With all the weekends and night work I've been doing since... oh, May?... days and such seem to blend into one big mash - I'm no longer sure if I'm coming or going... (although the last couple weeks I have convinced management that someone else can do the work - but that may be more with another guy who was doing an ass load of night and weekend work having a seizure....)
Well, last night, I needed to kill some time while waiting for something to progress in Suikoden III, I flipped to watching cable. It happened to be on Cartoon Network and an interesting anime was on (called Read or Die according to the guide). Since I missed 9 minutes, I set up the Replay to record it later that night. I proceeded to flip channels and came up on G4-TechTV playing anime. The guide wouldn't tell me what it was, to I watched the last 15 minutes of the show.
Afterwards, I found out it was R.O.D. - TV. So, this morning, again needing to kill time in between waiting, I watched Read or Die. After the opener, the opening credits started, and I'm thinking, "Wait this is the credits for what I watched last night. Did I watch this, or was this on that other show. Wait, that was the other show that I saw the credits to." As the credits continued, "Wait, those are the people from that other show. Oh wait, was that because I saw a few minutes of this... No, that's right, that paper master guy shredded that dude (dude in question pops up on the credits). Hey, is this the same show?" As if to answer, the credits and, and a banner R.O.D. comes up. Then it hits me - R.O.D. = Read or Die. Ah, this is the video, and the other was the TV series.
I swore that the blue haired chick was voiced by Wendee Lee. Credits said differently - Amandw Winn Lee - who I wondered (and later confirmed) was married to this Jaxon Lee person. She also seemed to produced and directed the English version.
Also, midway through, it was confirmed that this was the show I wanted to record anyway (based on an ad I saw weeks ago) but forgot all about.
And, what's with the Super Milk Chan?? (Perhaps this will also jog my memory to check this out when it comes out, lest I forget... amongst the various other things I have forgotten because of crappy assed work......
On the way home yesterday, after the traffic report, this guy comes on for some ad or something. He introduces himself as Benjamin Dover.
All I could think of is, "dude, your name is Ben Dover"
Heh,
So, the city of Dallas went and bought a bunch of natural gas car for the police department in order to become more environmentally friendly.
Well, now the officers are being hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning.
Go Ford!!!!!!!
Got to drive a '05 Grand Cherokee and '05 300 C today.
Dude! If I could have afforded the 40k, I would have bought the Grand Cherokee on the spot. Awesome vehicle - more horses than my old one (this one was a 5.7 Hemi multi-displacement), the ride was just as smooth, the bells and whistles of my old one were upgraded to Mercedes quality bells and whistles, and the nvaigation/sound system was just too cool.
The 300 C was cool too. The styling was reminiscent of Bentley - although, I don't like the door/window styling on the side. The car itself was pretty much a Mercedes, teamed with the same engine in the Grand Cherokee. Phenomenal acceleration, smooth ride, whisper quite.
I was quite impressed with the Hemi engine. As stated, great acceleration, and I couldn't tell that it had switched to 4 cylinders, and back to 8 when needed. Finally, somebody has implemented the idea I had 20 years ago...
I was amused at the sales lady. For each car, I would point out exactly what changed (since I had a '98 Grand Cherokee Limited, and my P's have a '99 300 M) - what was for the better, what was for the worse - and little details throughout the car. She'd just give me this look and say things like, "Oh, I never noticed" or "Yeah, that's a new feature", etc - and finally she just said "You really notice things, don't you?"
I've just ended a legacy.
After 6 years of faithful service, I have let my Grand Cherokee go. At 155k miles, it has never failed me. However, with the air conditioner dead for the past two years (kinda brutal in the Texas heat), the suspension getting worn, and the car starting to make a rattle which makes it sound like a diesel engine, I thought the time had come to trade it in while I could still get a trade in value for it. I didn't really want to get rid of it - it's my favorite car out of all the vehicles I've had. But, I could already think of $2500 of work needed within the next year, and I'm not sure how the engine and transmission would hold out two years from now (when it reached 200k).
