In the 90s, during my 20s, I lived music - listening, making, and discovering it with a fervor. There wasn't an internet like there is now, so learning about new stuff hinged upon your network: what you read, who you talked to, and whether someone surprised you as an opening band.
Some excellent bands got through the cracks and didn't become the national treasures that they deserve to be. Here are a few:
1. Hum - These guys made it to the national level, but are still mostly forgotten (except for the incessant Cadillac commercials featuring their biggest song a few years back). Pity, because they were both an excellent band, but also really nice guys. I met them on one of their first tours (I think) at Otto's (my stomping ground back then) supporting their first release - a cassette called Filet Show. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Their songs undulated like waves. They didn't follow typical song structure, but even with odd time signatures, there was something comfortable about the music. And the heavy was awesome.
A year or two later, I got to open for them (and Shiner) at an outdoor festival. I stood with the drummer from Hum (Bryan St. Pere) through the entire Shiner set, talking gear, music, and what a beast Tim Dow was. ("Dude's a weapon!") By then, they were locally huge, getting national attention. Hell, I saw them on MTV playing live in studio. I'm not sure what happened, but after their last record in 1998, they disappeared.
2. Shiner - Similar to Hum, they made music that spoke directly to me. I'm not sure if it was some kind of communal lexicon of local source material that spawned this Midwest wave of post-punk (not grunge), but whatever it was, I loved it. Where Hum seemed to have 10 guitarists on the stage, Shiner was a power trio that exemplified the term, although eventually they added another guitarist. Out of Kansas City and contemporaries with Hum, they never really got the exposure they were due. Two of their records are two of my all-time favorites. This is a pretty inventive, solid band that also basically dissolved, but apparently they went out on tour a couple years back:
3. Riddle of Steel - I'm late to the game on these guys. Too late, it seems. But they made a record that I have recently discovered based on some mix somewhere that contained the song Aquiline. There's still something transcendent about the way that song hits my ears. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it doesn't really sound like the rest of the album, and it casts some sort of spell on me. After finding a few other songs, I realized that I should just buy the whole thing. That wasn't so easy. Not only did they not become a household name, but their excellent record (Got This Feelin') was nowhere to be found. I bought the CD used from an online seller and it turned out to be in nearly perfect condition. Then I found the Riddle of Steel bandcamp page. Seriously, check them out.
4. Clockhammer - This is kind of an anomaly, even by the standards of this post. I accidentally discovered this band while moving LP racks in the record store I worked for in the very early 90s. It was a demo CD sent by First Warning (part of BMG) that literally slipped through the cracks. I picked the disk up off the floor and had no idea who they were, but gave it a spin in the store stereo. I was stunned. It was beautiful. How had I never even heard their name before? Why were these not flying off the shelf? (Did we even have it in stock?) They seem to have suffered the fate of many bands who didn't have a strong, built-in following before signing with a major.
They were another power trio, getting maximum sound from minimal instrumentation. (This is probably a concept worthy of its own post.) The music is also melodic and interesting - maybe that's the common thread here, but I don't understand how that doesn't translate to "popular" somehow. Try to see past the quality of this video and dig what they're doing musically:
5. Jawbox - this is one that got through my radar field undetected. I've known about them since the 90s but had been ignoring them. Possibly, I heard a song or two that didn't inspire me to research further, and now I'm catching up. These guys might not be such a revelation as they got some notoriety along the lines and level of Hum. Still, though - not a household name, and there's really no good reason for it.
P.S. - Metroschifter.
August 27, 2014
August 26, 2014
Cutting the Cord on Wireless (Not Really)
Since June of last year, I've had three Motorola Droid Razr M phones. The first one had some odd manufacturing troubles, although I already can't remember what they were. The replacement had a shudder that affected the entire phone. The display would shift when it happened (randomly - couldn't detect a pattern) and I once captured it in a double-exposed photo. Very odd.
The replacement for that phone was a refurbished one which came to me with a limp on/off button and scratches on all the corners. Not only had it been used before, but it was pretty worn out. On the other hand, it's a device that runs faster than the first three or four computers I owned, loads things from the Internet quicker than our home DSL, takes better photos than our first few digital cameras, plays every song under the sun, shows feature films from every era, and fits in my pocket.
