( 2003 Toyota Echo, one ugly mother)

An interesting day. I'm almost afraid to post anything after my last post's barrage of comments. I'm just not used to people reading this stuff and to get 9 comments, even if 2 of them were mine is unheard of. I think my readership may be going up to at least, oh 10?

As I mentioned in a past post, I bought an 03 Toyota Echo. This was one of the early attempts at hybrids. While the car gets like 45 MPG on the highway, frankly it's one unpleasant ride. I only drove the thing back from where I bought it from and kept getting the feeling that if I turned too quickly, it was gonna turn over, like flip. It certainly doesn't give you the secure feeling that you like to have when being hurled at 75 MPH down a crowded freeway. I know it's mine and I have to sell it, but the buyer had better want one, because the performance of this vehicle surely isn't gonna do it.

It seems that the Lovely Jules has disappeared from my life. Here is what I think. I think she was innocently gardening in her Glendale home's backyard, when a car pulled up representing the Bell Pepper Growers Assoc. of AZ. grabbed her and tossed her into their trunk for blatant and wasteful use of Bell Peppers in every color imaginable. She will surely be missed, but at least I have my burps to remind me of her.

So getting back to my 03 Echo, Toyota's tiny mistake. Although mine is low mileage, showing only 50K on the odometer, it really needs to have it's rear bumper cover repainted. The clear coat in our rather inclement climate tends to be start to flake at temps over 110. Toyota knowing full well that such a place doesn't exist, didn't allow for our temps, so repainting of rubber parts is fairly common. This is not my first bumper cover to paint. I felt a hundred dollar bill ought to be plenty for such a 3 hour task, yet when I started calling around, I got quoted as high as $300. A friend suggested I try Craig's List for out of work painters. Great idea!

Well, I found an entirely new sub-culture out there. After speaking with multiple rapists, murderers, general thieves and one transsexual, I finally called a kid named Duane, who seemed civil, anxious, polite and generally wanting my business. Before I could tell him I wanted to pay $100, he asked if a hundred bucks would be okay? I blurted out, a resounding, YES! He told me he got off at 3 from his regular job and would be at my house at 3:15 to pick up my Toyota and could he please leave his car with me? He arrive delightfully prompt, offered me his driver's license and references and promised to have it back in 24 hours, completed. After looking at the job, he told me that $85 would be plenty, but I insisted he take the hundred and I'd be happy to pay more for a good job. I'll keep you posted on how it comes out tomorrow AND if I ever see him or the Toyota again... An occupational hazard

In the meanwhile, let's all pray that the Lovely Jules initiates a clever and expedient escape to boil, saute', grill, steam and otherwise abuse Bell Peppers for years to come!