Where to begin

The last week has been...well...shitty. At least from Wednesday on. So, let's recount the story:

Wednesday: Chrissy is driving the BMW and I the Rabbit. We are taking the BMW to CarMax to get their offer to buy the car and if it is good enough, we will sell it right off. On the way to work, I have to swerve sharply on 213 TWICE to avoid hitting Possums. The first time, I swerved one way only to have the Possum go the other way and I had to swerve back. The second time it only took some sharp breaking and a slight swerve to the side. Then we take the car to CARMAX after work and their offer sucks ass! So we leave with both cars. On the way home, the check engine light on the Rabbit goes on AND the BMW starts losing tire pressure. Seriously? So, we stop at a Mr. Tire to get the BMW tire checked/patched and I took the Rabbit home (hoping I would make it home without the car dying). Turns out the BMW just needed one of it's valve stem/tire pressure monitors reseated. The Rabbit made it home, but the Check Engine Light went out before I could VAGCOM it.

Thursday: Huge ass bridge backup coming home b/c of Cruisin' OC weekend + Cross winds meaning they couldn't open up the extra Eastbound lane.

Friday: Driving the Rabbit to work (Jetta got tinted Thursday after work so I couldn't roll down the windows Friday for the Gate @ Work). In Chestertown, a black cat crossed our path...we both laughed..."ha ha we will have back luck today". Then I got pulled over for doing 62 in a 55 by a cop who had been going the other direction and whipped around to come get me. Got a written warning. Then I ran over a dear carcass that was in the road and it scraped along the bottom of the Rabbit.

Saturday: Chrissy and I went to work to get in some credit time. After being there 2 hours, Chrissy was basically kicked out because she was interfering with testing that no one said was going to be happening. We are supposed to go get the Rabbit tinted, @ 1200 but get there at 9:30ish because we got kicked out of work. They can't take us till 12:30, so we had to kill 3 hours. Finally get back there at 12:30..Rabbit is tinted...moving on. Later Saturday we are mowing the lawn. I was weedwacking and tripped on the uneven curb and went to the ground gashing up my leg, banging my wrist, and landing very close to the still running weedwacker. Check engine light on the Rabbit is back on as well, so that is going in on Monday for service.

So, that has been my last few days, how about yours?

Das Autos...HDR

The more I do it, the more I love doing photography, especially things like HDR images and panoramics. Here is an HDR image of the two VWs after the both got a bath. Chrissy and I spent several hours cleaning both cars, but they came out looking great. The Jetta really could use a respray just from the number of chips in the paint though, and I will have to go at some of those to abate the rust. Other than that, both cars are looking great. Hopefully the Rabbit doesn't get any more unexplainable dents this summer though...

Weekends go by WAAAY too fast

Why can't we be like the Germans and work 4 days a week? Weekends go by WAAY too fast. ARG. Well, I said I would get this post together, so off we go! Hmm, what to talk about first.

Bye-bye Pontiac, bye-bye Saturn, hello Fiat? Ok...let's look at GM's business. They can't get rid of Caddy. The CTS and XLR are the only two cars that I would personally consider, because they are both RWD (or optionally AWD with the CTS) and they are both amazing cars. The XLR is significantly different enough from the Corvette for them to both exist, and the CTS will be the only sporty rear-wheel drive sedan in the GM lineup once the G8 is gone. The CTS is the ONLY vehicle that can honestly compete with BMW. Don't get me started on the Escalade though. Buick still has an old man image (even if they have some nicer models now and Tiger pimping their wares) Pontiac has some unique models in it's price range for GM and some "Badge engineered" models. GM should find a way to keep the G6 line, the G8 platform (RWD Impala, Caprice, Chevelle?) And either the Pontiac Solstice or the Saturn Sky (since it is shared with Opel as the GT, the Sky would be more likely here). Ditch the Cobalt and move the Astra to Chevy to again keep that cost down by sharing the platform with Opel. The G5, G3 and the rest of the Pontiac line can go though. Same with the rest of Saturn.

Shut down GMC and merge the line with Chevy OR migrate chevy trucks to GMC. While there are some features that are unique to one or the other, does sales volume at this point really dictate a differentiation anymore. Stop pretending to be environmentally concious with things like the Tahoe hybrid. Bring some of the Euro diesels state-side and phase in working hybrid technology in lower-level models where it makes sense. You tried to put the cart before the horse by skipping straight to the Volt.

Fiat....well....that one we will have to wait and see for. I am on the fence about that one (assuming the merger goes through). Oh, and Chrysler....what small cars do you have? The Avenger, and Caliber and....umm......Bueller....Bueller? Even investors are told to diversify. Can't wait to see the 2010 Golf with a TDI in dealers though. Maybe they will finally bring a Tiguan TDI in a couple of years too. *I HOPE*

Well, lets see...what else. We went to IKEA Saturday in College Park....damn how things have changed there (and we only went to the IKEA and saw the area directly around that). We bought a new entertainment center and spent Saturday night and Sunday morning getting that swapped out and everything re-connected. We continue to hang more photos around the house too.

Dad & Cyndi dropped by today to see us out here in bumfuck. We went to lunch at the really good Italian place (which is actually in a strip-mall, but it is REALLY good) and then came back to the house for a few more hours and just chatted. They are going to meet us for lunch in Tampa when we are on our way down to Bradenton, Fl.

Hmm....that's all for now.