So, in keeping perspective, as long as it would turn on and off and do the basics (phone calls, texts, camera), then I could live with some of the other stuff. Then they updated the software, which broke wi-fi and bluetooth. It's a tricky issue because there are layers of culpability.
Layer 1: Android. Owned by Google, this is the operating system that rivals Apple's iOS. The major difference between the two is that iOS only appears on Apple devices, where Android appears on many manufacturers' phones. So, when Android updates their kernel (base software), the OEMs need to retrofit the changes in the software to the hardware they've developed.
Layer 2: Motorola. I jumped in with Motorola (now also owned by Google) with my first smartphone, which I loved. That was a giant leap from a flip phone to the world of smartphones. From that first smartphone to the Razr M, it was more of a refinement in what I wanted, and the Razr M covered everything. Small form factor, minimal bloatware, solid performance across the board. However, there must have been manufacturing issues, or maybe the size/performance ratio was too good to be true. Either way, I have had three already with a fourth on the way.
Layer 3: Verizon. The juggernaut. We'd been on AT&T and T-Mobile in the past and neither came close to the coverage that Verizon has. We figured that since the cost was so similar, we might as well be on the best network, and we've been with them for quite a few years now. The Razr M would have been my choice on any network, but as luck had it, they were very inexpensive coupled with a 2-year contract on Verizon. And, when the first two went awry, Vz was very good about issuing replacements (although they also had defects).
Earlier this year, Android put out an update to their kernel to address a security issue they had discovered. In the meantime, they also tidied up some other things, including their bluetooth implementation. After having some work done on my car where the power was disconnected for a while, I could no longer pair my phone to the car anymore. Worse yet, wi-fi barely worked, and if an app didn't have the directive to only use wi-fi, it would revert to network data. I first noticed the difference when our bill arrived the month after the update.
There were clearly numerous issues, but it was hard to pin down who would be responsible. My first point of contact is Verizon, since I got the phone through them. Since my warranty was up, their primary directive was to sell me an extended warranty, but really, a warranty would only cause them to send me a new phone with the same software, and thus the same issue. (Until there's an update to the car stereo or the phone's OS bluetooth implementation, nothing will change.) So, I'd be spending more money to not have a phone that would be constantly in transit.
Second contact was to Motorola, who seemed to be much more contrite and offered to send me another replacement "just in case" it works. My hopes are low, but I figured I might as well get a newer phone in the short term. However, since it's out of warranty, they're not taking any chances with me; my options are to send out my phone and wait for the replacement to arrive, or let them hold $100 on my credit card and ship the replacement first.
I opted to send my phone out first and take a few days off from smartphones. It's a little startling how embedded it has become in my daily routine. I can't check the traffic en route to work. I can't quickly access the weather. I can't dictate a quick message to Jennie.
On the other hand, I read a whole article in Wired (the paper version) this morning, was able to call my folks from the car on my old flip phone (battery lasts forever!), and I looked up the weather when I got to work. Maybe I need to be more conscientious about when and where I'm using it when I get it back. I feel like I had been using it less, but not having it in my pocket leaves me feeling exposed. I can't call up an answer at any given moment.
Maybe that's not the worst thing. I've toyed with the idea of going back to a standard phone (man, that sounds like an addict talking, doesn't it?) but I think I get enough value out of the smartphone on a regular basis that I'll keep it. It's changed how I get places, find my car, track my fitness, and other things I didn't have options for in the past. Mostly, though, I think I had an inclination that this day would eventually come when I was selling modem attachments for Palm Pilots around Y2K. The utility of a smartphone is everything I had hoped for back then and much more, but it's the coolness factor that will probably keep me hooked.
The replacement for that phone was a refurbished one which came to me with a limp on/off button and scratches on all the corners. Not only had it been used before, but it was pretty worn out. On the other hand, it's a device that runs faster than the first three or four computers I owned, loads things from the Internet quicker than our home DSL, takes better photos than our first few digital cameras, plays every song under the sun, shows feature films from every era, and fits in my pocket.
