Munster cheese and wheat thins

Not exactly what I would have wished for lunch. But it was filling, course come 4pm I am sure I will be starved.

I have some goLean Crunch in my desk too, makes a decent afternoon snack.

Again, this is just a quick post. Still trying to get some discipline about making posts. And as I have stated, this is my personal blog. That means it might occasionally have updates that talk about what I had for lunch. Or the dogs, or a philosophical rant about Python vs PHP.

Just depends on what is going on and how much time I have.

Anyway, I had been planning to get some cruise control put onto the Corolla. My beloved POS transporation vehicle that has been schlepping me too and from Dallas lately. I bought the Corolla back in 98, May I think. I had about $600 to put as a down payment. I got screwed on the interest rate, but that is what happens when you got nada for a down payment and no credit history. My boss at the time had to write a note saying something to the effect of "Yes Ben has a job and we intend to employee him for a long time to come."

It has been a fine vehicle, affectionately dubbed the "Ghetto Sled". It however was a base model corolla, about the only fancy thing it has on it is an alarm. Which when I mention it people are like "You had an alarm installed on that thing?".

NO, it came with it.

Now, while the Corolla has no power windows or anti-lock breaks, or cruise control. It does have ice cold A/C, a working heater, a cd player (i upgraded just this last winter), and not to mention I can get a full set of tires installed for about $270 (including tax), the Corolla will be my car for a while.

The estimate for the addition of aftermarket cruise control was like $600 bucks. If the Corolla was not as old as it is, I might have said 'OK'. However, they also mentioned that it would not work well going up hill. That was the deal breaker. I had read a few reviews/forum posts about aftermarket cruise control. And the biggest complaint I saw was from those that bitched about it not working properly going uphill. So $600 and it wasn't going to work well uphill. Screw that.

That means that we will be driving the Wife's 1992 Olds Achieva up to Michigan for vacation this year. Probably the last summer it will go up there. That care has seen better days, but it is a fighter and is hanging in there. Gina has been wanting a new car for about six months now. And depending on how the rest of the week goes, that might pan out sooner, rather than later.

All of this means that my car is basically relegated to staying in the Lone Star State, Tejas (Texas for all you gringos).

Sucks though, cruise control would have made those drives to Dallas a bit more comfortable. I intend to drive the Corolla into the ground, my new car will either be a Pontiace Vibe....



or the Toyota Yaris...


I think the Yaris is about the only car that I would buy brand new. The price of one of these puppies brand new is only about $2-3K more than what a used Vibe goes for. I mean it is like just under $14k for a version with cruise control.