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Change
“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
-Steve Jobs, Address at Stanford University, 2005
RIP, people-mover
Ah, September of 2003. We had just purchased a new ‘03 Odyssey. We were so excited:
In early March, our van met its end on route 21 in Passaic:
The van was a total loss, so we had to find a new vehicle. The van was great, but its 3500-pound towing limit was strained by our RV and luggage. Since we tend to camp at state parks and other areas that have unimproved roads, We decided to replace the van with a used 2007 4-wheel drive vehicle with more ground clearance.
In the end, we looked at the Nissan Pathfinder, the Toyota 4Runner, and the Kia Sorrento. All three are truck based SUVs with a 5,000 pound towing rating. We eliminated the Pathfinder because it requires premium gasoline, leaving the 4Runner and the Sorento. The Sorento was $6000 less than the 4Runner, and Kia’s warranty gives us coverage through Summer of 2013, so that’s what we purchased:
I’ve been spending a good bit of time outfitting the Sorento with the same towing gear that I installed in the Odyssey back in the day. The Sorento’s 3.8 Liter V6 seems to shrug off the Trailmanor in a way that the Odyssey couldn’t.
Oh wait, you want the actual price?
Looking at vehicle prices online. I see a few I like, and when I click on the any of their listings, I see down in the fine print "PRICES BASED ON $1995 CASH/TRADE DOWN PAYAMENT".
So basically, they list price "X" on autotrader.com or kbb.com, but the actual asking price is X + $2000.
If you’re trying to pull a fast one on pricing, why would I trust you enough to actually buy a car from you?
The crimson Tide(tm)
We unwittingly switched laundry detergents after Passover to Tide X2 Clean Breeze detergent. The first day I wore clothes washed in it, I developed a skin rash so severe that a steroid shot only held it at bay for 12 hours or so. The itching was so bad, it was just awful. Once we rewashed all of my clothes, I was fine. I always knew I was a sensitive guy.
All caught up!
OK, I’ve backfilled all of our adventures from April through July, so feel free to take a look.
Ever wonder “what was I thinking moving here?”
OK, so I know the answer, but still:
Grr.
Birkas HaChama
This morning, we had a once-in-28-year chance to bentch Birkas Hachama. A group of local shuls got together at the local golf course/country club:
Someone caught me when I wasn’t lookin’:
Introducing Brownie!
This is Brownie our erstwhile hamster:
Brownie escaped his cage a few days after this was taken. Mechel found him in the basement storage room , very dead. He probably starved to death. Quite sad, really.
We only had him for a week or so.
Oh Brownie, we never knew ye.
Making up for lost time
I’m trying to add a blog entry a day to catch up from when I last posted (summer of 2007). Blog entries will be back dated to the original date of the activity, but may not be posted in order, so check back frequently. All two of you.
Truth
An American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with one fisherman docked. Inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, “Only a little while”. The American then asked why he didn’t stay out longer to catch more fish. The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?” The fisherman replied, “I sleep late, play with my children, take siesta with my wife Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life senor”.
The American scoffed, “I am a Stanford MBA, and could help you. You should spend more time fishing, and with the profits, buy a bigger boat to hold more fish. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you could buy a whole fleet of boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, after that open up your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small coastal village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually to NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.” The Mexican then asked, “But senor, how long will this take?” The American replied, “About 15-20 years.” “But what then senor?” The American smiled and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would sell your stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.” “Millions, senor? Then what?” “Then you’d retire, move to a small coastal fishing village, sleep late, play with your grandchildren, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village where you would sip wine, and play guitar with your amigos.”
Wow.