impervious

At long last!! The day finally came for Sam and his crew from Premier Mobile Aesthetics Group to come out and install the clear bra on my IS350. Thankfully my car had only picked up a handful of rock chips on the highway since I bought it, and I tried to patch them up as best as I could with some touch-up paint before the install.

These guys came totally prepared with all kinds of tools, rolls of protective film, and probably a dozen spray bottles. It took them about two and half hours to complete the install, and I got to watch them work their magic. They take flat pieces of film, and with lots of finesse and technique they massage them onto all the curved pieces of the car with nary a wrinkle or crease. It takes a lot of patience, and an attentive eye for detail. I am a bit of a perfectionist myself but obviously don't have the skills that these guys have... that's why I am glad they did the install!

A big thank you to Sam and the guys from Premier -- now I can take the car out on the highways, without having to worry about rock chips or bug splats ruining my day. Now to get through the last few hundred miles of the break-in period...

multitasking

I saw a truck today at lunchtime that had the most ridiculous sign on the side of it -- it was so funny I had to snap a pic of it with my phone. It's a little blurry but if you click on the image you can see a bigger version of it where you can read the sign.

Hot tubs and computer networking? Doesn't quite go hand-in-hand does it? Interesting business plan for sure. I wonder if he gets some pretty strange clientele.

"Ok, set up the cameras over there, and I want all the flat panel monitors over here ... and can I get another pair of angel fountains that spit water over there?"

obsolescence

I seem to be going through a period of change in my life. Not a fundamental change in my thoughts and beliefs, thankfully, but I seem to be seeing some transition right now. Like the purchase of the new car, the transient coming and going of the beloved puppy, and now this. I bought a new cell phone over the weekend. Ok, I know it's really a mobile phone because no one really has a cell phone anymore, but who's gonna stop using the word cell and mobile interchangeably now? The terminology is totally diluted. My new phone is the Samsung a950, pictured to the left. Isn't it snazzy?

Those of you who know me, know that I have had the same phone for more years than I care to count. In fact, it's only the second cell phone I've ever had. Crazy, I'm sure most people think. Most people probably change phones more often than they change their toothbrush. Not me man, I stick to what works. I had the sturdy, compact and dependable Motorola StarTAC.

Laugh if you want, that sh!t was tyte! Still difficult to find a similar phone with the slim form factor of the StarTAC and with the same slick efficiency and reliability. Sure, now Motorola makes the RAZR and SLVR and whatEVR... but I have issues with those phones, their designs don't appeal to me with the same classic and timeless features of the StarTAC. These new slim phones feature some design compromises that I think in time will make them worse for the wear, like the thin button-plates that aren't as ergonomically friendly as real buttons, and the issue with the malfunctioning hinges that caused a temporary halt of sales and recall of the RAZR phones. On the other hand the StarTAC has stood the test of time ... literally. Sure, it didn't have fancy ringtones, big color screens, or a digital camera. But it did what I really needed it to do. It made calls, and took calls. Period. I'm gonna miss that phone. It should go into a glass case and go on display in a museum somewhere. Why did I finally give in and get a new phone? Certainly not so that I can play MP3s or have a dorky '80s rock song for my ringtone. Not for the 1.3 megapixel camera, since I already have a 7 megapixel Sony camera -- though I'm sure it will sometimes be handy to have it with me all the time, like if I see something idiotic and just have to snap a photo of it. No, the reason I upgraded was so that I could use Bluetooth technology to pair up the phone to my Lexus and make full use of the handsfree phone and nav system integration. It seems like I am back into gadgets now, so we will see where this path of conspicuous consumption will take me. Stay tuned as I start to chat it up on the road next week with the new phone.

automation

I drove the IS350 to work today and it was remarkable what a contrast it is to driving my MR2 Spyder to work. With the Spyder, everything is involving and requires your constant attention. You're shifting gears constantly, making corrections with the steering wheel to stay within the lane because the suspension and tires will pull or bounce the car to one side or another with every imperfection in the road, the engine and exhaust are roaring behind you like a busy factory of machines. It's a driver's car, for sure.