So, in keeping perspective, as long as it would turn on and off and do the basics (phone calls, texts, camera), then I could live with some of the other stuff. Then they updated the software, which broke wi-fi and bluetooth. It's a tricky issue because there are layers of culpability.
Layer 1: Android. Owned by Google, this is the operating system that rivals Apple's iOS. The major difference between the two is that iOS only appears on Apple devices, where Android appears on many manufacturers' phones. So, when Android updates their kernel (base software), the OEMs need to retrofit the changes in the software to the hardware they've developed.
Layer 2: Motorola. I jumped in with Motorola (now also owned by Google) with my first smartphone, which I loved. That was a giant leap from a flip phone to the world of smartphones. From that first smartphone to the Razr M, it was more of a refinement in what I wanted, and the Razr M covered everything. Small form factor, minimal bloatware, solid performance across the board. However, there must have been manufacturing issues, or maybe the size/performance ratio was too good to be true. Either way, I have had three already with a fourth on the way.
Layer 3: Verizon. The juggernaut. We'd been on AT&T and T-Mobile in the past and neither came close to the coverage that Verizon has. We figured that since the cost was so similar, we might as well be on the best network, and we've been with them for quite a few years now. The Razr M would have been my choice on any network, but as luck had it, they were very inexpensive coupled with a 2-year contract on Verizon. And, when the first two went awry, Vz was very good about issuing replacements (although they also had defects).
Earlier this year, Android put out an update to their kernel to address a security issue they had discovered. In the meantime, they also tidied up some other things, including their bluetooth implementation. After having some work done on my car where the power was disconnected for a while, I could no longer pair my phone to the car anymore. Worse yet, wi-fi barely worked, and if an app didn't have the directive to only use wi-fi, it would revert to network data. I first noticed the difference when our bill arrived the month after the update.
There were clearly numerous issues, but it was hard to pin down who would be responsible. My first point of contact is Verizon, since I got the phone through them. Since my warranty was up, their primary directive was to sell me an extended warranty, but really, a warranty would only cause them to send me a new phone with the same software, and thus the same issue. (Until there's an update to the car stereo or the phone's OS bluetooth implementation, nothing will change.) So, I'd be spending more money to not have a phone that would be constantly in transit.
Second contact was to Motorola, who seemed to be much more contrite and offered to send me another replacement "just in case" it works. My hopes are low, but I figured I might as well get a newer phone in the short term. However, since it's out of warranty, they're not taking any chances with me; my options are to send out my phone and wait for the replacement to arrive, or let them hold $100 on my credit card and ship the replacement first.
I opted to send my phone out first and take a few days off from smartphones. It's a little startling how embedded it has become in my daily routine. I can't check the traffic en route to work. I can't quickly access the weather. I can't dictate a quick message to Jennie.
On the other hand, I read a whole article in Wired (the paper version) this morning, was able to call my folks from the car on my old flip phone (battery lasts forever!), and I looked up the weather when I got to work. Maybe I need to be more conscientious about when and where I'm using it when I get it back. I feel like I had been using it less, but not having it in my pocket leaves me feeling exposed. I can't call up an answer at any given moment.
Maybe that's not the worst thing. I've toyed with the idea of going back to a standard phone (man, that sounds like an addict talking, doesn't it?) but I think I get enough value out of the smartphone on a regular basis that I'll keep it. It's changed how I get places, find my car, track my fitness, and other things I didn't have options for in the past. Mostly, though, I think I had an inclination that this day would eventually come when I was selling modem attachments for Palm Pilots around Y2K. The utility of a smartphone is everything I had hoped for back then and much more, but it's the coolness factor that will probably keep me hooked.
August 12, 2014
Mark Lanegan Band - 4AD Sessions
This dude is the real life analogue to Tom Waits and his persona. That grindy voice? It's earned. That growl? It's fair warning. I've been a fan of the guy since my friend Bill played Orange Airplane for me back in the day. Got to see the Screaming Trees live in the tiny Eagles Club and then was pretty excited to recognize his voice as part of Queens of the Stone Age years later. And now this:
He's been mostly off the mainstream radar, but making music that I love all along. Thanks for the tip, Brad!
He's been mostly off the mainstream radar, but making music that I love all along. Thanks for the tip, Brad!
