Memorial Day - May 31, 2010

Freedom is never free. It was bought and paid for and will be paid for by countless young men and women who have made and who will make the ultimate sacrifice.

It was also paid for by generations of veterans who sacrificed their time and liberty to ensure the freedom of others. Some veterans were welcomed home with parades and others were spat upon by those they sought to protect.

If you are enjoying your freedom, be sure to thank a veteran.

Here’s a very shortlist of other simple things you can do to honor your freedom and those who paid for it:

Take off your hat when the National Anthem is played.

Stand up for the playing of the National Anthem.

Stand up and take your hat off when the National Flag passed you in a parade.

I am very proud to have been able to put on the uniform of the United States and to have taken the President’s dollar when I served in the United States Navy.


Be well and stay happy.

Teaching and the End of the Term

Teaching and the End of the Term
I filled in as substitute on Thursday. I had expected a reasonably trouble free evening; about a third of the students had been in one of my classes before.

Boy was I ever wrong.

This was, without any doubt, the worse behaved group of young adults that I have ever had the extreme misfortune to have in a class. They were rude, boorish, ill mannered, vile, and generally unprepared. I hope that I never see any of them in any of my future classes.

After a night like that, I am questioning why I am even trying to prepare these students for their future careers; McDonald's does an excellent job of training people to flip hamburgers.

My Summer Quarter teaching schedule seems fairly firm now. I will have four classes; one each on Monday and Tuesday evenings and two on Saturday. Two of the classes are ones that I have taught several times before including one from this quarter.

I only have to drive to school three times a week instead of the five that I drive this quarter. I ought to be saving a few dollars since my weekly trip will drop from a total of 340 miles to 200 miles.

Pathfinder
The Pathfinder rolled over to 96,000 miles / 154,500 kilometers on the way to school on Friday.

Assuming that I purchase a new car during the first week in June, I am planning to replace the timing belt in the truck because it is close the 100,000 mile suggested replacement interval. The timing belt is also over15 years old so it should be wearing out soon.

Looking Ahead
This coming week is finals week at school. I will be busy grading the course projects and final examinations. This may be the first time that I will end up assigning failures to students in classes other than Microeconomics.

My Monday evening class is one of those classes that is in trouble. The trouble largely is of the students’ own doing; some have not turned in any homework assignments for the course. It is difficult for me to have any sympathy for those who were unable or didn’t care enough to turn in any work when others were able to do so.

Tuesday morning is my CT scan. Wednesday is my day for lab testing. Friday is my day to see Dr. Karen again. This will be my next to last appointment with Dr. Karen since her fellowship will end at the end of June. I will truly miss her.


Be well and stay happy.

It's a Small World

It’s a Small World After All
I had to withdraw some money from a mutual fund account yesterday. This was in preparation to buying a new car. It was on the windy or perhaps breezy side yesterday so I put on my old University of Utah hoodie sweatshirt; it is a slightly faded red with large white letters spelling out UTAH.

It is hard to mistake where I went to college.

It turned out that the manager of the mutual fund company office not only went to the U but was a member of my old fraternity. We talked for about fifteen minutes which made my withdrawal take much longer to process. I didn’t mind the extra time; I was able to bring him up to date on the fraternity and I described how the re-installation of the chapter went in April.

It was a very nice day for me.

This morning I was reading a business news RSS feed from the New York Times. One of the summaries in the news feed was about a bond being issued in the United Kingdom by a gourmet chocolate company that allowed the bondholder the option of receiving interest payments in chocolate.

I forwarded the news feed to my broker at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney with a note that said, “this looks like a sweet deal.”


Be well and stay happy.

It feels like fall

It feels like Fall
I was out this morning running some errands. It was a really, really nice morning; the sky was clear and a bright blue. It was windy as well. The national flag was standing out straight in the breeze and some of the larger flagpoles were bending under the pressure of the wind.

Perfectomundo.

The wind was on the nasty side last night when I drove out to Morton’s. It was strongest when you came closer to the coast, especially the West facing beaches.

