Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]
5/4/24
Aloha Everybody --
Busy week!!
I spent a fair amount of time "bonding" with my new Subaru. Loving it so far. We took a short road trip up north last Sunday, to a Lei Day celebration at the Waikaloa Resort shopping center -- some hula, Hawaiian singing groups, and lunch at a beach-side restaurant, plus a short walk along the shore, The drive up was on a straight coastal highway, giving me a chance to try out one of the car's nifty features -- adaptive cruise control. This is like the old style cruise control but it automatically maintains a set distance from the car in front. It also has a lane-centering option which means that if both are engaged at the same time it is practically self- driving. No napping, however, because the car has a fit if you take your hands off the wheel or stop looking ahead. I'm slowly working my way through the gazillion other features and settings. This car has more computing power than the mainframe IBM at my graduate school university! It is very comfortable and quiet, and even has dual a.c. settings so my wife and I don't have to agree on how cool the air is blowing at us. Although I'm not super-thrilled with the color, it's ok -- Subaru calls it "Brilliant Bronze," which I've changed to "Metallic Poop," depending on the scatological sensitivities of the person I'm describing it to.
This was also a busy medical week with a visit to three (!) doctors in two days. Over the weekend it seemed to me that my eye that had the recent vein occlusion (left) was actually getting worse, not better. I got an appointment for the very next day. Despite my subjective assessment, the exam showed that everything is progressing ok. My acuity actually improved in both eyes compared to two weeks ago, though only by a smidge. The scan showed no negative changes. My doctor reminded me that the gunk would clear out very slowly and that some of my acuity and brightness issues might be helped by a temporary pair of prescription lenses. I saw an Optometrist the next day and wow, what an improvement when he adjusted the dials just right.. It turns out that my left eye has developed a slight astigmatism that is adding to the blurriness at all distances. I've got a pair of cheap glasses ordered that should help a lot. The Optometrist concurred that my left eye will eventually be correctable to 20/20 or close -- definitely good news.
On the same day as my emergency eye exam, I saw my internist for my routine 6-month checkup. All is as good as can be expected, given the progression of my emphysema, but he did order an ultra-sound of my chest to check out some aortic calcification that showed up on my last CT. My cholesterol numbers are very good, so this is just to check out if the calcification has progressed and exactly how bad it might be. Oh what fun!
The final source of busyness this week was selling our old CRV, I posted an ad on FB Marketplace and within hours got many inquiries. I set up appointments for a few people to see the car, but before they
took place my pool guy offered to buy it and gave me a deposit, Unfortunately he couldn't come up with the rest of the cash and we agreed to cancel the deal the next day. Within two hours of indicating on Marketplace that it was available again I sold it to a guy for full price who gave me a hefty cash deposit of $2k, with the rest to come on Friday, the next day. With that much at stake for him, it seemed like a done deal -- I had $2k and still had the car, so there was no risk for me. Yup, as agreed we met yesterday evening after he got off work and he gave me the rest of the price in cash. I'll deposit it this morning on our Saturday rounds. Although this process was intense, it only took 4 days. Also, the paperwork that I had initially found a daunting prospect turned out to be minor, thanks to online advice and tips from a neighbor who sold a car last year. All in all, I have to conclude that the dealer who low balled me actually did me a very lucrative favor. Anyway, it's all over and I hope not to have to do it again for a long time. My career in used car sales has come to an end!
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| Yippee! |
Ok, I sure hope next week is a bit calmer. There are a couple of sagas involving lost or stolen passports and a rumbling volcano that I haven't regaled you with yet. I'll hold off until next missive.
Take care. Enjoy your spring!
3 comments:
Colors of cars has always been important to me. Luckily while driving you don’t see all of the color. I loved my yellow Saab Sonic 111 and Aztec. Now I have a white Sienna which I ordered. I remember at the dealership the sales person telling me they had a silver one available and thinking “Did he not hear me when I said I wanted a WHITE Sienna.”
Richard, you didn't mention seat warmers for those chilly island mornings. Color of a car definitely reflects on the owner, but sometimes we have no choice. Both my vehicles are white, a "color" that I didn't always like, but now do. It's a clean machine. I have features in both that I will never find, let alone use. Sounds like you are fortunate to have a good ophthalmologist in your area. I have my ocular pressure, etc., checked three times a year. The doc is still delaying my need for cataract surgery, which we all in this age range seem to need sooner or later.
Many people regard their car as merely a machine, a very rational and defensible position. I', kind of an oddball romantic, however, and I give my cars nicknames and attribute personalities to them. Even weirder, I often tclk to my car. Do color is definitely important and it may take me some time to warm up to the "metalic poop" of my new car, which I've named "Babs."
Believe it or not, I DO have seat warmers in the new car. They came as part of a package of other options and I couldn't leave them out. I've talked to other owners in the same situation, and they say they actually like them here in Hawaii because they can helo with an aging lower back. I never thought of that -- might be ok after all!
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