Monday, March 16, 2009

I believe that's called "two birds with one stone"

The LA and I have been lacking an effective vacuum cleaner for some time. Since moving from Los Angeles, in fact. As an aside, do not expect a stick vacuum to be effective.

Recently, we borrowed my mother-in-law's vacuum, which while less than brand new is still an effective piece of equipment, as long as its bags are regularly emptied. It's recently lost suction, which I realised was due to a full bag. I suggested to the LA that we look into replacement bags, and we wound up choosing a new vacuum. It being available from Best Buy, I was able to check stock online, although only in a "some/none" sense, and so I was all set to go pick one up tonight. Unfortunately, the LA had changed into her pyjamas, and wasn't willing to change back.

So once we'd finished dinner and I'd finished putting away folded clean clothes, I bid the LA goodbye and went out under a darkening sky for my first solo drive. Soon afterwards, I was on my way home, with a brand new vacuum cleaner in the back of the car. I had been cut up by one idiot in a small Chevy (whatever they're calling their equivalent to the Focus these days; it came up behind me, swung out to the left, passed me, pulled in in front and braked to turn right; charming behaviour, considering I was doing the speed limit in the right lane) and, on the way back, I found myself making a bad lane choice at one notoriously bad intersection; Buskirk and Monument, if you wish to look it up, but aside from that and the probable drunk who pulled out of Safeway in front of me (doing 25 in a 35 zone, which would cost one a driving test; weaving across the lane) I had no great problems.

I'm rather liking the ease of driving over here, particularly the ability to turn right at red lights. I'm also rather keen on my usual steed; the sports-tuned 2.4l engine and rather responsive auto box in the Scion tC make it a real pleasure to drive, compared to the definitely economy-tuned Focus I learned in. It also astounded me just how much better the visibility is with no passenger; I shall have to drive like that more often...

3 comments:

  1. Bitty Chevy... Aveo?

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  2. The Focus is a horrid little car; I'm not surprised you prefer yours, whatever it is. (Looks like a pretty normal sedan, according to Google.)

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  3. It's actually what Toyota (under their yoof brand of Scion) are slotting into the niche vacated when they killed off the Celica. It's actually smaller than a Corolla, but has the engine of a Camry, which makes it rather sprightly.

    Also, Focus and Focus are incongruent. The North American one is actually quite nice if you don't mind having to apply serious welly past 50. I'd be happy enough with one for in-town driving, but any time I got on a freeway in the little Ford it about scared me to death from lack of reserve power. No such problem in the Scion, as although it only has about 20 more horsepower, it's got a significantly better torque curve and a gearbox that's actually willing to have the engine sit at a good spot in the envelope, and more willing to drop a cog when asked for more go.

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