Month: May 2004

Only a few days until my baby turns 2 and she continues to have some growing pains. Yesterday during a trip to San Diego the fuel guage stopped working, later it came back on, only to go off again. Currently its working so I can live without another trip to Brecht’s to get it fixed. I certainly did get the runt of the litter when I picked out this baby. She’s still adorable though.

Right now, my MINI looks like half the bug life in the world committed suicide on the window and bodywork. Its so bad, the carnage is two layers deep. So I think I should wash it but then I realise that in a couple of days it will be disgusting again so why bother?

Another new MINI is in the Valley, this one an all pepper white Cooper, looks very nice.

Today I saw an all gold PT Cruiser, just when I thought those things couldn’t be made to look any uglier.

There are many differences in driving style between US and UK drivers but the one that causes me the most grief comes when overtaking. In the UK the roads are smaller, the traffic is more bunched up so typically you drive up quite close behind the vehicle you want to pass before pulling out. However, here in CA people pull out to pass you about a mile before they get to you. Very often I’ll be coming up to a car, waiting to get close enough before pulling out and then before I can, the car behind me pulls out and blocks me in. I suppose I could pull out earlier but I just feel stupid sitting in the outside lane long before I need to be there.

And this situation is compounded by the first law of CA freeway driving: if traffic in the slow lane looks like they are going to pull into the gap in front of you, increase speed so as to prevent them from doing so. And the second law: if someone follows the first law and blocks you off, flip them off or just force your way into their lane and make them brake.

Last couple of weeks I’ve noticed some vibration in the steering wheel when I’m driving along. A little inspection showed that the front right tyre was quite worn and should probably need replacing. Today I go to lunch with the intention to get it replaced afterwards… just before turning into Carl’s I hear quite a pop and my steering gets much more wobbly. A little look after lunch and the front left tyre is now quite flat – time to get two new tyres.

Of course no one carries runflats in the Valley so I decide to switch to regular tyres. There seems to be a large movement of MINI owners who think this is the right thing to do anyway so I don’t mind. If I get a flat I’ll call AAA (there is no spare on the S).

Strewth! Another new MINI has been spotted around town, I passed it coming down the grade on I-8 during the week and others have seen it at Vons and other locations around Brawley. This one is a brand new (only has Brecht plates) all gold MINI Cooper, looks very shiny. So that makes 5 MINIs in this little town, must be a per-capita record?