August 4, 2014
Doctor Werewolf - Trololo Man Remix (Doctor Werewolf Troll Face Mix)
This is at once everything that's wrong with music these days and also something I can listen to for days on end. It's a Youtube-generated meme coupled with dubstep, but then there's that basic, simple beat appended - totally makes the song. I don't really go for the idea of "guilty pleasure" because if I like it, I like it. This song stretches my boundaries - I feel a little guilty.
Decide for yourself:
Decide for yourself:
August 1, 2014
Auto This World
Yesterday, I dropped off my 2013 Subaru Outback at the dealership for what I hope is the last time. It consumes oil and fits the profile of a small group of cars built that year that have this issue. Luckily, I've stuck to the manual and done all the appropriate service stuff so that this will be handled under warranty. Since the issue started, I've gotten to know the service staff at my local Subaru shop pretty well. First name basis, and regular checks on each others' kids have become the norm.
I bought this car in 2012 after 3 or 4 years of tracking the new body style and the declining health of my previous car (a 2001 Saturn Vue). In researching the Outback, I thought back on the history of cars I've owned so far, and it was a little surprising how many there were in retrospect. Some met with calamity, some died of old age, and some were just no longer useful. I'm not particularly hard on vehicles, but maybe I just have bad motor karma.
Here's the list of cars, along with my memory of why I got them and why I got rid of them:
1981 Volkswagen Rabbit (tan): My first car. 5-speed, so learned to shift just after learning to drive. This thing had lots of miles on it, but there was also something wrong with the motor from the start. I had been saving up money to get a car and it was all I could afford, so it never got the attention it probably needed. Struts were shot very quickly after buying it, but that didn't stop me from driving it to the quarry for some off-roading. Overall, this was a great car for learning about how engines and suspension are supposed to work. A cautionary tale, if you will. I also learned how to do reverse FWD cookies in this car, drag raced it against another Rabbit in the high school parking lot, and ultimately crashed it after the rear end got loose on a massive sheet of ice. Bad conditions + bald tires = calamity. Interestingly, the Chevy Suburban who hit me (I ended up in his lane - he had no options) had to be towed (broken radiator) but I was able to drive the rest of the way home.
1981 Volkswagen Rabbit (green): Having pity on me for the numerous issues with the first car, my folks chipped in for this one. I needed a way to get back and forth. I don't remember much about this one - can't even remember why I got rid of it, but I assume it had worse motor troubles. Our neighbor behind us just happened to be selling his 1980-something Datsun/Nissan (Sentra?) and gave me a deal.
198x Datsun/Nissan Sentra (silver): This was my first experience with getting scammed. Interesting that it was our neighbor who perpetrated the bad deal. This car had lots of hard miles on it, but the price was right, so I lived with it for a few years. I don't think I was ever able to rid the interior of the after shave smell our neighbor left on the stick shift or the steering wheel. At a point, I realized why he got rid of it when it started having trouble delivering gas to the motor. A new carb for this P.O.S. was $700, and since it was an import, there was no skirting it. A used one was $500. I think I paid $900 for the car. Sold it while it didn't even run.
(<< my actual car!)
1966 Chevy II Nova (navy blue): My favorite car by a long shot. Found it in one of the car magazines at the front of a grocery store. Bought it from a nursing student near Comiskey Park who was having trouble parking it all the time (no power steering). It was a 4-door, 2-speed, straight-6 utilitarian commuter with bench seats. I could fit my drums in the trunk and back seat with ease, plus two people. My dream was to eventually clean it up and add a trailer hitch and a nice stereo. But then I left the color-matched, fitted gas cap at Bockman's (when they were still a gas station), the rear quarter panel got smashed in while parallel parked in downtown DeKalb*, and ultimately, the entire rear end of the car got totaled by a drunk driver, mid-afternoon, while the car was parked off the shoulder, awaiting a tow (fuel pump died). The officer on the scene said it was a 55 MPH collision, and yet all four doors still opened. That was the final straw, and after talking to my insurance agent about what the car was worth before and after that last wreck, I sold it cheap to a friend who was building a similar car. Before all the accidents and other stuff, it was easily the coolest car I have owned.
