We finally have the Abarth

     I know it's been a while, so figured I would post the latest on trying to claim the prize from the Score a Scorpion contest in case anyone was only following the blog.  We have it...finally.  So glad that part is over.  Terry with Olathe Fiat did everything he could to try to make it up to us, and explained what actually took so long.  He's a good guy.  We were talking the other day about getting a new Fiat club started next year, and the contest subject came up, and I told him I was a bit disappointed no one from corporate called and explained why it was taking it so long way back when.  Instead we got the run around, fingers being pointed, etc.  It just getting worse and worse that killed Halloween for me (and those that know me..know I like to go all out for the kids), just didn't want to deal.  Also ruined our anniversary because we had a small argument (I was ready to throw in the towel...Lori wasn't).  But now that part is done.

Well...here it is.  A 2013 Fiat Abarth Cabrio.  5 speed turbo 1.6(L), heated leather racing seats, leather wrapped steering wheel, digital cabin controls for heat/air conditioning, Beats stereo system..etc.

     From the beginning, we said we were going to get it and sell it and bank what money is left over after taxes.  Problem is...it's so much more fun to drive than Lil Blue (sorry Lil Blue).  Lil Blue is about cruising with the top down enjoying nature, and the view, just taking it all in.  The Abarth is about high performance, beating kids in their modded up Hondas, Toyotas, etc off at the stop light and to the speed limit.  I don't go over the speed limit really...I get there when I get there.  It's got power, the handling feels unlike any other car I've driven.  It's def. geared more for high performance...it's def. Italian.

     Lil Blue started out as a "want".  Both our other vehicles are paid off, and running fine.  We wanted a unique fun car for the weekend.  But with the price of gas....it turned into a "need" instead.  Hard to let her sit in the garage when it gets more than double what Lori's SUV gets for mpg.  Lori says Lil Blue makes her feel special.  She likes the attention she gets in it.

     The Abarth is def. a "want".  Though it gets good gas mileage when driven conservatively (around 30 mpg combined), it hates being driven that way.  It wants to go.  It wants to "play" (safely of course)  Though I love Lil Blue, it's a great car, and plays well also, the Abarth really makes me feel special.  It's throaty exhaust sounds like a European super car.  Takes off like a rocket, feels more manly.

     I'm still going to take it around to see what we can get for it.  Still need to be practical about it. Keep my priorities straight.  But a lot of my friends say "things happen for a reason".  Maybe there was a reason there wasn't a cash out option, a reason why the dealership gave us such a low ball offer for it.  There's no smoking in it, and maybe this will be the drive to quit smoking and use the money pay back the money we borrowed to cover initial taxes and expenses, and to cover the income taxes.  The couple of hours at a time I've driven it...didn't want to smoke.  I was enjoying the car.

     We have a couple of months to decide while we wait for proof of property taxes paid, and till march when convertibles sell better.  Maybe it's just the newness of it, and after a bit it'll wear off and reason and sanity will set back in (which I'm sure my folks will agree with).  But maybe not.  This car isn't extremely practical, but I've been "practical" for years.  Worried about Lori, making sure things are covered like her medical expenses.  Never getting myself a want really, no matter how small, so Lori and/or Logan will be happy, or at least tried to make them happy and their needs are met.  We shall see.  But it just looks "at home" in the garage next to Lil Blue.  His and hers Fiats, and his and hers winter rats..works for me.  Time will tell.

Our Abarth winning nightmare

If you didn't already know, my wife won the grand prize in the Fiat Score a Scorpion contest.  Normally we don't enter contest for cars because of the tax liability, but this was actually a fun contest that involved figuring out clues to where hidden icons are on the internet on various web sites and clicking on them.  We never thought we would actually win the grand prize.  The Prize is a 2013 Fiat Abarth convertible which is the racing/high performance version of ours which I would love to have.  
     Lori got notified via e-mail July 3rd, everything is closed the 4th, so she called Detroit HQ on the 5th to make sure it wasn't a scam.  The e-mail was dated the 2nd and we had 10 calendar days (not business days) to get everything to the people that make sure Lori is actually eligible to claim the prize.   Lori scrambles and gets everything faxed and Fedex'd and she got it to them.  

     Now we have questions.  The official rules state you get a base Abarth which msrp's for 26500, but the grand prize value is 35k msrp, so do we get money with it to cover taxes (the latest contest that Chrysler group (which Fiat owns) says the grand prize is a Ram truck AND 15k)?  Also, is there a cash out option?  Rules say there is none, but also say it's up to the people dispensing the prize whether there's a cash out option or not.  Everytime we try to get in contact with someone, we kept getting referred back to the people who made sure Lori was eligible, not the people dispensing the prize, and they keep saying the same thing...just the car, even though the official rules hint there may be options.

     So we wait, and about a month or so later, a lady from QEK (which happens to be some kind of fleet services company) contacted Lori.  She states there's no cash out option.  Just the car, also we don't get the difference between the msrp of the car which is for the base version 26k, and they state the grand prize is msrp of 35k.  She also says that the way people get around this is to sell it back to the dealer to get something.  Mind you we have to pay income tax on the prize already, also the sales tax and registration too.  So hopefully we'll end up with some money after all taxes are paid and we "sell it back to the dealership".  So when do we get the car?  She states there is no actual car set aside someplace for the contest.  We can go to the dealership and pick out any car we want worth up to 35k (most expensive Abarth with all the bells and whistles is 31k, and we don't get the difference).  Doesn't even have to be an Abarth,  She just needs make sure it's ok with the local dealership and they credit it out of their inventory and "give" give it to us.

