57 Chevy vs 07 Impala

So, I'm reading the AARP Bulletin this morning and on the last page there is a comparison between the 57 Chevy and the 07 Impala. The Impala offers the standard features (air conditioning, power steering) that were considered optional on the 57 Chevy (although, that plush pile carpeting sounds pretty good). Anyway, the MPG on a 57 Chevy V-8 was 14. Pretty impressive for 50 years ago. The Impala is only 18MPG on the V-8 model.

How could we only gain 4MPG in 50 years? Shouldn't our technology alone account for more that 4MPG? I would think so.

Admittedly, all I know about cars is how to check the oil and add gas. I'm not a car buff. I'm driving a car that's 7 years old, so I don't have the latest and greatest model. But, I still find it hard to believe that we can only gain 4MPG in 50 years. Maybe that's why the top three car manufacturers in 1957 were Ford, GM and Chrysler and now they're Toyota, GM and Ford.

God Bless

Breakdown...

So on Friday, I'm driving home from work, singing to my radio and I hear a pop -- like the opening of a soda can, but louder. Then, the engine just stops. Boom, done, just like that!

Luckily, I have roadside rescue on my Sprint phone and I call for a tow truck. It's cold, very, very cold. Gonna be an hour wait, no big deal. I bundle up, take out my DS and start playing to keep my mind off the cold.

Pretty soon, maybe 10 minutes later, here comes a Milwaukee Sheriff. You okay? he asks. Yeah, fine, got a tow truck coming. Not a problem. He suggests I put it in neutral and he'll push me closer to the side of the road. I do this, he pushes. Then, he checks again. You sure you're okay? Yep, I'm fine. I'm toasty and it's all good. He tells me he'll check on me later to make sure I'm still okay.

Well, a forty-five minutes later, I'm now freezing. I can't get a hold of anyone on the phone -- Cheryl's not answering, our friends aren't answering -- and still no tow truck. Here comes another couple of Sheriff deputies. You okay? No, I'm freezing. Come wait in the squad, which I do. Very nice police officers -- all three of them.

Naturally, the tow truck shows up ten minutes later. Thanks for keeping me warm. I greet the driver. Driver takes me and Susie (my car) to shop, which is closed until Monday and we drop off Susie. I slip the key into the shops mail slot and driver takes me home.

Still no Cheryl.

Anyway, Cheryl comes home about an hour after I get there. Sorry, I'm late and where's your car?

Here's the moral of the story: You have a cell phone for emergencies, check it once in a while. :-)

Anyway, now, shop's called, Susie needs a new engine. And, it's going to cost around $2300 and we don't have it. So, if you're planning on ordering any books from Amazon, please do me a favor and order from here. This puts a couple of pennies in my pocket and maybe, I can earn enough to pay for the engine.

If you're planning on pre-ordering the new Harry Potter, please do that here as well. I get a couple of bucks and you were pre-ordering anyway.


Man, I've got to find a job closer to home than the north side of Milwaukee!

God Bless!