty blue loaded 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT (oh yes it WILL be mine). I was able to do everything over the phone and I swear unless something goes horribly wrong when I go to pick it up after it arrives at the dealer, I will be hugging my sales guy Lee (he rocks!). For the first time in the history of me buying new cars, I have actually had an extremely pleasant and hassle free experience. This dealer is definitely a place to go if you are looking for a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, or Mitsu. I know if my next car is one of these and the place is still there, I'm going back. I may have to drive a couple hundred miles but when it comes to the service they give, it's more than worth it. I do have to giggle about the fact that it's in Sioux City though after the adventures TBB and I had there. Hopefully Chi and I won't have to ask any strange guys in a shack of a casino claiming to be "with the band" for directions. LOL
Now all I have to do is figure out how to contain myself for the next 4 or so weeks. You would think since I have been waiting to make this purchase for months a few more weeks would be a piece of cake but lemme tell you they are turning out to be the hardest. I think that now I've started the purchase process, I've finally let myself get excited about it and have become worse than a kid at Christmas.
From what my boss told me today, it sounds like her son is anxious to take possession of his "new" car too. At least he only has to wait until Monday. That's when my dear shiny black Sunfire goes bye bye and I start driving my parents' little white S10 "pickemuptruck". I think I might cry when it leaves my drive.
I guess there is one upside to the wait - I'll have time to think up what I want on the personalized plates I'm going to get. After talking to the woman at the courthouse, I found out I could keep my current ones even if it will take longer than 30 days to get the replacement car but I decided to cancel them and get something new. I just felt like the old plates should be retired along with my old car. I've got a couple ideas of what to request but I'm afraid my favorite may already be taken and I'm just not sure if I like the other two enough. If any of you have ideas - please feel free to submit them. :)
And now for something completely different.....
I guess the Bon Jovi ticket whiners have started making an even bigger noise and have now gone after anyone they can to find blame for the reason they didn't get good tickets. The latest fault found - all the Wells Fargo employees are getting the best tickets before the public has access to them. From the way the story was reported, it sounded to me as though it was no different than presales which are fair game to anyone who wants to take the time to get the details. Since I was able to score 2nd row tix three hours after they went on sale to the general public, I think these people are doing nothing but trying to find a scapegoat. Time to stop the blah blah people. There's nothing worse than a bunch of sore losers who go around blaming everyone else for their misfortune just because they don't want to get with the times and get in the know. Online tix sales - they suck through the eventscenter ticketing site but it gives you a better chance at getting something good. LEARN IT FOLKS!
Otay I gotta go finish eating my beans on toast (the Englishman made dins tonight can you tell? LOL) and do a few things before Red Dwarf comes on.
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Saturday, September 24, 2005
I HATE buying cars!
Exercise: None - too busy with other crap
Today was the day I had planned to go into the local Mitsubishi dealer and order a nice pretty blue loaded 2006 6 speed Eclipse GT. I should have known when a thunderstorm woke me out of a dead sleep this morning, things weren't going to go smoothly.
Chi and I arrived at the dealership a little before 1pm. The minute we drove up, I could see one of the guys in there eyeing us like we were his prey. I had to laugh to myself when he walked out to us and I told him that we were there to see a particular person and his face just kind of dropped because he knew he wouldn't be making any money off us. As we were walking up to the door, the woman we were there to meet came out to greet us.