I was also out walking along the beach as part of my exercise today. The wind chill affect made it feel much colder than it was; that kept a lot of people off of the sand. It also adversely affected the beach volleyball matches. I think they were postponed because of wind.

Oh well, there is always tomorrow for exercising.

Chuckay Dinner
Last night was the traditional Chuckay Diner at Morton’s The Steakhouse. Our dinner was perfect.

I did something last night that I have never done in the thirteen or fourteen years that Doug and I have been going to Morton’s. I did not have any beef for dinner. In fact, I had appetizers and a salad for my dinner. I think this was a wise decision because I slept very well last night and I did not feel loggy when I woke up today.

I had been thinking about ordering a small roast prime rib of beef and a small lobster tail for dinner. That seemed to mentally fill my mind and stomach. We all talked about what we were going to have. I mentioned my prime rib idea. Doug and his girl friend both picked up on my idea.

After all, great minds think alike.

Unfortunately for us, Morton’s had run out of prime rib before we placed our order. Morton’s only cooks a small amount of prime rib each night.

I ended up ordering some smoked salmon, a chopped salad with oil and vinegar dressing, and broiled scallops wrapped in bacon with an apricot chutney sauce. I also saved room for the Morton’s Chocolate Cake.

Doug and his girl friend both ordered New York strip steaks and sides of grilled asparagus with a balsamic glaze and sautéed mushrooms and spinach. Overall, I thought our table’s order was very eclectic.

Doug said his girl friend, the Mademoiselle, is going to France to teach English in an elementary school. The Mademoiselle will leave at the end of Summer and will be gone for six to nine months. She is a French major at California State University Fullerton.

I think her first classroom session will be interesting for her students. She is an Asian American and I don’t think the French students will be expecting like a teacher her in their classroom.

We talked about her new career. The Mademoiselle likes to cook and is a very good one now. I pointed out that she will have time to pick up on French cooking while she is in France. She smiled and said that she was planning to do that. Doug said she could concentrate on pastries and cakes. She does make wonderful pastries

The Mademoiselle liked my tentative car choice of a Mini Cooper. Doug thought it would good in red with a white roof.

I told Doug that I was going to shave off my moustache.


He said, “Good and not too soon either.” I guess that he was not fond of it.


Be well and stay happy.

End of the Week

End of the Week
I spent three hours and change at the local Nissan dealer while I waited for them to install the final part that was necessary to fix my speedometer cable. This was my third trip to the dealership in three weeks.

At the end of the day, I can say that the speedometer functions properly in the Pathfinder now. I can also say that I do not have very much confidence in the dealership or perhaps I should say its technicians. If one of two parts that make up the speed sensor is damaged, isn’t it more likely the other part will be damaged as well? I think so.

The technician in my mind either knew or should have known that the other part was either worn or likely damaged and should have recommended replacing both of them at the same time. I would have been able to save at least three hours in dead time and perhaps as much as USD$250 in labor charges.

I had ordered some tee shirts from L. L. Bean as a birthday gift to me from me. They arrived on Friday.

Perfectomundo.

These tee shirts have a very soft, almost well worn flannel feel to them. I guessed the right size and they fit perfectly. I ordered four colored, short sleeved tee shirts and two long sleeved ones. I think I am going to enjoy wearing them this Summer and Fall. I wore one to class with a colored dress shirt and they matched their colors well.

Car Searching
There was one positive outcome to killing time at the Nissan dealership this morning. I learned that the Altima comes in a coupe version. I compared the price for the Altima coupe and the Honda Civic and Accord coupes and the Altima is in between both of the Hondas.

I think I will add the Altima to the list of potential vehicles for me to purchase. I have owned a Nissan 510 sedan and a 260Z sports car. They were both fine cars for me and the ex-wife.

Doug and I will check it out probably next month. I would go back to the Nissan dealership to look at the car but I probably would buy it someplace else unless the dealership was the lowest price. If that was the case, I would have it serviced someplace else.

Teaching
I was at school yesterday for my Friday class.

