Electric Mini Pilot Program Announced

Be still my beating heart, for true love hath arrived:

Pilot Project with 500 All-Electric Minis in Three US States :

2008-10-20 - BMW plans to test a fleet oft some 500 all-electric Mini models
that will be made available to select private and corporate customers as part of
a pilot project in the US states of California, New York and New Jersey. The
Mini E will give its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19
and 20, 2008. It will be powered by a 150 kW electric motor fed by a
high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the
front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox. More...

For you, dear sweet my love, I have but one tender question:

When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?When can I get one? When can I get one?

Goodbye, car loan!

It gripes me to no end sometimes that I actually had to take out a loan on the car when I bought it - I decided I'd rather have the cash than just buy the car outright. Mistake #1. What I wasn't factoring in was the cost of all the extra insurance (comprehensive) added to the interest which cost me more in the long run than just doing without that cash on hand in the short term.

Duh.

The sweetest part was realizing once I did the math last night that after downsizing my insurance coverage and paying off the car - even with the price of gas in my guzzler - it's still cheaper for me to keep the rig at the moment than to make a down payment on a gas sipper and start the whole cycle again.

Plus I'm still seriously considering selling the beast before I leave for traveling and transitioning to a car-less existence on my return, which would be ultimately better for my budget and the environment than even a Geo Teetotaler (or whatever they're calling the Metro these days)

I live in a big enough city, with reasonable enough public transportation that getting where I need to go shouldn't be a huge issue without my own set of four wheels. Better then that when I come back I'm planning on actually moving INTO the city, rather than staying out in the 'Burbs.

The California girl giving up her car still sounds a bit sacrilegious to me, but times they are a changing and I'm learning to appreciate the new opportunities change brings. Still hanging onto my keys though, at least for the near future.

The last of the road trips....

I think I just took my last road trip this weekend.

Unfortunately I'm one of those people who really does like to drive - not the daily commute, of course. I love road trips, packing up the car with food and stuff and people (dogs are people too) picking a direction, plotting a course, loading up on music and hitting the road. The longer the better. It's one part therapy, one part recreation, one part cheap travel. Last Friday after a crappy week at work and breaking up with Handsome Fellah* I decided a road trip was in order. I packed up the car, grabbed some grub, hunted on Craigslist for a relatively sane rideshare companion and headed to PDX for some TLC from BBGB.

It was a great trip, the sun, wind, open windows, political discourse, music. And then came time for the fillup.

$65 dollars


Watching the numbers at the pump roll north I counted off meals, shoes, movies, books, all the things $65 bucks could have gone toward. All for a 6 hours and two days of driving and i would still have to put gas in the car for the return trip!

It occured to me that it's cheaper for me to get a therapist than hop in the car when the world's troubles are on my shoulders. Granted, hanging out with BBGB is like family - but I could have easily taken the train or a bus down for a helluva lot cheaper. Then it occurred to me how environmentally irresponsible my little hobby was - sure I've gotten better about doing Craigslist rideshares whenever i get a wild hair to hit the road to PDX, but its not always been like that. Time for a major lifestyle overhaul.

So, with a heavy heart I pulled up to the house Sunday night I said goodbye to my road-trippin days. My one regret is that I never drove cross country when it was remotely affordable because I've always wanted to see the country from behind the wheel. Still, I've had lots of awesome adventures, and great tales.

When I woke up this morning it occurred to me if I sold my car I could save about $300-$400 a month in insurance, car payments and gas. Sure I'd be taking the bus and Zip Cars more, but that's still a drop in the bucket comparatively. Holee crap, one step closer to my travel goals!

I was so stressed out I needed a pedicure...

Thursday afternoon, after four weeks of bouncing between the mechanic and insurance companies, two rental cars, delayed car parts and THE REST OF MY LIFE, I thought I was going to loose my mind.

Actually I'm pretty sure I'd already lost my mind and was finally noticing this. All over $2500 worth of exhaust system damage (start at the catalytic converter and keep adding parts and labor)

On top of it all, I've gotten new responsibilities at work which I inherently love because they involve photography -- but are totally overwhelming at the moment because I've got to learn yet another Tool and skillset. For about two weeks I was literally passing out at 8:30, getting up at 5 and starting the day all over again.

