Procrastinating between posts requires a Herculean effort to catch up. Sigh.
Well, last weekend I went back to Detroit for the second time in three weeks. The main reason for going back was to attend the auto show and to see friends and family. I arrived around 6 AM, rented a car, drove back to Livonia and just fell down dead in my bed. Once noon rolled around, my aunt and I went to the Plymouth Ice Show (image gallery) and just hung out for a bit. The ice sculptures cannot really be considered art, though some of the pieces showed some technical skill and creativity. Also, art doesn't usually melt after two weeks... It was cold enough for my body to shut down blood flow to my hands, so much so that I had difficulty using keys to get back into the car to get warm.
The rest of the evening was spent with Chris. We hit Twelve Oaks to grab some Panera (they really need to open one here in Washington: fresh and chewy breads, sharp cheeses and choice cuts of meat make a great sandwich) and then sat around his place until the Chris and Lindsay engagement party (image gallery) started. It was a laid back affair consisting of wine and beer and conversation. This was the first party I've been to with Megan, Iren and Lindsday where they didn't go on a 1.5 hour tangent about their childhood, a discussion which no one else can participate in. No offense girls, just don't do that again! I talked to Marty for a bit and his opening bit was classic Marty:
Ma: "Have you ever watched Twin Peaks?"
Mi: "Not really, a few episodes, but I know you are a big fan."
Ma: "So why did you go to Snoqualmie then?"
My first reaction was that this was just Marty being Marty (if you know him, you know what I mean. Otherwise, you aren't going to meet him, so don't worry about it), and then I realized that Twin Peaks was filmed in Washington, near a waterfall and then it clicked. I didn't feel like defending my choice to visit Snoqualmie for a non-Twin Peaks reason and Marty was just trying to show that he has been following my site. Casey, one of the Northvillians that Chris used to hang out with every week back in high school, was also at the party. By the eighth beer, he was becoming quite the extrovert. He knew what he was doing, so he was enjoying the party laughing at him whilst he laughed inside.
The next morning was the auto show (image gallery) with my dad and grandpa. Honestly and unfortunately, I wasn't terribly impressed with the show this year. That shouldn't be much of a surprise since this is the first year where I've been in the actual market for a car. Previously, I was most excited about the exotic concept cars but now I want to see vechicles that are in showrooms that I can and want to purchase. Since I just recently purchased a car, I was looking toward the future, toward what should be my next car. Based on the fact that the Focus is a three-year purchase, that will put my next round at the summer of 2006. Considering that I should be able to afford a much nicer car, I was looking at the BMW M3 and the Audi S4 as possibilities. I took many pictures of each, and got a good feel inside and out for the look of the cars. The M3 has a terribly dated interior and it will be redesigned within the next 18 months. The redesign could take the car in any direction, basically invalidating any observation of the current model. The S4 has a delicious interior and the exterior styling is sedate enough yet still sporty. While this car is a sedan, the back seat leg room is laughable at best. With the drivers seat fully back, I could barely fit in the S4. In contrast, I had plenty of leg room in the Infiniti G35 coupe, though head room was an issue there. Hopefully by the time I am completely fed up with the Focus, a new car will hit my target requirements:
0-60 MPH < 6.4 seconds
Mature styling, inside and out (no more thoughts of the STi or Evo)
High build quality (Odd, I didn't realize that Audi was so far down the list...)
Ample room for 4
More to come
I wholeheartedly recommend the Infiniti site for car comparison. Their tool pulls in just about every specification you need for comparing cars.
Ok, enough for one post.
Well, last weekend I went back to Detroit for the second time in three weeks. The main reason for going back was to attend the auto show and to see friends and family. I arrived around 6 AM, rented a car, drove back to Livonia and just fell down dead in my bed. Once noon rolled around, my aunt and I went to the Plymouth Ice Show (image gallery) and just hung out for a bit. The ice sculptures cannot really be considered art, though some of the pieces showed some technical skill and creativity. Also, art doesn't usually melt after two weeks... It was cold enough for my body to shut down blood flow to my hands, so much so that I had difficulty using keys to get back into the car to get warm.
The rest of the evening was spent with Chris. We hit Twelve Oaks to grab some Panera (they really need to open one here in Washington: fresh and chewy breads, sharp cheeses and choice cuts of meat make a great sandwich) and then sat around his place until the Chris and Lindsay engagement party (image gallery) started. It was a laid back affair consisting of wine and beer and conversation. This was the first party I've been to with Megan, Iren and Lindsday where they didn't go on a 1.5 hour tangent about their childhood, a discussion which no one else can participate in. No offense girls, just don't do that again! I talked to Marty for a bit and his opening bit was classic Marty:
Ma: "Have you ever watched Twin Peaks?"
Mi: "Not really, a few episodes, but I know you are a big fan."
Ma: "So why did you go to Snoqualmie then?"
My first reaction was that this was just Marty being Marty (if you know him, you know what I mean. Otherwise, you aren't going to meet him, so don't worry about it), and then I realized that Twin Peaks was filmed in Washington, near a waterfall and then it clicked. I didn't feel like defending my choice to visit Snoqualmie for a non-Twin Peaks reason and Marty was just trying to show that he has been following my site. Casey, one of the Northvillians that Chris used to hang out with every week back in high school, was also at the party. By the eighth beer, he was becoming quite the extrovert. He knew what he was doing, so he was enjoying the party laughing at him whilst he laughed inside.
The next morning was the auto show (image gallery) with my dad and grandpa. Honestly and unfortunately, I wasn't terribly impressed with the show this year. That shouldn't be much of a surprise since this is the first year where I've been in the actual market for a car. Previously, I was most excited about the exotic concept cars but now I want to see vechicles that are in showrooms that I can and want to purchase. Since I just recently purchased a car, I was looking toward the future, toward what should be my next car. Based on the fact that the Focus is a three-year purchase, that will put my next round at the summer of 2006. Considering that I should be able to afford a much nicer car, I was looking at the BMW M3 and the Audi S4 as possibilities. I took many pictures of each, and got a good feel inside and out for the look of the cars. The M3 has a terribly dated interior and it will be redesigned within the next 18 months. The redesign could take the car in any direction, basically invalidating any observation of the current model. The S4 has a delicious interior and the exterior styling is sedate enough yet still sporty. While this car is a sedan, the back seat leg room is laughable at best. With the drivers seat fully back, I could barely fit in the S4. In contrast, I had plenty of leg room in the Infiniti G35 coupe, though head room was an issue there. Hopefully by the time I am completely fed up with the Focus, a new car will hit my target requirements:
0-60 MPH < 6.4 seconds
Mature styling, inside and out (no more thoughts of the STi or Evo)
High build quality (Odd, I didn't realize that Audi was so far down the list...)
Ample room for 4
More to come
I wholeheartedly recommend the Infiniti site for car comparison. Their tool pulls in just about every specification you need for comparing cars.
Ok, enough for one post.