Friday was not a good day at school. The new school director has adopted new rules about smoking that seem to border on unreasonable. For example, students may not smoke in their cars when they are parked in one of the building parking lots. It will be a difficult rule to enforce since it goes beyond what the building owner will allow and I know the new director’s rule will not apply to the other tenants in the building. Some of the instructors have said the students are ready to mutiny.

Where are the Marines when you really need them?

Some are out smoking I think.

The new Criminal Justice program chair spoke to me about teaching two paralegal studies classes on a Saturday in the coming term. Her predecessor had talked to me about teaching four classes instead. I had mentioned the desire of the now former chair to my chair before the teaching schedule was being worked on.

So what does this all mean to me?

It looks like I will not be teaching five classes as I had planned on teaching and this is a real disappointment for me. My income from teaching will be down.

Maybe it is time for me to look for a new place to teach.

Chuckay Dinner
The day will end on a high note for me. Today is the Chuckay Dinner at Morton’s The Steakhouse with Doug and his girl friend.

Usually, I know what I will have to eat long before I even leave my house. Right now, I have no idea what I am going to order tonight. I guess I will wait and see what is on the serving cart tonight. I will write more about dinner tomorrow.

Fatburger
I had dinner to go at Fatburger last night because my coupon for a free bag of fries was about to expire. I hate to waste something valuable like a free bag of fries. My receipt had another free fries coupon on it.

Excellent.

Some days, life ends well after all.


Be well and stay happy.

Older Vehicles

Older Vehicles
One of the very nice benefits of owning an older vehicle, in my case, is that I do not have to make any car payments. Savings money is always a good thing.

On the other hand, owning an older car means replacement parts may be difficult to obtain. It took almost two weeks for the headlamp and fog lamp blubs to arrive at the Honda dealership for the Prelude. I will have them replaced on Monday morning. I will also take a look at the 2010 Honda Civics at the dealership since I will have time to kill while the Prelude is being repaired.

I took the Pathfinder in for service on Saturday. This was supposed to correct the problem with my speedometer cable. After spending three hours waiting, I learned that I needed another part that is joined to the part that failed. I will have that taken care of next Saturday and waste three or more hours doing so.

This experience at the Nissan dealership has raised my doubts in their ability to perform any sort of service work properly and correctly the first time. I can have the Pathfinder serviced by any Nissan dealership or independent repair shop since the vehicle is out of warranty and has been for ten years.

The first Nissan dealership recommended that I replace the timing belt and do some other minor work.

I will probably have the work done soon but by another repair shop or dealership.

May – June Low Clouds and Fog Along the Coast
It is that time of year again where we have low clouds and fog along the coast. For the most part, the condition will last from May through June. The low clouds or fog, take your choice, tend to stay around all day at the flat. If I go a mile or so to the east, it is bright sun and ten degrees [F] warmer.

I do not do well in this weather since it is a cool, damp atmosphere. I am sensitive to the cold and damp from my cancer treatments.

I should be working on grading homework assignments and preparing lecture notes for the last two class session of my new classes. I should but I don’t feel like doing that today. I can do that on Tuesday since I will have time in the morning before school.


Be well and stay happy.

Dr. Karen and Me

Dr. Karen and Me
I got a phone call at home last night from the Oncology Clinic. The clinic was calling to cancel my appointment because, the caller said, Dr. Kwan wanted to wait until after my CT scan on June 1st. This seemed reasonable to me. The caller said that I should come in and pick up another prescription for the Xeloda.

I would have preferred to skip the Xeloda for an extra three weeks.

While I was waiting for my prescription, Nurse Vhrunda said she would find the first available doctor who came to the clinic to sign off on the prescription. That was nice of her. As things turned out, Dr. Karen was the first doctor in the clinic this morning. She spoke to me briefly and explained the clinic was overbooked today and that I could postpone my visit until June 4th.

I was happy with that outcome I guess.

I am going to be busy during the first week in June. I have the CT scan, lab tests, and Dr. Karen’s appointment as well as a trip to see Molly the Stylist. Oh yes, I will also be passing out final examinations and grades that weeks as well.