     They're ok with it, we pick out the most expensive one at 31k (we're hoping to have about 10k to stick in the bank after we finish paying all taxes and selling it back to the dealership).  The Abarth is so new here there's no blue book on it yet, but if you do the hard top version, a "used" brand new one blue books for trade in at a dealership at 19k, and figure you add 3-4k for being a convertible so I'm hoping for 23k on the car.

     We're back to waiting and checking in every week or so, and when we do, we get the same "dance".  Dealership saying they have the VIN to give them...but waiting on Fiat to contact them, and the lady is faked disbelief this isn't resolved yet, will look into it, waiting on the dealership, she's not the one that actually credits back from the dealership, will get a hold of that person...etc.   I usually have to call her because she's really bad about not replying to e-mails.  She also states we can even pick out the cheapest car....the Fiat hardtop 500 so easing our tax burden which is about 15k msrp (there again...on a 35k grand prize..where does the other 20k go?)  She also states that we will probably have to pay income tax on it twice if we sell it.  First on the prize itself, then on what we sell it for, but she'll look into it and confirm it later.  I call our lovely tax lady who cried bullchit, and to never take the word of a car salesman (which I didn't..that's why I called her).  It's only if you sell it for more than the prize is worth, than taxed on the additional amount.  Called a capital gains tax.

     Now I'm really feeling like they're trying to talk us out of accepting the prize.  I mean...there's 35k someplace set aside for the grand prize by Fiat.  If we finally say "just keep the fricken car", does someone get a 35k Christmas bonus?  It's really feeling that way to us.  I mean everytime we inquire....it's constant finger pointing, and them dragging this out for as long as possible.

     Well last friday, when I inquire, dealership says he'll get the bid from the NEW used car manager on what they'll give us.  Get the e-mail and it says 16k....on a 31k car with like 500 miles on it, also has to have a clear title and all taxes paid (it has a clear title, no liens against it, and my sister who was in the biz for a while says..even though it may vary from state to state, there's a way dealers shuffle car titles around without having to deal with sales tax)(after taxes and everything, we would be lucky to end up with maybe 2k, which is more than we had, but if we have another medical emergency with Lori, probably wouldn't cover co-pays and deductibles, which is the main reason I want to end up with 10k after it's all said and done, to put into savings).  He says that the used car manager stated the use car market has bottomed out due to the Gov. shutting down and Obama care...no one wants to spend money now.  (people blame Obama care for everything else...why not this)  I think even the Fiat dealership manager thought it was low, and we could call Carmax to try to sell it  (tried that...they need the car before they can make me an offer).

     Lori replied back that we would just take the car, and I replied back when we could get it.  That was last friday...no response.  Lori told me to "back off".  She wants to give them this week.  the 120 days...according to the rules we have in getting the car is up this week.  If we still don't get an answer...then next week she's going to try a different route.  This whole thing has really soured me on the Fiat brand to the point I don't even want to drive the one we have anymore.

     It really does feel like they're hoping we just say we don't want the car that way they don't actually have to give out the grand prize.  Fiat, they're marketing people (Ignite Social Media, they're the ones that came up with the whole contest.  On their website they "brag" about how the contest increased web traffic, volume....etc for Fiat.  Oddly enough they're the ones that contacted me about doing a "story" on Lori and I since we're such huge fans of the car, not so much now.) got what they wanted out of the contest...Fiat USA did a blog on Lori being the winner on their "Behind the Scenes" thing...even making the blog sound like she got the car already at the time of the interview.  Now they just have to get us to "decline" the prize, that 35k would make for a nice bonus....huh.

Lil Blue Hits Branson-Day 3 Departure Day

     Since Lori is still racked out, and bored sitting here, decided to go out with Lil Blue and take some pictures of her with some of the attractions.  Figured it would be easier first thing in the morning before they're open, and before traffic gets bad.  So, camera phone in tow...off I went.

                                               Outside Hollywood's Wax Museum

                                                     

                                          Another section of the Hollywood Wax Museum

                                    And yet another section of the Hollywood Wax Museum

                                           The Titanic Exhibit  Lil Blu in the bottom left

                                          Another view of the Titanic Exhibit with Lil Blue

                                                 Lil Blue at Ripley's Believe it or Not

                                     Just one of the gazillion souvenir shops in Branson, MO 

     So there you have it.  Time to get Her Highness her coffee and something to eat so we can start making our way back home.

Lil Blue Hits Branson, Day 2

     Decided to go down to old Branson.  Nice older buildings, mainly flea market type stores that try to disguise themselves as antique stores.  Some crafts places, couple of pawn shops, and more souvenir shops.  There happen to be a craft fair going on also.  We went into a store called Dicks Old 5 and Dime that was suppose to be just so full of just about everything like the old 5 and dimes.  Full it was, not only with collectibles, but just stuff, and people galore and narrow aisles.  Lori left after about 5 minutes because she was getting claustrophobic, and I about 5 minutes later for the same reason.

                                                          Mural on a wall in an alley.

     We then wanted burgers for lunch, so we went to The Burger Shack which was really good, they cut their fries there and the shakes were excellent.  It was expensive though, 27 bucks for 3 burgers (though they were good sized), 2 fries, and 2 drinks.  Fortunately it filled us both up so much we didn't do dinner.  No place to sit, so we brought them back to the hotel to eat.  Afterwards we both took a nap before we went back out.

