Drained
I'm not sure precisely why, but I feel very drained tonight. I tried to start a new book ( Flowers for Algernon), but just couldn't focus after about 25 or so pages. I guess I should get some sleep. Maybe I'll continue my series on Barth's theology (finally) tomorrow.
Whirlwind 36 Hours
Years ago, my family would go down to the Ozarks every fall around the beginning of September. After my grandparents died, however, that tradition sort of went by the wayside as other things came up. Last week, my mother suggested perhaps we should try to fit in a trip before my classes started back up on August 28. We watched the weather, and when yesterday looked rather promising, we set off on the 250 or so mile trek down to Table Rock Lake for a day. It was a fun time and also a nice test to see how the Beetle did on the highway. It started out the trip with only 600 miles on the trip gage and came back with nearly 1,200.
I'll post more tomorrow, hopefully.
Bye Bye St. Charles VW
Well, perhaps the “Butler curse” extends to more than just stocks. Today, Volkswagen of America wrote to say that the dealership I bought my Beetle from has lost its certification to sell VW's. They pointed out the four remaining St. Louis VW dealers and mentioned vaguely trying to bring another one to St. Charles.
Unofficially, I'm told that it has something to do with the fact that St. Charles VW failed to follow through on its agreement with VoA to build a new $5 million dollar showroom. That might sound petty if it wasn't for the fact that the VW dealership shares a somewhat poorly maintained building with Hyundai, Isuzu and Suzuki, whereas their Nissan dealership sits next door now in a building that surely cost at least $5 million, but I bet more.
Oh well.
...there are Passengers and there are Drivers.
Of Diesels and Other Things Volkswagen
I've been casually looking at cars for quite some time, figuring if something worked out, it'd be better to bite the bullet at my convenience rather than when I was desperate and had to take just anything. My goal was to find something more fuel efficient than the Jeep Grand Cherokee I had been driving. It was running OK, but making a few noises, dropping in fuel economy (at trade-in, it was down to less than 15 MPG) and, not being mechanically inclined, it seemed best to trade it in while it would provide some value.
I looked at a few different cars. The new 2007 Jeep Compass was intriguing, but disappointing; one I looked at cost more than a 2006 Liberty ($19k) despite having manual windows (though the sticker did note that this nearly two and quad-zeroes car did have an A/C). Given that it isn't off road capable, I'm not sure why the model I looked at was so pricey. It is also rather ugly, losing much of the charm of the typical Jeep. It's cheaper cousin and heir to the Neon's job, the Dodge Caliber, looks nicer and was nicely equipped for about three thousand less. It was tempting and not at all unpleasant. I think “Dr. Z,” as current Chrysler Group promotions refer to DaimlerChrysler's Dr. Dieter Zetsche, has given the Star-marquees a touch of German engineering that is really nice, although not as nice as a pure German car.
Drivers Wanted. I'm a Volkswagen man, so I was strongly leaning toward some kind of VW. Primarily it was between a Jetta and a New Beetle. When my parents were looking for a car this spring, I managed to coax my dad into looking inside a 2006 Passat, and despite his dislike of Volkswagens, he saw how nice it was in comparison to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. It begs to be compared more to the likes of this, only for thousands less. Obviously, then, I really admire the Passat, but it was more than I wanted to spend, and I really don't need that large of vehicle. I did end up test driving a left over demonstrator of the 2005 Passat which was dramatically reduced in price, but I opted against that (in part because of how much I think the all new 2006 model is improved).
The Beetle has been floating through my mind as a car I've wanted to own since the Concept 1 awed everyone in 1994. Call me odd; while most kids dream of getting some kind of muscle car when they finally got their licenses, I dreamed of a Bug. Having grown up riding around in my mother's bright orange 1971 Super Beetle, I am thoroughly a Beetle fan, and (unlike most of my peers) not just from hearing about them: I experienced the real thing. The world's best selling car (ignoring the Corolla which is really a bunch of different cars that have carried the same name) is truly an amazing thing and a pleasure to ride in; although my mother's VW was wrecked probably a decade ago and has been patiently waiting its slow restoration since then, I did not forget.
Nevertheless, I did seriously consider the Jetta. It's a bit more expensive than a Beetle, but better at hauling more than two passengers and features some of the extra bells and whistles of the Passat. I test drove one after I drove a New Beetle, but while it is an amazing car, everything good about Beetles came to mind and won out over the next few days. Volkswagen's 2006 literature calls the New Beetle a “peace pod on wheels” and a “force of good,” and those are good descriptions. Many cars get the attention of people, the Beetle just quietly makes everyone smile. There's something to be said for being in a car that seems to have built in rose colored glasses. Perhaps it is like Steve Job's RDF (Reality Distortion Field).
