Lost The Checks

They have to be around here SOMEWHERE but I'll be darned if I can find them.  I kept them in a shoebox (they fit perfectly).  I wouldn't have thrown them out.  If nothing else, the old statements are the records of my past addresses.  And I had more checks.  Or I would have ordered more.

I am utterly baffled.  I have searched through the house.  I've gone through every small box.  Room by room, drawer by drawer, file by file.  They have to be here. but I can't find them. 

What is worse is that I discovered this 3 weeks ago while writing my last check.  I ordered new ones as a precaution (sometimes you really do need checks and I am trying to buy a new car).  And I think the account number on the new checks are missing 4 digits. but I'm not sure if those 4 digits matter. 

Of course the bank had closed when I discovered this and won't open for 2 days and the lobby is closed anyway.

Losing my mind...

IF the car dealerships agrees to my offer (which I expect they will) I can't use these replacement checks unless I know they work.

I'm trying to buy a Mazda CX-5 Sport (I don't want a moonroof or fancy tires and I don't care about the comfort of the rear seats that will never be used).   But I need a working check... 

Baby Fish

Baby Fish survived!  I mentioned in a few weeks ago. 

In a community tank egg-layers don't even try much.  Livebearers can't help it.  But for them. thhe babies are expelled and immediately eaten.  It is probably healthy for the othher fish.  But it always bothers me.

So I mentioned when one seemed to be hidden among the live plants.  2 large eyes on a tiny body.  Then I didn't see it for a week.  I assumed it was caught and eaten.

WELL GUESS WHAT?  Baby fish is still here!  It is larger, but still small enough to be eaten (fish mouths open wide).  But pretty soon, it will be of safe size.  I just hope it doesn't get over-confident too soon. 

Here is a bad picture (but the best I could get).  It is almost 1/2" long now.  And I have been crushing some regular fish flakes around the top for it...

Keep hiding in the live anachris, Baby Fish!

Neighbors

Things are getting weird.  The bad neighbor who had screaming fights with his girlfriend, kidnapped their toddler child and pushed her with the car has moved back into to the rental across the street.  Who returns to a previous rental place?  But they aren't yelling this time (yet).  Summer seems to trigger him...

The next door neighbors are nuts.  The guy only comes on weekends (there can be good reasons for that).  The lady started burning cut-down brush last Fall.  Under small dry trees and next to my wood fence!  When I saw the flames, I ran out and told her to stop.  She wasn't sure why she should, but she did get her young daughter to bring small buckets from the kiddy pool.  I was ready with an actual garden hose "just in case".  The brush is still piled against my fence.  She might decide to light it at any time. 

The guy arrives on weekends to mow the lawn.  I looked out the window and he was attacking my shrubs with a weedwhacker.  I ran outside and told him to stop.  He said he didn't know where the property line was.  So I showed him the line.  It IS kind of obvious. 

Partly, their grass is crap and mine isn't.  But mostly, any idiot could see that the line inside from the fence corner to my mailbox isn't his.  I showed him the property line with utilities across it and a concrete pad at the street.  I thought that was sufficient.

But NO!  After I turned my back, he went FURTHER onto my yard with his gas-powered weed whacker bark ripping tree killer machine and started attacking the slight grass around one of my trees.

I was stunned, so I went back and yelled at him (I had to yell; he wouldn't turn of the gas engine) and demanded he leave my yard alone (I treat it gentley).  HE got pissed (over loud gas engine whacker he wouldn't turn off). 

I showed him the property line AGAIN.  Stood on it.  "This side yours; this side mine.  Don't ever touch my side again".  He seemed offended.

How does one deal with utter idiots?

I think I stay here because of the cats buried here...

Good Day

I had a good day and it wasn't about the cats.

I sold a bicycle that had been sitting around for 12 years unused.  For $98,  The buyer examined it closely with some understanding, and seemed pleased.  That made me feel comfortable.

I sold a big air pump pressure tank to a person who wanted that exact thing.  For $50.

