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Test Drive #2 - I decided to take a second test drive of the Prius after work today, at a dealer that was on the way home. This dealer had completely different policies than the dealer I'm ordering from, and after signing some papers, I could take the car wherever I wanted to go for a few hours. One hour was plenty -- I drove home on the highway and took my time becoming acquainted with the wonder machine.
It handled even better than I remembered from my first test drive, accelerated very well and fit right into the traffic. When I accelerated hard from a stop, the wheels even screeched -- how's that for an electric car? Considering how new the technology is, it drives amazingly conventionally, except for the unnerving quiet as it rolls to a stop. The gas engine automatically shuts down each time I take my foot off the accelerator, as the energy from the spinning wheels is then used to charge the batteries. The only way I know the gas engine shuts down, though, is by observing the energy display monitor -- it's too quiet to be heard! Even starting it up is quieter -- there's no cranking starter -- the gas engine is simply "on". Can't wait to get one!
—Mike @ 21:11
Live Long and Prosper - Astronomers have discovered the "planet Vulcan" (Mr. Spock's home)!
—Mike @ 13:36
Pics - A couple more photos of nephew George, one with his cousin Jenna, the other with his dad.
So, what was the big deal with Kathie Lee's last day with Regis last week?? Was it that slow of a news day? I can't believe the hoopla that was made over it in the media. Don't get me wrong -- I actually like the show, and even taped her last show and watched it a few days later, but can't understand why it's getting so much attention. Then again, I never did understand why she attracted so much media attention -- people seemed to either love her or hate her for some reason.
—Mike @ 08:59
New photos of Sarah, Joey and Jenna are now posted at http://Joe.GastonFamily.org
The Mets won their sixth in a row today... now if we can only convince Atlanta to lose a few in the last two months of the season...
—Mike @ 23:29
"Hi, De!" - Nephew George has a new doggy which he inadvertently named Heidi when he tried to say "Hi, Doggie!"
—Mike @ 19:42
Looking for some great stories from real people? Check out the Heroic Stories web site... well worth a subscription.
—Mike @ 19:08
Weekend was a bust -- all our plans fell through and the weather was awful in northwest NJ, so we're officially moving this weekend to next weekend, and striking this weekend from the calendar. (huh?) Kevin was glad to find out he can now write his weekly Windsurfing newsletter articles on the old PC and hand deliver them on a floppy by "sneaker-net" -- it's not e-mail, but it beats the weekly handwriting method.
—Mike @ 18:57
Department picnic today! (Sure beats sitting at my desk ;-)
—Mike @ 09:37
Back to Mars! - Water-Sniffing Rover Set to Go to Mars in 2003
—Mike @ 22:12
NYC - Despite the unrelenting rain, we went into the city to catch Bernadette Peters starring in the musical revival of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun today. What a wonderful play! Peters seems to be really enjoying herself on stage, and the audience is drawn right into the fun. She plays the part "over the top", but it works in this setting.
What a great voice she has. An amazing array of songs came from this play, including:There's No Business Like Show Business
Doin' What Comes Natur'lly
The Girl That I Marry
They Say It's Wonderful
I Got the Sun in the Morning
Anything You Can Do
We caught lunch in the Sea Grill restaurant at Rockefeller Center - dee-licious!
On the way home, we noticed that McDonald's restaurants in Manhattan are carrying McVeggie burgers -- can you imagine? We couldn't either, but I had to stop in to try one (I know: from the sublime to the ridiculous). It was actually good!
I even came up with new uses for the golden dollar -- I found them very quick and handy for tipping the coat checker at the restaurant, and for paying street vendors in the city. Of course, Wednesday matinees lead directly to Wednesday rush hours, which are no fun even when the weather is good, but it was still a fun day.
—Mike @ 20:45
$$$ - So, how come I haven't seen any of these Golden Dollar Coins that were supposed to be showing up everywhere by now? It dawned on me today that I'd never actually seen one in person. I had looked for them to be given out as change months ago when they were supposedly arriving on the scene, but nobody seemed to know anything about them. Today, it dawned on me that there's a bank branch right in the building where I work, so I stopped by and asked about them. "Sure, we've got them," said the teller. "Okay, I'll take ten."