Be well and stay happy

Lunching with Doug and the new campus

Lunching with Doug and the new campus
I killed a couple of birds with my trip out to see the new campus. First, I needed to be sure how to get there. Driving in traffic on your way to teach a class is not the best of times to figure out the best route to school.

Second, I wanted to see the new campus before the students got there. True, it was sort of messy from the move.

Third, I wanted to talk with Doug about setting up a time to go look at new cars. I feel that I want to take action in June rather than wait a bit longer.

I got to the Corner Bakery area of the Block of Orange before Doug so I forced myself to sit on a bench in the warm sun and watch the passing scene and parade. It was a nice way to spend some time.

We had planned to eat at the Corner Bakery. But, it was crowded and I didn’t want to eat outside since one of my medicines says to avoid sunlight.

We ended up at the Alcatraz Brewing Company which was across the mall walkway from the Corner Bakery. As its name would imply, it is a brew pub with a San Francisco – Alcatraz Prison theme to it. The middle of the day was not prime time dinning in the brew pub so we had no trouble getting a table inside.

I ordered a turkey burger and Doug had a chicken BLT without the bacon. My turkey burger was not that great. The turkey burger at The Counter Grill is much better. Doug seemed to have enjoyed his sandwich based on how empty his plate was at the end of the meal.

We talked about going new car looking. Doug said he was game for the adventure and wondered why I was only going to look at the Toyota Scion tc and the Mini Cooper and not consider the Honda Civic. I said there was not too much that we could learn from looking at the Civic that we didn’t already know. I pointed out the 2010 Civic is substantially the same car as his mother’s 2007 Civic. The only choice with the Civic was what color to pick out.

Doug said that he could come up any day with some notice. He also said that he would have to come by my flat in the early afternoon after a stop in San Pedro at Bea’s or Bee’s Market for one of their sandwiches. One of his friends introduced him to the market and he says they make the best sandwiches in town.

My Brother
My Brother called me yesterday to wish me a Happy Birthday. He said he was late in relation to my actual birth date; but, since I have a month long celebration of all things Chuck, he felt any day in May would work.

We talked about new cars. He believes that I should buy a new car now. I’m not certain that he is on board with the idea of me buying a sporty car or not. He is an accountant after all and maybe he is just being conservative; our father was like that.

My Brother was talking about his latest painting project. He is a fine art painter and not a house painter. He said our friend George had given him a large old French frame that I suspect is rather ornate. He is painting a landscape of some mountains in Scotland and hopes to have the painting completed in another two months or so.

The new campus
I thought the new location was really nice, even if it was a little messy. I found where my classrooms are in the new building. It is nice to have everything on one floor. Parking is about the same.

The new campus is located across the street from the Block of Orange, an outdoor regional shopping center. I think it will be a very attractive nuisance and a major distraction for the students. I think they will be taking longer breaks especially during the evening classes.

The plus is there is a better selection of places to go for meals. If I get to teach a split shift, a morning class and an evening class n the same day; then I can have a very nice lunch and dessert where I don’t have to prepare the meal.

Perfectomundo.

I also finished preparing the study final examination guide for my Microeconomics class. The final exam was changed last quarter and is now harder, in my mind, since there are fewer question groups. Question groups are questions on a much related subject matter topic like Supply and Demand. This means the students will have to study more.

Personally, I believe I am wasting my time for the majority of the students. They will not bother to use the study guide let alone read the text book. They will try to get by on listening to what I said in class. Those students will probably pass the course with low grades.

Lab tests and the hospital
I went in for my lab tests in preparation for my appointment with Dr. Karen on Friday morning. I made an effort to get to the hospital early so I could find a parking spot which I did. Drawing the blood sample went fairly normal with a minimal amount of pain on my part. I will get the results on Friday.

Now that I am an old fart and eligible for Medicare, I have to change my identity card at the hospital. That was something that I tried to take care of yesterday. I think the data in the computer system was updated but the machine that embosses the cards was not functioning properly and I will have to go back on Friday. I will have time to kill after I turn in my prescription and when it will be filled.


Be well and stay happy.