Two things out of my basement that I wasn't using and someone else definitely wanted.  From my POV, they were both awkward clutter.  To the buyers, they are useful things.  It can't get much better than that!

After a week of people "promising" to come and not, 2 people finally did on the same day and loved what they found.  

:)

Pricing A New Car, Part 3

When I was a teenager, Dad did a lot of car work on the family cars.  He also bought a few.  He never let me help on repairs or go along when he bought a new one.  I received an old car he purchased as a birthday gift when I was 20.   I drove it to college and had no idea how to maintain a car.  After a couple years. it died.  The mechanic showed me that the oil was like tar. 

Well who knew you had to change that?  Dad never mentioned it.  So I walked miles and rode buses for year because I was DEAD BROKE and living on Hamburger Helper.

I didn't ASK for help, but Dad took SOME pity on me and bought another old car.  It lasted 3 years.  My BIL replaced the engine from another old car but that lasted only 6 months.  After that, I never mentioned problems.

Not knowing anything about negotiating car prices, I paid sticker price for a used Chevy Vega Hatchback.  The car has a terrible history, but I actually got a good one.  After it died, I asked a friend to drive me around to several local dealerships to find a new one.  I didn't want a used car.

Now, my friend was an experienced negotiator.  Did contract negotiations.  Had bought several cars (and explained later that he had worked the price down).  We finally landed at a Chevy dealer and I asked to see the cheapest car on the lot.  I said "OK" to a Chevy Scooter at full price.  I didn't know you could negotiate.  My experienced friend did not so much as whisper a suggestion in my ear. 

And a knowledgeable friend would do that, right?  He didn't.  He just let me go on being a real sucker. I only understood what a sucker I was later.  HE said "Well, it was up to you".  Some friend... I think it made him feel "superior".  Well, we had some other things in common like fishing and games.  But I finally dropped him like rock in 2011 and am greatly relieved for having done so.

The next time I needed a car, I researched.  I found Consumer Reports car pricing site.  Loved it.  But that is all detailed in the previous 2 posts.

I've learned to negotiate and rather strongly.  I've learned that "best offers" are never the best.  I will survive without the CR pricing data.  I've learned to never offer the fair price, because salesmen just consider that a starting point to increase.  I probably won't get as good a price as I used to, but probably will pay well less than average. 

You do what you can with the information you have...

Pricing a New Car, Part 2

So, I have discovered Consumer Reports (CR) magazine no longer provides detailed dealer costs for new cars since 2015.  My Toyota Highlander is 15 years old (with only 30K miles) but is dying from general age fatigue.  There are car parts that just decay from age.  I could keep it going for another year for $3,000 (new timing belt, other belts, replace worn tires [age not tread], and general maintenance).  The charging system is failing, so I have to keep the car on a "battery- minder" (smarter version of a trickle-charger).

I could generally live with a small electric car.  I haven't left the County for 3 years.  I don't drive much.  But there are those days when I need a trailerload of compost or need to haul stuff to the County landfill.  So I need an SUV.  I suppose I could rent an SUV for special purposes, or arrange for compost to be delivered. 

It is all a bit uncertain.  But I decided on a small SUV.  The top 2 two-seat versions at CR are Subaru Forester and Mazda CX-5.  The Mazda has slight advantages (better interior, more reliable, and better driver seat),  The Subaru excels in things I care less about.

So, I went to the CR car pricing page on their website.  They sent my to TrueCar for "pricing" and all I got from that was offers from dealers.  OK,  I had chosen a specific model, color and AWD, no options (I actually didn't want any of the options). 

I responded to each of the dealers with the details of the car (taken directly from the Mazda website) and offerred a total price, delivered.  Eternal Blue (because they don't offer a dark green as I would prefer) , 2020 Mazda CX-5 AWD drive, Sport version (least fancy) no options.  And asked if they would accept $23,000 total all fees and taxes, delivered, certified bank check on delivery. 

Half ignored my question and sent upgraded car offers.  Several made offers above the MSRP and would not specify the additional fees and taxes, though they surely know them.