1991 S10 Pickup, Ext. Cab (white): Another great Chevy in my past. This truck was small, but with the extended cab and full-sized bed with a cap, was the perfect vehicle. It also had a V6, but smaller and more fuel efficient. And in the peak of my rock star halcyon days, it was the perfect cover. Where I had been pulled over just for having long hair in the Nova, I never once caught a second glance in the retiree-mobile. Plus, I could fit a twin mattress between the wheel wells in the back, so after a show, I always had a backup plan if I was too drinky to drive. All that came to a sudden end when I hit an icy patch (again) and slid into the open tailgate of a pickup hauling sand (and not going at a green light), thereby shearing into the motor and totaling the car. It's possible that had I not crushed it, I could still be driving that car today.
2001 Honda Civic (black): This car, while very nice and well-appointed for the price, was not a good transition from the Blazer. It missed everything I liked about the Blazer and couldn't fit me with three other average-sized adult men comfortably. I don't remember what my plan was for hauling drums, but it was clearly short-sighted. Having seen the new-ish BMW X5 launch event, and also having visited a Saturn dealership with a friend, I was more open-minded about the brand new Vue they were about to launch. In fact, I talked to a salesman and learned that not only were they very roomy inside, but also quite affordable. So, we were able to trade the Civic in on what ultimately became my most practical car.
(<< not my actual car)
2002 Saturn Vue (silver): Technically, this was my second brand new car, but I don't really count the Civic. The Vue was engineered differently than other cars at the time. It was the first iteration of a platform that GM would eventually use for the Equinox, the SRX, and a slew of others. It rode like a car - center of gravity felt low - but had the interior space of a utility vehicle. The back seat was comfortable and also folded down flat - plenty of room for all the drums. More than once, I was able to fit a full sheet of plywood inside the car to drive it home. That's impressive. FWD meant it typically got 28 MPG in general, so it was practical. Also, I didn't have a major issue with the car for 10 years, which seems unheard of these days. 5 years without payments or significant repairs. Near the end, though, while closing in on 150K miles, a cylinder dropped out and while it was repaired (but never quite the same), it had done damage to the already old catalytic converter. Based on any car buying guide, a replacement catalytic converter (parts alone) would be more expensive than the retail price of the car. Plus, we had a new baby, and I didn't want to take chances.
2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium (graphite gray): I had been looking at the Outback since Subaru updated the look in 2009. They made it more roomy in the back seat and I liked the overall aesthetic of the car. I also wanted something that would handle like the Blazer in adverse conditions. There was an option for an upgraded stereo, but the standard one sounded great in the showroom. I could save $2000 by getting a manual transmission. I saved more by not bothering with a sun roof. Ultimately, after an afternoon in the dealership, I got the price and payment I wanted with an extended warranty to boot. So far, barring the oil consumption issue (not insignificant), it's my dream car. Without the oil issue, it might have already landed in my number 2 spot. I'll need to drive the Outback 8 more years to beat the reliability of the Vue, and retrofit a turbo to rival the speed and ass-kicking factor of the Blazer. The Nova is nearly mythical in my mind; it'd be hard to beat for the number 1 spot.
Jennie will get the next new car, so I hope the Outback can be what I originally expected it to be after the motor is replaced. At the end of this run, though, I'd really like to get a 1970 Monte Carlo - assuming gas engines are still legal by then.
[Aside: There's a Dodge Omni somewhere in there, too, but I didn't count it because it never ran. An erstwhile former roommate left it behind and sent me the title rather than getting it running and moving it himself. Then, I started getting tickets for the non-running car, so it wasn't much of a gift, and it didn't come close to covering what he owed me 9and quite a few others). Got $35 for it at a bone yard down the street.]
* = While I was inside a restaurant, the car was parked on the street, 3rd in a line of 5 cars. Somehow, someone twitched or lost control for enough time to pick my car out of the lineup and smash into it. They took off, too, but a guy on the sidewalk left me a note with the license plate number and his phone number (he said he was a lawyer, would be willing to witness in court). I presented it to the police, and the cop came back and told me it was a young woman living in student/parent housing. He said she was very apologetic. I dropped it. I was broke, too, but didn't have a kid to feed. Just a few months later, the car was destroyed, anyhow. I feel like the Nova was doomed, but offered the chance for some good karma more than once.