     Finally decided to do a Branson-ish thing, we went to the Titanic exhibit which was really well done.  They had actual artifacts from the Titanic, showed the different types of rooms that were on board, and told different stories.  It's like the one that's on tour where they give you boarding passes at the beginning with the name of a person on board, and you find out at the end if he/she lived or died.  I was the Reverend Thomas Byles who was a 42 year old second class passenger on his way to NY to perform his younger brother's wedding.  Lori was Dorothy Gibson, a 22 year old 1st class passenger who was an actress/model.  She lived to perform in movies here, I died..of course.  All in all well worth the money.  It was informative, interactive, and very well laid out.

One thing, no photography inside which is disappointing, but other than that, we were pleased.

     It was dark, but a nice night so we decided to drive around a bit, stopping in different souvenir/craft shops, including one called The Tourist Trap (at least they were honest).  Picked up a couple of things here and there. and went down to Branson Landing which is a bunch of higher end shops, and they have a fountain display.  You have to pay for parking, 1st 20 mins. are free, but after that $2, and goes up a dollar every 30 minutes until you reach the max of $8.  Never heard of what is basicly a outdoor mall that you have to pay for parking.  We got there at the ideal time, just about everything was closed, or closing up, so no way to spend money.  Caught the last "show" of the fountains..which was the Star Spangled Banner, and rested our legs.

Afterwards, with it being chilly, we decided to head back to the hotel for the night.  Tomorrow we head home.  No scenic route, just straight there.  We have dogs that are missing us according to our friend and neighbor.  It was a nice break to be away.  

     A couple few things about Branson, it's congested, expensive, but can be done cheaply if you don't get caught up in all the tourist traps, and everyone here is trying to get you to go someplace that's going to try to talk you into buying a time share.   Every store clerk seems to be on the payroll.  Go figure.

Lil Blue Hits Branson day 1...Arriving in Branson

     We finally made it.  Got off at Main ST, and headed west to the hotel.  We haven't been here in a long time.  Last time was when my son Logan was a wee lad and we had a pop-up camper rally here back in 2002 I think.  I forgot how congested the main drags are.  The speed limit is 35 in town, but I don't know why they posted it because you can only do like 5 mph.  If you've never been to Branson, picture a combination of a hillbilly Vegas, without the casinos, and the town the movie The Great  Outdoors was set in.  Tons of Vegas style shows, miniature golf courses, indoor water/laser tag/small theme parks, and expensive souvenir shops.  Another thing is Vegas is in the desert, so lots of room to spread out.  Branson is in the hills, so they crammed every type of building in every space there was, then kept adding buildings.  It was like a city planner just went insane and this was his creation.  They do have routes that on maps (that you can get pretty much anywhere) that are red, green and yellow, showing where everything touristy is, but since none of the roads are painted as such....didn't help much.

     Driving in town, you really need someone to navigate for you, look for key landmarks (ours was a giant chicken that was a restaurant next to the hotel) and road signs.  Driving, you really want to watch not only the road, but the person in front of you who'll brake suddenly, and people pulling in front of you to either get across, or get into the road at the slightest sign of a gap.  The majority of the drivers were elderly (I commented to Lori that, even with me at 46 years, and her being 29 for 22 years, we felt like babies compared to all the other drivers), and seemed overwhelmed by the volume of traffic to deal with while looking for whatever destination they needed to get to, and upon finding it suddenly, will either stop suddenly to turn, or cut in front of you to turn left.  You need a good navigator, and lots of patience.

     Lori spotted our landmark, the giant chicken, which is an all you can eat country buffet style

 place, but also advertises all you can eat lobster and crab legs in the back.  Now, I won't eat seafood in the midwest.  Odds are it's been frozen, and doesn't taste like the fresh stuff on Cape Cod.  I especially don't want to sample sea food that you have to go in the back side of a giant chicken.  Our hotel is the Windmill Inn and Suites which is only 50 bucks per night total for a room

                                     
 with a king sized bed.  The room is nice, but simple.  Cable, 4 cup coffee maker (need to ask for more packets since they only leave one regular, and one decaf), the basics.  No fridge, but we didn't request one, but we did get a smoking room, which is getting rare these days.  They do have suites if you come with a family that have kitchenettes I think, but a bit more expensive.  Though a lot of the hotels here allow your 4 legged free loaders, this one doesn't.  The front building has an elevator to reach the upper levels, but the back building, which we are in, does not.  We're on the second floor, but since we're on a hill, the second floor is actually level with the parking lot, so no stairs for us.  The front desk clerk was pleasant enough, but he was busy and trying to be efficient with everyone.  They had everything ready, so check in was fast.  The bed is a bit soft for my tastes, but from the sounds of Lori's snoring..she's happy with it.  I brought my squishy pillow from home which helped a bit.  A lot of stuff is within walking distance, though I don't think I would risk crossing the street on foot here without wearing protective gear comparable to a defensive tackle on a professional football team.  There is a go kart track right next door too, 

which looks fun, and it's a lot bigger than the picture portrays, but we're trying to do this trip on the cheap, and things here are fairly expensive when you're poor like us.

