More Test Driving and results

Well, assuming all goes halfway well with financing, I'm getting my Acura TL 3.2 Type S this Monday. I compared it to the Lexus IS300 and Cadillac CTS.
What so special about Lexus? Nothing...in fact, I'm kinda turned off to them now, at least in the "Upscale" price range. Maybe the luxury models ofter something tolerable.
What's wrong with the Cadillac? Nothing actually. Just not as good of a value for my money. Options which I was going to have to pay for in the Cadillac come standard on the Acura. Also, the interior of the Acura is a classier. The Caddy interior is good, but the Acura is better. Also, the CTS is a new model, which is likely therefore more problem prone.
Overall, I felt that the Acura was the best bang for my buck. Strong engine, good track record, great interior; these all overcome my slight objection to the exterior's dated and common looks.

So, there you have it. Honk if you see me on the road! :)

You wan bayquon

On one chilly winter evening at the Burger King counter in the old terminal of the San Jose International Airport:
((code: blue = me, red = Mariam, brown = Ronie, and green = bayquon lady))

"What do you guys want?" I ask
"Let me get the number 6," Miriam announces.
I look back behind us and ask, "What do you want, Ronie?"
"Oh, I feel like the large meal with the chicken sandwich," she says.
"That's the number 6, the same as I'm ordering"
"Huh, ok."
"May I hap you oder plez?" sounded the elderly filipino woman behind the cash register.
"Yeah, let me get one medium number 6, and one larger number 6, please. And I'll have a number one with bacon."
"Oh! I want bacon!" Miriam suddenly announces.
"Oh, you wan bayquon?" the lady asks.
"Yeah, ok. A regular number 6 with bacon, a large number 6 no bacon, and my number 1 with bacon."
Ronie makes clear, "I don't want the big one,"
"Big one?" Miriam asks
"No, I want the large" Ronie announces
"You wan bayquon?"
"No, the large, not the big one." Ronie replies over me as I was saying "Yes, we want the medium number 6 with bacon and the number 1 with bacon."
Miriam chimes in, "She doesn't want the big one."
"You wan bayquon?"
"Yes, on one number 6 and the number 1" I reply while Ronie starts to get frustrated saying, "I don't want the big one, just the large"
"Ronie, we are asking for bacon"
"Oh, ok, but I don't want the big one."
"You wan number 6 wit bayquon, an' large number 6 wit no bayquon and number 1 wit bayquon?"
"Yes"
"No big ones, just the large!"
"Ronie, we are getting the large, hold on."
"Oh ok"
Then it hits Miriam...Bayquon is Bacon.
"Ohhh, I thought she was saying `big one'"
Then it dawns on me that Miriam and Ronie thought Bayquon was `Big One'.
It never registered in the cashier's mind what any of this meant. But I over heard her asking the next person in line if they too wanted bayquon. LOL

It's a bit of a running gag now. We are frequently making passing comical references to bayquon to annoy and confuse co-workers and friends.

Do you want bayquon?

Ok, I'm looking around, opening up the range of cars...

I'm going to look into more cars in the upscale (or near luxary) range. I test drove the Acura TL 3.2 S-Series already. After looking over comsumer reports again, next on my list is the Cadillac CTS and Lexus IS300. In the standard sedan range, I'm going to look at the Chevrolet Impala which has interesting styling and good reliability marks.

In other news, the payment, the final payment that makes me Debt Free is being made electronically today. I will be debt free for approximately 1 day if I buy my car this weekend. Joy.

Well, I test drove...

I test drove a Nissan Altima. Pretty good package on the outside and good engine under the hood, but the interior just isn't up to the task of being a $20K car. On paper, the Altima looks good, but on the road, it just doesn't cut it when it comes to comfort. The other car I test drove this weekend was the Acura TL S-Series. Good engine under the hood, very comfortable on the interior, but lacking exterior style points. If I don't mind having something not so sporty, and I guess a bit more classy, then this car would be fine. I don't mind too much, but just still gots to think about it some more. As far as likes, there just isn't much out there in the price range I'm looking at. I like the feel of the TL, and if nothing surprizes me by Saturaday, I will prolly get it...and two months from now, I'll be in love with it and happy as can be. :)

Arg, now just gots to deal with financing mess. I've never had to finance before...always just owned my cars out right.

Car

Well, I'm in the immediate market for a car. Arg. This sux. I gots to put time into the research, and test driving and ugh financing. What to do, what to do? No money for a downpayment yet...the plan was to have the downpayment ready in June. So I gots to take a hit in the monthly, which is going to sux big time. More to come.

Blind Dates Emperium

My friend Miriam calls me up today at work, "What are you doing tonight?" That was an opener for an invitation to be a chaperon, along with our friend Ronie, for her blind date she got off of a matchdate site. They are picking me up, and she'll be meeting this guy at Dave & Buster's in Milpitas. I'm going to kick Ronie's ass at Skeeball (I'm planning on you reading this, Ronie LOL). I love playing Battletech there. It's somewhat expensive, but it is a lot of fun to frag your friends first hang from a robot cockpit! It's not not having to be the "DD" tonight too. I used to always have to be DD long ago, and it's fine sometimes, but a drag if all the time. 

 BTW, Stoddard's (backup) in downtown Campbell is now open! It was supposed to open in Spring of 2001. When they were building it, the sign out front said "Coming Spring of 2001!". When spring ended, and it wasn't built yet, they whited out the Spring of part, so it read "Coming ........ 2001". Then when 2001 ended without it opening, they just leave the sign up. LOL It's finally open now! Cool place...not too cramped, with a full service bar and basically the same menu as the Stoddard's in downtown Sunnyvale.