PT Cruiser

OK, I'll admit it. I have a problem. I probably should seek professional help.

I bought another car. Being the cheapskate that I am, I bought a used 2005 PT Cruisers with 31k miles on it.

I just got tired of driving a jeep every day. No power windows, no clicker to lock/unlock, etc. True, the jeep is a convertible but it takes about 15 minutes to put the top down and longer to put it up. The jeep also only gets 15 mpg. That alone is depressing.


Anyway, I decided I wanted a more appropriate everyday car. I started out looking at older BMW, Mercedes and Audi convertibles. I really like the german cars but it turns out that the 1999-2005 cars all had serious issues with their automatic transmissions. They all use the same basic technology so they all had the same problems, and fixing them is really, really expensive so I decided not to go that route. There were several other convertibles I really liked that were affordable but they didn't have back seats for the "kids" (Rosie & Romeo).

I finally decided to give the PT a chance and I went and test drove one. I have to admit, I was really surprised. I never really cared for the PT. It seemed like a fad and I had heard reports that they were really underpowered. That might be true for the base model, but the turbo powered cars are quick! So far it seems to be a pretty good handling car too. It's no corvette, but then you could buy three of these things for the cost of used corvette. It's really roomy and very comfortable, power everything, including the top. I LOVE push-button convertibles!

Romeo

Our new baby 'Romeo' arrived as scheduled on Sunday. He's an adorable little guy too. I think Romeo is a good name for him too, he's such a little lover. He was born on Dec. 27, 2008 so he's just about 11 weeks old right now.

Yesterday was St. Patrick's day so the kids came over for a corned beef dinner and, of course, to meet Romeo. I wasn't there, but I guess Romeo got so excited at all the attention that he peed on Amanda! Except for that, he was really good though. He loves a lot of affection and attention.

We also weighed him yesterday. The little guy is all of three pounds. He'll be going to the vet today for the first time too. We need to get him up to date on all his shots so he can safely go out in public.



Rosie is not all that thrilled to have a little brother though. She tries her hardest to totally igore Romeo. If he goes up to her she just walks away. If she pays any attention at all it's to see where Romeo is so she can avoid going anywhere near him.





I do hope that changes over time and that eventually they'll enjoy playing together.


But, while Rosie lives the life of leisure, Romeo will be working for a living. His future will be as a therapy dog, spending his time visiting the elderly in nursing homes and hospitals.

Happy Square Root Day!

That's right, today is a square root day. It's been a while since we've been able to celebrate a square root day and it will be some time before we get another.

The last time was Feb 2, 2004 (2/2/4), the next will be April 4, 2016 (4/4/16). That's a long time a way so celebrate while you can.

Visit the wikipedia site for more info on this special day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_root_day

New Engine for Minnie

I looks like Minnie will be getting an engine upgrade sometime in the future.  I really wasn't planning on it but this showed up on craigslist at price I just couldn't pass up.

It's a datsun engine, probably out of a 1979 or 1980 B210, with an automatic transmission.  The auto trans was the key part here.  

I probably won't deal with putting it in the car until this fall though.  Too many other things on my plate this summer plus I'll need to spend some time scrounging for some parts on ebay and at swap meets before it could go in the car.

Getting it was exciting though.  The truck died on me right on Novelty Hill Road!!!  Couldn't be at a worst place.  So I end up blocking the uphill lane on a curve waiting for AAA to come tow me home.   Now I have a truck that doesn't run that I'll have to deal with.

After we got done dealing with the truck, I took the seats out of the van and off we went to Bremerton to pick up the engine.  And people wonder why I have so many cars!!   Seems obvious to me that we NEED all these cars and trucks to support our lifestyle.

A new administration

Barrett-Jackson Photos

Here's a slideshow summary of my Barrett-Jackson experience.



Click this link to view the album in Webshots: Barrett-Jackson 2009

Click this link to view the slide show full Screen: Barrett-Jackson 2009