Sticker-Price Shock

I bought my first new car in 1978... a Plymouth Arrow. It was an import. It was made by Mitsubishi and I absolutely loved it.

The car was run over by a 45 foot tractor-trailer and extensively damaged a month after I bought it, but, it was rebuilt and given a custom paint job. I chose Hugger Orange, the color of the 1969 GTO Judge. The Arrow cost me $4995.00 and it was a lot of car for the money.

I had a newer-used Mitsubishi before I bought the new Arrow. It was a Colt GT and I liked it so much that I stuck with Mitsubishi for my first new car.

After the Arrow was old and tired I bought another new car-- a Colt GTS. Yep, another Mitsubishi. That one cost a little more than the Arrow, but it was still a modest investment.

Years went by and I owned several other new cars. I finally returned to Mitsubishi in 2005 when I bought a Lancer (16,000 clams). It was not the worst car I ever owned; No, that dubious distinction goes to the beautiful ESCORT GT I bought in 1989 --the Mitsubishi has had the front-end replaced twice, the brakes replaced twice, and the up-stream O2 sensor replaced as well. I had $4000 in repairs in the last two years and, recently, the brakes started grinding again. The car only had 86,000 miles on it.

MITSUBISHI... you will never get another dime from me.

Holy Sticker-Price Batman!

With average new cars selling around twenty-five grand, I've been hesitant about replacing that crappy Lancer. Even used cars average sixteen to twenty grand these days.

Last weekend, I bought a used Honda Accord. It has a lot of miles on it, but, Honda cars often give you over 350,000 miles before they give up the ghost.

The car rides like a dream. It has a great sound system. It is comfortable. It has NO RUST and has never been in a collision. So, even though it is a 2007 model and this is 2017, I pulled the trigger. I bought it.

Here are some pictures:

I took the car to Darby Creek Metro Park to take a few pictures without a cluttered background.

This is the parking lot on Kuhlwein Road for those of you familiar with the Columbus area. There is a bike trail running alongside the parking lot.
 
The fields surrounding the parking area are filled with birds and an occasional white-tailed deer. It is a perfect place to take a few pictures.

The Accord has a 2.4 liter engine with hemispheric heads and a low restriction exhaust. It is quiet and feels as if you are driving on air. The engine purrs.

In the center console is a 6-CD changer and 120 watt amplifier. There are six speakers inside the passenger compartment. This is first-rate car audio. I am very happy with the sound quality and I am a professional musician with a passion for audio.

The car features cruise control, air conditioning, a leather steering wheel, comfortable bucket seats, vanity mirrors with lighting, reading lights, side-view mirror defrosters, rear defroster, electric windows and door locks, electric adjustable driver's seat, and a moon roof.

The transmission is a six-speed automatic. That is important since my wife cannot drive a stick-shift car. I've tried to teach her, but, it just ain't happening. This is a luxury sedan with tons of leg room. In short, after one week, my next new car will be a Honda Accord.

Reviews of this car are all favorable. Some people have reported getting 400,000 miles on their Accord. Once you drive one you'll understand why so many Honda owners are absolutely loyal to the brand.

I admit it. I am hooked. The Honda Accord is a keeper.
 
 
 

It's Been Crazy

It has been quite a while since my last post, but, it has been crazy around here lately. 

I attended an event at the Ohio Theater in down-town Columbus, Ohio. Due to very small and cramped seating at the theater my back was thrown out of alignment and I was in pain for two solid weeks. I stayed on schedule for the next issue of Ukulele Player Magazine even though I was in a lot of pain.
 
I had just released the latest issue of Ukulele Player Magazine and announced it on Facebook and ukulele forums when I received a phone call from my sister-in-law telling me that my younger brother was in a terrible accident and was in Mt. Carmel Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

My brother passed out while shopping in a Meijer Department store. The back of his head struck a metal rack as he fell cracking his skull and he was rushed to a local hospital where he remained on life-support for some time.

My brother's accident happened on a Sunday and the following Monday night and into Tuesday things were pretty severe and it was possible that they could lose him. My wife and I sat with him Tuesday.

By the end of the day my brother's condition had improved to the point where he was once again breathing on his own.

The following Sunday, I was at the hospital twice. The first time, I tried to convince my brother to stay there and get a pace-maker that they discovered he needed. When that did not work, I called my older brother and had him try and talk sense into him. Unfortunately, my little brother is as stubborn as a mule— my older brother and I coordinated efforts, went to the hospital, and we took my younger brother to the home of my parents.

I talked with my parents yesterday and my brother is scheduled to meet with his doctor and OSU Hospital to discuss the pace-maker and installation procedure. That saga is almost over.

At this point, things are back to normal.

So what exactly is normal for me?

I have another issue of Ukulele Player Magazine coming your way. I have another book project in the making. I had another book that I was planning that will be on hold until this new book idea, and subsequent writing is completed— because timing is everything.

I won't say more about the new book idea for now, you'll hear more about it in a few weeks.

What all of these recent events serve to do is emphasize that life is precious and we should not squander a single minute of it. Every day is a blessing. We should make the most of the time we are given.

Enjoy time with friends and family. Enjoy your work. Enjoy your play-time, too. Life is SHORT. Don't let it slip through your fingers. Don't put off things you really want to do because time is fleeting. 

If you want to accomplish anything, plan for it and get it done when you can. You may not get another chance.

Live each day as if it were your last. Tell your family that you love them. embrace them. Be grateful for them. Be grateful for your friends and associates.

Count Your Blessings...