So I responded to all requesting more information and reminding them that I had made a specific offer on a specific vehicle in detail.  1 did.  Offerred MRSP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price in case the acronym is unfamiliar - which is always a joke) and said he couldn't go lower.  Idiots!  I'm 70 years old; I know better.  I know car sales are WAY down.  At this guy wants full price?  I suggested he reconsider.  He wouldn't.  I sent him a joke insulting car salesmen.  He deserved it...

I checked on another site that listed all their cars.  Apparently, the CX-5 Sport is not one they want to sell.  But one of those "chat now" boxes opened.  Considering I hadn't been able to get any reply from that place to my emails, I clicked.

We chatted.  I repeated the details from the previous emails.  Her initial offer was MSRP.  I sent her a ROTFL icon and suggested she get real.  She promised to get "her team" looking at my offer.  I bet they never reply.

So I have 2 places I'm waiting for a reply from.  They all want $28,000 and change.  I'm offerring $23,000 o let them know they have to get seriously lower.  If it gets down to $25,000, I will probably accept after something like "throw in a trailer hitch and floormats" and they will say no to the trailer hitch ($450) but OK of the floor mats and we will have a deal.  I've already checked with the local trailer store and they will add one for $250.

And if none of them go for my offers, I've not contacted the Mazda dealership in town.  Yeah, I'm saving them for last.  If I can't get the car for the price I want, I may take it.  I could buy a Lexus if I wanted to.  I just don't drive much, and impressing the neighbors is not my thing.  I just refuse to get ripped off by some slick salesman. 

And if I buy the Mazda at the local dealership for the same price the ones further away want, they don't get to gloat AND I have the Good Will of the local dealership.  When I bought the Toyota locally, the dealership added prefferred repair scheduling (a real thing by experience), shuttle service to and from home, and they were true to that.

But back to the car pricing.  Apparently, no matter how desperate salesmen are for their commissions AND having few sales these days according to news reports, they don't willing to accept less than $1,000 profit these days.  Maybe it is company rules...

I'll do the best I can.  Quite frankly, a difference of $2-3,000 doesn't really matter much on a car I expect to drive for 15 years.

I just don't ever want to be ripped off again.  That's Part 3 tomorrow...

Pricing a New Car, Part 1

I have depended on Consumer Reports magazine for fair and honest evaluations on various products from cars to cookware all my adult life.  I am a member.  I subscribe to the magazine.  I have sent money.

I loved and depended on their car reports ratings and actual dealer pricing.  I loved their detailed report on every possible option package on a car and the cost.  They gave information to ME that only the salesmen knew.

I ONLY buy vehicles that CR rated at the top...

The first time I went to buy a new Ford Taurus station wagon in 1986, they gave me information about the detailed different option packages, the actual cost to the dealer, and the things you didn't need from the dealer at extra cost.

The salesmen screamed like he was being robbed.  He said the data was false.  He complained there were other costs.  But I held the CR data in my hand and I eventually got the car for $500 above their actual cost and considering sales incentives.  They had to order my particular version from the factory, but it didn't sit on their lot costing them anything.

In 1998,I was in a carpool, and one member had this real cool Dodge Intrepid.  I researched it at CR and discovered its fancier upgrade (an Eagle Vision) actually had a much better deal with standard options than the Intrepid with added options and was a better car.  CR pricing came to the rescue again.  It was a model that didn't have a large production, so I ended up paying $700 above cost (and had to wait 6 weeks, too).  Sadly, it was not a very reliable car.

In 2005, I got the same data from CR about a Toyota Highlander.  I had them nailed to the last option package (and ones they claimed were required but were not).  I got out $500 above their actual cost including incentives.


15 years later, it is time to replace the car.  But CR doesn't provide that information anymore.  Apparently, CR was taken over by "less consumer oriented managers" around 2015.

Last week, I sought the same past information about 2 cars than seemed suited to my current needs.  The CR website offerred some information on the cars and then offerred "pricing information", which was what I wanted.