So, I began thinking it would cost me about the same over the next 5 years if I went and traded it in for something cheap. At least I would be less likely of having the engine give out on me altogether with a new car - and if it did, I wouldn't have to fork over an immediate 8-10k to get a running car. Based on my current finaces, I knew I couldn't afford anything close to a new Grand Cherokee - which has some really cool toys. I'd be looking at something in the 10-15k range (after pushing around bills a bit).
MORE MORE MORE
On a whim, I decided to go to this Kia dealer, because they were offering a Sorento give-away. If the key I was sent would start the car, then it would be mine. So, I figured, why not - free car and I wouldn't have to worry about the vehicle situation. Now, I must admit, I had pre-conceived notions about Kia. And, this Sorento they were giving away didn't really impress me - it looked rather used on the interior (being cloth interior, it probably looked worse than it actually was), and the DVD package they crammed in there made the car look cramped inside.
After seeing my key fail, I figured that since I drove 40 miles to get here, I'd take a look at what Kia was offering; I'd remembered that Kia offered a 10/100000 warranty standard. I was talking with the sales guy about what I owned, and he mentioned that if I were to buy a Sorento, I'd be eligible for a $2000 cash back on an 04, as well as $2000 cash back for being a Jeep owner. He then pointed out a "luxury" edition of the Sorento. For shits and giggles, we took it out for a test drive, and it rode nice. The interior looked cheap - but it was a cheap car.
So, after hearing how this SUV has a 5 star safety rating, decent acceleration, good ride, and most of the features that my Grand Cherokee had, I was starting to get a bit impressed with Kia. I looked at some of the cars (cause I was starting to become practical minded and thought I probably needed a more fuel efficient car) and liked the Optima - which also had a lot of the features my Grand Cherokee had. So, here I was looking at cars that would cost about 14-19k (after all the rebates and trade-in) with a good number of the features I have. So, I told the sales guy I would have to go through my bills to see if it was even feasible for me to get a new car, cause I was getting interested.
I went home and calculated that if I paid just over the minimum payments to my debts, I could free enough money to get a new car. This meant that I'd now longer be debt free by 2011, but if my car gave out suddenly before then, I'd be seriously hosed. And now I was looking at a somewhat comparable vehicle, rather than a stripped down basic car.
I couldn't go back on Friday, cause I had to pretty much work from 10 - 10 (although it ended up finishing by 9). I did do a bunch of research on the two vehicles, and found that reviews were surprisingly favorable. I returned this morning and test drove the Optima (V6). It was about what I expected from a smaller car (although now I think they call them mid size vehicles) - it needed to struggle a little (and I mean just a little) to get up to 70, but nothing too excessive. Having the air on didn't kill it's acceleration. I did notice that this car pulled significantly to the left. Most likely an issue with the car in particular, and not to the line itself.
When we got back from the little drive, I asked about the Sorentos, as a guy came in with a demo. The sales guy told me there were 3 04s - the Black which I saw the other day, a silver, and the grey one the guy just came in. I took a look at the grey, and noticed the interior looked nicer than the black one. I still noticed that things were plastic, but the color scheme didn't make it look as cheap. Well, that was a problem, cause I liked the look of the grey one. So the difficult decision I started making Thursday night got more complicated - that is, the battle between want and need. I wanted a SUV, I needed a mid-size. Before, I was leaning a little more with the Optima - cause not only was it cheaper, but the cost of ownership of the vehicle would be less as well.
So, I asked to take that one for a test drive. I noticed that the vehicle had 3000 miles on it. I told the sales guy I wouldn't call a car with 3000 miles a new car. I'd call that a used car. It may be an 04, but it had miles on it. The sales guy started to deflect, talking about how mine was a high mileage car and how I'm lucky to get the 5k that I was asking for it (especially with the air out). I told him that my car doesn't apply to this conversation, the fact is, if I were to buy this car - the instant I would drive off the lot, the vehicle would have lost a good chunk of it's value immediately. Since it was going for the same price as one with 40 miles, I'd effectively be paying for less. I had snuck in a conversation earlier on how a more local dealer was offering 7k rebate of a comparable Sorento.