In the IS it's like the car does everything for you. You walk up to the car and you don't even need to take the key out of your pocket, the door unlocks as you pull on the handle. You push the start-stop button and the engine fires to life. The power steering wheel comes out and down into your waiting hands. Gear selection is optional with the 6-speed transmission. The headlights come on if it's dark, without your intervention. A little downpour of rain as I near the offramp? The wipers come on unbidden, to sweep the windshield clean. The climate control system quietly adjusts the fan speed and temperature of air coming out of the vents to maintain the proper comfort level. Man, do I have to do anything other than be a passenger? Thankfully, yes. The car lunges forward when I tip into the throttle, and the brake pedal feels reassuringly firm. Cornering is flat and tight as I whip it into a turn. And there's always the question of what song I want to hear as I cruise my way to the office in comfort. Is it a driver's car? Maybe it is in a different sort of way, but it certainly is less work.

It's hard not to feel superior to everyone else in the world when you're driving this car. Even in the harshest rainstorm or slickly wet roadways the car feels so surefooted, so confidently stable. Drivers in BMWs and Hondas alike pull into the slow lane, nervous that the next puddle of standing water or gust of wind will spin them off the road. While I continue at a relentless pace, at peace with the world within, despite the turmoil of the world without.

separation

Easy come, easy go. Well it wasn't even a week but the dog is gone. V. couldn't handle the constant work involved with raising a puppy. Like I said, bipolar and OCD. She couldn't stand the thought of a dirty puppy running around the house and she insisted on cleaning everything as soon as it got dirty. Plus she had to get up in the middle of the night to take it outside to poop and pee. She ended up getting all stressed out and decided to sell her on craigslist. Unbelievable. I think I totally predicted this would happen, but I didn't put my foot down hard enough to prevent her from going through with it. So a nice lady came by tonight and of course fell in love with her cute looks and smart behavior. So she paid up, picked up the dog and left. As a final parting shot the dog peed and pooped on our carpet just before leaving. Thanks for the memento, little squirt! We are a little sad but it's probably for the best -- having a dog right now doesn't really fit with our lifestyle. We're going to console ourselves now by going for a ride in the new car and getting some milk pearl tea.

scatological

My wife V. is so influenceable. So easily swayed one way or another. Bipolar, I would say. She's also a little OCD. Maybe more than a little.

I have a furry little creature scampering about in my home now. And it's all Jackie's (not her real name) fault!

Well let me backtrack for a bit and explain. A few weeks back we stopped off at Bed Bath & Beyond to do some quick shopping before a BBQ at a friend's house. I pointed out the comically labeled bottles by the front door proclaiming URINE-GONE! As seen on TV! The specially bundled package includes a handy UV blacklight wand that you can use to search for and identify animal and people stains! Yuck! Half jokingly I said that was a product V. would love, so she could carefully inspect every square inch of the carpet and flooring for pee stains if we had a dog. In a rare (and short-lived) moment of epiphany, she said, "You know what, I don't want a dog. They're dirty and messy and they'll pee all over the floor when we're not watching, and shed fur all over the place." I nodded in agreement and left it at that.

We're at the BBQ having a good time, and this chick (we'll call her "Jackie") shows up with her new puppy. It is a Malte-poo, a cross between a Maltese and a Poodle. It's apparently the cutest puppy everyone has ever seen, because they're all fawning over it like a newborn baby. V. naturally starts to play with the dog and hold it, and she's totally in love with the thing. I continue to scarf down chicken wings and hot dogs while I watch in dismay as she starts to exchange phone numbers, email addresses, and the like with Jackie so that she can contact the same kennel and buy the same kind of dog. I can't believe it. What happened to not wanting a dog? What's up with these women who bring these fufu dogs to parties, and ruin the happy lives of guys everywhere?

Anyways she got in contact with the breeder who is in North Dakota and started poring over photos of puppies on their website. For the next several days, she couldn't stop talking about the damn dog. She even set the desktop wallpaper of my home computer to a photo of the puppy, for crissake. I was about ready to yak and hurl from all the cuteness. Before I knew it, she had put a deposit down on one of the puppies. The conversation went something like this.

"What's the difference between a money order and a cashier's check?"

(sensing something is about to go horribly wrong) "Cashier's check you buy at a bank, a money order you can buy at a store or a post office, why?"

"I'm ordering a dog..."

"What? Through the mail?"


