Der Kzinmotordrivenschaftwerk: Part Ein

I feel better.
One of the things I mentioned in the previous entry that we were waiting on was confirmed as being A-OK.
Whew...
Also, my leg is finally improving!
The ankle is much better, and the knee is still a bit wonky at times, but definitely better.
I can't believe it took that long to improve. It was probably my fault for babying the leg.
It started improving once I decided to stop babying it and forced it to move and stuff.
Doh! I'm such an idiot.

The sibling went back to USC Medical Center yesterday morning for his appointment for additional tests.
Unfortunately, his appointment was for the 16th, NOT the 14th! Typical undecipherable doctor's handwriting!!
So he's going back tomorrow morning. I hope they figure out what it is and how to remove it.



So this last weekend, I had planned another "grand day out" on Saturday.
The circus was back in town! The Automotive Circus.
That's right, General Motors' "Auto Show In Motion" was back at the Hollywood Park hippodrome for its third run.

[A quick recap for my more-recent friends: General Motors' ASIM is like the circus. They show up with a ton of cars
(theirs and the competition's), find a big place to set up, and let people drive around test courses they set up.
It's fun, it's free, they give you lunch, and you get to test drive all sorts of cars, trucks and SUVs.
And there are no salesdroids! There are people to help you and provide you with info, but that's all.]

Since I had been there twice already, and both times with Spino, I figured it was time to give somebody else the chance
to experience this circus for gearheads. So I called my buddy Warren. He was interested. So we made plans to go.
For the rest of the week, we watched the weather with apprehension. It rained hard on Thursday and a bit less on Friday.
When I woke up Saturday and looked at the window (which faces West), I saw blue sky and random patches of clouds.
W00T! as the expression goes.
I rang up Warren to make sure he was up and about, then went through my usual morning routine.
My buddy buzzed me back about an hour later, saying he was stuck in traffic and he could see why: traffic accident.
He actually worked his way of that fairly quickly, but my sibling decided to have me make him a CD compilation before
I left, so we wound up leaving slightly later than planned anyway. Which was actually no big deal.
Because when we got to Hollywood Park, there seemed to be a bit less people than at the previous two ASIMs.
We parked, walked into the entrance tent, watched the orientation video, registered, and got our bracelets!
When we stepped out of the entrance tent, I immediately zeroed in on a display Cadillac XLR (the expensive convertible)
and drooled copiously over it, especially the way-nifty retractable hard-top. Price? $77,000.00 (glurk!!).
No, I don't really want one, I just admire the engineering and techno-niftiness.
So anyway, we moved on and started trying out cars.

Warren had come here with one very specific goal in mind: to test drive the Pontiac Vibe.
He currently has a Chevy Metro 4-door. It's a little cozy and he's looking for something bigger.
The Vibe tops his list. It meets his most important requirement: hauling large people and all his RenFaire gear.
And his second most important requirement: reasonable pricing.
There was at least 10 people ahead of him for the Vibe, so I went to see if I could try something else in the meantime.
I took a spin in the Chevrolet Impala SS, which is no subsitute for the 1996 Impala SS. Now, THAT was a car!
I almost bought one back then, and I probably should have. I had the money. Oh well, another mistake.
When I got out of the SS, Warren was at the wheel of a dark blue Vibe and slowly creeping toward the starting line.
So I hopped in the passenger seat at his urging to give the Vibe the real test: me as a passenger.
We went around the course, and my buddy seemed to like the vehicle. Afterwards, he clambered all over a display Vibe
and quizzed one of the ASIM people about its features and prices. I think he's pretty much sold on it. And why not?
It's a really cool car, versatile, with a decent amount of room for four big people and their stuff.
I've been in Spino's Vibe many times and the riding experience has been good.
But unlike Spino's, Warren's Vibe is likely to have an automatic transmission and power windows and locks.
The Elusive Spino got the really bare-bones Vibe, eventhough he had never driven a stickshift, EVAR!!!
When he bought it and told people it was a stick and he'd never driven one before, the most common reaction was:
"Boy, that must have been ONE HECK of a salesman!" (He spent over six hours at the dealership, wheeling and dealing!)

Driving the Impala SS and Vibe qualified each of us to drive the Performance cars, so we moved on to SUVs next,
which would qualify us for driving the Hummer H2s. Warren was interested in the Toyota Highlander and stood in line.
I picked something else to test in the meantime: the Chevrolet Equinox, a "medium-small" SUV. Oh dear god!
The cockpit was tiny! This thing had less headroom and legroom than the Vibe, and it was much bigger! Ridiculous.
I went around once then bailed and rejoined Warren in line for the Highlander. We got in and commented at how much
the interior was similar to the Vibe, except with a bigger trunk and better off-road capability.
Then I went and tried my favorite Cadillac of the moment, except in V8 form, the SRX.
And you know what? Love IS blind.
When I first tried the SRX at ASIM 2, I was totally smitten by it.
Upon driving it again, I noticed that I didn't have much room for my right knee, a common problem for me.
And suddenly, the Pontiac Vibe was looking pretty damned good!
We then mosied on over to the "Performance" tent to see what they had besides the Corvette (stick and auto).
They also had the Cadillac CTS-V (stick only), a CTS with the Corvette engine in it.
Since I had yet to drive the 'Vette at any ASIM, I figured I'd give it a shot. I tried to see if I would fit in it first.
I wedged myself in a display Corvette, and discovered that, once wedged, I really couldn't do much of anything. Right...
So I decided to go for a spin in the CTS-V, 'cause I know I fit in it, AND I can drive a stick.
And I'll tell y'all about that, as well as the rest of the ASIM experience, tomorrow.

I'm outta time, I must go to bed.
Good night, and god bless.