     After settling in, we need nourishment, and finally decided on a place to go eat.  We're a bit steaked out, and Lori had a hankering for catfish, so we decided on Fall Creek which was only a couple of miles away, but took us like 45 mins to get there due to traffic.  Ok, maybe not that long, but sure felt like it.  There was like a 10-15 minute wait due to a tourist bus being there, but I think there's always a wait so you have to browse the ample gift shop in the hopes you buy something.  We got the potato skin appetizer which was good, and free with a coupon which made it better.  Lori got the all you can eat catfish plate, which she only finished 1 of the 2 catfish, and I got the BBQ sampler plate which consisted of half rack ribs, bbq'd beef, fries (my choice), and baked beans.  The beef was a bit dry, but the ribs were good.  Sampled Lori's catfish which was really good.  They also toss dinner rolls at you.  A guy walks around, and from half way across the room, tosses them underhanded.  This was why Lori wanted to come here.  The food was average for the most part I would say, but the portions were huge.  We couldn't finish it all, and with no fridge didn't bring the left overs back.  We could've just ordered my dinner and split it.  The service was ok, but they never cleared the table of dirty dishes really (appetizer plates and such), even when they brought our dinner out, which annoyed me and cramped the table a bit.  They have a lady that walks around taking pictures of people, than comes back later and tries to sell you the picture she took of you.  She stated it was half off that night (good marketing gimmick) and was only 10 bucks.  We politely declined.  Dinner came to 40 bucks (50 with tip), which was cheaper than I though considering the huge portions, everything we got, and the type of place it was.

     From here, Lori wanted to cruise the strip with the top down since it was a nice night, on the way back to the hotel.  We first stopped at a 2 story souvenir shop and browsed (they had fudge).  It was neat exploring, and managed to get out of there only buying a variety of fudge.  I resisted the temptation of buying the pirate themed wind chimes, and other things.  We then stopped at a flea market/consignment store on steroids.  This place was huge, so many things to look at, but nothing really caught our eye, and we didn't go thru the whole store.  We were tired and sore, it was getting late, and it was a bit overwhelming.

     I racked out early watching PBS, and Lori stayed up looking for things to on saturday, so I'm not sure what she has in mind...she did mention doing a zip line, so I'm a bit concerned.  We shall see.

Lil Blue Hits Branson Day 1....Getting There

     We headed out around 10 am instead of the 8 am like I wanted.  My dear wife stayed up the night before due to severe weather in the area just in case the tornado sirens go off.  One of the joys of living in Kansas, if the sirens go off, it tells us to run outside with lawn chairs and look for the tornado.  Don't want to miss it.  Loaded up 1 duffle bag, laptop, couple of jackets, and a small cooler with beverages.  We usually take a cooler on longer road trips with drinks and sometimes snacks so we don't have to look for a place to pull over and get them.  Also usually cheaper than convenience store sodas.

     We took Interstate 49 south out of Kansas City.  At Harrisonville, MO got on 7 highway south, and near Clinton MO, got on 13 highway south.  North of Springfield MO got on Interstate 44 east to 65 highway south on the north east side of Springfield, and on the south east side of Springfield, jumped on 60 highway east.  Not much to say about these legs of the journey.  Mostly 4 lane divided highways.  Nice enough drive, with antique shops along the way and small hills.  I will say it's a much more pleasant drive than going to Colorado across Kansas.

      From 60 highways we got on to highway 125 south, just on the east side of Rogersville.  We took this down to Peel's Ferry On Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas.  Now this was the road I was looking for.  Speed limit is 55 mph for the most part.  The warning signs for the curves told you to slow down from anywheres between 30 mph to 45 mph.  I didn't slow down much, and dealt with some chastising from my lovely bride here and there.  This is a driving road, not one to take in the sights while driving.  The views of the hills and valleys were spectacular from what brief glances I could sneak, but you really have to focus on the road.  It's a hilly, curvy, windy twisty road that you really have to remain focused on.  Lori said the drive felt like being on a roller coaster that goes on for miles.  Also, unlike Colorado, there are no scenic overlooks, no real shoulders either.  You don't want to really pull over to take in the views.  It's a 2 lane country road that was so hilly and curvy, my biggest concern was coming up on someone, or a woodland critter in the road suddenly.  Other than that...it was fun.

The videos really don't give the road justice.  There really isn't much of anything along this section of road as far as quaint shops, or mom and pop diners.  A couple of real small towns that sneak up on you that seem more speed traps than anything else.  We eventually made it to Peel's Ferry.  We started on this section with the top down, but had to put it back up due to the rain.  It was unfortunate since it was perfect temps to be topless in the car.  The ferry crossing would've been much more enjoyable if it wasn't raining.

It's a small ferry, but it's free.  The crew had it down to a science as far as fitting vehicles on it.  After loading the first 3 vehicles, they waved us around a pickup truck pulling a 5th wheel camper.  After we got loaded all the way to the front, they parked him right on our backside so all I could see in the rear view mirror was his grill and head lights.   The trip across only took about 10-15 minutes, and if it wasn't raining, it would've been much more pleasant. 

     Now, one of the other things we wanted to do at the lake was stop at a small diner that a friend told us about.  Unfortunately I was thinking it was on the south side of the lake, and I believe the place she was talking about was on the north side right before you headed down the hill to the ferry.  We saw a sign on the south side that pointed to a diner.  It was in a state park, that the woman manning the main entrance said it was free to get in if we were just going there to eat.  Lori had to find a bathroom, and we were needing sustenance so we decided to go check it out.  The state park is nice, has everything from tent spots, to full on RV hook ups, to rental cabins.  The diner looked pleasant, but simple enough, calling itself The Wagon Wheel, but a sign on the door said no restrooms.  Needing one we moved on.  