When we walked in, the first thing she asked me was whether or not I sold my car. She's been on me about the damn thing from day one and I knew the minute I had talked to her on the phone and she was willing to offer me what I was asking from interested buyers sight unseen something was up. Sure enough when I told her that I would be selling it (My boss at work decided to buy it for her kid after she had a mechanic look over it and he told her it was a pretty solid little car.), I could tell she was sorta disappointed. We walked across the showroom with her to her cubicle and things just went downhill from there. First she asked us if we wanted something to drink. I had water, Chi had coffee. It seemed to take her longer than I would have thought to fetch the items and then when she came back, she had these cups that were probably 4oz at best apologizing saying they were the biggest ones she could find. She then sat down and proceeded to print a sheet out (the four square sheet - any of you who have negotiated a car with a dealer before will know what I'm talking about). Once she went and got it off the printer, she came back and started filling the form out. One of the first things she wrote down was the quoted price of the car. When she mentioned it, I said that it was too high. She asked me what I wanted to pay and I quoted a price that was $400 under published invoice (keep in mind published invoice is actually 3% over (in this case) what was actually paid for the car) which I knew was really low but when dealing for a car, it's always better to start extremely low and work up if you want to get the best deal. She tells me there is no way that is going to happen (no surprise there) and starts in with the blah blah about not being able to come down much because they already offer such a good price. Well, I had a little trick up my sleeve. I had emailed a few other Mitsu dealers that were within a reasonable driving distance (200 miles or less) and gotten a response back from one that I was completely impressed with. Not only was the quote (which was basically a non negotiable price) $1800 less than the dealer here ($100 under published invoice), the guy who responded also told me that the deposit to order one would be half what they wanted here and if for any reason the car came in and I didn't want it or didn't like it, I could renege on the deal and all my money would be refunded. I told the woman I was dealing with about this and she starts in with the usual "salesperson spcheal" pretty much telling me that I'm off my rocker. That's when I pulled out the printed email and showed it to her. I could tell by the look on her face that she knew she was in trouble. She then offered to take the email into her manager and get the lowest possible price they would sell the car at. As usual, she took a long time. When she comes back, she tells me the best they can do is sell it to me for $500 over invoice and the invoice price she was giving was nearly $1000 over what is actually published and even that allows for about $800 profit. I told her that it was time for us to leave. That's when she started in with the "Oh you know this price doesn't include the $600 destination fee and there are other hidden charges blah blah blah blah blah blah blah". I said, "Oh, but it does include it. If you look farther down on the email you can see where I asked about any "hidden" charges and when I got the response, the guy said the only extra on top of the quote would be the usual tax, title, and license fee." She kept on trying to tell me there was something wrong about it because there was no way anyone could sell the car for that price and that she was sorry they couldn't offer me what I wanted *Rolls Eyes* I thought, "Yah, I bet you're sorry. You're the ones losing out on the purchase, not me." FOOLS!
Needless to say I came home and called the guy at the other dealership and asked him how bad he wanted to sell a car today. He told me that he'd really like to do that. LOL Unfortunately, the Mitsu system was down so he couldn't do it but he said if I called him Monday afternoon, we could get everything squared away over the phone. Oh and I asked him about the destination fee just to double check. Sure enough, it's included in the price he gave me - no funny business like the woman here was trying to imply. So anyway, Monday is the day I place my order. Wish me luck!
Actually, I talked to him about something else that really opened my eyes to just how slimey the dealer here is. Chi is thinking about getting a Mitsu Lancer Evo IX for his next car and he had asked the woman we talked to about test driving one when they hit the lots. She told us that it's policy that they don't let anyone test drive them unless they have a check in hand to buy. That was about the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. I might be more likely to understand if it was a REALLY expensive car but the MSRP is under $40000. How the hell are you supposed to know if you want to buy one if you can't even get in and drive it? We were both kinda curious to see if this was actually a Mitsu policy so when I had the guy at the other dealership on the phone I asked him about it. He said they typically won't let someone who is really young (18 or 19) drive it because it attracts them but they know 99% of the time they aren't serious about buying. Basically he told me that if you are over 26 years of age with a valid license and you don't mind a sales person going with you, they are more than willing to let you take them out for a spin. According to him, in the 18 years he's been in the business there have only been two cars they wouldn't let people test drive - a Prowler and a Viper (they also sell Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep). Now these I could understand having a policy like that about.
And now for something completely different......
As I mention before Bon Jovi is coming here on November 2. Tix went on sale today. I got online the minute they went on sale to see what I could score. I had access to a presale but the tickets pulled up through that were crappy so I decided to wait until today to see what I could get.
Once again I was not amused by the events center ticketing site. For anyone who has complained about Ticket Bastard - try using this site that I had to get the BJ tix through and you will think TB is the BOMB! Anyway, I kept getting crap for tix when I finally got in and it wouldn't even secure the floor ones. Every once in awhile it would throw the more expensive tix up but they would always be lower balcony and off to the side. Sorry but I'm not paying fuckin $90 to sit in a seat like that half way back. I finally got some that were straight off to the side of the stage for the middle price range. Even though they don't seem like they would be desirable, if the concert is anything like the last one of theirs I went to, these seats should be pretty good.
Of course it gets even better....
