New blog, new year and already I'm slacking, *sigh*
I've been thinking for a week or so now that I aught to post another entry, but my subject matter is lacking. I find that I can only come up with decent material to blog about right after I've posted an entry. the next day it's all gone again ... Now I know I should right those 'same day' topics down, but that's just not very spontaneous, is it?
The new truck.
Well, the week after spending my savings serviceing my Renault, I traded it in on a double cab Diesel truck. Smart move to by the truck, dumb move to service the Renault before selling. I learnt an important lesson there: you don't get more cash on a trade for having just serviced the vehicle. Another important lesson learnt: concider weather you will sell your car that week before filling up it's petrol tank.
But enought about the Renault. I'm really enjoying riding around in my new truck. I've got an extra half metre at least in hieght on all cars on the road, and with my extra bright spotlights, bull bar and tinted windows I can take on anyone. Well almost. And I can just about squeeze it into the garage at home, bonus!
It did it's first real work as a tow vehicle last weekend, taking 2 horses to a show, and coped admirably. Better than than my horse did at the show. If a refusal on a cross country course is defined as "the ceasing of foward motion after the rider has presented the jump to the horse" I wonder what the jump judge made of my attempts to walk my horse backwards down the hill to his next jump after he had refused to allow me to present said jump to him.
The fuel tank gave me quite a surprise though. 75 litres later, and it wasn't fully empty when I started! We've done 300km's since then and are not halfway down the fuel gauge yet. I'll keep you posted as to how it fairs.
So now I'm part of the "You're killing the ozone with your emmisions" club. But I think it's an improvement on the "Ha ha, you're a sucker who bought a Renault" club any day ...
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Bracing myself
Sending my Renault Clio in for a service is usually a dicey affair. In the two years I've had this car, it have never escaped the dealership with just the intended work done. There is always something else. Also, it has never lasted from one service interval to another without additional visits being required.
So to prepare myself for it's 90 000 km service this morning, I decided on a reasonable figure for work that needed doing and some extras. I then added a grand onto that figure and that's what I budgeted on.
Well, so much for that idea ... despite my best efforts to outdo the dealership, they still came in 32 bucks over the budgeted figure.
Which gets me to thinking: Do these guys assess you when you drop of your car, determine what they think you would spend, add a few hundred bucks onto that, and that's what they charge?
I'm not sure I've ever been pleasantly surprised at the cost of something relating to a motor vehicle. Every purchase, service, bit or bob is just a bit more than I expected. Doesn't matter if I pad my budgeted figure, or what I pad it by, I'm always a little under the eventual cost.
I think it's a global sales conspiracy. There isn't a salesman out there who will give you exactly what you want. They'll all push your budget to it's limit. "What are you willing to spend on that sir?, R100? well we have this really great one for R120"
Our problem is that we allow it. Perhaps because we think that that extra little bit of quality compensates for being a little more out of pocket. Or, like my Renault, there is no other option if I want to keep my warranty intact.
So to prepare myself for it's 90 000 km service this morning, I decided on a reasonable figure for work that needed doing and some extras. I then added a grand onto that figure and that's what I budgeted on.
Well, so much for that idea ... despite my best efforts to outdo the dealership, they still came in 32 bucks over the budgeted figure.
Which gets me to thinking: Do these guys assess you when you drop of your car, determine what they think you would spend, add a few hundred bucks onto that, and that's what they charge?
I'm not sure I've ever been pleasantly surprised at the cost of something relating to a motor vehicle. Every purchase, service, bit or bob is just a bit more than I expected. Doesn't matter if I pad my budgeted figure, or what I pad it by, I'm always a little under the eventual cost.
I think it's a global sales conspiracy. There isn't a salesman out there who will give you exactly what you want. They'll all push your budget to it's limit. "What are you willing to spend on that sir?, R100? well we have this really great one for R120"
Our problem is that we allow it. Perhaps because we think that that extra little bit of quality compensates for being a little more out of pocket. Or, like my Renault, there is no other option if I want to keep my warranty intact.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
So what's with the name
Post One: Saturday 6 January 3:05 PM CAT
When I clicked on the create blog link and it asked me for a name, I was momentary flummoxed. I thought to myself 'what really clever name could I give to this blog, something that will still be relevant and funny in a few years time?'
But that all seemed like to much of a decision. The people who share my genetics have trouble making decisions, especially about naming things ... Careful, thorough consideration and usually a couple of months go into naming any new pets. To demonstrate that point, I have a 10 year old cat still called PussyCat, because we couldn't find a nice name that suited her. She's not a bright, bold, playful, active or catlike cat. The most fitting name for this pretty but ineffective and timid creature was Barbie, and we just couldn't do that to her, so PussyCat she stayed.
So back to naming the blog. I leaned back in my chair, stared around the room and the first thing you'll notice about our study is the bright orange wall. Hence Thoughts in Orange was formed. It's a bright cheery colour, I'm hoping to set the tone for the new year ...
My plans for this page are to publish the thoughts I have swirling around my head that I think are worth sharing, but that just never seemed to fit well into my everyday conversations. I find that I often think up clever things to say when there is no one or no occasion to share them. So I try and store them in the untidy mess that is my brain until the conversation crops up that they would fit into. This often doesn't happen, and if it does, I usually can't fetch the thought in time, and it remain gets unceremoniously plonked in a few minutes to late, or returns to storage for another attempt.
I have attempted a blog before, but that one was abandoned after it's first entry. I will try and do better this time.
Cheers,
Alex
When I clicked on the create blog link and it asked me for a name, I was momentary flummoxed. I thought to myself 'what really clever name could I give to this blog, something that will still be relevant and funny in a few years time?'
But that all seemed like to much of a decision. The people who share my genetics have trouble making decisions, especially about naming things ... Careful, thorough consideration and usually a couple of months go into naming any new pets. To demonstrate that point, I have a 10 year old cat still called PussyCat, because we couldn't find a nice name that suited her. She's not a bright, bold, playful, active or catlike cat. The most fitting name for this pretty but ineffective and timid creature was Barbie, and we just couldn't do that to her, so PussyCat she stayed.
So back to naming the blog. I leaned back in my chair, stared around the room and the first thing you'll notice about our study is the bright orange wall. Hence Thoughts in Orange was formed. It's a bright cheery colour, I'm hoping to set the tone for the new year ...
My plans for this page are to publish the thoughts I have swirling around my head that I think are worth sharing, but that just never seemed to fit well into my everyday conversations. I find that I often think up clever things to say when there is no one or no occasion to share them. So I try and store them in the untidy mess that is my brain until the conversation crops up that they would fit into. This often doesn't happen, and if it does, I usually can't fetch the thought in time, and it remain gets unceremoniously plonked in a few minutes to late, or returns to storage for another attempt.
I have attempted a blog before, but that one was abandoned after it's first entry. I will try and do better this time.
Cheers,
Alex
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