The test drive was nice, the car had a good feel to it. When we got back, he asked me which one was I interested in. I told him that unfortunately, the test drive didn't help. I was still torn between the SUV and the more fuel efficient mid size (although, there was only a 5 mpg difference between the two - either way, I'd get better mileage than I was already getting). I asked if he could get some numbers together so I could see what my monthly payments would be. He talked with the sales manager, and the manager got some numbers going. I asked that they run numbers at 72 months for the Sorento, and 60 for the Optima (to cover the 5k difference).
We started talking for a while and he was curious about why I didn't have a clear preference for one over the other. He said he was knew to car sales, so he usually only sees people who come in and say I want this... I told him that it all cam down to want I wanted (Sorento) to what I needed (Optima). I like the height and feel of SUVs; I liked the heated seats in the Sorento (the Optima doesn't have them); I overall preferred the Sorento to the Optima. However, the Optima is more practical; it has better gas mileage; it is just as roomy as the Sorento; the Optima is cheaper overall. So, the breaker would be how much was the cost of each vehicle. If one was more affordable over the other, i would go for that. He then asked me what would be the monthly price I was looking for in order to buy the Sorento. I gave him a figure, but told him that if the Optima came out to be about a $100 less a month, I would go for that. He then excused himself.
After about a minute in the sales manager's office, the sales guy comes back with the Sorento numbers. I noticed in addition to the $4000 in cash back, he added another $1 reduction (perhaps my comment about it having miles on it?). With all the added costs (title, tax, etc), the monthly cost came out to be at the number I mentioned (although there was a $1k down payment). I said these look good, and asked if I can see the numbers for the Optima. He responded that the number is what I was asking for. I said I know, but I'd like to see how much the Optima would cost me. If it's significantly lower, i would go with that.
After a few minutes, he came back with the numbers for the Optima. With the same $1k down, then numbers came out to be $20 lower. Now, with the difference in gas consumption, I calculated that the Sorento would come out at $60 more a month. That's an amount I could justify in order to get the vehicle I was more pleased with. True, it won't get as great of gas mileage (although, I made the calculation with gas at $2, not only for easier math, but to compensate for the upcoming years), and it is an addition year of payments. But, the monthly cost (first five years) was not different enough for me to choose the Optima. Besides, there are ways I can compensate for that extra year that wouldn't really become a burden on my budget.
So, I am now an owner of a 2004 Kia Sorento EX Luxury. The only major concession I made on this vehicle was that it is not a 4x4. However, because of how much I've been working, I haven't taken the old Grand Cherokee off road (asides from hopping curbs of annoyingly short turn lanes) in the last 2 years. So, I don't think I'll really use that feature anyway.
Things I loose:
power adjustable front passenger seat
Mini computer with MPG reading, Distance to Empty reading. service reminder,
day and date display, display indicator (which door is open, notification that I
have a burnt out light, etc)
4 wheel drive
In steering wheel controller to cycle through preset stations
coin dispenser
2 driver setting memory (seat position, mirror positions, radio presets)
valet keys
doors automatically lock when speed is over 20
lights turn on when the wipers engaged
delay on the lights when the vehicle is turned off
2(?, maybe just 1) inches ground clearance (cause it was an off-road model with increased
clearance)
rear window pop-up latch in rear
V-8 engine
3000 lbs towing capabilty (not that I tow anything anyway)
independent suspension
power lumbar control
Things I "gain":
Mini computer with altimeter and barometer (no, I don't know why)
traction assist for snow/wet conditions
In steering wheel control for radio power
sunglass holder
loads of storage compartments
additional (larger than the ones behind the front armrest) cupholders in the rear
doors
spare tire under the vehicle - rather than in the bed
front and rear side curtain aribags
5 start safety rating
Latch system for baby seats
rear fold-down arm rest
middle seat has over the solder safety belt
rear spoiler
sunblock in area around rear-view mirror
6 disc in-dash cd changer
reduced wind noise
rear window pop-up on drivers console
rear window pop-up on key "FOB"
V-6 engine
wider body and track for increased stability
5 speed
hidden rear storage
4 speakers
2 additional power outlets
air conditioning!
Oh, it's alpine grey with grey interior
Oh oh, i got the dealer to pay my first month (which would be December payment).