Buy the return contract cancellation option

Returning a car is not easy.

I never intended to have to.

I did it within 48 hrs. Now, on Sunday I still l have no return paper

I have to meet with the managers manager on Monday

Stay tuned for the painful continuing saga..............

Prius

I decided I wanted to get a Toyota Prius.

I got one that was an 04 with 24k miles that had been a fleet vechicle. Great warranty etal.

I dropped off my rental car at Enterprise and sat in the parking lot for over an hour trying to figure it out. I rolled backward since I was on a slant but couldn't get the car to start and say ready.

Finally, I took the gas car over to the airport and called the dealer. (Near tears) it was getting dark and it was issolated. Reading the book did not help.

He came out and in one minute showed me that you have to step on the brake at the same time you push in the ignition switch. (embarrased)
Off I went

The next morning I hit the car pool lane and saved 15 min commute time.

Then on Sat., with counsel from my wise older brothers that yes, my suspicion that I had been taken was true. I was screwed and didn't even get to enjoy it.

I took the car back to the dealer.

TRAUMA!

I handed the key and the papers and went to rent a car.

I took the light rail to the airport shuttle and got a car.

Then I went to drive a sonata by Hondai. I was interested in them when they first came out in 87. Its 18 - 1k rebate and 10% licence and tax. A lot lower

Bob doesn't see an extra 6k for hybrid.

If I buy one in IN and drive it back there is no premium. Here in CA they charge an extra 3k and the tax credit may be that. Here you wait till Nov.

There a week or 3.

What to do?

Will the dealer take the car back now that Bob has given her the CA Buyers Bill of Rights?

The Hybrid

I like the Toyota Prius and the milage at 50k.

It's a different experience to drive no key, push button to start.

Remember the cars that had push button for the gears reverse, drive and park it's kind of the same thing.

The price however is msrp 23 and another 3 for premium. With gas at 3 a gal. it could pay for itself fast.

On the other side Honda has a hybrid too. It's not as advanced. It costs roughly the same.

Neither is available. Both require a deposit.

Car

Yesterday started o.k. I took the car in to get it checked out before my trip to Trinidad. I had to get a new rotor, axel and drum. After allignment I started off. I got as far as 1st street, about 7 miles and I smelled burning as I had before. I was trying to decide if it was me... I noticed all the lights go on and pulled off the 101 fwy. to the shoulder. (The last time that happened I was in Nova Scotia!)

The car was billowing smoke. When I finally opened the hood, I thought the oil cap had blown. I called AAA after flagging down someone with a cell phone.

After an Hour I called again after flagging down another motorist. Finally they showed up and towed me home and to the garage.

In the interim, the CA Hy. service had shown up 2x and we tried to fill the radiator with water and think it had a hole.

Now I've had enough. I'm looking for a Honda hybrid. Gilroy is out and I'm calling the others now.

Yikes...at 167k after 500.$ of repairs it's time!

To Teach

Well I'm gonna teach another year we'll see if I made the right decision.
School starts next week/ Mon - Wed.

I have teacher meetings. Then the kids come back on Thurs. I'll set up and hope the year goes well. Our new principal seems nice. I hope as is suggested he is good.

World Trade Center

We went to the movies last night an saw World Trade Center and An Inconvenient Truth.
WOW! It's difficult to watch but, World Trade Center is a powerful movie.

We cried.

I can't believe that only 21 people were pulled out. I never really got the scope of the ruins on the news. It is a grave site.

Downtown San Jose on a Saturday night was crowded.
All the post teens and young adults out cruising.

The theaters were empty but all the parking lots were full along with the bars.

The police were out in full force.

Wedding shower

Went to a wedding shower last night. Its nice to see an older couple try again. They are probably in their 50's. He teaches English at the CC and she 2nd grade.

We made a Chinese chicken salad, pasta salad with shrimp and feta, frest fruit salad and had aram rollups. No traditional cake but a waltz Bolivian style for two haoles. (white people)
Good conversation and we held the party in my friend Gloria's son Jon Davids' home.

He's building another one too. In this one he remodeled the kitchen, recessed lighting new appliances and cabinets and counters and put in floors all over and painted over and over again. It looks good.

Emily's mom Connie is sick with occluded arteries as a result of her thyroid cancer radiation treatments over 30 years ago. She's having surgery. Emily is going with the kids to be with her. Hope she will be o.k. She is a nice woman.

Gardening

Time to beat the heat with early morning gardening, sweet fruit salad and vine fresh tomatos and basil.

It takes about 30 min to water the plants in my back yard and deck while the sprinkler on the front lawn do their thing.

There is something about digging in the dirt. Planting and transplanting and even watering that is calming.

I want to go to Australia and dive on the Great Barrier Reef. The last time I got a visa it was free in 78. Now it costs more than $50.

It will be an expensive trip and I'm not getting younger...got to go soon.

