Behind The Wheel

A Nice Day for a Drive

Chuckles says...

Today was one of those nice December Sundays that makes you feel good to be alive. Last weekend was cold and rainy. I saw a Corvette spin out and crash right in front of me and slide sideways into a palm tree last Saturday. But today, when I came out of the laundromat I just could not go back home and start packing for my trip on Tuesday. It was maybe 75F with light clouds and I was feeling just great. A perfect day for a drive and a bike ride.

I had to swing by the bank so I rolled down the windows and headed to a bank closer the the beach that the one I normally go to. On the way down Harbor I passed the big Ford dealership. I had noticed previously they had a special section of their lot devoted to used cars for $9999 or less. Looking at the cars there today I have to admit there were some really nice cars in that section. I guess they are feeling the recession and need to go a little down market to stay in business. But then I've never paid more that $10,000 for a car in my entire life. And that includes the one time I did buy a new car. I have been driving for 40 years now and that covers all of 8 cars. And one of these is the one my daughter drives now.

Going over on 17th and down to Mariners Mile on Pacific Coast Highway I noticed the recession has even hurt the wealthy in Newport Beach. The Bentley dealer, the one next to the Ferrari dealer, was closed. The Rolls-Royce/Lotus dealer in Costa Mesa near where I live closed a few months ago. I figured a stroll at the beach would be nice so I headed down the Balboa Peninsula and my attempt to park near the pier was frustrated. Even on a December day enough other people had the same idea, the parking lot at the Balboa Pier was full.

But not willing to let such a think bother me on such a great day, I headed back up Newport Blvd. I came across someone not having a great day. Where a fairly new Mercedes sports car was being winched onto a flatbed tow truck with the front end all caved in. I guess some people just can't enjoy a great day without stepping on it.

So I headed home. I stopped at a grocery store and I was surprised how few people were shopping this close to Christmas. At home I got my bike out of the garage and went for a ride in and among the beautiful suburbs of Orange County. Its a little strange to see Christmas decorations out when it is 75F and warm out but hey, its the weekend before Christmas. I rode by the closed Chrysler/Jeep dealership, now a motorsport shop, as well as the closed down Hyundai dealership.

I stopped at Starbucks for a nice Chai and a "Grandma's Turkey Sandwich" . Its my Christmas turkey as I am expecting a plate of really good perogies and cabbage rolls for Christmas dinner in Canada. I really enjoy sipping a nice cup of chai while reading a good book with the sun coming in through the window and making me nice and warm all over.

My ride back home, with maybe a half hour to go before sunset seemed to take no time at all on such a pleasant day.

I know that some others did not have so pleasant a day. Last Friday evening while I was in Irvine, and having filet mignon at the birthday party for the owner of the company where I work, my daughter and her boyfriend were stuck in traffic in the Appalachians during a snow storm. They didn't move for 4 hours. Doubly frustrating for them is that their GPS told them they were only 11 miles from their beds at a 5 star hotel in White Sulphur Springs WV. My daughter noted that the snow removal services seemed to dramatically improve once they left Virginia and crossed the state line into West Virginia. She also noted the Virginia snow removal crews were private contractors while the West Virginia ones were state employees. I guess the private contractors are a little cheaper for the state but that you get what you pay for. They finally got to their room at 3AM. At least they were able to stay in touch and his iPhone was able to keep them up to date on the weather conditions.

I had such a nice day here today, the weather being so nice, I just had to share.

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Published on December 20, 2009 by Chuckles | Read all recent Behind The Wheel articles.