     We continued on 125, not really seeing any place to stop.  We took a right on county road 2059/Locust, and continued on to highway 14, and took another right to head west.  Finally found a convenience store, so Lori went in, used the facilities, and got some munchies while I filled up the gas tank.  Now, this route was scenic enough, and nice to drive, but not nearly as curvy as the Missouri section.  Also, still no place really to pull over to take in the sights, so we just kept trekking on to Branson.  One thing, we definitely tell we were in Arkansas, and there's deep religious beliefs here.  Lori counted like "Jesus is Lord" signs in various yards along the road.  They were all the same, must of been a sale on them someplace.  Lori also spotted a couple of guys in pickups that looked like they were straight out of the movie Deliverance.  We finally made it to 65 highway, which is a 4 lane interstate more than a highway.  Headed north towards Branson, and we could tell we were back in Missouri by the big tower on the west side of the highway advertising they sold alcohol at the store just on the other side of the border.   Thinking Arkansas must be dry, as far as alcohol goes, for the most part, and this place must make a killing.  

     The drive was nice, and we could've done the whole trip to Branson and home on 2 tanks of gas if we went directly there and back.  But the side trip was worth it just for the drive itself.  Don't take this route if you want to look at the scenery while driving, you really don't want to take your eyes off the road, and you have to remain focused, alert.  Also there's no real shops with local flair (or shops of any kind actually) to stop and look around in.  Highway 125 is about the drive.  As Lori said at one point, "you can tell you're from Kansas if you get excited over hilly curvy roads"

Trips with our 4 legged free loaders

     When I was looking at hotels, I noticed that a lot of them were "pet friendly".  More pet friendly ones than ones that still allow smokers (yeah, I know, we need to quit.  But it's really hard when you have a lot of stress going on...but that's another story).  We would love to take our dogs,  Lori even asked if she could bring Rex, but that would mean leaving my dog Rugen behind.  

     See, there are dogs, and there are DOGS.  Rugen is the latter.  He's a Brazilian Mastiff, which means a cross between an English Mastiff and a Bloodhound.  He weighs in at 215 lbs.  He's happiest just lounging on the sofa, and really is a wonderful dog, just doesn't like strangers.  He loves going to camp and just sniffing things, at the dog park though he gets his "guard" mode on and stays near us..keeping an eye on things while Rex (rat terrier) runs around sniffing other dogs' buts, peeing on everything..and generally having a dog gone good time.

     Before getting Lil Blue, one of the key factors would be if it would work for us for going to our camp.  Had to be able to have enough trunk space for our stuff, and Rugen had to fit in the back seat, which he does.  He's fine back there, though a little "wobbly" when sitting up.  He can lay down too, but a bit cramped for him.  He's does good for short distances, riding around town, and for the hour or so it takes to go to camp.

     I don't think he could handle a road trip though.  He loves riding around, but he's more comfortable in the truck or suv.  Also, when ever we go exploring, we would want them with us (unless it's inside a store), and Rugen draws people to him which he really doesn't like.  He doesn't like most adults unless he knows them, and that takes a lot of time and doggie treats.  One time when we took him to the pet store, a small crowd gathered around him.  He really didn't like it.  He laid down, and shortly there after..he formed Lake Rugen.  The crowd of adoring people scattered, and I had to clean up the mess, which required a lot more than a few paper towels.  He adores little kids though.  The smaller the better.   Toddlers are his favorite.  He eats it up when they come up to him and pet and tug on his earls gently, etc.  But adults?  Nothing to do with them.  So, dogs are staying home sadly.  I wish we could include them on our road trip, but Rugen would be happier at home with the sofa and cable tv.  I'm just glad we have good neighbors that Rugen likes that will take care of them and keep them company.  At least I know they're in good hands.

Learning to relax, Just let go

     I have a hard time in just letting things happen.  I always try to think of every outcome, and plan for it.  I've known a lot of people in my past who never worried about "later down the road" (I remember 1 guy when I was at Lucent who, during all the layoffs, said that if he got laid off..so be it, and if he lost everything afterwards..it is what it is, and he was going to have a good time anyways and not worry about it.  Nothing he could do to prevent it anyways so why get stressed out trying to fight it.), and were much happier, seemed more relaxed, and things usually ended up working out for them anyways.

     I on the other hand have never been able to just let things happen.  I thought I had planned on every outcome of when I quit my alarm job and got into banking.  I knew I couldn't be an installer anymore.  My body was telling me I was done, get out before I got seriously hurt.  I also knew I couldn't just go to another company because they're all the same way....just work you to death.  I also knew mentally I was done.  I was the one that they knew would get the job done, and I was really good at it also.  It was easier on the bosses to just pile more crap on me that way they didn't have to deal with it, instead of making sure the other guy would "get the job done".  Mentally I was checked out, so much so Lori was seriously concerned I would be in a hospital soon.  I also knew I would never get a desk job there because they needed me in the field to pull all the extra weight of others.  It's the only company I didn't get promoted in within a couple of years.  I was stuck...slowly working myself to death.

