The official photos from last Saturday’s Seattle Red Bull Soapbox Derby are up. To be honest, we rather expected more crashes and more speed, but it was still a good morning. Craig talked to Amanda Beard and we went to Trophy Cupcakes, so really, not much to complain about at all.
Want to drive 60,000 miles around the world in a 25-year old car? I do, after talking to a high school friend of mine tonight. (The car has to be 25 years old to avoid US import restrictions.)
In the spirit of the Mongol Rally, he and his friends have invented the Landshark Rally – crisscrossing the world by car. No support crew, of course, just grit and determination and dumb luck to see you through. They’re warming up for it with a Rickshaw Run, taking a motorized rickshaw from the southern India all the way north to Kathmandu, Nepal.
It’s time for me to do something stupid, too. I’ve been sitting on my ass maintaining a very happy lifestyle – it’s time to pick up the pace, get a business going, and start adventuring.
Watch out world, I’m reinspired.
My days tend to alternate between being self-employed and being un-employed, but whenever Craig and I have houseguests, it’s unemployment everyday. God, those are good times.
It’s a good policy and ensures that everyone leaves with a somewhat distorted view of what our daily lives are like, especially after all the craziness last Thursday night. And the craziness Friday night. And Saturday night. Yeah, especially Saturday night.
It’ll be a while before we recover from last weekend. Come back soon, Fratrick!
I got a call from the insurance company last Wednesday. My blue Geo is officially totaled (the dent on the front drivers side – didn’t take much), and the other driver has accepted liability. Which means a $1513.18 payout for me! Nice. Not bad for a $300 purchase. Even after the $600 worth of maintenance and fees and emissions things, I’ve come out ahead! Plus, I’ve learned to drive a stick shift.
I even have the option of keeping the car, in which case the insurance company deducts the estimated resale value of the car. Which is $172.43. I wonder if they factor in the $20 of gas that I just put in it.
The car still runs as well as it ever did – I’ve been driving it all over Seattle. The problem is that to get a salvage title, I have to get it checked out, and while the body damage from the accident is not an issue, there could be an issue with:
- the broken turn signal
- the battery leak that forces me to disconnect the battery whenever I park
- the fact that I have to bang the dashboard to turn off the headlights
- the wrecked CV joint
- the fact the brake pads are at 1%
- the fact that the weight of the car is what’s holding the right front wheel on and if I crest a hill too fast it might fall off
So that’s that. Ten weeks after buying it, I am giving up possession of a perfectly serviceable (if somewhat dangerous) running car for the princely sum of one hundred seventy-two dollars and forty-three cents.
Even better, it took me less than twelve hours to find a replacement on Craigslist. I wondered how I would ever find a car with more personality than my last one, but the mural painted all over my new Corolla helps. It cost five times as much as my old car, but it’s nice to be able to run errands without fearing for my life. Things have worked out very well.
At a bar in Seattle:
Her: Hey, this is silly, but can I ask you something?
Me: Sure.
Her: My friend thinks you’re the guy from Beauty and the Geek.
Me: Now why would she say that?
Her: So you’re not?
Me: No, I am.
Her: You’re full of shit! (walks away)
