Needs more autogrizzled...

As semi-promised... we bring you, Grizzled:

At some point, I decided I was only going to buy American cars. As a kid I remember reading the twine bundles as I loaded them into the hay baler on my uncles farm, "Buy American." I asked my grandfather what that meant. He said buying American made goods meant that I was supporting our economy and maintaining American jobs. Seemed easy enough. American cars were cool, fast, cushy, powerful and gas was 35 cents a gallon.

By the time I could afford a car, gas was 90 cents a gallon. Eight years had passed. American cars were awful boxes that were horrifically underpowered, used marginal technology, and handled like horse sledges on ice. I bought a Toyota pick up truck. Parts were more expensive, but it rarely needed parts. It had a slick, fuel efficient engine matched with a 5-speed gearbox. It was a blast to drive; a sports car that could handle a payload.

I watched as American manufacturing slumped, witnessed first hand the shift to a service economy. Sixteen years had passed. I bought a Chevy pick up truck. Awesome truck. Base vehicle with a V-8, throttle body fuel injection, automatic transmission. Of course, it was a first model year GM so it had a number of manufacturing defects. I tried not to let that bug me. It worked for me and I was supporting our economy. Gas was $1.82 a gallon.

Now I own a 12 year old Ford pick up truck, and an 11 year old Cadillac. Both substantial vehicles that have been remarkably reliable. Gas is $3.95 a gallon. Forty years have passed since my "Buy American" discussion with my grandfather.

But I'm getting geared up to buy again and I find myself in a quandry. I'm due for a mid-life crisis and I think it's going to be difficult to fulfill if I buy American. I need something impractical, without a roof, to truly accentuate my fat, American middle agedness. I'm not sure a Mustang convertible is going to do it. I may have to hold out a couple more years until Alfa Romeo returns to America.

Note from the administrator: Grizzled, you left out Blue Lou and the E.coli, aka, No-Class... not to mention that beater Malibu you had that Scott and I killed by ignoring the oil light.

Note to the rest of you... I am not a car person. Sure, there are ones I think are breathtakingly beautiful, fun, or cool... I would take a Shelby Cobra, I would die and go to heaven if I had an 60's VW Bug, I would love many, many that I see, but I really don't care. The running joke around here is that if someone asks me what kind of car just went by, I'll tell them the color. :-P I had no need for a car for the longest time, and when I did have the need... I have more or less driven what's shown up in my driveway, most not being my first choice, but being more than adequate for what I needed at the time, which is usually to get around, and have enough room for 4 people and two dogs. At some point in my life though, I think I need to actually purchase one... and one I want... if I can figure out what that is.

Comments

[Laura]

We've only owned one non-North American made vehicle. It was a mazda of some sort. We bought it when our oldest two children were small.
I hated that car. Whatever could go wrong with it, did. I can still remember being 25 years old, with two kids in car seats in the back, driving across a bridge and the door fell off. I was driving and literally holding the door on-awful!
I guess we bought a lemon. :)

My husband's older than me and I'm assuming past the mid-life crisis point so, I doubt we'll have the vehicle.
The kids would probably end up driving it all of the time anyways... :)

((Hugs))
Laura

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

Shortsighted greed killed American manufacturing, he explained.
~

[Jennifer]

Laura- that story is really funny, and yet, horrifying! Also, unless Grizzled lives to be 110... which I hope he does, his midlife crisis window may be closed. :) Of course, I'm younger, so maybe he can justify it as my midlife crisis car...

Thundra- Grizzled is in transit right now, but once he arrives at his destination, I'm sure he'll take your bait and you can have an explain-off.

Grizzled?? If you actually remember where my blog is and find this... fyi- you forgot your phone!

[blue girl]

Grizzled, you have not really lived until you've driven a yellow Pinto with green and yellow plaid interior. Thanks, Mom & Stepdad!

For that middle-aged itch, how 'bout a Crossfire? I think those are COOL LOOKING!

Jennifer, I love your new pad! Awesome! I feel all snugly here! :)

[blue girl]

Laura, I laughed out loud at your comment!! Although I do realize how scary and awful that had to have been!