Wednesday I broke down with BBGB (over IM, of course). I'm tired, I'm stressed, I have no time, I am overwhelmed. How much is this going to cost me and when is this going to be over had become the constant litany replacing a usually very fun and interesting daydreaming life. I haven't blogged in WEEKS. Boo hoo me.

There's a reason she's my bestest girl buddy ever. Her solution: get some perspective and a massage.

See, we are Californians, and in California we know there's no mental upheaval that can't be solved with a lil pampering. In fact, I bet this applies to all women, but Cali girls are the first ones that I have ever heard admit it. Out loud. In mixed company. We are not afraid to admit: when the going gets tough, the tough get a rub down. Fellas, take note.

It was my idea to throw in the pedicure. By the time I was sitting under the lamp watching my cute pink toes dry I had a whole new mental frame.

Thank god I have insurance - the repair is covered. I get to cruise around in a sweet rental car (drive it like you stole it, baybee) for two weeks. When all of this is over, I'll have no problem getting my car to pass Washington emissions because I will have an almost entirely brand new exhaust system. And i have cute little flowers painted on my big toes.

So while I'm not going to thank any part stealing junk heads anytime soon, I really have nothing to complain about. Just need to grow some patience, and start blogging again.

I will not freak out...I will stay calm...I will not kill anyone...

Today I returned from the bus after a blissful sunny afternoon wandering around downtown and climbed into my car. I started the engine and immediately knew something was wrong. It sounded like no one had bothered to install a muffler on my car. Parked on a busy street and against a high wall I couldn't safely take a look, so I let it run for a minute, made sure there were no fluids dripping and drove the mile and a half home.

Safe from traffic in the driveway I got on my hands and knees and looked under the car.

Muffler - still attached. No visible holes.

Exhaust Pipe.

Missing.

Yeah, someone had cut the exhaust pipe from the muffler to the header. About two feet of pipe was missing, cleanly sliced off. In fact, the first cut on the header side was too high so they pulled out and moved further down.

Just so you know - I wasn't parked in a lot all day, or even on a side street. I'm parked on a major street, busy all day and yet some asshole had the unmitigated gall to break out the saw and pull a usless peice of pipe from my car. I mean, the muffler I could understand, the header even...if your desperate and you really need a stock muffler or header...please take mine.

But the pipe. The stupid pipe you could get at ace hardware for a few bucks. INSTEAD YOU STOLE MINE? REALLY?

D is convinced it's revenge. He's wondering who's man I stole. Maybe I should have a convo with HF about that one, eh?

Honestly, I must have pissed somebody off. The funny part is, well it's just funny. So bizarre, and unbelievable. It's just random. D's second guess is that it's "mistaken identity," whoever it was thought the car belonged to someone else.

Has anyone else heard of this? Is this a common car prank? Is there something special about stock exhaust pipes that I don't know about?

WTF?

This commuter's life...

Good news this week:

I found the Redmond Express. Now with only two buses and a short car ride I can get to work in about 45 minutes or an hour if I leave during peak traffic times. A Novelist dropped by to remind me of all the fun things that you can do in your car during traffic. Which I completely agree with, especially the part about singing in the car. I am a total "iPod Diva" while driving - high notes and all, plus it's getting to be the only way I can keep up with This American Life; Wait, Wait and Driveway Moments.

Plus, PT is SO CLEAN in Seattle. I mean, the buses don't smell, there's no extensive covering of graffiti, the lights all work. You don't feel like you're taking your life in your hands when you step on to one - and the few times my life HAS flashed before my eyes it's been because of either the driver or some stupid Suburban driving idiot.

I guess I'm just a cheap bastard too: I don't have the most fuel efficient vehicle, but I'm not willing to get into another car payment situation. Plus I LOVE my car. Even though I love it a LOT less when I'm watching upwards of $50 vanish into the gas tank. And I hate braking. Which sounds rediculous unless you think of Seattle drivers - who LOVE to slap their brakes in front of you for no good reason. Which drives me into an unmitigated rage more often than not. Then I spend the rest of the ride meditating on anger and trying to get my breath back.

See my dilemma?

Have I mentioned how hard it is to be me: living a privileged life in one of the most developed (if more than a little bit fucked up) nations in the world with a fantastic job and the ability to drive to work every day, which I totally take for granted most of the time?

Sigh, self absorption rears its ugly head.