     So...I got a job elsewhere, in banking.  I've always been good at math.  Whole family is actually.  I was enjoying learning about the mortgage business.  I made sure we were set up so we could afford a huge pay cut and not be hurting financially.  Sure where I was at paid less than industry standard, but I accepted that knowing I had no experience, but was hoping they would teach me, then once I got the experience, I would see where I was at there, or seek employment elsewhere that paid more.  I probably would've stayed because even though they paid less, it really was a fun and relaxed atmosphere, which is important to me.  More so than a huge paycheck.  What I hadn't counted on was being laid off after 80 days (or Lori, but at least she got called back after 3 weeks).
I'm trying to look at it like at least it got me out of the alarm/tech industry.  I knew they would never fire me (not that I was trying...not in my nature to do a "bad" job on purpose.  No matter how miserable I was..it was a matter of pride to do my best job possible), so at least I'm getting unemployment.  My body is slowly recovering, so that's another bonus.  But, this is a bad time to look for work.  Usually this time of year the only things out there are seasonal, most companies that have jobs that pay a livable income don't really hire until the beginning of the year it seems,
and also it seems a lot of them are going to 30 hours or less, or waiting because of Obamacare (please don't turn this into a political debate).  I checked the other day, and I'm on the list to be called back when things pick up...and it's getting busier...just not busy enough.

     I bring all this up because I'm having  a hard time relaxing.  I'm stressing out over things out of my control.  I worry way to much according to Lori (I get it from my dad..always looking at the negative).  She keeps telling me it'll all work out.  It usually does for us, but I don't like to leave things to chance.  I need some Fiat therapy.

     Needing our special therapy, we've been planning on a trip to the Ozarks.  Just go and drive thru the hills.  Taking the backroads   Picking a destination, finding a route off the beaten path, and just going, exploring.  Discovering things that you wouldn't normally see by taking the main routes.  Money wise we're ok.  I've been very frugal, careful to not spend except on the necessities.  Still have money in savings, and not behind on bills at all.  We're better off than most in our situation.  I planned it that way.  Last night I started having doubts though..thinking it's not such a good idea.  I wanted to wait till we had this car we won over and done with, and the money in the bank first, then I could relax a little.  We can get a hotel in the area for pretty cheap, between 50-70 bucks for the night.  Not a 5 star hotel, but at least a place to sleep.  Wouldn't spend a lot on gas either.  But, I also  started thinking that maybe we should reserve a room, to be on the safe side, not leaving things to chance.  

     I want this to be like the road trips of old.  before you could make reservations online and such.  When people would take trips, and when they needed to rest for the night, find a place, and just check in.  I'm having a hard time letting myself just do it that way.  I called the tourism office in Branson, and the lady said that this time of year we shouldn't have a hard time getting a room that way, and that there's nothing special going on where all the rooms are full, but I'm fighting the urge to make a reservation, stressing over it actually.  I want this to be an adventure, just leave things to chance for a change.  Just go and see what happens, and just enjoy ourselves on the way.  Not worry about things and just relax.

     We got Lil Blue for a fun car.  To help us relax...we've earned it.  It's suppose to be our vehicle to adventure, and exploration.  No practical reason for getting it.  So here we are, me trying to learn to just let go.  Just let things happen and trying to learn to relax.  Man I envy those that know how to do this.

Lil Blue reflects how we are

     I think people try to get cars that reflect who they are.  Usually since they are purchasing one as a daily use car also, they end up getting something that's more practical for their use, and not a reflection of their personality.  Pickup trucks, suv's, minivans..etc.  Ok..pickups and suv's can be a reflection, but they're practical also for the most part.  My sister drives a Honda Element she named "Ellie" that she loves.  I think in my family we like cars that are unique, fun, but make sense.  I remember way back when I was a kid, the only new car my dad ever bought was a 71 or 72 Volkswagen Beetle.  It was right before they stopped selling them here in the States.  Not very practical for upstate NY especially in the winter.  Sure it did great in the snow, but rarely had heat, couldn't take more than 2 people in it for long distances because of the lack of cargo space...etc.  But it was a fun unique car.

     A good friend of ours (who also is our tax lady, if you live in the area...and need a good tax professional  let me know....she's very good at what she does, and takes great pride in her work, and keeping up with the ever changing tax codes) took a chance on herself when she was suddenly without a job, by reinventing herself and beat the system by becoming very successful at being self employed.  I would've said by working for herself, but she doesn't...she works for her clients, and she loves what she does.  This year she got herself a BMW convertible (not sure what kind, it's the bigger one).  She didn't buy new, but a got a heck of a deal on a gently used late model one (she's always lucky in picking out good used cars that are like new....unlike me, and is very smart/careful with her money).  It's her "fun" car, and it reflects her well.  It's stately, elegant without being pretentious, but with a sense of "I'm ready to have fun at a moment's notice".  You could almost imagine a briefcase in the trunk along with a cooler, lawn chairs, a good book...etc for when the mood strikes her to do a spur of a moment getaway.   She's the kind of person that would be just as comfortable staying at the Waldorf Astoria, enjoying fine dining, as she would be at a bonfire eating bbq and listening to someone strumming a guitar, and having a few laughs...and her car fits both criteria.  I mention her because we enjoy bantering back and forth about BMW vs Fiat.

