Category: Driving

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Driving Travel

Driving The Numbers

It’s Wednesday night on the big green blog – the only night of the week in which I don’t yet have a regularly-scheduled series in-place. From September to February ‘My NFL Weekend Game Picks: The Results Show’ was the Wednesday night series, but now that we’re in-between seasons I have nothing scheduled for this night of the week. I may just keep it this way too. Anything can happen on Wednesday nights, so stick around to see what’s up my sleeve. PRESTO !

And now here’s something we hope you’ll really like !  (obscure “Rocky And Bullwinkle” reference)

‘Driving The Numbers’ – what’s that all about you may ask ?  Check this out:

I’m approaching 57,000 miles on my current car that I bought brand new a little more than 68 months ago (in June 2003). I drive a bit below the national average of 1,000 miles per month. In fact it typically takes me about a month-and-a-half to drive 1,000 miles. Over the past 12 months I’ve driven about 9,000 miles. It helps out a lot to be able to drive to work in the morning and then drive back home again in less than a 15-mile round-trip.

On my road-trip last week with my Mom, Dad, and Cat in which I moved them (literally) from (south of) Jacksonville Florida to (north of) Dallas Texas I drove over 1,800 miles over the course of a 5-day period (actually just 4 days because on one of those days I rested in Texas). I essentially did about 75 days worth of driving in just 4 days. Of course only about 750 out of those 1,800 miles of driving was done so in my own car. I drove my parents’ car from Florida to Texas. Their car – a nice new BMW – was POWERFUL – much more so than my measly 2003 Saturn. It was certainly ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’.

Incidentally I-49 within Louisiana may just be one of the most peaceful and quiet Interstate highways in the southeastern United States.

Once I drove past New Orleans last Wednesday afternoon I had driven the furthest west in my entire life. I once drove a stretch of I-35 between San Antonio and Austin Texas, but that was in a rental car after flying in to San Antonio. About a decade later I drove all around San Antonio on another trip there. That was also in a rental car. Perhaps one day I’ll drive my own car past New Orleans, past Texas, and straight on over to the U.S. West Coast. I’ll probably have a different car by then. I’m sure I will.

And now my friends I present to you for your midweek ‘Retro’ review this classic 1988 television commercial for the totally awesome new line of Geo automobiles. It was these bubbly commercials that persuaded me to buy my very first car here in America’s Riviera back in January 1989 – a sparkling new bright red Geo Spectrum. I put over 96,700 miles on that beast for over 8 years !

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Blogging Driving Food Health Travel Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– Let’s not confuse these with my ‘Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts’.
– These are my ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ – in 15 words or less.
– If Twitter collided with my blog then this would be the result of it.
– The 100,000TH view of this blog should occur within the next 24 hours.
– We’re averaging over 850 views per day / over 35 views per hour.
– The busiest day ?  Tuesday !  Grab that thought !
– Publix is my playground amusement park.
– I’m a regular at 2 of them in Homestead less than 3 miles apart.
– I totally dig their pre-packaged Turkey & Swiss sandwiches.
– I had one for Lunch today.
– They look ordinary, but they are MASSIVE in flavour !
– They fill me up nicely.
– I weighed in at 175 pounds after I returned home from my vacation / cruise.
– I’ve only lost about 3 pounds since then.
– I need to get back into the mid-to-upper-160s.
– I begin a 159-hour vacation from work next Monday afternoon.
– I’ll be driving over 1,800 miles next week – but less than 800 in my own car.
– This blog will go on another hiatus next week – but only for 2 days.
– In a few hours I’m issuing a ‘Homestead Cold Weather Alert’.
– I have some more data to analyze before I do so.
– It won’t be as cold as originally thought.
– Nevertheless it will feel cold after today’s temperatures in the low-80s.
– We may see some significant rain next week.
– We need it. That frost last month totally burned and killed the grass.
– We’re just a few months away from the start of the new hurricane season.
– We’ll be introduced to Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, and Grace.
– Don’t remind me.