Lemons stink!

[Jennifer]

Thanks BG. I'm not sure I'm fond of the light gray type... but I felt like a change... it may change again!

[Mandos]

It's not the same though! It will take some getting used to! I periodically check for the presence of the Cutie Pie to reassure myself.

[Jennifer]

Cutie Pie will always be there, Mandos!!! Haunting you in your dreams!!! Moowaahaahaa!!!

Alrightee... I have to take a lamblet to a dental cleaning. I'll be back. Hopefully when I return, Grizzled will have safely arrived at work and will be blowing off his work to chat with his public.

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

BG, how about an AMC Hornet four door with 3-on-the-tree?

AMC were pieces of crap, but that car survived college, rusting out both front fenders, being t-boned in the rear door and still went 125,000 miles.

Wife Sublime worked for Delco for many years, so with the discounts, we usually bought GM cars....her Prius is the first non-American car weve ever owned.

Jennifer, it is my opinion that you should go with more zombie-themed colors.

Grizzled, I have a couple of older clients (wealthy, it is true) that drive these. His is red, hers is yellow.

[fish]

I have split my time between American and foreign cars, mostly inherited so they were already a bit long in the tailpipe by the time I owned them. I can say pretty confidently that all the American cars were far inferior to the foreign ones with the exception of my Isuzu pickup, which kinda sucked. I liked my little S10, but the engine gave out at 90K. There is no more evil car than the Ford Taurus, it has the double curse of an engine that will never die (you would think that was a good thing, but no) coupled to complete crap for everything else about the car, from power windows to air conditioners to radios. The car will literally fall apart around the engine. I have had a Subaru, Mazda, and now a Honda, all reliable and durable. I guess if you want to buy a decent US made car, then a Honda or Toyota is your best option (thanks Ron Reagan!). I kinda think you should go Italian.

[Jennifer]

I would definitely take this!

ZRM- their color choices make me think of ketchup and mustard... You know there's a green one in the bushes, waiting to take them both out of the play!

And, I loved Gremlins!

[fish]

That gull wing is a classic. Also fond of the 60's bmw's.

[fish]

Woah, everything changed on the reload. Now I know what everyone was talking about. I like it.

[almostinfamous]

this looks like you could squeeze 4 people in. it's quick, but it's not fast.

and wow, this is a very nice theme update!

[Grizzled]

Sorry I was out of the loop. I finally got the salesman out of my office, and dumped my last official paperwork of the year on the CFO's desk.

Fish, ZRM, I'm flattered that you would even intimate that I could afford a M-B or a Varon. Jen and I would look fabulous in either. But I think I'm in for something a little more pedestrian. (maybe if I sell the house...and everything else....)

Laura, Jen had a similar experience with our E-Class Chrysler (the E.Coli). She broke down in a nice industrial part of Gary IN with the 18 month old in the back seat, and the scary guy in the panel van coming across traffic "to help".

AMC made great engines. And where would Mitt Romney be without them?

I rear-ended a Pinto once. No fire, thank god.

[Jennifer]

For a second, I read that as "I rear-ended Pinko once..."

:-0

[Grizzled]

Nice, Jennifer.

[Grizzled]

And I backed up into a gas pump once, too. No fire, thank god.

[Jennifer]

:) Welcome to the blog, Mr. Filthbot!

Also, I'm surprised you didn't go on a tear with Thundra's comment... seemed like fodder for political pontification.

[Jennifer]

And I backed up into a gas pump once, too. No fire, thank god.

And you give me crap for driving over our trash can...

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

Jeez, will you two get a room!

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

Shortsighted greed killed American manufacturing,

Yeah, Wife Sublime bailed on Delco when it became orbvious that it was never going to be a really productive plant ever again.

we still make insurance, though! And creative banking instruments! That endanger teh economy of the entire world! USA USA USA!

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

Also the new layout puts one in the mind of...Salt.

[Jennifer]

Also the new layout puts one in the mind of...Salt.

LOL!