     Now, I don't think you would ever see us in Lil Blue pulling up in front of a 5 star restaurant that has valet parking (Lori wanted to use valet parking last weekend, but the image of that scene in Ferris Bueller's Day off (where the parking attendants went out for a joyride in the Ferrari) kept running thru my skull), and where everyone is formally dressed.  But then again, maybe we would.  Not formally dressed...but wearing hawaiian shirts, shorts/jeans depending on the weather, and not really looking like we belong, and not really caring either.  Even though Lil Blue isn't really all that practical for more than 2 people (though Lori has been using it for commuting because it gets good gas mileage), it is "fun".  You could never imagine a briefcase in the trunk, but the fixings for margaritas...absolutely (disclaimer...we never "drink and drive", I always drive on these occasions because I stopped drinking alcohol a while ago, and don't miss it.  Even when I did, one of us always remained sober to be the driver), along with beach towels and the such.

     We wanted a car that was unique and fun.  That said we don't follow the "mainstream", and made us happy and feel good.  Though I like the Mustang, everyone has one (probably because it is a good car..but still).  And people our age that drive them seem to be trying to relive glory days of high school, or trying to get a sense of being part of the "in" group.  Camaros (at least the latest one), I did like the look, but after getting in one, didn't like it.  Wasn't comfortable at all, didn't feel right, and having talked to Camaro owners..I heard a lot of buyer's remorse.  After checking out other convertibles, Fiat felt like the right choice.  It felt fun, whimsical, carefree.   That last word "carefree"...that's what I needed.  I haven't felt "carefree" since I was stationed in England (surprisingly that I felt carefree in the military...but I did).  Right now, with our present situation...I need to go out and do some Fiat Therapy again.  I need to regain that sense of being carefree that I lost right before my birthday.  I have to many things I'm worrying/stressing about.  I quit my alarm job because, not only was I in constant physical pain, I was stressed all the time.  When I got on at Nations...my old self started coming back...Lori and everyone around me saw the difference.  I need to find my old self again

Fiat Therapy

     I know this isn't a "story" about someplace we went, but wanted to share something that our little car helps us with.  Therapy.  Others call it "blowing off steam".  Lori and I have discovered that if we've had a bad day at work, it helps to put the top down on Lil Blue and just drive.  I kind of understand why bikers just go and ride sort of.  I could never get the hang of riding a motorcycle, no matter how many friends tried to teach me.  The bikers I hung out with in England finally gave up.  I ended up being the one that brought the beer and stuff in my car if we went to the beach or somewhere.
     I had forgotten about this form of therapy.  Probably because I haven't had a car that was designed to enjoy the road for quite some time.  My vehicles since I got out of the military have been practical in nature,  pickup trucks for hauling tools, and a camper, and the suv for Lori for hauling family and dogs.  While I was stationed in England, I had a Fiat Supra Supermirafiori 2.0 Rally specs.  The back country roads were so much fun to drive, and I had a good route that I would take.  Starting from the base I was stationed at to Ely (where I would stop to visit friends if I was done with blowing off steam), then cut over to Littleport (another small town I had some local friends in.  This group I would race my car against for fun), and back to base.  The route had it all, 

longer straight aways to floor it on, tight curves, and even a little "jump" over some train tracks that you could get some air on.  It was a good run to go out on to clear my head.

     I have a route here also.  Old 56 hwy thru Gardner (where I stop for coffee at a local coffee house called The Groundhouse http://www.groundhousecoffee.com/), to K33.  Left on K68 to old KC Road thru Hillsdale, then onto 169 hwy and back home.  

     I've been doing this on Sunday mornings before Lori wakes up to have some "me" time.  Top down, music cranked, and just drive.  The only down side...mostly straight.  Kansas doesn't have a lot of twisty, curvy roads unless you live near someplace like the Flint Hills that really challenge your driving skills.

     Reason why I'm writing this down is because I haven't done this in a while.  Over a month I think.  Been busy, and been watching our money and don't want to waste the money on gas.  But I think I'm about due.  Need to get out a blow the cobwebs out of my head.

Atchison, KS

     Lori and I have discussed going here for a while.  Being that Amelia Earhart was from here, we thought it would be a great place to visit.  They sure do tout it as it's claim to fame.  

     We took K-7 thru Leavenworth (another destination someday) there.  A decent drive with gentle curves and hills.  We stopped off at the visitor center/train depot.  They had a nice little museum about the town, with a nice, and informative history of the town and various aspects.  Good displays/exhibits also.  They had a map/brochure of the town with points of interests marked out.  It's an older town with lots of stately homes.  Most of the homes on the map are privately owned, so you obviously can only see them from the road.  On the way out we ran into a small group going in, but had stopped to admire Lil Blue so we got to talking yet again.  Lori let the wife get in the car, and she absolutely loved it, but her husband was a retired UAW member, so him not so much, until we talked.  I explained to him that it was designed by Ferrari engineers, which he wasn't impressed by stating it's not American.  Well, as I explained, that Fiat owns Chrysler now, and that this is a European car...not Asian, he finally warmed up to it.  UAW folks don't really care for cars from Asia...but I guess European cars are ok for them.

 Gargoyle House

Amelia Earhart's house is a museum though.  Sadly when I was researching, I thought it said entrance fee was only a couple of bucks, but turned out to be like 10 or 15 per person according to the sign on the door, so we didn't go in.

     We left there, and went to the main down town hoping to find a good, locally owned place to eat.  No such luck.  The main downtown area is mainly 3rd or 4th hand thrift stores, full of clothes mostly, law offices, and a consignment store where nothing really caught our eye.