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Blogging Computers Driving Health Holidays Home Internet Life Money Music Radio Sports Travel Weather

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

For the first time since two weeks ago – it’s my ‘Grab Bag O’ Thoughts’:

1.  There was no ‘Grab Bag’ last Tuesday night, and there will be no ‘Grab Bag’ next Tuesday night. I didn’t even go near a computer (or any other modern device that accesses the Internet) for nearly 8 days during my recent vacation. That was from late at night on Thursday February 05TH when I powered off my computer here at home until the night of Friday February 13TH upon my return home from my trip. Next Tuesday morning I embark on yet another trip, and I won’t have access to a computer or the Internet for a couple of days.

2.  I missed a bunch of things while I was on vacation. I missed my Life Pointe Church family. I missed my CALL-FM music. I missed my workplace. I missed my car. I missed my computer. I missed my bed. I missed my pillow. I missed my blanket. I’ve got them all back – for now.

3.  Early this morning Homestead America’s Riviera experienced a few hours of actual temperatures down into the lower-50s (52°F at the air base to be precise) with wind chills in the upper-40s. That effectively met the criteria for a ‘Homestead Cold Weather Alert’, yet I failed to issue one here on this blog prior to last night. I missed the boat on that one. I actually forecasted temperatures to be a tad bit higher than that overnight. It will be a bit milder tonight, so there is no alert for tonight. I will be issuing one for Friday morning and Saturday morning though. ‘30s‘ may actually appear in that alert !

4.  Spring Break 2009 has unofficially begun here in the great state of Florida. The Daytona 500 every Presidents’ Day Weekend is typically the first big stimulus package that draws North American tourists into our state from the north. Come on down my friends !  America’s Riviera is open for business and pleasure !

5.  If you’re looking for me during the months of March, April, and I’ll even throw in May as well then look no further than right here in Homestead. After all of this traveling around during this crazy month of February I don’t want to go anywhere else for awhile once I return back home again from my next trip next week. I have things to do – like file my taxes, and find a new Doctor, and get a complete physical exam, and get my dryer vent unclogged and cleaned out.

Those are my thoughts on this Tuesday night. Thank You for sharing your time with me on this blog. I enjoy living Life with you !

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Blogging Career Driving Food Health Life People Sports

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

Is this what you’re lookin’ for ?

1.  Every single vehicle in the U.S. should have a tiny computer chip inside that measures every relevant driving metric possible such as accelerating, decelerating, speeding, braking, and turn signal use. That computer chip could then transmit all of this data directly to all of the automobile insurance companies who could then base your premium on it. Some of you would pay thousands of dollars for auto insurance every six months, while others of us would pay very little (due to extremely safe driving habits).

2.  14-time Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps was caught smoking marijuana at the University Of South Carolina a few months ago, and the pictures of him doing so have recently made the rounds on the Internet. Who would have seen this coming ?  (That’s me being sarcastic.) Let’s see here he’s already been arrested for underaged drunk driving (2004), and he’s a regular of the hard party scene in Hollywood and Las Vegas. What a total shock-a-roo !  🙄

3.  On paper today – the 03RD of February – is my 23RD anniversary as an employee of the Department Of Defense. Technically I became ‘Air Force property’ during the Summer of 1984, and I went in to Active Duty in June of 1985. The revised February 03RD 1986 anniversary date is due to a break-in-service in 1993 when I wasn’t affiliated with the Air Force. Don’t make me explain it any further. The detailed explanation is really quite boring.

4.  One incredible edible egg contains about 215 milligrams of cholesterol. That’s more than 71% of the recommended limit of 300 milligrams per day. As part of my Lunch today I ate two hard-boiled eggs. Oh yeah I also enjoyed a rare Breakfast courtesy of McDonald’s consisting of a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich and hash brown. Why does my chest suddenly hurt ?  FLUFFY !  I’m comin’ to join ya honey !

5.  OK let’s get serious here. To each and every one of you who have been following these ‘Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts’ every Tuesday night for the past 14 months with no interruptions whatsoever I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul for living Life with me on this fantastic journey. We’ve been through a lot together. I’ve shared a part of my Life with you, and many of you have shared a part of your Life with me. It certainly doesn’t end here. It totally doesn’t end soon. This journey is infinite. While I won’t be here on the blog next Tuesday night you’ve still got all of my writings to date on here. Feel free to take a flashback through time, and revisit some of our Life experiences together over the past 14 months. I’ll be back in 2 weeks as we resume these Thoughts again.