Debt is a form of slavery. Discuss among yourselves.
On this day in 1946, in a refugee camp in Austria, my parents married. Their marriage was tumultuous at times and ended in divorce in 1975. The tumult came from my father; whether or not witnessing his family murdered by Nazi troops was a factor in his wanderlust is now impossible to ascertain from this distance in time and space.
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I suppose I am “obligated” to comment on the recently proposed EPA regulations on tailpipe emissions. Let’s see…this administration recently gave the go-ahead for a massive oil drilling project in Alaska. In the private sector, General Motors is about to invest nearly $1 billion in its next generation of gasoline-powered, small-block V8 engines.
Across the pond, the European Union has exercised some common sense and allowed new Internal Combustion Engine powered vehicles to be sold after 2035 as long as those vehicles run on synthetic fuels. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but I think the announcement of the new EPA regs is both a trial balloon floated to get talks started on more realistic guidelines as well as being appeasement to the Lunatic Left.
#DeathBeforeEV
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I am quite loathe to report this news. I guess, deep down, I must believe in karma. The mechanic working on the Maserati told me yesterday, “You bought a real nice car.”
The engine, suspension and brakes are all in good order. A small oil leak exists, coming from the right valve cover. The power steering pump has a small leak; the part is expensive and on back order, but the mechanic assures me it’s no big deal.
Due primarily to the unusual camber setting, the front tires are shot despite being only three years old. I have decided to replace all four tires. Of course, all fluids–oil, coolant, brake–are being replaced. Again, I am reluctant to write this, but the bill for diagnostics and repairs is far less than I had budgeted.
I guess I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop, but so far so good. The Maserati will only be driven about 150 miles a month; hopefully, that will keep the car “fresh” without excessive wear and tear.
It still hasn’t really hit me that I now own a car from the company whose cars I have admired since I was 8 years old. However, even with the “clean bill of health” I will be reluctant to drive it much, at least for now.
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#WobblyWednesday
#DeathBeforeEV
#2010MaseratiGranTurismoConvertible
#WordsToLiveBy
#somanyCARSjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
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Disaffected Musings 
“The mechanic working on the Maserati told me yesterday, “You bought a real nice car.”
Some days you’re the windshield,…….
Glad the car is checking out good.
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Thanks, DDM, but I am the bug far too often.
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As soon as you are done refreshing the car, drop the top and drive it the way it was built for. That is the only way the car will give back all the love you are pouring into it.
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Thanks, sir.
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I am-thanks to you-a firm believer in preventive maintenance. A $100 oil change/$200 coolant flush is worth its weight in gold. I am finding out that the previous owner of my car thought a Lexus doesn’t need maintenance; fortunately no damage seems to have been done. By the end of the month I will change major fluids, and the brakes and tires were just done.
Once I get the “cute and sporty” that my wife wants, I will be even more obsessive.
Happy motoring! Next up, the Avanti!!!
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Thanks for the shout out, Doc, but you’re a smart guy. At best, my advice was simply a word to the wise.
When I read “Next up” I almost expected the next word to be “Chocha!”
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The current Federal Administration continues on its path to bury this country in regulations to our economic detriment. The scariest news, especially for the Colorado River Basin states which depend upon the river’s water, is the horrendous threat of the draconian rules the Feds threaten to impose. The States have been and are currently working on a solution to carry us through the current situation. The threats from the Interior Department will only worsen the atmosphere of the negotiations. The water wars in the West are extremely complex and for idiots in Washington to inject their opinions is the last thing needed. Rant over. In Arizona, the source of your water is not just from the tap in your house as most people think.
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Thanks, Philip. Those on one side of the political spectrum really believe that one size fits all and because they think they are smarter than everyone who disagrees with them (which they are not, of course) that they have the right to impose their beliefs on all of us.
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Best of luck on the car. Here’s hoping it stays within budget.
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Thanks, JS. If the Maserati becomes a money pit, then I will get rid of it. (A poet in the making!)
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Indeed!
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You might be a poet,
and not know it,
but your feet show it,
they’re Longfellows. 🙂
(I think I first heard that when I was 6)
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Ah yes, the silliness and wonder of youth.
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