     Heading back home we took hwy 59 like we were going to St. Joseph, until we reached 116 east.  I mention this because the speed limit is 55mph, and it's a twisty, hilly road which was so much fun to drive.  Just be careful, we came up over 1 rise to see a huge tractor with dualies on the back taking up 3/4ths of the road.  Let's just say the Fiat has great brakes 'cause I had to test them right then and there.  We continued on until we hit 371 south into Platte City/Tracey, then turned onto 4th street/State Hwy N heading south until I435 to 45 hwy into Parkville.  We stopped there for lunch which also was really good and browsed the antique stores that were in the center of the original town.  Parkville was worth the trip, but the only real good thing about Atchison I feel is the visitor center museum, and the road we took out.

Weston, MO

We've gone back to this town a couple of times, and is really worth it.  We usually get off in Platte City and take 273 into Weston, and come back on 45 into Parkville.  Weston is a great day trip place with lots of local arts and "crafts" stores, antique stores and decent places to eat.  Very picturesque town.  We use to go to the pub there all the time where they have live Irish folk music on weekends.  It's in the caves under the old brewery which is now a restaurant.  haven't been in a while because the last time we went, even though we got there like 8, it was already packed, and couldn't get down into the room where the band was playing.  I'll try to take pictures next time we go.  It really is a nice town.

Lil Blue at camp

     When we bring the stuff back out that we bring home for the winter, we normally use the SUV.  This year we decided to see if we could get everything into Lil Blue.

It all fit.  Of course we didn't have the dogs with us.  The day we did this wasn't that great

But it did get nicer later in the spring.

And we can fit all our weekend camp gear in the trunk, leaving room for Rugen in the back.

Lil Blue takes a trip to Colorado Part 3

Another excursion took us up into the actual Rocky Mountains thru Estes Park into Rocky Mountain National Park.  Now Lori understands why the mountains around Boulder are just the foothills.  We took our niece Jen with us for the day.  The main road, 36 hwy, wasn't challenging, but was scenic.  ok...all of Colorado is scenic.  We stopped by the visitor's center in Estes Park to make sure the road was open (even at the end of May, there's still snow in the higher elevations, and to prove a point, a couple days afterwards, the road got shut down due to snow).

Paid the fee to get into the park, and gave Jen the year pass so she and Jon could come back anytime they want.  The drive up to the top took a lot longer than I remember from the first time I was there.  I also was actually glad we were in the Fiat and not my truck or SUV.  Coming down the opposite direction were, occasionally, big ole RV's that the drivers, being overly cautious, were actually in my lane, to avoid the cliff wall on the other side.  Funny thing is, that would force me to the cliff edge on my side, with nothing to stop us from going over.  Still had room, but was a bit nerve wracking.   We would pull over here and there to take in the views on our way up.

And would keep going until we got above the tree line where there was nothing but snow.

And more snow

Until we got to the top.

If we had gone a little further, we would of crossed the continental divide.  Wish we had known, be nice to say we did it.  Maybe next time.  On the way back down, I'm glad that the car has a manual shifter mode because I realized I was riding my brakes way to much.  Finally made use of it, which helped a lot.  We pulled over yet again to climb around.  Something else Lori and I discovered, maybe it's the elevation or something, but we had so much more energy there.  No idea why.

We stopped off in Estes Park for lunch.  Decent place, but the town reminded me of the town the movie The Great Outdoors was set in.  Very touristy.  Also, looked at the hotel that Stephen King got his inspiration for the book The Shining from.

     I let dad drive Lil Blue one evening when we went and got Gelato.  He was really impressed with the car, so much so he wouldn't let me drive it back (how can I say "no" to my dad).  That made me feel good..though you could tell he wasn't use to brakes that are more for higher performance, and aren't as "squishy".  It made me a little "nervous", but to be fair, I have to "get use to them" again if I've been driving another vehicle for a bit.
      The drive back home, we fought the same crosswind going to Colorado.  We opted to stay an extra day, and were glad we did because really bad storms hit Kansas the day we had planned on coming back.  Lots of damage, and we would've been in the middle of it.  There was a little old lady (looked to be in her 80's) driving a late model Corvette, that turned her nose up at our car with an air of disgust.  It was like how dare we park next to her Vette in the gas station.  This was at the last pit stop on the way home.  We caught up with her on I70.  We we only doing maybe 5 above the speed limit.  Think she couldn't stand the thought of our little car passing her, so she cut in front of us and floored it.  We would keep catching up to her because she would get behind another car until she saw us, then would whip around like a maniac and speed off up the road until we caught up again.  We caught up with her again, but in a one lane construction zone, where she kept drifting towards the cones, getting so close, then whipping the Vette back.  I finally backed way off just in case she did hit the cones.
     On the east side of Lawrence, having kept my distance a bit, she was finally passed by a Camero.  Well, you could tell she was having none of that, so she whipped around the car that she was following, and took off after it.  Caught up with her again at the toll booth.  She was stuck in a line of several cars, and I happen to get in the far line that only had a semi in it.  I pulled up as it was pulling out, so I obviously beat her past the toll booths.  Never saw her again
     Our 4 legged freeloaders were so glad to see us when we got home...hopping all over the place.  It was good to be home.  We really enjoyed our trip, and seeing everyone.  Special thanks goes to our friend Dana who doggie sat for us while we were away.