I spent my first one a few minutes later; the cashier never blinked an eye. Later, I tried to use one in the $1 soda machine (what a rip), and guess what? All the vending machine preparation doesn't seem to have hit our corner of the world -- the machine just spit it out, as though I had tried to feed it a token from the Garden State Parkway or something. I figured they'd be perfect for the expensive vending machines. Think again. I'll have to report it, I guess. I showed one to my dentist -- he says they look cheaply made and are ugly... sorry US Mint!
—Mike @ 20:35
Test Drive - I got to finally take the Toyota Prius for a test drive last night, and was happy with the results. I thought it was a very smooth ride, very roomy interior (for a compact car), and quiet. It was a little unnerving to be sitting in traffic waiting to make a left turn, and be relying on a car that was totally quiet to suddenly come back to life when I stepped on the accelerator!
The energy monitor screen is really cool - a color display in the center of the console that lets you know which engine (electric or gas or both) is engaged for the current driving conditions. It also shows you the outside temperature and doubles as a control screen for the radio. Radio pushbuttons can be displayed with the station's nickname and frequency, for quick and easy selection.
Otherwise, it drives amazingly conventionally. My brother-in-law decided to cancel his order after his own test drive, because the ride wasn't comfortable enough for him and he wasn't ready to go back to a compact car. My only disappointment with the brand new model is that cruise control isn't available, but I can live with that. I'm more interested in driving a car that is only one category removed from what's considered a "zero emissions" vehicle. And in 3 or 4 years, we should start to see fuel cell cars being introduced.
A delivery date is still up in the air. The best my dealer could tell me is that he hopes it's a matter of weeks, not months. Since I was one of the first orders processed, I sure hope so!
—Mike @ 08:54
It was a very nice weekend. Strange weather we're having in this part of the country for a July! It's more like a pleasant springtime (no complaints here -- I hate the humidity!) We went out to dinner with our friends Sue & Mike, and played a game of Continental and a game of Taboo afterward.
New phone numbers will be making themselves known pretty soon, as 511, 211, and 711 join 911 Service
—Mike @ 08:52
Cool product - Check out the CC Expedition - 7 White LED Flashlight. I own one -- the batteries last forever, no bulbs that can break, and it produces an amazing light.
—Mike @ 15:59
Movie of the week: What Lies Beneath -- a good one to get your heart pumping. Lots of suspense, well-acted and well-directed. The story gets a bit silly toward the end because it gets dragged out for about 15 minutes too long, as you wonder "Is he dead yet? No? How about now? No?" and on and on. But all in all, it's the best murder/ghost story I've seen in a while. The theater was the most crowded I've been in for a long time -- only a few seats in the front row were left open by the time the movie started.
—Mike @ 11:13
Hey! My brother-in-law just told me that he's also considering getting the same new car as me: a Toyota Prius!
—Mike @ 16:07
Just heard from my car salesman Jon -- the dealership expects to receive it test-drive model by the end of the month. We'll see...
—Mike @ 10:04
Splitsville -- Can you believe it? My company announced just now that it's splitting yet again! Help me, I'm shrinking!
—Mike @ 10:02
Still no good news at my alma mater -- from today's Star-Ledger:
Seton probe: A half-year of frustration
Six months after the fatal Seton Hall University dormitory fire, the probe into what caused the blaze is nearly stalled with investigators unable to determine exactly how the fire started or build a case against the students they believe are responsible.
—Mike @ 21:57
New photos of my nieces and nephews visit to the lake this month -- it's always a blast to see them.
—Mike @ 21:28
My cousin Jim and his wife Eileen just gave birth to their second child, Maura!
—Mike @ 21:26
New car!
Did you ever hear of the Toyota Prius? Well, I just ordered one, sight unseen and (so far) un-test-driven! ... I probably won't take delivery for another month yet. There's a row of batteries for the electric motor, stored low in the back of the trunk. They and the hybrid technology are warranted for 8 years. No dealer has a test drive model yet, but they're taking orders like crazy. The deposit is fully refundable for any reason, so I figured I had nothing to lose. My dealer did get first hand training and a test-drive at Toyota's headquarters, so I picked his brain for an hour, and felt comfortable going ahead with it.
The color is Aqua Ice Opalescent -- hard to describe what it looks like (check the Prius web site to see it). I've been following with anticipation the development of hybrid electric/gas technology for years, anxiously awaiting its arrival on the consumer market. When it finally became "orderable" in July, I made sure I was the first on my block (probably in my county) to order the technology... it's so intelligent, it amazes me.
—Mike @ 11:30
More? - There's additional reading available in the Archives.
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