Yesterday's field trip went well. Parents are all happy and stuff with the new Windows box. It's been a long time since my mother had anything to do with a computer, let alone something with an OS as recent as Windows XP, so there will be a learning curve. I've encouraged her to play around with the computer a bit and get used to how to use it, because 95% of what I know about computers was learned by accident. She doesn't yet have an Interweb connection, so the risk is minimized at the moment. By the time she does, she should know what she's doing, and those in the family who are accustomed to the Interpipes should be able to guide her well.
I had lunch with the parents yesterday, and that was a bit unexpected, but it was a good time. We talk once a week on the phone, but the conversation never really gets deep because I'm not a telephone person. Around the table, though, it's different, and in a way I wished I didn't have to get back to the house. A meal is always better somehow when it's made by your mom in the house where you grew up.
:: The Great MPG Sweepstakes Yesterday also gave me another opportunity to try out some additional conservation techniques, and all the way over and back I drove a bit below the speed limit (still fast enough to be safe and not be a rolling chicane, mind you), kept the air off as much as I could stand it, and managed the car's energy as best I could. This morning I filled up, did the math, and found I'd achieved 35.3 miles per gallon. It's become almost a challenge to myself to see how far I can safely push my fuel economy, and I'm enjoying it. In a way, it's like when you lose weight and you try to see how efficiently you can get your body to work while cutting down what you eat to the essentials.
It's not like anything I'm doing is brain surgery, either. It's changing your behavior behind the wheel (and in some ways, the hardest part of that is putting up with the speed demons who would rather tailgate you and flip you off than pass you). It's also about listening to your car and keeping it in good shape. Even some of those are very easy things: for instance, get a tire gauge and learn how to use it, and know your car's recommended tire pressures. I checked my tires this morning and found they were seriously underinflated. That took all of four minutes to fix, and if you look around you can still find at least one gas station that offers free air (may take some looking, but you can find them). Four minutes to make your car safer and more efficient. Mario Andretti's right: Check your tires.
I'm leaving tomorrow on an few days' trip, and that will involve a lot of driving on interstate highways, and I'll be interested to see how Baby fares on a long road trip. Before the trip, though, I'll give her a good washing, and she's also due a coat of wax, so, weather permitting, that'll be my afternoon. The coat of wax probably won't make any real difference, but it'll be a psychological boost for me. Plus, the car will look better, and that's worth something.
:: I mentioned that trip. Originally, it was going to be two days, but yesterday I got a call that prompted me to book for Sunday and Monday nights, too. It's for a good reason, though. I'll share more as events unfold (she wrote, laughing diabolically)....
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