The Pathfinder

The Pathfinder
I took the Pathfinder into the dealership for service and to have the speedometer cable checked. It was time for an oil change and I haven’t really cared all that much for setting my driving speed based on the tachometer.

It turns out that I have a broken speedometer part that I will have replaced on Saturday morning. It was a special order and it won’t be in the dealership until Thursday when I’m having lunch with Doug after seeing the new campus location. Friday is my date with Dr. Karen and that takes up the whole morning when I add in time at the pharmacy waiting for my prescription to be filled.

Since I was at the dealership and I did have time to kill, I took a look at the 2010 models that were on the showroom floor. There was one special model 370Z sports car that had a sticker price of over USD$90,000. I can remember when I bought a 260Z for a little over USD$3,000 but that was a long time ago.

Then, I got serious and looked at a standard model 370Z sports car. That was sensibly priced at about USD$32,000 plus tax. That was more reasonable I suppose; compared to the special edition model it was.

The standard model was a charcoal grey hardtop model and I looked at it for a long time. I could see myself driving up Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Barbara for a late Sunday morning brunch.

Perfectomundo.

Reality brought me back to Earth.

Yes, I would love to drive a sports car like that again. But, I need to be realistic about my choices and consider a lot of other factors besides the thrill of getting behind the wheel and roaring off to the sound of Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” blasting out of the speakers.

I did drive home thinking about more modestly priced vehicles.

[Note to self: take a photo of the Pathfinder.]


Be well and stay happy.

What I forgot to mention yesterday

What I forgot to mention yesterday
I checked on the blog’s April traffic and page view counts. April was an average month for the blog. We had 545 visitors who viewed 685 pages. I do appreciate all of you who come by the blog from time to time.

The most popular page is still January 1, 2007 with about 70% of the blog traffic. The main or current blog page is next with around 16% of the traffic.

Nice.

I talked to one of the Associate Deans at school last week about my upcoming teaching schedule. I am fairly certain that I will end up with four courses in the Paralegal Studies program so I wanted to see about my fifth class. I was able to have him agree to give me one of my favorite courses to teach.

Of course, this being school and me being the duty utility instructor, I may have a completely different schedule when the dust finally settles. I could end up with courses in the Business and Project Management areas.


Be well and stay happy.

Gray and Overcast This Morning

Gray and overcast this morning
Gray and overcast was a fitting way for me to start off my morning. I hadn’t slept all that well last night. I slept fine until around 4:00 AM when I woke up for no particular reason. I was very quiet at the flat. Then, I couldn’t fall back to sleep.

I wasted a perfectly good morning for sleeping in. I had nothing to do this morning.

Nothing.

My day did improve after the Princess called to see how my birthday went. The sun came out. I thanked her for the book and cards that she and the Golfer sent me. The book, a new one by Clive Cussler, will be very handy on Tuesday when I take the Pathfinder in for service and I sit and wait for the work to be done.

I just hope there are no screaming children in the waiting room.

The Princess and I talked about a lot of things. It was very good to catch up with the drama in her life and her work. We ended talking for almost an hour which is a long conversation for her.

I have no drama in my life.

Molly the Stylist
I had my hair cut or styled as Molly likes to say on Wednesday. I have a schedule because I am a creature of schedule of having my hair cut on the first Wednesday of each month. It makes easy for me to remember.

I stopped at the Belmont Shore Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on my way to her salon and picked up a large ice blended for me and a large iced vanilla latte for Molly. Judging by the way she drank the latte, it seemed to agree with her very nicely.

We talked about one of our favorite common obsessions, loves, or desires, chocolate. This is becoming an all consumer subject for us when I have my haircut. I told Molly that personalized M&Ms now come in a ten pound bulk package. We talked about how they could be printed with the salon’s name on them.

Then, I noticed that Molly’s eyes seemed to sort of glaze over. I wasn’t sure if this was an anticipatory sugar high or fears that I might order her a ten pound box when I got home.

I told Molly that if I ordered her a ten pound box I would also order it with a dispenser so she could exercise some restraint.

Molly smiled.

I said that someone in the salon might end hitting the dispenser handle like a slot machine in Las Vegas. Molly failed to see the humor in that observation.