When I got back home, TBB called me. She had been messing around on the ticket site and they had started to release the floor seats. She was extremely excited when she pulled up 16th row and decided she would buy them thinking if nothing else, she could sell one set on Ebay. As it turned out, she was almost done going through the purchase process when she got a phone call that took her attention away for a couple of minutes. This particular site only gives you 10 to make the purchase even if you have already gone to the payment screen. In the end, because of the phone call, she lost her tix. She was SO pissed off! I kept talking for a little while and got on the order site myself to see if I could help her get them back. At first I was pulling up the same garbage she was which was in the second section on the floor but then I got what we believe is the creme de la creme of seats at least when it came to ordering off this site. They were floor1 AA Row BB Seats 44 & 45. Based on the info we could get a hold of, it sounded like these were second row! If you are thinking we snagged these up, you are correct! Not going to let those little beauties slip through our fingers. LOL
Otay....I really must be off now.
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Tuesday, September 20, 2005
"...There are a lot of 50 watt bulbs sitting in 200 watt sockets."
Exercise: Finishing the cleaning I didn't get done on the weekend. I wanted to go for a run too but I didn't have time. My supervisor and her brother came to look at my car tonight. He knows about cars and said he thought mine was pretty tight - cool. Hopefully that will mean good news from my boss tomorrow.
The title of the post came from a statement Tom Harkin made at the 28th annual steak fry I attended in my home town about Washington. As some of you may know, I'm not overly fond of any politician. As the joke goes - How do you know if a politician is lying? He's moving his lips. Ok, so maybe it's not necessarily that all of them lie but more of an issue of not being able to get the rest of the group to go along with all they wish to accomplish during their stay in office which, in turn, leaves them looking like liars.
Anyway, there's just something about good old Tom that I have always liked. I don't know if it's because there is something about him that reminds me of my dad or what but I just like the guy and I have to admit he can be pretty comical. John Edwards was the opposite for me when I first saw him. There was something that just seemed shady about him and I didn't feel like he was someone that could be easily trusted. Maybe perhaps because the look about him was just a little to much on the perfect side. After hearing him speak on Sunday, however, my opinion of him has completely changed. Even though I had to laugh to myself when he would pause during his speech for the audience to clap and praise him (all that would run through my head is a warped idea for a SNL skit....LOL), I got the feeling that he really does have the passion for helping people that he is attempting to convey. He spoke of people in NO and how unless you are one of the ones who lived through it, you can't even imagine how these people feel. He also brought up many of the points that had gone through my mind ever since this all began one of them being about the stipend they are to receive and how it was switched from a debit card to auto deposit to a bank account. He said the exact words that went through my mind when I first read about that taking place - "How are these people suppose to get money out of an account that no longer exists - DUH!"
One of the other things he touched on was the change he would like to make concerning college tuition. He would like to make it so that any student who is willing to work 20 hours a week can get a free ride. Even though he didn't say, I would be willing to bet this would mean a rise in taxes, however, that is one tax increase that I think is well worth it especially since tuition has increased to being three times what it was when I went to college just 10 years ago - the majority of the increase being within the last few years. At this time Ant and I aren't parents but we may be at some point in the future and thinking about how much money will possibly be required for a child of ours to attend college at the rate we are going is a pretty scary thought. At least if the cost can be split across all of those paying taxes rather than one family, nearly everyone will be able to benefit.
And now for something completely different......
I'm totally and utterly crushed that MiG didn't win RS INXS and lost to JD no less. I really wonder how things will turn out a year or so down the road. JD just seemed to be too big a personality clash all the way around. Besides, MiG just seemed to have the bigger fan base. On the other hand, based on voice alone, JD was good and I think he most closely matched Michael although because of the similarity, I have to wonder if INXS is really trying to move on. Ah well, I guess only time will tell.
Otay kiddies, I'm off to bed now.
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Monday, September 19, 2005
Happy Birthday To Me!
Exercise: Yah right - it's my birthday and I'll slack if I want to. :P
Can't stay long for obvious reasons but I wanna say that I think I am married to the most wonderful Chi out there. Upon walking in the door after arriving home, he handed me a single red rose. Later he presented me with a small wrapped gift. Inside the paper was a "flight case" for 32 CDs and three greatest hits albums - Duran Duran, Billy Idol, and INXS. Even though I gave him hints about some of the CDs I have been wanting to buy for some time now, he thought up the case all on his own. It was like he stepped right into my mind and picked exactly what I would have chosen. I've never actually seen these particular carrying cases before but ever since I was little and my brother had a briefcase that was similar, I have wanted something like it especially for traveling. If the gifts weren't enough, he is making dinner for me (mmmm curry) all by himself (most times we make it together) and he also made me a cake. Yep, gotta love him. :)
Besides the stuff I got from Chi, I also was given $50 from my mommy and daddy, a $30 gift cert for Quick Trip (a local gas/convenience store) from J-Lo (When I thanked her I jokingly said to her, "Are you trying to say that you wanted to give me gas for my b-day?" LOL), a card from my old roommate at college, a phone call from one wiggin BB, and a tank shirt, crocheted bolero sort of piece, shower set, jacket, and teddy bear from my in-laws.
