I have started the hunt for another car.
I tend to be the last owner of a car, before it gets recycled - and I'm very ok with that. I find it is the most cost effective way of car ownership. No big purchase, some maintenance and you only deal with the problems you want to.
That said, I do tend to like nicer/more expensive cars, with all the options. I just can't afford them new. I choose to believe that premium cars are better maintained initially, because the owners can afford to maintain them properly, plus they may have been leased, and were required to be dealer cared for.
I agree that sometimes the name comes at a price premium, but I also find that a new top of the line model is usually constructed to a different standard than an entry level model. Although during my lifetime the fit, finish and longevity of even the lowest priced car available new today far exceeds what was available or expected when I was still in school.
I have very little idea right now what I want to buy - that will in a large part be dictated by what is available in the price range I am looking at. But I do have a short list of things I like a car to have. Having driven a few cars with relatively crappy headlights, a must for the next car will be a good lighting system. I love having leather seats (heated), so that is on my list as well. Beyond that, most I what I like is probably standard on cars - delay wipers, central locking, power windows and a radio.
Things that are a major turn off for me on cars include most after-market stuff. If the radio has been swapped out for some touch screen, aftermarket unit it is a real turn off for me. I figure that cars and the associated electronics are complicated enough without some self-taught 'installer' digging into the wiring and potentially screwing it up. Or causing other electronics and functions to malfunction.
I feel the same way about back yard repairs. If you want me to believe that the repair was done, and done correctly, show me a receipt from the dealer. At least there is some recourse if there are problems. Plus I find it hard to believe that a non-mechanic, with no diagnostic tools, has properly maintained a modern car.
The search continues.
Monday, 27 February 2017
Sunday, 26 February 2017
Feb 26, 2017
Scan scan scan - that's all I do.
Well, it's not quite that bad. Work has picked up, so scanning pictures has taken a bit of a back seat - there are only so many hours in a day, and so much to get done.
I've actually made some good progress on scanning material, although I may have cheated a little bit.
To explain, much of what I have been scanning has been family photos. It's fun, but time consuming because of scanning each item individually. Also, I am trying to identify the people in the pictures, besides the obvious ones I would know, as well as trying to identify when and where they were taken. That usually requires outside help and that takes extra time - emailing various people and waiting for a response. Some of the pictures I scanned a few months ago, and still on my desk as I try to identify one person in the picture or a location.
In order to pick up some momentum in the project, and feel I am making progress, I started scanning some of my pictures as well instead of scanning whatever I grabbed next.
I am scanning slides I have shot, which has several advantages: First, I can scan them four at a time instead of individually; the slide mounts usually have a date stamped on them to help figure out when they were taken; and, because they are pictures I took, I can usually identify the people and locations from memory. All those things help speed up the process!
So far, I wouldn't change anything about the project. It is a great learning experience as I learn more about my family from before I was born. Plus I get to meet some great people as I try to track down missing pieces of information.
I really can't wait to see where this leads me.
Well, it's not quite that bad. Work has picked up, so scanning pictures has taken a bit of a back seat - there are only so many hours in a day, and so much to get done.
I've actually made some good progress on scanning material, although I may have cheated a little bit.
To explain, much of what I have been scanning has been family photos. It's fun, but time consuming because of scanning each item individually. Also, I am trying to identify the people in the pictures, besides the obvious ones I would know, as well as trying to identify when and where they were taken. That usually requires outside help and that takes extra time - emailing various people and waiting for a response. Some of the pictures I scanned a few months ago, and still on my desk as I try to identify one person in the picture or a location.
In order to pick up some momentum in the project, and feel I am making progress, I started scanning some of my pictures as well instead of scanning whatever I grabbed next.
I am scanning slides I have shot, which has several advantages: First, I can scan them four at a time instead of individually; the slide mounts usually have a date stamped on them to help figure out when they were taken; and, because they are pictures I took, I can usually identify the people and locations from memory. All those things help speed up the process!
So far, I wouldn't change anything about the project. It is a great learning experience as I learn more about my family from before I was born. Plus I get to meet some great people as I try to track down missing pieces of information.
I really can't wait to see where this leads me.
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