Former Student
One of my former students emailed me this week. I hadn’t spoken to her in over a year. She is applying for graduate school and asked me to write her a recommendation letter. I felt very comfortable agreeing since she was in nine or ten of my classes and did well in them.

I asked her if she wanted the “walks on water” or “gets her ankles wet” recommendations.

She said that she would love to have the “walks on water” but would be very happy with “gets her ankles wet” recommendation.

I have plenty of time to write the letter since she is going to be applying for Fall 2011.

Car Choices
I have been thinking about one of three cars for right now; a Honda Civic coupe, a Toyota Scion tc, and a Mini Cooper.

Doug and I were talking about me buying a new car yesterday.

We decided there was nothing to say or discuss about the Honda except what color to get. Doug has an Accord coupe. His mother has a Civic coupe. His sister had an Accord coupe and now drives a Civic sedan; her husband has an Element and an S2000. They all run perfectly; just like a Honda.

My experience with Toyota is favorable. We had an old Corolla and it ran perfectly. The Scion’s only drawback is that it comes only as a hatchback in the coupe model. It comes very close to the Civic and I would have expected that much.

The 2010 Mini Cooper is sportier compared to the others but it is more expensive. I suppose I could get a 2009 model if one was still around. The thing I don’t care for with the Mini is that I have to pay extra to have stuff that comes with the Civic and Scion like air conditioning. Those cars don’t have much in the way of options as far as I can tell.

I have some free time coming up this coming week while the school moves and then I have a weeklong quarter break to take a closer look at the potential car choices.


Be well and stay happy.

Chuckay Day

Chuckay Day
I celebrated Chuckay Day by working. In the morning, I worked on lecture notes for my Friday evening class. Not a very promising way to start celebrating.

Then, I went to school to teach the class that I had been working. That class went for me. I had 100% attendance which will make the administration happy. The students need the class so they can graduate in September. If they didn’t take it from me, they would have to repeat the course in an online environment.

One of my students gave me a semi-gag birthday gift at school on Friday. This is easy to do since I have been teaching at the campus for three and a half years now. Her gift was a joke can with spring snakes inside that burst out when you open the can lid. She thoughtfully included some chocolate candy as well.

This was the first time that any of my students have ever gotten me a birthday gift.

One of my current students sent me an email birthday greeting. During an ice breaker exercise in one of my classes, we discovered that we share the same birth date. She was so surprised to find someone with her birth date; I think she was more surprised to find out it was her instructor. She signed the email, your Birthday Buddy.

Excellent.

My Facebook wall was written on by former students who wished me a Happy Birthday. One former student said she bought a case of cold Heinekens in my honor but was going to drink it with her friends.

At least I can take credit for upgrading her beer choice.

The Princess and the Golfer sent me very funny cards. I think she spent some time finding these cards because they were very funny. The Princess is not much on sentiment.

Doug called to wish me a Happy Birthday.

Since school is going to be closed for part of next week, I suggested to Doug that we get together for lunch on the 13th. I wanted to look at the new facility before classes start on the 17th and find out where my classrooms will be. I said we could have lunch at the Corner Bakery in the Block of Orange which is a compromise in terms of distance and it is adjacent to the new campus location.

Doug asked about the 14th. That wouldn’t really work out well since that is my next visit with Dr. Karen. He said the 13th worked for him.

Perfectomundo.


Be well and stay happy.

It's Chuckay

It’s Chuckay
Yes, it is Chuckay. Chuckay, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the event, is the month long celebration of all things Chuck. The event is sometimes hard to understand for those who are outside of the family. I think Doug’s friend Robin Brown said it best when he remarked, “It’s just Doug and his dad.”

Doug and I had a pre-Chucky lunch celebration on April 30th at Albatras; one of Doug’s favorite Mexican American restaurants in the South O. C. This was my first visit to Albatras since before my operation.

I had my usual No. 8 combination of two soft beef tacos, rice, and refried beans. Doug had a large chicken burrito. I surprised myself and was able to finish the entire meal. Previously, I had been uncertain about whether I could finish the meal or not. In any case, I could have always taken the left over portion home and reheated it in the microwave oven.