All in all it was a pretty decent birthday. The day itself didn't beat last year's though. I mean a trip to NYC and a night with Alice Cooper complete with a kiss from Ryan Roxie is kinda hard to top. Guess that means I'm going to have to purchase a car on Saturday. LOL
Alright....gotta be on my way now. I'll be back tomorrow to tell about my first Harkin steak/chicken/veggie fry I went to on Sunday.
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Saturday, September 17, 2005
An unexpected twist
Exercise: Cleaning house
Thursday I was at work minding my own business when an email from my supervisor entitled "Car" popped into my box. When I first saw it I wondered what the hell it could possibly be. Turns out, she's interested in buying my car too. She has a son she wants to get a car for so she doesn't have to run him around but she can't afford to buy anything that costs a ton. She asked me to give her the details and I did. I didn't hear back from her that day so I thought maybe she didn't like the information I gave her.
On Friday she caught me in the hall and then told me that her brother wanted to look over it before she made any decision because he's a little picky about used cars since he didn't want to have to spend a lot of time doing repairs. She was supposed to call me today so they could come and look at it but she didn't. I can't say that it really surprised me any. She is one of the biggest procrastinators I think I have ever met and she does this same sort of thing at work (not something I think makes a good supervisor). I guess there is one good thing I can say - at least she's consistent. LOL
The other news concerning cars is that I talked to the woman at the Mitsu dealership again to get some more information on the Eclipse. She was asking about my current car and if I had made any decisions about whether or not I was going to sell it or trade it (I had told her I was undecided when we went test driving). I told her that it was still up in the air and that I now had two people interested in possibly buying it. After I told her this, she asked how much I was wanting for it and I told her. She asked me if would make any difference if they would guarantee me that amount for my car as a trade in (keep in mind - they have never even seen it). The first thing I said to her was, "How's that going to affect the price of a new car?" As anyone who knows anything about buying a new car, the offers where you get an exceptionally high trade in for a car that isn't worth much are only done that way because they are making a killing on the new car. I also told her that it wouldn't get me to make an instant decision because it was a matter of helping friends out which she could understand. Given what sounded like a little urgency, I'm thinking I may have them right where I want them so I could potentially get a good deal out of them. It's the end of the month (one of the better times to buy) and so I'm guessing they are trying to make quota.....Got 'em right where I want them.
Anyway....the deadline for those with interest in my current car is Friday Sept. 23. I'm going to start some serious price negotiating with dealers on Saturday with intent to buy that day so I've got to have everything with my car nailed down by then. Since it looks like I will be able to get what I want out of it either way (assuming I go for an Eclipse), I'm going to win no matter who takes it.
And now for something completely different.....
Friday three of us were part of a conference call. There was the business manager, another administrator, and me. A guy who was new to the manufacturer wanted this call so that he could get acquainted, go over some new ideas for changes he wanted to make, blah blah blah. It didn't take long before we discovered this call was the biggest fucking waste of time going. Not only did it seem like the guy went back to the first job he ever had when telling about his history, he basically trashed the company he is now working for and please don't even get me started on his flip flopping ways. You think politicians have this problem? I think this guy must have been their teacher! Oh yah, none of the stuff he went over even pertained to us because it was more a matter of internal stuff and all we needed to know were any changes made to our contacts there. What's even worse is that this guy wants to have another call after they get the changes implemented. *Rolls Eyes* There was one bright side to all of this. The phone we were on was muted so we were all back talking the guy and having a good giggle at his expense. I just wish I would have thought to bring the Buzzword Bingo. LOL
Otay off to bed for me.......
Til next time
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Wednesday, September 14, 2005
YAY!
Exercise: 100 push ups. What? That's all I had time for and it's been so long since I've really exercised, I gotta ease back into it. LOL
#1 event of the day to make me say YAY! I was watching the news and they announced Bon Jovi is planning a stop in Des Moines. 'Bout time they come back here. Jon was here on his own last year to support Kerry but I didn't get to see him. Wednesday November 2 is the day and I can't wait until tickets go on sale! TBB are you game???
