Particularly since mass transit is so sub par in California, we LOVE our cars.

Anyway, I told dh once we could live with only one car and I might as well told him aliens invaded. LOL.

Life is decidedly easier and more luxurious with the second car.

Well, anyway, I had to hail the second car because it saved our date night last night.

Yesterday it was something like 100 degrees. We were going on our date night. It was going to be very expensive actually. Indian food at our favorite (albeit quite upscale) restaurant. Would be $50. Sketch comedy show for $20. Childcare - about $50.

Yes, this is why we don't go out so much. PArticularly for so long.

It was an experiment and I was worried about LM. The place tehcnically has a 13:1 ratio or something with the crowds, and I still think it is a bit much for LM. We love the place for weekdays and last minute things, but was wary about a Friday night.

BUT it's the best babysitting option we got. I know he'll be fine, just still on the young side all the same. I look forward to the worry factor notching down with time. (BM? Didn't worry about him a bit, for example).

So we dropped off the kids and I can't say I had ever seen the place so empty. IT was 6:00 though - people tend to go out later.

So we pop back in dh's car (of course - the van is sidelined for bad gas mileage).

& the thing won't start. At all.

LOL.

Dh and I just look at each other. "You have got to be kidding me."

He's like, "should I go get the kids?" Keenly aware we are paying $12.50/hour.

I look at the clock and I say we should ask for a jump, go home, and get the van.

You know, people are weird about jumps these days. We noticed this because we were stranded in the middle of nowhere once and people looked at us like we were asking them to perfom sex acts when we asked for a jump. & that was like almost a decade ago. (I seriously think people thought a "jump" was a sex act. I kid you not).

So dh says no, he is going to call AAA. I know the memories are coming back and he won't ask anyone for a jump for nothing. LOL. Plus he probably had a point, we could be there all day before we found someone brave enough to help us.

So we called AAA and this place is in a weird commercial area. IT is a REALLY weird location. So luckily dh is smart and sees a mexican restaurant across the way. We go to see what else is around, and are happy to get out of the heat.

We find an Indian pizza place. Seriously. Go figure.

We argued what to order and the cashier was a little strange (deal on a 2-topping pizza but she wouldn't let us have the topping we wanted, so we went a little round and round. LOL).

Ordered 2 mini pizzas and the tow truck guy got there with lightning speed. (Last time on the side of the FREEWAY I waited an entire hour). No doubt hurrying because of the heat, but can't figure we were high priority in front of a bunch of air conditioned establishments.

So the pizza was ready right then and we took it to go. Rushed home a couple of miles and ate our food and watched some "Last Comic Standing" on the TIVO.

Dh got Tandoori chicken pizza which was okay. No upscale food, but we got a taste of Indian. We now have leftovers for the weekend. Dinner cost $15 instead of $50.

We luckily were able to make it to the comedy show we had already paid for. Phew. It was pretty good actually. The comedy troupe is from here and dh knows the main guy/director. They tried a lot of new material I guess. Since this is their home. So it was an interesting experience for that. Anyway the show was: http://coexistcomedy.com/

The whole thing is they have a Hindu, Buddhist, Athesit, Chistian and Muslim. & it's kind of like poking fun at themselves as well as a very "Why can't we just all get along?" kind of thing.

But I had to say I was pleasantly surprised. BEfore it started dh said we had seen some of them perform before, another sketch comedy. I didn't remember in the least, but I eventually remembered we had gone because I remembered the opening act (this quirky little band that was hilarious). I said, well, they were entirely forgettable, so I Was starting to think I shouldn't expect much. Their opening act outshined them last time. LOL.

So yeah, it was pretty funny.

Oh, I was going to say, wouldn't you know we had hindus, buddhists, atheists (Expected), AND muslims in our 20-person audience. It was just really interesting. No Christians so they said the Christian guy ripped on the Christians a little more than usual. Lucky us. LOL.

It was just funny.

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Anyway, in other news, dh bought a $200 receiver yesterday. For our surround sound.

I am happy as a clam. HE had been bugging me for a $500 or so HD TIVO and we completely averted that by switching and renting a DVR. Not a big fan of renting equipment, but for now it averts a big purchase. We have no other choice since our TIVO is not compatible with satellite and everything else costs WAY more. We'll rent the DVR.

BUT he has been saving up his allowance money for a fancy $500 receiver.

So he was out yesterday and was looking for rice cookers. My mom gave me hers but it only worked once. BRand new, she didn't like the size (HUGE) and gave it to us. We used once, and then it broke. Seriously.

So back to the drawing board. We decided we'd prefer smaller anyway.

Dh said he went a few places like Target, Walmart, Bed Bath Beyond and they really didn't have much.

He remembered Fry's (the electronic store, mind you) had cookware. We got our crock pot there at a steal. He said they seriously had 20 rice cookers there. I would have never even known to look for cookware there. Seriously? LOL. So he picked one up for $20.

But while he was there he had to of course check receiver prices. New upgrades coming up and prices are coming down. He was planning to save his pennies all year for one. So he finds one in an open box for something like $189. He called me and I think he felt bad about it. I said, "Can you return it if it doesn't work?" He says, "yes." I say, "just buy the flipping thing."

I think he was feeling some guilt, but this is something he had been planning to buy for months if not years, and all of a sudden it is $300 off. Just buy the stinking thing!

So yeah, it works fine and was not missing anything. What a STEAL!

He said he perused online and the best he saw was $260 refurbished.

It was silver and he would have preferred black. He said, I'd pay a $10 premium for black, but oh well. Not $80." !!

So I am happy as a clam. For $200 spent, suddenly dh does not want to buy $1k in equipment. Phew!!!!!!

Anyway, he told me he would offer his old receiver to family/friends first. If not we could maybe get $50 for it. (At least offer our dads who gave us a lot of free equipment last weekend).

& he has some really fancy new receiver for the theater room. They are rolling out the new upgraded models for $500 but dh said there was nothing on the new models he wanted. So it goes. That's how we buy our electronics. He had been waiting for prices to come down. LAst year would have been $500 for the same thing.

I told dh, not so fast though. I asked him how old his old receiver was. Bought in 2000...

Okay, well, we have one for our stereo that I bought as a teen. I am like, "Are you sure you don't want to upgrade that one? Could be 20 years old."

Dh said- "That thing? Your receiver is WAY better than this piece of crap. They don't make them like that any more."

Thus, we are getting rid of the 8-year-old one and keeping the 20-year-old one.

This is why we don't spend that much for all the electronics we have. We tend to keep most of the stuff forever. As this new one is better for the sound and has better HD stuff (way over my head, but from what I gather) I would hope it lasts a LONG while as well...

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Oh anyway, on the car. IT's a 2001 Ford with about 90k miles. We have never replaced much but the tires. I had a 1982 Toyota for many years with a million miles, and little things always needed replacing. So I don't *get* this car in the least. We take it in frequently for a look over, and I am always amazed that we have like never replaced anything but the tires.

So if the battery is old, so be it. I guess they just make them so they last forever these days. That is still foreign to me since we drove old cars so long.

We think the contacts on the battery are just corroded, and my dad is visiting tomorrow so he will help us diagnose and fix. It figured the car died at 6pm on a Friday, when our repair shop is closed for the weekend. But my dad will save the day. Phew!!! Hoping it is just the battery - that will be easy enough to fix.

we were going to drive the compact to Yosemite, and had decided against it. Well, now I think we have no choice. LOL. Van it is... We'll worry about the Ford when we get back.

& yeah, if we have to jump the car with the van, then so be it. To get it to the mechanic - I think we have it covered.

Hail to the second car, life goes on...