Doug and I talked about the traditional Chuckay Dinner at Morton’s. We agreed on our usual day; the first Saturday after Mothers’ Day. My birthday is just before Mothers’ Day. Once, we went out for the dinner on Mothers’ Day Weekend. This was a mistake for us; it was crowded and noisy and not much fun.

Me and the Other Doctors
Friday was my day for the semi-annual MRI examination. I can tolerate MRIs because I only have to have them twice a year. I am not that fond of being placed in the narrow tube for the procedure.

The MRI was part of the current treatment plan to monitor my two liver lesions. The lesions were discovered when I had my first operation in October 2007 to remove my colon cancer tumor. Since then, the lesions have remained the same size and are relatively unchanged. The colorectal surgeons want to watch and wait with the lesions. Their thinking is that if the lesions do not change then there is no need for a costly and more risky surgical procedure to address the lesions. Based on the cost of an operation, I think the hospital can get a lot of MRIs for the price of one operation.

This seems reasonable to me.

I also received the results of my semi-annual visit to my family practice doctor. All of the significant tests were well within the desired range. This is all good for me; I don’t have to take any increased amount of medicine or change the prescriptions.

Prelude
I took the Prelude in for service on Saturday. I needed to have the dealership replace one of the headlamps and one of the fog lamps. These parts are now special orders and it will take a week or so for the parts to come into the dealership.

While I was at the dealership, I asked to have one of the mechanics take a look for an oil leak. I had noticed some oil on the car park floor when I pulled out to go to the dealership. As luck would have it, the leak came from the car’s transmission. This meant that I am now looking at putting a rebuilt transmission in the Prelude because the transmission is failing.

The cost of a non-Honda rebuilt transmission is between USD$1,800 and USD$2,500. The maximum warranty is uninspiring at only 36 months or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, is horrible considering the current transmission is over 21 years old and has driven for over 361,000 miles.

Even after replacing the transmission, I will still have a Prelude that is almost 22 years old. Parts will continue to be a problem for me. I am certain that I will be entering a period of expensive component replacements.

I came home from the dealership and had my lunch.

Then, I brooded for a while about what to do with the Prelude.

I made the decision to purchase a new car. This seems like the best alternative for me. While I do so love driving the Prelude, its low flow air supply working with the air conditioner in the Summer is just not what it needs to be for someone who lives on the edge of the desert as I do. This has been a design flaw since I purchased the car new in 1988.

What kind of car did I want to get? That was the question.

Of course, I would love to have a new Porsche 911 convertible. But, price is a factor and, unless I win the Mega Millions Lottery on Tuesday, the Porsche is just so much of a dream.

I was looking for a sporty type of vehicle in a two door body style. The MINI would certainly fit my needs but I was put off by the pricing. It seems that every time I went to select an option, the process would end up adding something that I would never want like electrically heated seats. It doesn’t get that cool in Southern California.

I also considered the Honda Civic Coupe; that seemed so logical for me even though the cars are now made in Ohio and the Prelude came from the Home Islands. Another car that seemed to meet my needs was the Kia Forte Koup from Korea. Both of the cars could be priced out at what I wanted for less than the MINI. Both have better warranties and the Civic is a Honda.

Since school will be closed for the campus move from May 11th to the 15th, I will have some time to go take a closer look at the possible car purchases. I can take a look at the Civic when I take the Prelude in for service. I will be there and will need to kill so why not look at the Civics.

Teaching
Barring a sudden change in the teaching roster at school, it looks like may be teaching four classes in the Paralegal Studies program this next quarter. I may even have a Saturday morning and afternoon class which would be nice since I would have two classes with only one drive out to school. But, Saturday afternoon classes in Summer Quarter are like trying to cross Death Valley without a full load of fresh water. Attendance is poor to start with and get worse as the Summer drags on.

There are compensations with Summer Quarter. We get to wear business casual during the Summer session. We will also be in a newer building with hopefully a much better air conditioning system.


Be well and stay happy.