#2 event of the day to make me say YAY! MiG made it to the finals on Rockstar: INXS. Then again, how could he not? - He's fantastic and after finally getting to hear him sing an INXS song, I know that band will be making a horrible mistake if they don't take him on. Of course I have a theory on the end of this show. JD and Marty both have gotten a LOT of exposure with their original songs. I'm thinking that this was done on purpose with the idea that they get these two known and liked as solo artists in order to launch a career for them and then give the frontman spot to MiG.
Oh yah, they also said Rockstar was going to tour - think I might have to hit that one too. One thing is for sure....I'm going to kinda miss this show when it's over.
And now for something completely different....
The confirmation hearings of John Roberts. I'm still unsure if I like the idea of this guy being on the supreme court. In some respects he comes across as someone who would be fair, however, I don't like not knowing where exactly he stands when it comes to Roe vs. Wade (and a few other issues) because the reversal of that would mean a HUGE step BACKWARD for women. The fact that he has danced around other questions asked of him also makes me sorta leery too.
The Pledge being declared unconstitutional. I can understand the reasoning behind the suit but c'mon people. I'm not into the whole God and religion thing but I really don't think for the Pledge to be said at school is going to do any damage to the kids that attend. Of course in my opinion, the first part of it which says, "I pledge allegiance to the flag..." is ridiculous. It's a piece of fucking cloth for God's sake but I digress. My point here is that when you are talking about kids in grades K-4, all they are doing is reciting something that really means nothing to them. They don't have the higher level thinking to understand what they are really saying anyway so to think that the words are going to have any lasting impression on them is pretty silly. Look at me, it was said when I was in school and I grew up going to church yet I was still able to make my own decisions about God and religion and they don't completely agree with my influences. Rather than making it such an issue, let the kids who don't want to do it or have parents who don't want them to do it not participate and those who do wish to or have parents who want them to carry on. Give the children a little credit. They are impressionable but they also are quite capable of thinking for themselves when given the opportunity.
Otay I is outta here.
Til next time......
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Monday, September 12, 2005
Highway robbery!
Exercise: None - too busy taking garage measurements for a new car. :P
So I went to the pump tonight to fill up my nearly empty tank. The damage - $36.00! That pump was really sucking the money out my butt. Thank God I only have to fill up about once a month and I can get over 400 miles out of one tank. I'm just glad I didn't have to fill up when the prices were over $3. I would have paid over $40 if they were. Thank you George for making sure your oil companies run a record profit at our expense. If only you could run for Prez again, I'd vote for you. NOT! *rolls eyes*
Ok now that I got that out of my system, how's about a weekend recap?
Friday I left work an hour early to go meet with our new insurance agent to get everything switched over. Oh how I wish we would have switched earlier. On this new plan, we not only get a townhome policy which covers the contents of our home but our cars too for about $50/month less than what we were paying for our two cars alone. What's even better is that getting a new car isn't going to kill us when it comes to the insurance because it won't cost us any more than what we were paying.
Saturday I went to Ames to get my haircut totally forgetting until the minute I left that the "big" Iowa/Iowa State game was to start not too long after my appointment. They were saying on the news for fans to build an extra 2 hours into their commute time to make sure they arrived on time. SHIT! I had this horrible feeling that I was going to end up being late because I didn't leave early. I got lucky. I didn't hit any more traffic than usual on my way up there and it only started to get a little heavy when I went up the back way just south of the stadium. The guy who does my hair and I were talking about how much more black and gold there seemed to be rather than red and gold and how more than likely Iowa State would lose like they usually do. I made the comment that ISU could pull one out of their ass just to make things interesting but it probably wasn't too likely. Turns out they did. They slaughtered Iowa 23 - 3. YAY!