[Jennifer]

Saying yes... to salt!

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

I'd like to know more about salt.
~

[Another Kiwi]

I've heard that salt is quite interesting.
We have owned all Japanese cars (5) and would not touch a 'Merican car with a dead weasel(Monday morning Fords). We bought a 2009 Toyota Corolla in August and we luvs luvs luvs it.
Pagani Zonda for the Mid life crisis, it will also be the end-of-life crisis since they go quite fast and corner like a drunken pig.
The new layout is really nice.

[Jennifer]

it will also be the end-of-life crisis since they go quite fast and corner like a drunken pig.

LOL!!! What an image.

The new layout is really nice.

Thanks, AK. My blog was having a midlife crisis and needed a change.

[fish]

How about this? Complete with trashcan catcher...

[Grizzled]

Man, this thing doesn't refresh very well. I had to log out and back in. Likely a machine operator failure of some sort.

"I'd like to know more about salt."

The Salt explanation really needs to be a monologue in the explaining voice. And as I can't even get my screen to refresh, it's unlikely you'll get an audio clip.

"Complete with trashcan catcher"

Vintage Bulge-mobile. My favorite.

"Pagani Zonda for the Mid life crisis"

If you land one of those, Jen and I are coming to visit for sure.

And I can't figure out how to italicize either. I must be out of my comfort zone.

[fish]

Explaining voice on how to italicize, type this:

<i>text</i>

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

Like a fish out of water.
~

[Grizzled]

Short sighted greed did kill the car industry, and a good deal of our other indigenous manufacturing. I suspect the 10 year old Indonesian girl who's sewing my shirts these days isn't make much of a living either. However, I'm avoiding a political diatribe. Like religion, it's really not a polite topic, and I always end up pissed off by the time I'm done.

[Grizzled]

Thanks, Fish.

[fish]

Ñø Þ®öߣ€m

[Jennifer]

I need the eye roll emoticon...

[Jennifer]

for fish…

[fish]

Heh.

[herr doktor bimler]

I hope this is an American-made blog design.

[Jennifer]

bimler is banned...

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

jUst don't call him effable...

[Grizzled]

Is that affable or f***able. After I saw the party pajamas, it's hard to tell. Maybe both.

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

I hope this is an American-made blog design.

Do we even make BLOGS in this country anymore, or are those outsourced to Canadian moose who are paid pennies per hour?

[Jennifer]

I rate for the moose.

[Jennifer]

My old eyes do not like the fact that this new format's type lacks boldness.

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

jennifer, Definitely. I would go to Comic Sans, or maybe Papyrus.

[Jennifer]

I don't know that I can change that much... I can change what font I post in, but I'll have to see if I can change all of the fonts. I know I can adjust some things since I was able to put in my own banner, but how much, who knows... or, how much I'll be able to do before effing it up.

There were other templates I liked better, but I couldn't have the 3 column format.

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

These columns go to eleven....

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

Somezombie speeled 'meese' wrong.
~

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

I remember one blogger, don't recall who, that got pissed at the complaints and changed his template to something like a red background with flashing purple text in a single block.

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

I don't know that I can change that much.

Be worth it, though, I bet we could hear hdb's head pop from here....

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

uh-oh, Jennifer's having moar mid-blog crisis....

[Jennifer]

Better one? Better two??

[fish]

I remember one blogger, don't recall who,

That was a guy named TC.

[blue girl]

ZRM, it bugs me when husbands and wives have suchy matchy-matchy cars. I worked for a couple who both drove white Lexuses. ... Lexi?

I only lasted at that place for four weeks. NOT because of the matchy-matchy Lexi, but because of the prayer circles and talk of the rapture during lunch.

[blue girl]

The wife was telling me one day how she prayed for sunshine on her wedding day.... and the sun shined! *happy face* But, she didn't pray for warm weather cuz it was already too hot anyway. *sad face*

Between stories like that that were told as serious as a heart attack, the fact that she and her husband went on those Kirk Cameron marriage retreats, and the 11 x 14 photo of her and her husband with Mike Huckabee in her office, I was ready to have a nervous breakdown!!

