Vehicle @ MindSay

A s winter arrives, it usually means it is time for some cold weather, time to take the hoses off to the house's outside faucets and to prepare winterizing everything, to include your vehicles. You may even get some snow to compliment the beauty of your Christmas. During the cold weather season, always keep your fuel tank full. This keeps a driver from running out of gas while driving in slow heavy traffic during hazardous conditions, or if waiting for help while stranded off the side of a road somewhere.

   Snow / Ice Driving Tips

• Drive below the posted speed limit
• Don't get in any hurry
• When starting off from a dead stop, take your foot off of the brake and allow your vehicle to move forward on its own idle speed, do not give your vehicle any gas until you are moving forward under control again.
• Always allow yourself plenty of distance from any vehicle in front of you for reasons like stopping, an obstacle in the roadway, a signal light or stop sign.
• When necessary to stop or slow down, lightly tap your brakes until you have dropped down to your desired speed or stop. Do not stomp on your brakes, this will only cause your vehicle to slide and that you will lose control.
• If your vehicle goes into a slide, take your foot off of your gas pedal slowly as your speed declines, and slowly turn your steering wheel in the direction that your vehicle is sliding, example, if you are sliding toward the right, turn your steering wheel right, left slide, turn it to your left. Remember to turn into the direction of your slide.

    This will allow the driver to use their heater for staying warm, knowing their gas tank is full. If having to pull over off the side of the road, try and find some level ground and to make sure that you are parked off of the roadway enough for your own safety and the safety of others. Turn your emergency flashers on and keep them on. If your vehicle is in good condition, you might turn your car off and save some fuel until it becomes cold again, then start your vehicle back up, if you fear that your car may not start again, leave the engine running, do not shut the car off.

   It is also a good idea to store these items in your vehicle before the bad weather hits, things like a cell phone with a charger cord, thick blanket, flashlight, a piece of cardboard that can be placed under a tire should one get stuck in the snow, a heavy-duty jacket, Ice scraper, winter coveralls, snow boots, a small shovel, some long-term snacks, a 'I NEED HELP SIGN', these ideas help believe me. Always remember to keep your doors locked, that you never open your door to any stranger, tell the helping motorist to get you some help from a law enforcement agency, and to wait for that police officer to show up. Right? Right. It is also true and sad, that there are fanatical idiot drivers on the road too.

   Yes, a four-way stop sign means stop to all motorists. But, when driving and approaching a four-way stop sign when ice is on the road, do not stop if possible, continue driving through the intersection slowly, because the driver behind you may not be able to stop in time. This also allows the drivers behind you to maintain their traction and from getting stuck waiting on the parked driver in front of them. This same rule applies for drivers driving uphill on ice approaching a four-way stop sign. Have some courtesy for the drivers behind you.

   Thinking smart and being a Cautious Driver during Hazardous Weather Conditions is very nice, and a safe idea too, but in the real world we all know everybody does not adhere to safety or respect for other drivers. I shook my head sadly to hear a t.v. reporter this weekend say "Mother Nature" was responsible for 6 deaths this weekend. I wanted to tell her," No, lady! It's the friggin idiots that THINK they know how to drive 55 in a snow storm!" Or how bout the idiots that think because they have FOUR WHEEL DRIVE vehicles, they can drive when and however they like on ICE.

   During this special time, People begin to hurry around shopping for Christmas gifts, visiting and or are generally preoccupied with something else on their minds or a cell phone crammed in their ear while driving. This practice while driving is dangerous enough on dry pavement than trying it on a road covered with ice.

   This season will be no different, we will have those idiot drivers who think they are expert drivers, who don't care about paying attention to their own driving, that will speed around on ice or drive crazy through road construction sites during hazardous road conditions. These people endanger their own life as well as the lives of other people when doing so.

   Hazardous road conditions are bad enough to be driving on, so when a dumb *** adds beer drinking, horse playing, showing off, cell phone conversations or looking down at the floor board for whatever reasons, they will get someone injured or killed. People need to drive safely, cautiously and to give other drivers plenty of room.

   If these crazy drivers are driving recklessly because they are in a hurry, or think it is cool, they are wrong. I suggest that they leave earlier to wherever they are going, so that they won't have to hurry. So, during this time, stay alert, keep your eyes on the road, for other drivers' driving, and especially watchful for that Rambo moron driving up behind you like a bat out of hell. This is excellent advise to be mindful of during this season. Maybe, this information will save someone's life.

Jim Heitmeyer

And fine'ly settles down
And you'd forget I ever came around...

I really should write more...

Over the weekend I embarked upon a 4 state odyssey, which gave me a great deal of time to think about the world and all that is therein. Much of this internal discussion revolved around points that I have covered already since this Blog went operational. But then there are points that points that may be too trivial to write about, but nonetheless were spiraling out of control within my head...