All they actually oferred (via TrueCar) was an "average sales price".  And within 5 minutes, I received offers from 5 dealerships.  All telling me they had the car I wanted.  At full price with a tiny fake discount.

CR has a deal to just send you to local dealerships!  I find that disgusting and a breaking of the Consumer Reports habit of decades.  I am both depressed at the loss of a trusted site and a betrayal of my trust in CR.

In reply to a query, CR said they ended their detailed car pricing program in April 2015.

Their decision to end the detailed car pricing information is not unimportant.  It means that, finally, after all the decades, they are willing to sell out.  They have left us at the "tender mercies" of the car salespeople. 

It is the end of an era...  They have just become another redirect-site to car dealerships...

I'm looking for a new car...    More tomorrow.

Memorial Day

Remembering and Honoring...

And, if I may, I would like to add my appreciation to those who risk (and sometimes lose) their lives fighting to save the lives of others during this Covid-19 pandemic...

Iza Burial

Part of the reason for this blog is to opine on various subjects and part is to just document my life.  And some of that involves sad events.  That can sometimes be disturbing to my readers and friends.

This is Iza's burial event.  So be aware there are some pictures that can upset gentle souls...

I mentioned previously having to wait to dig the hole due to a knee problem that flares up now and then.  And after that, I had difficulty with the hard clay soil under the 6 inches of topsoil that has built up in the flowerbed over the years.  Filling the shallow hole with water each of several days helped, and I finally got through the clay to sandy loam beneath, and the full 2' deep was easier.

First, I placed a blue towel on the bottom.  She always looked good on blue.

Then I placed Iza's body on the towel.

She loved to rip the skin off her rattley mousies (I sure bought a LOT of them during her life)  and I scattered most of them around her.  I saved a few as remembrances for me.  I also added 1 brand new one.

I will leave out filling the hole...

I placed her marker over the spot.

Iza has now joined the original Mews, Skeeter and LC.

And 2 pictures of her memorial marker, in place...

With the shrub behind them cut down, I plan to place a large sheet of heavy-duty corrugated cardboard under the markers and covering the area where the shrub was to prevent weeds and shrub roots sending up new shoots.

By the time the cardboard decays in 2 or 3 years, the area will be weed-free and I will plant some nice non-spreading weed-smothering perennial flowers behind the markers and place a narrow strip of plywood under the markers to keep the markers weed-free.

Busy Sunday

First, aren't computers so much fun?  I imported 38 pictures to iPhoto and processed them (crops, definition, and exposure).  On the last one, the Apple Spinning Beach Ball Of Death attacked and stayed on for 15 minutes.  I decided the previous adjustments had been made and "forced quit" iPhoto.  I can redo that last photo.

It took away everything after April 27!  I can understand that it didn't same tonight's photos, but I have NO idea why any previous ones vanished.  There isn't even a requirement (or option) to save each processing session.  After they are processed they are done.

Note:  I save all the original pictures because I have the space and that is the easiest way to decide which pictures to select each day.  That's why I have a 1 TB computer.  I desire to stay "cloudless" and keep things under my control as best I can.

FORTUNATELY, my current camera does not have and "auto-delete-after-importing".  So I merely re-imported all the pictures and deleted the older ones from the imported (not the camera "just in case")

There were a lot of Laz.  But there were also some of my work clearing the site for Iza's burial spot, so I can show some progress.

There was a shrub I disliked with 3" roots spreading.  I decided it had to go.  And the roots were not cuttable with a chain saw (dirt destroys chain saw chains).  So I bought a 3-pack of carbide-tipped pruning blades for a reciprocating saw (aka "saw's all", though mine is a De Walt brand).  It came with a 4th as a freebie.  Cool.


Today, I massacred the shrub.  It wasn't as easy as you might think.  The small branches were hard to cut because they just vibrated, so I used a hedge trimmer.  The large branches fell on me with the briars poking me.  I had to keep switching tools.

