Car Stories

On Tue, 6 Aug 1996, Joe May wrote:
> Ok, here's the trip report quick overview from my vacation:
> - rented a Ford Windstar for the vacation. It was nice.
> No kids screaming "don't touch me!". [...]

Heh, that sounds like "The Simpsons" :-). However, it's nice to see that you are coping well with your family.

> his urine. As Kelly drove away in the Saturn, the brakes seemed
> to be rubbing a bit and making noise.

That also happens on startup after sitting idle a long time, it goes away after a short while. We also had a rubbing noise that persisted, which the periodic checkup fixed (brake pad positioning adjustment).

A Soggy Hunchback of Notre Dame

I also managed to drive my mom's Saturn into a concrete parking block at the Britannia 6. That was a Tuesday when I went to see The Hunchback of Notre Dame. A rainy day, which left a big lake in the parking lot. I wondered why those spots were free while driving up and hitting the block at a fortunately slow speed (just skuffed the bracket holding the suspension torsion bars). I got out. Then I realised why, people just don't like stepping into 8 cm deep water. Fortunately I was wearing my running shoes, so that didn't matter too much. Squish, squish, go in 10 minutes late, find last seat in the last row. Oh well, at least it was an OK movie (good but not excellent like Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast). Nice realistic crowd scenes too. Oh, and the shoes got thoroughly washed a few days later.

Matilda the Literate Psychic

Anyway, that was a couple of weeks ago. This weekend I went to World Exchange to see Matilda. Now that was a good, verging on great, film. I'd go to see it again. Mind you, it was a children's story, with a really good Danny Devito and his real wife as a sleazy used car dealer (stolen parts) and an air-head sleazy blonde. Cameo appearance by Peewee Herman as a cop. Nice clean story line - good downtrodden girl learns psychic powers and defeats the shot-putt javelin thrower evil female school principal. Even the children liked this one, more than they did for Hunchback. Of course, that could be the cozy little theater (120 people).

- Alex