One of these points is the fact that over these many years I have owned a great many vehicles, and my favourite ones have always had nicknames. My first vehicle was a 1974 Jeep Cherokee that was called The Calypso it was a huge monster machine that proved to be the ultimate party vessel - off-road or on, it went everywhere with as many people as could be crammed in it. Unfortunately it died due to lingering cancers of its skin. Vehicle number two - a 1969 Olds Cutlass - was called The Rocket for under the hood was a 350 Rocket. This vehicle was sold when I was laid off of my two jobs within a month and could no longer afford it. Vehicle number three - a 1974 Ford Maverick - became The Calypso II. It was another party vessel of the highest degree, but unfortunately it met the same fate as its namesake. And then I went through a period of numerous vehicles over many years...

I know that those of you who happen upon this will be asking, "Where are you going with this, oh great babbler of nothing in particular?" Verily I say unto thee, it has everything to do with everything during the course of my journey for I have nicknamed my vehicle of choice. From this day forth and for all eternity it shall be know as The Exterminator. There has never been a vehicle designed that kills more insects than this. All insects great and small sacrifice themselves upon every exposed portion of the machine. Bug guts are everywhere for all the world to see and gaze upon in amazement...

Another point that I feel that I should write upon is the fact that whence I returned from my odyssey, I discovered that my friends lists of this Blog was missing one person. This doesn't happen too often so when it does, I notice things like that. I just wish people would let me know that they were going or that they hated my juts and never wished to associate themselves with me or that they were just moving on to another phase of their lives from which they shall not return. But I realize that I am not important enough to be notified of any of this though I will notice all of it...

For the curious, I will be out of the office for a few days beginning on the First. I will jetting off to a far away land and hopefully it will do my soul some good though I know that I often seek miracles where none can be found...

And so I sit upon my porch typing my thoughts on this hazy overcast day. It's actually a quite nice sort of day - not too hot, not too cold, a nice breeze to keep the air moving. And I sit here now wondering about all the lines that run along my street and how they run from house to house. What wonders do they carry? What is the message contained within? What do they carry off within them as they leave all that I can see before me? They are numbered ten, and of this number only two can be considered anywhere near being perpendicular to the ground from which they rise, so many strange angles with wires running between them and the houses. And eventually, they all lead away from where I am at this moment, all that is, but one. Across the street from me as I sit and wonder, one lone line dangles about four feet from where it connects to its pole ending its path about ten feet from the ground. What secrets did it once contain? Why has its journey been cut so tragically short? Where does its message go once it reaches the end of the line?

But now I sit and think that maybe I have written enough for today and I shall end this much like the line as it dangles before me...

This is the Word of the AntiCrust...

Praise be ye who Read the Word for ye are Blessed amongst humans...

The kid did get stopped..when he was almost all the way here. Just about an hour away in fact. In southern misouri. It seems he was going too fast. The officer took him to town hall and searched the vehicle and threatened him with lots of things...but as of the last I heard was going to let him and the truck go if...a liscensed driver came to get the vehicle and brought 300 bucks with em. It was 600 at first then it went down. I guess the kid was very polite :) I have no idea what will happen now. I think he is at his uncles for the day at least. Will find out later I guess.

 

In other news...it rained! Since I just put out a new bush from the arbor day foundation that was really good for me.

 

Hope life is treating you well :)

I'll take you anywhere you wanna go
I'm your vehicle, woman
By now I'm sure you know...

The Joys of Trailing People in Reverse...

The entire concept came to me out of boredom and the fact that I love driving. And it is an easy game to play though it can be time consuming. The rules of the game are simple and are as follows...

1. One must be in a motor vehicle that has enough gasoline to drive for long distances...

2. The best time for this game is at night because the lights of the vehicle are easier to keep an eye on though if there is a co-pilot present, they can be in charge of the observation phase of the chase in reverse...

3. Drive around until another vehicle is following you, and the other vehicle gives a more than adequate interval between the time it uses its turn signal and the time it actually turns (hint: older drivers seem to be better targets of the pursuit then younger drivers who are often more preoccupied with other tasks than to signal well in advance of a turn)...

4. Slow down somewhat but keep a distance great enough to see the turn signals of the target of the pursuit in reverse...

5. When they turn, you turn. When they don't, you don't...

6. The game eventually ends when the vehicle you have been following backwards eventually stops and you declare yourself the victor...

7. There may be times when it is appropriate (e.g. when the other vehicle pulls into a parking lot of a well lit public space) to get out of your vehicle and ask the other driver if he or she has been following you though caution should be used as to the neighborhood in which you have stopped and the number of occupants of the vehicle that you have been following backwards...

And thus endeth the game, and after you have declared yourself the victor in this epic quest, it may be a good time to celebrate your victory with extremely loud music and the wearing of party hats and the blowing of noisemakers...

I would like to give thanks to Eris  who wondered about the rules of the game and forced me to codify them for all the world to see and partake of the adventure...

This is the Word of the AntiCrust...

Praise be the Word...