Car Repairs

There has got to be a better way to run a car service department. I just don't know what to make of what happened to me. Except maybe that I was scammed. But I don't have any hard evidence and I am not convinced that I was scammed, but I definately left with that feeling.

$1600! The Rav's probably only worth about $5K anyways. I'm probably overestimating its value.

I had to get my water pump replaced and repair a whole bunch of leaky seals. I needed tightening on a strut (fact), two new tires (fact), a new battery (fact), and an oil change (fact). I guess I needed a new water pump, it was making some funny noises. But the car still makes funny noises, just not as many. And they did a bunch of other stuff that I didn't and still don't understand.

And all this added up to $1600. Is that an accurate price for the amount of work they performed? I have no idea. Did they overcharge me for parts? Probably. Did they overcharge me for labor? Probably. Did they tack on some unnecesary maintenance because they knew that once the price was over $1K I probably wouldn't gripe about $50 here and there? Oh, for sure.

And so I feel totally taken advantage of. Which is why I am saying there's got to be a better way to do this.

No Pleasing Some People

Someone, who shall remain nameless, has complained that I gave the fact that I am getting a new apartment short shrift (as compared to say, getting new boots). What's more, they claimed that there were too few exclamation points to justify such a momentous event.

Well, let me do what I can to defuse this situation...

I'm getting a new apartment! WOOOOOOO!

And, more importantly:

I am moving in with Nelly!

Now that we're all properly excited. I want to say that I am really looking forward to my our new place. It's bigger, nicer, in a nicer area, nearer to the city, closer to my friends. And it's going to have the love of my life in it (a good deal of the time).

So, that's the scoop. That's the thing that's really exciting in my life.

Happy now, baby?

Everything is New Again

Hello campers,

Sorry for the long delay between posts. It's hard sometimes to find the time and the motivation to spill the beans to my adoring public. Or, perhaps "public" is too broad a word. Well, the three people that read this blog may enjoy getting a little bit of news.

1) I have new boots. Just in time for this latest gross weather, too. Nice timberlands. Very trendy, very sturdy. Hopefully the laces wont fall apart (which is my perenial problem with boots). They're size 8.5, perhaps my feet are shrinking.

2) I am getting a new apartment. Nelly and I signed the lease for a beautiful place in Montclair, NJ. It's right near the train station and right near Bloomfield Ave. I'm thinking it's going to be very very nice.

3) Car trouble. My car makes this odd (and disheartening) rattling noise whenever it goes over a bump at moderate speeds. It's very not cool. The rav is hurting people. Tomorrow I'm taking it to the Toyota dealership in Ramsey ("Prestige Toyota"). I will relate that experience to you all.

Pictures will be forth-coming... well, except maybe for the problem with my car.

Baltimore, et al

It's a slow day in NDS-land. Work isn't exactly piling up.

This weekend, Nelly and I went down to Visit Paul & Vicky at their apartment in Baltimore. They have a beautiful apartment, right near Johns Hopkins. It's a pretty neighborhood and a very nice building. Unfortunately, there's an amazingly terrible smell in their hallway. But that's not their fault. I just thought I would warn you because when you get off the elevator, breething through your nose can be fatal.

But once you're inside the apartment, everything is beautiful. Vicky is a master of interior decorating and the two of them do a great job keeping the place clean, comfortable and cozy.

Saturday afternoon we got to see Nelly's friend John Blatz (sp?) who lives in B-more as well. And we hung out at the inner-harbor before going to see Syriana. The movie was definately a downer (our alternative was Dick & Jane -- I think we made the right choice). But it was thought-provoking and challenging.

It was a very relaxing weekend, we had an easy drive down and back. We didn't accomplish much, but it was great to see Paul and Vicky again. And there's nothing wrong with having a relaxing couple of evenings.

On our way back, we stopped in Montclair to check out some apartments. We saw three. All very nice, and we have some more to look at this week. Hopefully, we'll have a place locked in pretty soon.

I need new boots

I think my feet have shrunken over the past year. I cannot explain it.

I busted out my old boots, that I swear I have been wearing since college. But they're at least 2 sizes too big. Weeeird. Eeeerie.

Well, add new boots to the list of the things I need to do.