I bought this car in 2012 after 3 or 4 years of tracking the new body style and the declining health of my previous car (a 2001 Saturn Vue). In researching the Outback, I thought back on the history of cars I've owned so far, and it was a little surprising how many there were in retrospect. Some met with calamity, some died of old age, and some were just no longer useful. I'm not particularly hard on vehicles, but maybe I just have bad motor karma.
Here's the list of cars, along with my memory of why I got them and why I got rid of them:
1981 Volkswagen Rabbit (tan): My first car. 5-speed, so learned to shift just after learning to drive. This thing had lots of miles on it, but there was also something wrong with the motor from the start. I had been saving up money to get a car and it was all I could afford, so it never got the attention it probably needed. Struts were shot very quickly after buying it, but that didn't stop me from driving it to the quarry for some off-roading. Overall, this was a great car for learning about how engines and suspension are supposed to work. A cautionary tale, if you will. I also learned how to do reverse FWD cookies in this car, drag raced it against another Rabbit in the high school parking lot, and ultimately crashed it after the rear end got loose on a massive sheet of ice. Bad conditions + bald tires = calamity. Interestingly, the Chevy Suburban who hit me (I ended up in his lane - he had no options) had to be towed (broken radiator) but I was able to drive the rest of the way home.
1981 Volkswagen Rabbit (green): Having pity on me for the numerous issues with the first car, my folks chipped in for this one. I needed a way to get back and forth. I don't remember much about this one - can't even remember why I got rid of it, but I assume it had worse motor troubles. Our neighbor behind us just happened to be selling his 1980-something Datsun/Nissan (Sentra?) and gave me a deal.
198x Datsun/Nissan Sentra (silver): This was my first experience with getting scammed. Interesting that it was our neighbor who perpetrated the bad deal. This car had lots of hard miles on it, but the price was right, so I lived with it for a few years. I don't think I was ever able to rid the interior of the after shave smell our neighbor left on the stick shift or the steering wheel. At a point, I realized why he got rid of it when it started having trouble delivering gas to the motor. A new carb for this P.O.S. was $700, and since it was an import, there was no skirting it. A used one was $500. I think I paid $900 for the car. Sold it while it didn't even run.
(<< my actual car!)1966 Chevy II Nova (navy blue): My favorite car by a long shot. Found it in one of the car magazines at the front of a grocery store. Bought it from a nursing student near Comiskey Park who was having trouble parking it all the time (no power steering). It was a 4-door, 2-speed, straight-6 utilitarian commuter with bench seats. I could fit my drums in the trunk and back seat with ease, plus two people. My dream was to eventually clean it up and add a trailer hitch and a nice stereo. But then I left the color-matched, fitted gas cap at Bockman's (when they were still a gas station), the rear quarter panel got smashed in while parallel parked in downtown DeKalb*, and ultimately, the entire rear end of the car got totaled by a drunk driver, mid-afternoon, while the car was parked off the shoulder, awaiting a tow (fuel pump died). The officer on the scene said it was a 55 MPH collision, and yet all four doors still opened. That was the final straw, and after talking to my insurance agent about what the car was worth before and after that last wreck, I sold it cheap to a friend who was building a similar car. Before all the accidents and other stuff, it was easily the coolest car I have owned.
1991 S10 Pickup, Ext. Cab (white): Another great Chevy in my past. This truck was small, but with the extended cab and full-sized bed with a cap, was the perfect vehicle. It also had a V6, but smaller and more fuel efficient. And in the peak of my rock star halcyon days, it was the perfect cover. Where I had been pulled over just for having long hair in the Nova, I never once caught a second glance in the retiree-mobile. Plus, I could fit a twin mattress between the wheel wells in the back, so after a show, I always had a backup plan if I was too drinky to drive. All that came to a sudden end when I hit an icy patch (again) and slid into the open tailgate of a pickup hauling sand (and not going at a green light), thereby shearing into the motor and totaling the car. It's possible that had I not crushed it, I could still be driving that car today.
