The ultimate driving machine

31 10 2007

The car came in on Friday, a few days early, so I picked it up on Saturday after the dealer finished the tinting. After about 30 minutes of easy paperwork and a nearly 90 minute orientation to the car’s computer system, I was driving it home. Now I’ve had a few days to drive it around and thought I’d give you all an update.

I love it! It’s funny, because when I decided to get this car I was pretty much basing my decision on the entertainment/communication/navigation features, and also on its overall style. For me it was no different than buying a computer, I mostly looked at the electronics and the “user interface.” Honestly I never even took a test drive, just messed around with the computer and asked to make sure that the Bluetooth calling was compatible with my iPhone.

Well, to my surprise, I guess when you spend this much on a car you also get something that drives nicely, too! :-) It’s taking some time to get used to it actually, because it has so much more power than the old car. But it’s great, I love the acceleration and tight handling. It really is fun to drive.

Mostly I like having all the new features that the old car didn’t have…like sunroof, Bluetooth calling, satellite radio, iPod integration, navigation, voice activation, automatic climate, etc. Sure you can get those features in many cars, but this one matches my style perfectly and I couldn’t be happier!





Happy birthday to me!

24 10 2007

Ha, I know this is nothing more than shameless bragging but I’m excited for my new car that will be here next week. The paperwork has been signed and the deposit paid! I decided while I was out of town that I should just go ahead and get it, as I’ve been holding onto the same car for almost 9 years now. I know I said a bunch of things earlier about being frugal and whatnot, but all sorts of service lights are coming on in my old car and I really think it’s on its last leg! Plus the old car really doesn’t match my style anymore.

Also, I ran the idea past Jerry on Sunday night over drinks and he readily approved. He’s always so cynical about everything that I know something is not a terribly bad idea if he doesn’t immediately bash it.

I’ve been close to getting a new car several times in the last couple months, but always backed out at the last minute due to frustration at the dealer or with online research. On Monday I decided to relax and just do it. So here you go, meet my new car!

BMW 328i





A few new projects

9 08 2007

I haven’t written anything in a few days, and that’s because I’ve had a few new projects this week to keep me busy.

First, I’ve decided to hire a personal trainer for the next few months before the cruise in October. I’ve already had two training sessions this week, and I’ll be going for nutritional counseling tonight, and the third workout session of the week on Friday. Of course this is a bit of an extravegance, but the cruise is coming up soon and I just didn’t want to frack around and not get the best results I can get!

Second, I’ve decided to take the plunge and get my car fixed up. For awhile I’ve been hemming and hawing about whether or not I should get a new car, or spend the thousands of dollars required to fix some problems on my car - most notably the air conditioning.

You might ask yourself how I’ve been able to function so far in the Arizona summer without air conditioning, and my answer to that would be that I have avoided driving as much as possible during the day. I work from home, so most of the traveling I do is at night for social reasons or shopping and whatnot. It was never meant to be a long term plan, as I always kind of assumed I’d be getting a new car instead of wasting money on fixing the old car I have.

Well I’ve decided to make another large purchase instead of the car, something that will be an investment rather than an expense, and so that’s the decision that landed my car in the dealer this week - getting a new air conditioner that must apparently be gold-plated because it’s freaking expensive!

And last but not least, dinner with Mr. X last night that ended up being a really fun time. For some reason I was able to relax for once and be more of my normal self without slipping into deep thought the entire time. And Mr. X appeared more relaxed and happy, and I felt like we just sort of enjoyed each others’ company for awhile.





New

10 05 2007

Ok, well it’s getting to be that time of night where I just feel like spilling a lot of random things.

I’ve seen Mr. X twice since Saturday when we met at Burn. We’re going to lunch tomorrow. He’s totally hot, and really intelligent. So far I’ve only blogged about 2 Mr. X’s, and this is the second one. I really need to come up with a better anonymous naming system soon! I’m not really sure why things haven’t gone anywhere with the first Mr. X. Things were good, and then he was kind of evasive about going out again - I took that as a sign he wasn’t really interested. Hey, it happens!

It’s about midnight and I just wrapped up a meeting at my house with Rich and Mark. We reviewed the software functionality that’s been developed for our client over the past year, and discussed some plans for moving forward with new features. It’s fun to be able to work with friends, and I’m glad Mark is on board now as a part time consultant.

Last night I went to Seamus McCaffrey’s with Jerry and Daren. We walked from Jerry’s place, and I couldn’t help but to look up at the various highrise condo buildings under construction and wish I lived closer to downtown. The skyline is really changing down there lately with all the building projects. I’m not far where I’m at now, but I’m not close enough to walk to anything significant. It would be about a 5 minute drive to the downtown bars from my house - which isn’t that bad obviously - but I do like the walking from Jerry’s place. It would theoretically be possible to walk from my house, except that a bad neighborhood, a freeway, and about a 30 minute walk separate me from lower downtown. The 44 Monroe building is towering over Seamus McCaffrey’s and I almost wish I was able to sell my house right now to buy into that building while units are still left…not for the proximity to Seamus, but for the building’s amenities and proximity to bars and clubs I actually like.


Jerry and Daren at Seamus McCaffrey’s

I think I finally have settled on a car that I want…but it’s not quite available yet. It’s the BMW 328i hardtop convertible. I’m actually getting kind of anxious for a new car all of a sudden because the AC is out on my car, and I really don’t want to pour a bunch of money into fixing it. And it’s getting hot outside, fast! Well, I may actually need to fix it if this new car isn’t even at the dealer yet.


Sexy!

I’m not usualy one to get excited about cars, but this one may be the perfect fit for me. I’ve had my present car for almost 8 years, so I’m ready for a new one by now!

So I’ve talked about new dates, new house, new coworkers, new car…I guess that’s the theme for now. New.