On my way home, I stopped at Saylorville Lake for a family reunion. There were some diehard football fans there so much so they brought a tv along with them and were watching it. At that point, it was only about half way through the game. My mom and I were sitting too far away to see the score so she went over and asked one of the guys who was watching. When she came back she said, "I quote....the guy over there said Iowa State is handing Iowa their ass." LOL
After I got home, I got ready to go out for the evening. Chi and I were going to get together with some of his co-workers for a belated 30th birthday party. We left a little early so we could stop by the Mitsu dealer which was on the way so I could further drool over the pretty blue Eclipse on the lot before going to dinner. When we got done with dinner, we went over to the bar to meet up with the rest of the gang. Everyone kept buying Chi shots (think he had something like 8) plus a few beers in just a couple hours time. About 11 or so I looked over at him and he didn't look so well. At first I thought maybe he was just getting a little sleepy from the effects of the alcohol but when I looked at him again, I noticed that he was really starting to look peaked. I asked him if he was alright and he told me that he was starting to get a migraine. Oh SHIT! Needless to say we made a quick exit. Thank goodness we only live about 10 - 15 minutes away from the bar we were at. Once we got home, Chi went straight to bed and I got a little worried. I've never seen him look that bad ever. Thankfully he was ok in the morning and didn't have any lasting effects. I jokingly told him that I tried to warn him about how 30 can hit you hard if you aren't paying attention. LOL
Sunday was pretty low key and basically a day to chill. I watched a program on Discovery called The Flight That Fought Back. It was about the people who were on Flight 93 and what is thought to have happened when it was hijacked on 9/11. It's unnerving to realize just how easily the Al Qaeda group was able to get through security. What's more is that I couldn't help but think of one of the last times I flew on business (a little over a year ago) and the guy at the ticket counter didn't even ask to see my photo ID. I was stunned and still am to this day. I know I just don't have that look of a terrorist about me but it was just strange that I wasn't questioned at all.
And now for something completely different.....
Paging Mr. Brown, Mr. Michael Brown. Collect your shit and don't let the door smack you in the ass on the way out! It amazes me that this dumbshit was actually hired for his position to begin with. This right here is one of the biggest reasons people are blaming Bush for the Katrina issues. There are many people out there saying that Bush can't control a natural disaster and shouldn't be blamed for the Katrina issues. Unfortunately, they are completely misunderstanding what is being said. Those who are putting the blame on Bush are not saying that he's responsible for the weather that caused the devastation but that he should be held accountable for the way things were handled afterward becuase he was responsible for FEMA and the way it was set up. In my opinion, everyone fucked stuff up but I think Mr. Brown had the greatest share. It is because of this and the fact that it was Dubya who put this man in charge knowing that he was under qualified that Bush should be second in line when it comes to the blame. He is the one who is supposed to be leading this country and setting the example. The buck stops with him and he blew it all to hell. Yes, thank you once again Asshat for bringing your ever so wise insight to this country and digging us into the biggest hole we've been in yet. It's no wonder the rest of the world thinks we are nothing but a bunch of twats with egos.
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Wednesday, September 07, 2005
No big surprise tonight
Exercise: None - I've decided to take the rest of the week off just for shits and giggles.
As much as I really like watching shows like Rockstar: INXS, I think they are starting to wear on me a little bit. I think because they end up being so predictable and if they aren't predictable they are starting to come across as "fixed".
The first example of this - The Cut. For those of you who don't know, this is the show Tommy Hilfiger has in which 12 hopefuls are narrowed to one and that person wins a job with Tommy's company that pays something like $250000/year and allows them to develop their own collection. As if tonight's winner wasn't a gimmie. I mean the guy wears nothing but Hilfiger garb and was constantly kissing Hilfiger's butt. Christ, it was nothing but a 10 week commercial for the guy if you ask me.
The second example - Rockstar: INXS. As much as I love MiG, I really thought he would end up in the bottom three this week especially after seeing JD and Marty perform. I don't care for JD's personality, but I have to admit that song he did last night (Pretty Vegas) rocked! Not only did it rock, it also had that traditional INXS vibe about it which only goes to further show that he does have the voice to front the band. Marty did a decent job too but I wasn't as impressed with his original and I certainly didn't agree with Dave's comments about it being a song he could hear playing on the radio right now. I thought it sounded more like much of the music that was out about 10 or so years ago. MiG, on the other hand, I liked his song and I can understand how he was relating it to INXS but I just couldn't see it as something with mass appeal. I also just didn't get much out of his other song either. Of course MiG not ending up in the bottom three wasn't as shocking as last week when Suzie was praised all over the place for her version of Bohemian Rhapsody. One word for that - WHY??? I thought she completely sucked ass! She should have been launched before Ty in my opinion and I can't help but sort of agree with him when he made the comment he did about it being a racial thing. I don't think that was the majority of it, but I do think it played a part. As much as it bothers me to say it, racism is "alive and well" not only in this country but also around the world and we do have to remember here it isn't just the US that is voting.