I have no desire to go to see Ayers Rock or over to the over side Sydney and maybe Lady Elliott island will be enough. A long 20 hr. flight for a week.

New Zealand? I'm not sure? Tanzania? maybe....

Love those sweet fresh fruits of summer

Nothing is better than a sweet nectarine, rasberries, blueberries, strawberry shortcake and peaches or cobbler yummm!

Love it and stuff myself from asparagus season here in CA in Feb. to artichokes in May and everything fresh in June.

Wonderful corn and basil salad and fresh grown tomatos! The best!Fortunately it goes to Oct. here.

I make my favorite rasberry jam :-)!

A little more painting

Decided the entire dining room wall needs to be painted.

Too bad I gave the remaining paint to Gloria for a friend of hers.

An Inconvenient Truth

Just finished Al Gore's book An Inconvenient Truth. It was great. I will continue to look for ways to conserve. My next car will be a hybrid. I have reduced my driving a lot. It helps that my commute is so short.

Today it was in the 80's again. I was up overlooking the Silicon Vally and saw the grey. Smog breathing it, We better get a handle on our world. The US and DC better get on the environmental train.

We've got such a beautiful planet I hate that me are destroying it. What's wrong with us?
Alternative forms of energy can certainly help.

Plant!

Sleep

Slept for 11 hours today got up and went to work. I can always tell when a cycle is coming. I keep drifting off. I read a bid and prefer oblivion. Marilyn called at 9 to tell me not to come to Trinidad since her friend was extending his stay. Given this feeling I'm not sure I'd be in a place to make the 6 hr. drive up there anyway. It would be nice to beat the heat and it is beautiful. She is really in pain and needs a lot of help. I need to be up to do that.

To teach or not to teach that is the question.....

I am toying with this question for the fall. I don't like teaching jr. high. I am investigating returning to adult ed. One minute I say I will then I have a dream where my subconscience tells me not to. I should listen and stay with the library and fill in with occassional teaching.

Bob is now 63.
Happy birthday bro.

Pirates and Superman Returns

Pirates of the Carribean was great with the special effects.
The second flick, Superman was interesting but by the end of a double feature my feet were frozen and I had enough of movies even if I had to go out and face the heat.
It was nice for the library to give freen pizza and theater tickets as part of their summer reading program. I certainly read enough to qualify for the 25 hours many times over.
My kids at school likes them too they even reluctantly took a book that I told them they had to have to get the other prizes.

Too Darn hot

I went to see a double feature from 1-6 in the afternoon to get out of the heat. With temps. up to 104, two fans just couldn't keep up! There have been up to 125 deaths in CA and I have been pouring decaf icetea with mint and lemon continously down my throat. It doesn't even cool down at night. Usually the fog rolls in but at midnight, 2 and 4 a.m. I know it's not going to happen.

bbq

WE'LL I'M GONNA CELEBRATE THE 4TH BY GOING TO SEE THE MOVIE cars WITH dAVID.
THEN WE'LL DO A COOKOUT.
HE'S MAKE TERREKI CHICKEN AND i SUPPLY THE GRILLED VEGGIES, EGGPLANT, PEPPERS AND ZUCHINI AND I HAVE CORN ON THE COB.

Since I start Summer school on the 5th it will be a early night. I don't like to go out among the throngs anyway too much traffic.

Brunch and Swimming

Went to Los Gatos to the Country Cafe with Kim and Brianna today. Then we went to the swimming pool. It was hot!

Don't eat a yummy breakfast and then get in a bathing suit. I didn't care I just wanted to get my clothes off and et in the pool to cool off!

I got my first frapachino at Peet's coffee and stopped by Whole foods for some take out curried chicken salad. Yum!

NO AC AT THE MN LIBRARY

Went to work today to find out that the AC was out all weekend, Here I am sweltering in 90 degrees,,,then we get to go home.

Can't work or serve the SJSU patrons in that heat!

:-)

What did we do in DC before air?

.....sweat

Summer School

Summer school starts on Mon. with teachers workshops on Thinking maps.

next week the kids come.

Only a month.

I can do that right?

But why do I want to?

The library is calmer....

Yessica helps

6/20

Picked Yessica up to spend the night at midnight and we prepped and painted. She, going into 6th grade just jabbered like a magpipe till 2 when we had finished 2 walls of the family room.

I've known her since 1st grade from biblioteca (the library). Her sister Brinanda have had friends over to camp out in the back yard and I took them to Big Sur camping. Some exposure to things they wouldn't normally have and things to do and for me a little "parenting" and a peek into a culture I only see the outside of. I went to her mom's baby shower....really different and interesting...there were more kids than mom's!

They now have a little sister Adrianna, now 2.

Their mom speaks only Spanish and it's been interesting to watch her grow up.

I was a chaperone for her class to SF Mission Delores last year.

We watched a movie till nearly 3 and finally passed out.

It's been so hot we have to paint in the morning or given my propensity to be a night owl, in the middle of the night.