Math, Research, and Auctions...

So. I found this interesting little math problem on Facebook last week:

3+3x3-3+3=?

I've also been doing some research on the year 1957 because I'm setting my current WIP in a time not unlike that year (just as the setting is a place not unlike Boston, or London, or perhaps Ankh-Morpork...). This has led me to search for things like cars and fashion and other random stuff like this cool lighted alarm clock which Inspector Beck has in his bedroom.

Or this cute outfit I imagine one of my characters wearing.

This necklace which another character inherits.

This '57 Lancia Florida which Officer Prentiss drives (and which Inspector Beck envies, not that I can blame him).

or how about this cool panel truck one might see while in my city...

See? Research is FUN!




As for auctions, well, I don't know about you but I love them. I once bought a gorgeous Oriental type carpet for not very much which still graces my living room. Anyway. The other night I went to hang out with a friend and he had the Discovery channel on which was showing the Barrett-Jackson Auction. I think I died and went to Heaven.

There were so many amazing and outrageous cars, like this 1938 Coddington V12 Hemi aka "The French Connection"

Or how about this 1950 GM Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour Bus (might be kinda fun to tour in, no? I wonder what it looks like inside...)

But I think my favorite was this 1971 Pontiac GTO

sold for $126,500

Now that's an OMG.

I think I might be drooling on myself. Again.

Finally

Holy Cow it's been a stressful month plus without a car but I finally found one that seemed pretty decent within my ever so limited budget. What do you think of her? Not bad for a mere $1200. And let me tell you it isn't easy finding something for that price that isn't rusted out, over 200K, or needs some big ticket item to get a sticker.

It isn't exactly what I wanted. What I wanted was a Subaru. That AWD comes in pretty handy up here when the snow starts flying. But as I said to my mother the doomsayer (she said I shouldn't buy a Volvo because they're horribly expensive to fix and then where will I be?), beggars can't be choosers. Okay. Maybe they can, but they don't have all the choices. So maybe the saying should be, beggars cannot be choosy. Regardless, I think I found the best car (and absolutely no rust, can you believe it!!!) for my money and boy, is it nice to be driving to work again.

Not that I didn't enjoy walking* to work. There were only a few rainy days and I called someone for a ride so I didn't have to walk in any inclement weather. In fact, the weather was pretty spectacular. Extra warm to start then just about perfect the last week or so. Brilliant sun, the waters sparkling, that singular smell of the river mixed with the sea...yup. There were some pretty nice days walking, and I DID notice them. On purpose. But it was stressful, especially knowing that the weather was not going to stay nice much longer. Not to mention the extra time it took (about 50 minutes) plus the searching for a car (and OHMYGOD have you seen some of the ads on craigslist? The grammar? The misspellings? I saw one ad that said "This car will defiantly take a sticker." HA!). I hardly got any writing done and didn't get around to visiting much either. But, thankfully, that's all over now, and I think I got a good deal. I figure if I get a year or two out of that car I'll be doing well. So. There you have it. I finally have a car again.

AND Holy Cow! Did anyone see the lunar eclipse last night? I had a great view of it from my porch and yard. Wow. Pretty amazing. 


* Yeah, the bike thing didn't work so well. The seat was waaaay too uncomfortable and my ass was killing me by the time I got to work.

Another funeral and A little romance...

Well, I'll be honest, things are not going very well here in vacationland (aka Maine). My wonderful awesome RAV4 finally bit the dust and there is no hope for resurrection. In fact, my mechanic said I should only drive it one of two places: home or the junkyard. He also said it was dangerous to drive and explained some of the exciting things that could happen if I hit a bump (of which there are many around here). Like, things let go of the rust they're holding on to and the car just slides off to the left into oncoming traffic (Whee!) or slides off to the right into a ditch (Whee!) or a tree (more Whee!). Note he didn't say unsafe, he said dangerous. And when your mechanic says dangerous you usually listen. Unless you're idiot.

Anyway. This delightful turn of events leaves me sans automobile which means I will be either walking (a mere hour) or riding my bike (up a total four effing hills) to work for the foreseeable future as there is zero cash in the budget for a car payment, and the only money I have saved is for fuel this winter. I'm feeling pretty fucked right now and that makes me a tad sarcastic, in case you didn't notice.

So, good-bye RAV4, thanks for being a great car, and hello walking to work. Yay.

But now for the good stuff: a little romance...

Sadly this is not my story (I wish!), but rather my son's. He started work at a new place a few months ago and has had his eye on this girl who works in another building and who he doesn't see much. Yesterday he left some wildflowers in her car at lunchtime. When he left work he noticed the flowers were hanging from her mirror. The son was happy he didn't see them lying on the ground.


Now we wonder, what will happen?

Will the girl guess he put the flowers in her car? Will she think it was someone else? Will she be looking around at work today at all the guys, trying to figure out, which one was it? And who does she want it to be?

Isn't it exciting?!!!

I'll keep you posted on this intriguing slice of my life and we can all live vicariously through my son. Isn't he sweet?

Cars

I don't know why, but I've always loved cars. I'm not a fanatic; I don't know the make and model of every car I see, but I know what I like and I have my favorites. Like this:

or this:

Anyway. I was thinking the other day about how much cars have changed just since I've been driving. For example, this was my first car:

Of course, my car didn't quite look as nice as that one but I also got to drive this baby around:

This was my boyfriend's car and since he didn't have a license, guess who got to drive? His was a shade lighter than the blue curtains above and in mint condition - unlike my poor Impala. I've also driven some not so memorable cars like the Toyota Carina (which no one has ever heard of):

I learned to drive a standard on that car. And then there was the  Ford Escort Wagon:

OMG, can you say ugly? Add unreliable. I hated that car. But after that I got my one and only brand spanking new vehicle: an F-150.

That isn't my truck, but it looks exactly like it, right down to the color. Man, I loved that truck, washed it every weekend, inside and out...*sigh*

Anyway. One of my next cars was a 1984 Bonneville, which was a horrible gas guzzler to boot, but actually one of the best purchases I ever made. $1400 and I hardly put any money into it AND it never left me stranded.

The S-10 Blazer I had was another great car, and 4-wheel drive, which is a great thing to have here in Maine as you might imagine.

After that I had a horrible Dodge equivalent that spent more time in the shop than on the road after which I bought a more reliable vehicle, which I still drive today, my ever faithful Toyota Rav4:

Mine is a dark red and like my Bonneville, has never left me stranded. She is getting old, though...


But let's not dwell on sad things. Instead, we'll end on a happy note, with pictures of the two cars I'd like to have sitting in my driveway.

2010 F-150

1967 Shelby gt500

My heart is fluttering just thinking of it.



Do you like cars?

Sunday pics - my other favorite car

Porsche Cayman-s
What's yours?

Over the hump

Yep. That's right. I'm past the halfway point in my current work. Which means I'm pretty much obligated to finish it now. Usually if I'm going to abandon something I've done it by now. And sadly, I have many abandoned works. Most sit in a file with names like THE GIFT (very original, I know) and THE HIGHWAYMAN. I might actually finish the latter if I can get back into a time-traveling romance mood. But right now I'm almost entirely in the present. Because that's where Kass, my main character, resides.

One fun thing I'll share is that I've managed to insert one of my favorite cars into the story...

source

And I have to tell you my heart does a little skip at the sight of that car, which is utterly swoonworthy.