[Jennifer]

Kirk Cameron marriage retreat??!?

Run!!!!!

[blue girl]

OMG, they were in their mid 50s going to those marriage retreats!! WHAT. EVER.

Jennifer, have you seen this commercial?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjpG0D4WyqQ&feature=BFa&list=UUs36_o9B5NadGYfiHwT-ekQ&lf=plcp

I thought Frank could be a kind of mascot for the phrase I Shan't Be Back. lol (what he does at about :21 in)

[Jennifer]

My brother did some ginormous frame for Jim Bakers compound many years ago and had to go to help with the installation (it was like a 7x10 ft frame). I don't believe he stuck around for photo ops.

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

Nothing says "JESUS!" like matching white Lexi.
~

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

yeah, BG, not so much. They're Jews.

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

she and her husband went on those Kirk Cameron marriage retreats

I bet they always had bananas in a bowl on the conference table.

[zombie rotten mcdonald]

ZRM, it bugs me when husbands and wives have suchy matchy-matchy cars.

Wife Sublime and I both have red cars, so go ahead and hate us, BG, I know you already do.

[blue girl]

It's not the colors that matchy-matchy bug me. It's the pretentious show of wealth matchy-matchy.

[blue girl]

lol @ "so go ahead and hate us, BG, I know you already do."

[blue girl]

Nothing says "JESUS!" like matching white Lexi.

Ugh. Totally. Plus they had these young girls working for them who didn't have two dimes to rub together. (Of course they got paid close to zilch) They were always in such dire straights over finances. But, they'd start and end each sad story with... "If the good Lord's willin'..."

[herr doktor bimler]

I can change what font I post in, but I'll have to see if I can change all of the fonts

Readers of a sensitive disposition may need the Fontblock Greasemonkey plug-in.
That sounds filthbottish.

[Jennifer]

I can change which font, I can change the font... I already have the Grammar Block Greasemonkey plug-in. They said it would only hurt for a second. They lied!

I am generally font-sensitive, but am too tired to care. I'm going with the F***-It Font.

[blue girl]

Jennifer, what you did with this re-design is just great! The font and color of the font (which you say is gray but I see as black) the whole layout. It's awesome!

And this is for Grizzled:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldyx3KHOFXw

He's experienced how I can be Queen of Off-Topic Island!

I'll pray to be better.

[Jennifer]

BG- I was grayer before (mainly the comment lists, category lists, etc), but I changed the color accent to "brown"... The other colors were too nasty and this kind of matches my glorious pooch at the top. :)

Who knows, tomorrow, it may be a totally different color.

I'm pretty sure Grizzled is fine with OT. He lives with me. :)

[Pinko Punko]

Change is hard.

I can't imagine having a car that is something I would actually want as opposed to something I would need but would want to minimize my time in. I want a car that has the old school side vent windows that my feet can hang out of. I want the toggle up/down seek lever on the stereo from my mom's 1991 Honda Accord. I want a passenger seat seat belt that is just the right spot to rest my head while sleeping on a sunny winter day where you can detect some of the sun's strength via the greenhouse effect. That is what I want.

[Laura]

Has anybody but me seen the movie "Fireproof" starring Kirk Cameron?
It was on tv a month or so ago so I decided that it couldn't hurt...

It hurt.
It hurt like hell.

[Jennifer]

:) @Pinko

[Von]

Hooray hooray hooray a post from Grizzled!! I'm throwing my hands up in the air and yelling "woo hoo" and thinkgs like that.
Woo hoo.
Moar postz from Grizzled 2012
Fuck the Mayans.

[blue girl]

Pinko's comment was awesome!

[Jennifer]

I know, it has such a feeling.

[Brando]

The song playing while I read this? "Drive Somewhere."

Grizzled, I have to give a big thumbs up to the Mustang. TLB's father bought a convertible one (all black) a few years ago after he retired, and I must say it's a pretty sweet car.

TLB also wants a midlife crisis car, a Mini. Hopefully she is also not looking for a midlife crisis pool boy as well.