1993 S10 Blazer (dark green): This is still my second favorite car. On the heels of the pickup, I wanted something similar, but with a back seat. The Blazer was very similar to a larger, 4x4 version of the pickup, so there was no learning curve. Also, it had a killer motor (4.3L V6) and the stock stereo worked great. For my new job, which took me all over the Chicago area, it was impractical but ideal. There was never a time where I felt trapped in traffic, and weather was no longer a hindrance to travel. On the other hand, it was not built to be a commuter car, and eventually, the heater core died, all the oil fell out, the PCV valve crippled it, and the price of gas came onto everyone's radar. When the price of fixes outweighed the thought of a car payment, we decided to trade it in.
2001 Honda Civic (black): This car, while very nice and well-appointed for the price, was not a good transition from the Blazer. It missed everything I liked about the Blazer and couldn't fit me with three other average-sized adult men comfortably. I don't remember what my plan was for hauling drums, but it was clearly short-sighted. Having seen the new-ish BMW X5 launch event, and also having visited a Saturn dealership with a friend, I was more open-minded about the brand new Vue they were about to launch. In fact, I talked to a salesman and learned that not only were they very roomy inside, but also quite affordable. So, we were able to trade the Civic in on what ultimately became my most practical car.
(<< not my actual car)2002 Saturn Vue (silver): Technically, this was my second brand new car, but I don't really count the Civic. The Vue was engineered differently than other cars at the time. It was the first iteration of a platform that GM would eventually use for the Equinox, the SRX, and a slew of others. It rode like a car - center of gravity felt low - but had the interior space of a utility vehicle. The back seat was comfortable and also folded down flat - plenty of room for all the drums. More than once, I was able to fit a full sheet of plywood inside the car to drive it home. That's impressive. FWD meant it typically got 28 MPG in general, so it was practical. Also, I didn't have a major issue with the car for 10 years, which seems unheard of these days. 5 years without payments or significant repairs. Near the end, though, while closing in on 150K miles, a cylinder dropped out and while it was repaired (but never quite the same), it had done damage to the already old catalytic converter. Based on any car buying guide, a replacement catalytic converter (parts alone) would be more expensive than the retail price of the car. Plus, we had a new baby, and I didn't want to take chances.
2013 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium (graphite gray): I had been looking at the Outback since Subaru updated the look in 2009. They made it more roomy in the back seat and I liked the overall aesthetic of the car. I also wanted something that would handle like the Blazer in adverse conditions. There was an option for an upgraded stereo, but the standard one sounded great in the showroom. I could save $2000 by getting a manual transmission. I saved more by not bothering with a sun roof. Ultimately, after an afternoon in the dealership, I got the price and payment I wanted with an extended warranty to boot. So far, barring the oil consumption issue (not insignificant), it's my dream car. Without the oil issue, it might have already landed in my number 2 spot. I'll need to drive the Outback 8 more years to beat the reliability of the Vue, and retrofit a turbo to rival the speed and ass-kicking factor of the Blazer. The Nova is nearly mythical in my mind; it'd be hard to beat for the number 1 spot.
Jennie will get the next new car, so I hope the Outback can be what I originally expected it to be after the motor is replaced. At the end of this run, though, I'd really like to get a 1970 Monte Carlo - assuming gas engines are still legal by then.
[Aside: There's a Dodge Omni somewhere in there, too, but I didn't count it because it never ran. An erstwhile former roommate left it behind and sent me the title rather than getting it running and moving it himself. Then, I started getting tickets for the non-running car, so it wasn't much of a gift, and it didn't come close to covering what he owed me 9and quite a few others). Got $35 for it at a bone yard down the street.]
* = While I was inside a restaurant, the car was parked on the street, 3rd in a line of 5 cars. Somehow, someone twitched or lost control for enough time to pick my car out of the lineup and smash into it. They took off, too, but a guy on the sidewalk left me a note with the license plate number and his phone number (he said he was a lawyer, would be willing to witness in court). I presented it to the police, and the cop came back and told me it was a young woman living in student/parent housing. He said she was very apologetic. I dropped it. I was broke, too, but didn't have a kid to feed. Just a few months later, the car was destroyed, anyhow. I feel like the Nova was doomed, but offered the chance for some good karma more than once.
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