Jordis going home didn't surprise me at all. I agree with the comment Dave made about her losing steam. When the show first started, I could easily see her in the top three but as the weeks progressed, she started to slip from that position in my mind. I'm thinking it will be down to the three guys but who knows, Suzie may be kept in as a "token woman" but I see the new front person for this band being a guy namely MiG.
And now for something completely different.....
I'm still no closer to making the decision about which car I'm going to buy, however, I think the commercials Mitsubishi is starting to run for the Eclipse are starting to sway my opinion. LOL
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Tuesday, September 06, 2005
For TBB....
Exercise: None - yes I know I'm being a slacker so stick it! :P
since she can't follow the "fancy names". LOL
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Acura RSX
Audi TT
Pontiac GTO
Pontiac Solstice
Mazda-3
G6 GTP
Infiniti G35
Saturn Sky
Mini Cooper S
Mazda RX-8
Saturn ION Red Line
Nissan 350Z
Chevy Cobalt SS
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Sunday, September 04, 2005
A VERY tough decision
Exercise: None - day of rest
Whoa! It's been longer than I thought since I last checked in here. I've been busy. Thursday was Chi's birthday so of course I'm not going to be spending my time here. I guess his co-workers bought him a cake a quarter of which was leftover and he brought home. He also had the chocolate mint cheesecake with sour cream, cherry, and chocolate shavings topping that I made him so there wasn't any shortage of sweets for the celebration. He ended up getting some clothes from his family, some money from my family, and I got him an IPod Mini that I think became permanently attached to him the minute he got it out of the box. LOL
Saturday afternoon consisted of car shopping. I had managed to shave my list down from 14 to 6. I set up appointments to test drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT, Pontiac GTO, Pontiac G6 GTP, Mazda 3, and an Acura RSX Type-S. I also wanted to take a Chevy Cobalt SS for a spin but never got a response back from the dealership as to whether or not there was one available. The cars I was looking at that didn't make the short list are: a Mazda RX-8, a Nissan 350Z, a Infiniti G35, a Mini Cooper S, an Audi TT, a Saturn ION Red Line, a Saturn Sky, and a Pontiac Solstice. I didn't care much for the interior of the RX-8 and it didn't get very good reviews. The Nissan 350Z has an issue with tires (suspension so tight you have to change them out about every 10000 miles) and like the TT, the Sky, and the Solstice, it's only a two seater. At first that idea didn't bother me but after I got to thinking about it, I decided I wanted the versatility of a backseat. The other reason the Sky and Solstice were ruled out was because the Sky won't even be out until next year and even though the Solstice is available, they seem to have a fairly high demand and there wasn't one available for a test drive. The Nissan G35s are nice but I wasn't sure about the design (one of those it's ok but I would rather it looked like this model types). I just couldn't see contemplating forking over $35000+ for something I wasn't completely sure I liked in the first place. Last but not least, I gave up on the Mini and the ION because the dealerships didn't have any to test drive and the wow factor just didn't seem to be there as much as it was.
The first stop was Mitsubishi to drive an Eclipse GT. They didn't have a manual I could drive (only a five speed sportronic (clutchless manual) automatic - BLEH!) but I decided to take the automatic out anyway to at least get the feel of the interior and what it would be like to drive the car. Hell, it worked when I bought my Sunfire - I had to drive an automatic then but I still bought the car. As I said in a previous post, I REALLY liked the looks of the car to begin with. Well, after I got in it, I liked it all that much more. It's wider than I'm used to or like (it's got 2 inches on Chi's car) but it doesn't look like it from the outside nor does it feel like it from the inside. The car seems to have quite a bit of get up and go even though it's heavier than most. I barely stepped on the peddle and it took off which is a good sign. :) The black leather seats were extremely comfy and although the dash (like most of the other cars) looked a little cheesy, it was better than most. Oh yah, the stereo system isn't too shabby either. :) There isn't much leg room in the back seat (as with most coupes) but that's ok. I think in the eight years I have had my current car, I have only used the backseat for passengers maybe three times. What was even better is that they have and awesome warranty and it comes in this UV blue color which is the exact color I have wanted for years. I also can't speak highly enough of the sales people I met with. Both of them had strong handshakes (something I look for as a sign of trust when doing business) and neither of them had that usual high pressure salesperson look or act about them.