The Diesel Dilemma. Having settled on the “force of good,” I next had to decide about diesel. One dealer in town had several Beetle's with Volkswagen's amazing TDI diesel technology. If you judge diesels by the old 1980's American diesels, you are getting the wrong picture. The TDI is a turbocharged, finely tuned machine that gives 44 MPG on the highway and provides very good acceleration without making a racket. While its horsepower looks meager (100 versus the gas engine's 150), more torque makes up for the difference. The problem is that people really want these puppies. While I wanted to put my money where my mouth is and support what I think is the best alternative fuel option, I couldn't justify the cost. The TDI only costs $1,200 more than the 2.5L 5-cylinder that comes standard in the Beetle or Jetta, but unlike the 2.5 models, dealers won't negotiate on the TDI. So while you can get a 2.5L for invoice price, you pay the higher sticker price for the diesel. I had figured that at a $1,200 difference, a TDI would pay for itself in two years, but when the difference shot up to almost $3,000, the fuel economy no longer was worth paying for.
Having tried to deal with a dealer farther away that had TDI's, I returned to my local dealer, which I really like and ended up with my car. (If you live in the area and go to buy a VW, Hyundai, Isuzu or Suzuki, ask for Kip Rodgers and tell him Tim Butler sent you — Kip likes to play the negotiating game, but he's also a pleasure to deal with and very, very helpful.) I've always liked beige interiors (as well as the Gecko Green exterior) and the decision on my Bug was aided by the fact that the one other Beetle they had included the sizably more expensive leather package as opposed to leatherette. I liked both Beetles at St. Charles VW better than the configurations at the aforesaid other dealer.
So that's the story of my Bug, which like any New Beetle should, has been given a name. “June Bug.” (it was made in June.) So far, I absolutely love it. I really admire the German engineering that VW puts into all of their cars, from the low end Rabbit (a.k.a. Golf for those of you across the pond, $14,990) through the absolutely stunning Phaeton, which I have had a chance to sit in (starts at $66,700). I could easily be a VW salesman, having admired Ferdinand Porsche's legacy since I was a little boy. There is a different feel to driving and riding in a German car; it rides smoothly, but you “feel one” with the road. It may not be for everyone, but I love it.
By the way, if you connect this post's title to my first post about car buying, you'll notice you will get most of Volkswagen's slogan. Yes, being the devious guy that I am, I included a hint in the title of my post that asked for guesses of what I bought. On the road of life there are passengers and there are drivers. Drivers wanted.
It'll Have to Wait
I kept getting sidetracked today, and did not make it through the comments. In addition, I still do not have my car post written (good thing I just gave up and posted a photo!).
Tomorrow, tomorrow, there's always tomorrow…
Late Night Post
Well, I ended up spending a late night at a client's home who is using his home as an office while his real office remains without power after last week's storm. As such, I have not had a chance to read the comments on the “Power Grid” or “Soda” posts; I'm not ignoring those comments, though. Tomorrow hopefully.
I'll also write the very late post on my new vehicle tomorrow. But, since I keep promising it, I'll at least provide pictures (if you click the photo it'll take you to an album that also has a few neat sunset photos, along with car photos).
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The Gecko Green Bug, a.k.a. “June Bug”
I'm going to give the asisaid points (10 each) to Christopher and Mike. Mike has tried various creative ways to figure out what kind of car I was talking about, and he picked up on my clue about Germany too. He even mentioned a TDI Beetle. I'll also give him 10 extra points for the said creativity. Christopher earns twenty for guessing a VW Beetle, albeit in black.
Weighing in on Soda
About two years ago, Kevin started me thinking about soda. At the time, I was drinking six to eight liters of Coca-Cola a week at home, and usually ordered a Coke or Dr. Pepper when I was eating out. I drank a lot of water too, but soda was, at the very least, a close second in my total liquid consumption. Kevin at the time decided to cut back, or maybe quit, drinking soda. I thought it sounded like a worthy thing to consider, and started cutting back a bit myself. Cutting back a little meant there wasn't always an open two liter in the fridge, making drinking soda less convenient. I was particularly busy at the time this all started, and before I knew it, that slight decrease in convenience meant I wasn't drinking any soda at all. Then I started ordering iced tea (no sugar — coffee and tea are meant to be black — thank you very much) or water at restaurants.
