The '87 Toyota Van Gets a Transmission
- and Momma Drives a Prius (Hybrid)

Octobe 2, 2002 
      The '87 Van is (finally) in for REPAIRS - try $3500 (Good thing I am still working.)
      "Didn't they tell you the compressor was bad"
      "No----"
      "Well, driving it bad it took out this other $$$$ thing"
      "And by the way - your clutch is a mess - I've never seen scoring like that - didn't it shudder?"
      "No - and didn't you guys fix the clutch? That $4,000 service? ---- back in May-June 1998??? (9,000 miles ago)?"
      "Oh yeah - we did (something mumble, mumble) not well documented - let me look at this ------"
      "OK - just don't drive it into a pole"
      "Oh we wouldn't do that!"
      "San Diego Toyota did - took out the whole side - drove a new Camary for 6 weeks"
      And don't forget the 10% discount from the AAA by the way-----
      And get that bill down --like "Don't repeat any repairs----"
      Meanwhile, I have a rental - a PRIUS - a HYBRID car - little thing!!! $30/day (suppose to be 2 days). I drove it to work. Hit 80 MPH. Quiet little thing. I managed to get one radio station turned in.
      It has GPS tracker - my son programmed it when we went to Togo's.
      IT TALKS TO ME AND TELLS ME WHEN TO TURN.
      It did that all the way home!
      BING BING TURN RIGHT IN ONE TENTH MILE THEN LEFT BING BING
      All the way home!!!!

      In a sexy FEMALE voice.

      Now - Fabio could have done that voice over ------ and gotten my attention a whole lot faster.

      Meanwhile, my son also figured out how to set the radio station button thing (on screen).
      The Odometer, gas and speedometer are all heads up display.
      That took a bit to get used to.

He programmed it when we drove back from the hospital on Thursday too. A longer drive. A lot more conversation from the car!