Next up the Pontiac GTO, G6 GTP, and Mazda 3. All of these cars were at the dealership where I bought my current car. I wasn't overly impressed with the salespeople then and I certainly wasn't this time either. The guy I had set the appointment with shoved me off on to this other guy who was a total doofus and more of your typical car sales guy. I swear he thought I was a typical stupid woman when it came to cars since he kept asking me if I knew how much of a difference there was between a car like the GTO and the Mazda 3 and the differences in insurance rates. "Yes dumbshit I do now let me drive the fuckin cars." was the thought that ran through my head. If that wasn't enough, all three of the them left a lot to be desired. The GTO is just WAY too much car for basic commuting and some long travel which I figured it would be but I wanted to drive anyway. It's the type of machine you would buy if you want something to take out on the track and race. Although, I wouldn't say it really drives like I would expect a sports car to. The ride wasn't that rough and the tires didn't feel like they had the sort of traction I would have expected. It didn't help any that the sales guy had me go in a circle using roads that didn't have speed limits over 45mph. Hell, that didn't even warrant getting out of about third gear on that car. The G6...well, it's got kind of a blah design and the drive isn't much better - non responsive if you ask me. The Mazda 3 is a nice looking little car from the outside. I'm not big on sedans but this is one that actually caught my eye and it's one of the few that has a manual option. It suited my driving style but it too didn't have a lot of get up and go nor did I care for the interior. It looked like it hadn't been updated in 30 years time.
Next up and last for the day was the Acura RSX Type-S. Like Mitsubishi, I was impressed with the salespeople - definitely not high pressure and good handshake. I went in, met with the guy I had been communicating over the net with, he got the key, pulled the car around, explained where things were, and unlike the other two dealers, let Chi and I take it out on our own. This car is a little plain in design compared to the Eclipse but it makes up for it with the drive. Now this is a car that drives like I would expect a sports car to drive. Very grippy to the road and nice tight steering. I swear that thing would probably corner like it is on rails. I said something to Chi about it reminding me of something I would expect to find on the European roadways and he definitely agreed. It too really suited my driving style and when I took off in it, it was as though I had been driving it for years. The only thing that gave me (and Chi for that matter) a little trouble was the 6th gear. Neither of us are used to driving 6 speeds (only 5s) so finding 6th was a little difficult especially with the short throw set up. The only real downsides to this car is the fact that it costs more to insure than the Eclipse (I think because it doesn't have all the same safety features), the warranty isn't as good, it's not necessarily more roomy but it is more "open" inside, it's not quite as quick, and the sound system I don't think sounds as good. Some of the upsides - it's fun to drive, it looks nice, and it's a little cheaper than the Eclipse.
After we got done, I found myself really torn between the Eclipse and the RSX. They both have a few things I don't like but they also both have a lot of things that I do like. If only there were a car out there that were the hybrid of these two. Either that or I wish I had $60000 to just toss to the wind and a three car garage then I could get them both. LOL Of course if I had that kind of money to spend on a car, I would just bypass both of them and go straight for the Porsche 911 Turbo. LOL At the moment, I'm sort of leaning towards the Eclipse but I just can't decide. I may have to go back and do a second test drive before I make my final decision. :)
And now for something completely different.....
I had a sort of engrossing conversation the other night with someone. It started off with all the talk that has been going around about hurricane Katrina and how the moron in the White House handled things so poorly. The conversation then turned into sort of a religious debate. I admit I'm agnostic and until I see some hard core proof, that's how I will stay. I understand that some people (like this woman I was talking to) think that because I believe the way I do, I am going to hell and all that blah blah but I take real issue with those who have this sort of belief. As I said to her, if God is perfect and loves unconditionally as God is said to be and do, how is it such a being can hand down such a horrible punishment to a soul it created? What makes this so wacky is that in some churches, you are told you will go to hell if you don't accept Christ blah blah blah yet in others like the one I grew up in, you are taught that God is the acceptance and forgiveness in everyone's heart and there's none of the punishment crap to guilt you into "believing the word". Obviously they can't both be right but those who I like to call "hard core Christians" take the attitude that their way is the only way in my opinion. Pretty egocentric I think. Would God approve of that?
The other part of religion that arose from this conversation that I really can't find the logic in is that the majority of people who believe in God will agree that God is all knowing. In the same breath, they will turn around and say that people have free will. My thought is that if God is all knowing, then it is impossible for people to have free will as God knows the choices you will make before you make them and the outcome. Keeping with that logic, if God created humans and punishes them for "wrong" choices and not accepting Christ then that would mean that God only created humans in order to punish them. Pretty sadistic if you think about it. The funny part is.....after I gave her this to chew on, she shut her trap. LOL
Otay kiddies....I'm outta here.
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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