Fast forward a week later, I find myself at the San Francisco airport picking up our puppy from the cargo terminal. She's tiny, and trembling a little from the strange environment, and the strange people and sounds. She's also undeniably cute. V. has picked out a name already -- she's calling it Chanel. I roll my eyes every time she says its name. I would have preferred something feistier like Killer, or Turbo. Yeah, those are kick-ass dog names if you ask me. But it's her dog, and what else can I say? I got the extravagant toy that I wanted (the IS350), so I can't say diddly-squat about her dog. Guess I'll have to go out and buy a new set of racing tires to console myself.

We brought her home yesterday morning. The damn thing was crying and making noises at 4 or 5AM, wanting some attention. It's like having a baby but with less likelihood of it growing up and buying you a Cadillac when it's successful. This morning V. had to go to work but came back home at lunchtime to check on the dog. To her amazement it managed to knock down the doorgate and bust out of its little bathroom prison. It was happily wandering around the house and greeted her when she got home, tail wagging. V. locked her up in the cage we bought and started obsessively combing the carpet and floor for signs of feces and urine. I found that very amusing indeed. I think we're going to need a bottle of that Urine-Gone and that blacklight wand after all.

agony

Well I have only put 100 miles on the Lexus ... and I already have my first rock chip. Sure, it's tiny and hard to spot low on the bumper, but I know it's there and it bugs me. Auto specialists say that modern auto paint is water-based and applied in a very thin layer to minimize air pollution at the factory, so it will chip very easily from rocks and other crap that gets kicked up on the road by cars and trucks ahead of you on the highway. You need protection if you want the car to look its best.

I have scheduled an appointment with the Premier Mobile Aesthetics Group who will install a clear bra on the car -- it's a thin layer of plastic that will protect the paint on the front portions of the car from rock chips, debris, and bug splats. These guys are some of the best in the industry and come highly recommended by high-end exotic car enthusiasts. Problem is, they are so in demand that they are booked out 3-4 weeks in advance. My appointment isn't until March 25.

So what do I do in the meantime -- keep driving the car and almost certainly continue to collect chips and paint nicks on the front end, just from everyday driving? Or park the car in the garage, and let it sit unused for 3 more weeks? My rational logical mind tells me to wait it out, keep the car clean, get the film installed while the paint is still pristine (or nearly so), and then I can drive it worryfree afterwards. But oh, the car beckons me, it mocks me, it tempts me.


306hp.
C'mon, just a short drive.
Perforated leather seats with heaters and ventilation.
What are you waiting for?
Sport-tuned suspension.
There's some nice twisty roads just up the road.
6-speed with paddle shifters.
You know you want to take it on the highway...
Noooooo!!!
Must resist the urge. I took out some terry cloth towels and put a fresh coat of wax on the bumper. Feel the paint chip with my finger. Yes, that's the price of weakness right there. Don't be weak. Be strong and determined. All in good time, my Tungsten friend, all in good time. The roads will still be there in 3 weeks. And all those loose rocks will be waiting too.

Link to Premier Mobile Aesthetics Group doing a clear bra install on a Lamborghini:
http://www.discovery-automotive.com/portal/modules.php?name=Static_Content&id=121

shiny

http://alsacorp.com/company/50cent/50cent.htm

"Go shorty, it's your birthday, and I'mma chrome your car for your birthday!"

Rapper 50 Cent apparently has too much money on his hands, as a regular old $300,000 Lamborghini Murcielago wasn't enough -- he had to get it chromed. Now that's blingin' baby.

roadworthy

I got an offer in the mail that I can't refuse from Delphi. They're selling the kit that lets me turn my XM Roady2 satellite radio receiver into a portable unit with headphones for only $20! It's normally $150 which was way too much. I had to order one. The antenna is built into the headphones, and I'm assuming it runs on regular batteries. So I wonder if I will be able to take the portable unit and plug it into the aux input on my Lexus without the headphones. That way I won't have any annoying power cables running through the interior of the car.

You may have heard that Delphi is not doing well. They filed for bankruptcy last October. Maybe this is their way of raising some cash, selling off their extra inventory. Or maybe my dollars are going right into one of their executive's golden parachute. Who knows, I just hope they stay in business long enough to ship my order!

And in case you're wondering, yeah XM is great. No commercials, 80+ channels of music, what's not to like? I may be checking out Sirius for a little bit though -- my Lexus comes with with free 9-month subscription to Sirius and a receiver that they'll install when the kit arrives at the dealership.

http://www.delphioffer.com/xm3roady2/