THEN I finally had room to dig around for a deep hole for Iza the rest in.  3" shrub roots!  Well, that was what the special pruning saw blades were for!   I used a spade to get rid of a dirt around the roots as best I could and attacked the roots.  It wasn't like a "hot knife through butter" but it worked well enough and I was able to pry them out of the soil.  If I wear out one saw blade that cost $3, worth it.

But I finally got them out of the way to dig the hole for Iza.  And with the shrub gone, those roots will die and decay.

So I started digging the hole.  3" and stop!  Hard clay.  I managed to get it 6" deep and stopped.  I was pounding on the soil with a sharp spade and pounding on it with a "mutt" .


And I know what happens when I do that for too long these days.  3 hours later, my hands would do that awful "twisty-clenching".  I'm getting older and things are harder.  And they did.  Some Aspercreme rub and and ibuprophen helps.

So I filled the hole with water to soften the clay.  It took hours  to soak in.  I didn't realize the soil was so bad.  Filled it again.  Within any luck, I will dig through softer clay tomorrow.

The hole will be at least 2 feet deep and wide.  I have the marker finished for her spot.  I lifted LC's to match it and that will be returned.  I think I will lay down a large piece of heavy corrugated cardboard to stop weeds growing around them and the cut shrub from regrowing.  I measured one carefully and it happens to fit perfectly.  It will probably last 2 or 3 years.  I have other large corrugated cardboard for them.

I will never let weeds grow among the markers again.  Lift the markers, set down new corrugated cardboard...

Is This How Drug Buyer Feels?

I went shopping at the Safeway real  this morning with the other seniors.  Now that's not a term I've used before even though I am an AARP member.  Well, I dont go out for the 4 PM chicken pot pie special at Golden Corral. 

I did get fresh fruits and veggies.  Happy to get home to put them away.

But I took a chance and drove the the local butcher/deli/liquor store that has had an hour long line outside for weeks.  I confess, I absolutely LOVE "Twisted" Brand zinfandel


Medium-bodied with aromas of wild blackberry, plum and a hint of spice. Concentrated ripe stone fruit, dark berry flavors and toasted oak carry through to the palate. Nicely balanced acidity and plush tannins lead to a lingering finish.

And it is as cheap as I am (buy me a drink; I'm yours, LOL!).  $9.99 for a 1.5L bottle

My favorite joke:  And forgive me if this offends, but I just think it is hilarious...  A guy is sitting at a bar and a women sits down next to him wearing the most skin-tight jeans you can possibly imagine.  The guy is an engineer and you know how sexy engineers are ("cough, cough, see ya later buddy").  But he is actually mechanically intrigued and finally asks "maam, how DOES one get into jeans like that"?

And she says "Well, you can start by buying me a drink".  

I'd like to think the drink was a glass of Twisted Old Vine Zinfendel.

It's the only wine I drink.  It doesn't sell worth a tinker's dam around here, but the store I mentioned above NICK'S OF CLINTON special orders it for me 2 cases at a time.  With the covid19, they had lines out the door an hour long.  I fought waiting but I was down to my last bottle, so I decided to go stand in line.

There was no line...    I walked right in and asked the manager if he had my 2 cases of wine.  He said he did and was worried I had died.  Well, he understood that I didn't like to stand in an hour line.  And he would have 2 more cases next Thursday.

But that's not why i mentioned all this.  I scored bread machine yeast!  And at a normal price.  I was down to my last tablespoon!  It is selling online for $50 a 4 oz jar...  I'm good for 9 months.  I can "deliver" my bread needs, LOL!

I'm a good person.  I only bought 1 (they had 3)  But I scored a hit and the cops didn't catch me Bwa-Ha-Ha...  I will use it carefully, interspersed with flat tortilla wraps to hold me over until the lean times are past.   Must make it last, yes my Precioussss, make it last...  Bread once a month, that would be enough right?  Keep the nasty Hobbitses away from my y e a s t i e s.  Or SHE will detect it and takes it away.  So, just a loaf once in the dark of the moon.   Yesss, she won't detect That will she...  I am safe wit hbreadness...