I essentially quit drinking the sweet stuff without really thinking about it much.
Now, I drink just a little soda. An energy drink-type soda once or twice a week, a Coke on a rare occasion, a Dr. Pepper if I go to Taco Bell (since their iced tea isn't so great)… that kind of thing. When I combined this with trying to be just a small bit more active, stuffing myself just a bit less at dinner and so on, I essentially ended up going on a painless diet. I went from hovering at somewhere around 275-280 lbs. (127 kg) down to somewhere slightly under 195 lbs. (88 kg). That took me from being considered obese according to the NIH through the realm of being overweight and, in the last six months or so, into the territory of “normal weight.”
This is interesting. Yes, I've tried to quit eating a whole 12” pizza when a little over a half will fill me. Yes, I don't always supersize my french fries. But, by and large, I've not really changed my eating that much. I still eat unhealthily. And, while I've tried to walk and do other healthy activities a bit more, I still spend more time reading, listening, writing, driving, computing or otherwise sitting than moving. While I knew I drank a lot of soda, I never thought I drank that much! Calorie percentage wise, I don't think I really have lowered my intake that significantly. What maybe 300 or 350 calories a day? It makes me wonder what's in that stuff.
Food, or drink, for thought.
Sunday Miscellany
Well, I said in the comments of my car post that I'd post the answer to what kind of car I traded up to, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow. If anyone else wants to take a guess and try for some asisaid points, now's the time. Perhaps I'll give points for the best or most amusing guess, if no one gets it right. If nothing else, I find it interesting to see how my writing impacts what y'all think I'll putt around in.
I had a pleasant surprise this morning. Last week, I went to Oak Hill Presbyterian Church to hear Dr. Alan Meyers, my professor in times past as well as present day advisor and friend, preach. Dr. Meyers is just as wonderful at preaching as teaching (which I've talked about before), providing interesting reflections and connections that draw out the meaning of whatever passage he happens to be preaching on.
He's the parish associate that fills in when the regular pastor is otherwise occupied. Their pastor was on vacation still today, so he was suppose to preach again, but I was not sure exactly what was up with the service today since the church is located in one of the hardest hit areas of St. Louis city from last week's storms. I should have called him to see if he was preaching rather than e-mailing, but I didn't, and so I did not know as of this morning whether there would be a regularly scheduled service this morning or not. I suspect perhaps his Internet is down, which would explain why I did not hear back from him.
As such, I returned to my church instead, rather than venturing 45 minutes to downtown only to discover that the power was out and the service canceled. While it is disappointing that I likely missed out on Dr. Meyers preaching, Greg, our youth and contemporary worship pastor, was manning the pulpit at my church, which was a very nice surprise. Greg just graduated from seminary and moved up from being our youth minister to this new, full time pastoral job. He has one of the best gifts for preaching I've ever heard — he is both captivating and sincere. I was glad I did not miss one of the rare occasions that he puts his talents to use.
All in all, that made for a good start to the morning!
I'm working on a computer for a friend who plans to give it to his son to use for web surfing and the like. It is an old, 1998-era Compaq, which is in fairly good condition, except that when it was purchased used it came with a pirated (and thus unupdateable) copy of Windows XP. I'm trying to install a new copy of Windows XP, but the system is too old to boot off a CD-ROM. Apparently Windows XP requires six diskettes in order to attempt to start setup via diskettes, so I need to stop by the office store to get some new diskettes tomorrow.
It just amazes me how little use I have for those once essential small black squares. My primary computers for the last two years have not even included a diskette drive! And I don't recall whether I bothered using the diskette drive in the computer before that either.
The Road of Life...
Before going to the Muny last Friday, I traded in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. My aunt had sold it for a good price when she was getting ready to trade up to a new Jeep a number of years back, but it was starting to exhibit some problems, such as a shifter that was sticking, some odd noises in the engine and plummeting fuel economy. It still had some trade-in value — though not much — so I decided it was a good time to take advantage of that.
I was going to say what I traded up to, but that wouldn't be any fun, now would it? Instead, I'll offer 10 asisaid points, toward the next iteration of the Challenge (coming soon), to the poster who can guess correctly what I traded my trusty Jeep in for. If you can guess the right color, I'll also offer 10 points. If you can guess both correctly together, I'll give you 10 extra points for a total of 30.
