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broderic on May 12, 2013

Itsuki-chan’s in for repairs. Hopefully, she gets better, and hopefully, it’s not gonna cost an arm and a leg. Meanwhile, they gave me a car to tool around in. They weren’t supposed to, but I think they’re trying to buy a new one. I can’t get rid of Itsuki-chan, but this new girl is fun to drive around in.

What you see here is the Mini Cooper Coupé S in a gaudy light blue. It’s almost like the standard Mini Cooper S, but only two seats, 3/4 of the height, and more claustrophobic. It’s like a small closet. The ceiling is close to your head even cranking the seat down as far it goes. I’m 5’9″ and my head nearly touches the roof. They’ve accommodated your head with little functional alcoves on the ceiling, but I think if you’re tall, you’re gonna be ducking a lot.

The most aggravating aspect of the coupé is lack of sight lines. The rear window is small and when the spoiler extends at 51 MPH the view out back is even more obscured. The B and C pillars block the view when trying to backup. It’s small inside and hard to see out.

Yet, it still a fun little ride. Compared to Itsuki-chan, it’s feels more agile. Perhaps this is because it is more rigid being smaller and lacking the sunroof. It goes into corners just as confidently as Itsuki-chan, but without the LSD that Itsuki-chan has, it doesn’t pull as smoothly. There’s some spinning.

The coupé has about the same options as mine, maybe. The interior is black which makes the plastic look much, much better. The radio integrated into the center speedometer is better designed with both the On button and the volume button adjacent to each other rather than the way it is on mine with one down below the CD player and the other on the speedometer itself. Mini is putting better effort in making the fit of the car better. It’s come a way from my Itsuki-chan, but it feels just about worth its price.

The coupé is also a sport automatic. It’s got paddle shifters on the steering column, or you can shift on the gear selector. It’s weird because I can drive most other automatics, but in a Mini Cooper, I have to use the sport shifting.

When you drive a sport automatic, the ECU controls the shift points. I’ve put her into ‘sport’ mode during my drives hoping it would be almost manual, but the ECU kicks in and makes shifts when I don’t want it to, especially when slowing down. The ECU doesn’t help with the shifting; it hinders it when you’re used to manual.

I also miss neutral, an essential gear on a manual. In a manual, you can take the car out of gear while coasting. In this special automatic, there is no neutral to get to when needed. It’s always in gear. That’s why its tough to drive when I’m used to manual. I like to coast in neutral sometimes and it’s just not available.

I hope Itsuki-chan will be better. This dalliance is great fun, but I want her back.

iPad Mini

broderic on December 1, 2012

Thoughts on this thing I am typing on.

When I first picked it up: Damn this thing is small. I thought it was going to be bigger.

Now it feels like iPhone 3GS. The screen doesn’t feel too nice. It feels kind of plasticky. Plus it misses the retina display. If it had that, I think it would be worth the money. This is the 32MB wireless+cellular. It’s kind of pricy for this thing that looks like an Amazon Kindle or a Nook.

Now that I think of it this thing reminds me of my Mini. Plasticky and pricy. But you know I love my Mini. Do I like this a lot so far.

Straight Away

broderic on August 31, 2012

Baltimore Grand Prix is in town again. This is the view from the finishing straight. I walked this after yesterday’s Orioles-ChiSox game. I drove this earlier this month after an Orioles-Royals game. I drove it in my Cooper S. I shot the gap along the left fence between cars as I raced to Presidents Street and I-83. I think it would be really fun to take the Cooper S around the entire course. Let’s do that next year!

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bright Lights, Short Circuit

broderic on March 4, 2012

My Mini Cooper drives me nuts. Most cars have a regular N number of miles before service: my Jetta recommends service every 5,000 miles. The Mini doesn’t. It relies on the computer to tell me when it’s ready. I think it talks to me a Botchie because I don’t know when it signals me to bring her in for service. That’s why I went and did the Mini Cooper service festival this weekend. I knew that it was about time for service plus I went for the recall. Oh, yeah, she’ll catch fire on occasion if you’re not careful. I think I want to get that fixed.

Now, the last time I was in the Mini dealership it was empty. A weekday would do that. But on Saturday, it was busy. There were a few people doing the same thing I was doing, and there were a few people shopping for cars. I also saw a lady picking up her new Mini Countryman trading in a bigger SUV. People actually are buying this car? I can’t believe it, just as I can’t believe that I have one myself.

An hour into the wait, the service manager gives me the first diagnosis of the ills of my Mini Cooper. I already know what he’s going to say. Tires. Mine are bald. I know that. He’s trying to sell me on 3 tires for $1,000+. Come on. I could probably get all four for that much. That price because of the tires being run flats. I didn’t know that they also offered Pirelli run flats. I’m looking for an upgrade and for slightly cheaper than the Goodyears that are currently on her.

From behind me, I hear a lady groan about tires, too. She’s got a 2006 Cooper and she knows about tires. If you have to replace tires every 30,000 miles with $1,000 set of four, you’ll know something about tires.

We start a conversation about the tires. How terrible it is and the cost. It’s one of the worst parts of owning a Mini Cooper. We start discussing how we like the Mini, though. Her’s, as I mentioned, is a 2006 in a blue which they don’t offer any more. She takes hers to the beach with her bike on the back hitch. She’s able to pack a whole hell of a lot into her Mini. She’s put a beach umbrella in there! We both like our Minis but would definitely buy another. She’s got a Benz that she may or may not trade in for another Benz. Her Mini, like mine, is her summer driver.

As we discuss our Minis, we take a stroll through the showroom floor. She tells me of the older Coopers having a chintzy cup holder that is easy to break. We look at the current Cooper S. We discuss how the rolltop cover to the convertible causes visibility problems. We both agree that the white convertible is cute. We stroll over to the Clubman and check out the back barn door. That center pillar has got to cause rearview problems. We agree that the Clubman kind of grows on you after a while. We checkout a Countryman. Then we wander over to the new Coupe in JCW black. I get in and she compliments me that it fits me. Not really as it is really compact in there. The black headliner makes it dark as hell, too. I kind of like it.

I wonder about this interaction I had with this lady. I wonder if she was flirting with me. I wonder if I was competent in my flirting back. Is all of this in my head or was it palpably real? Or am I grasping at straws? Older, upper 40s or 50ish. Not bad looking slightly beautiful in the older white lady way. I am grasping at straws…

Anyhow, the Mini Cooper is ready for another year, and I have to get her tires…

S Cooper Mini Hot! Hot! Hot!

broderic on July 25, 2011

It was pretty hot this past week. This here is proof. What?! 107 is hard to believe but this is ridiculous. It’s burning up. I’m burning up. My car? It’s hot too. This has got to be global warming right?

Docket Lion

broderic on July 21, 2011

Purchased Lion for the MacIntel Mini. Downloading it as we speak. On DSL. This will take a few days.

It took a couple of days to get Disappearance and that was a good 3+ GB torrent. Why’d I do it. I have no idea, but for $25 I think it may be worth it for a major upgrade to OS X.

When’s Liger coming out?

Link of the Day [2.12.11]

broderic on February 12, 2011

I didn’t know how small these guys are. I thought they would be just as big as the smaller SUV. Nope. This guy is tiny, a true Mini. I think even smaller than the Clubman. I think this would make a better car. Hmm. Bye bye, Jetta?

Sometimes people with a missing limb need to scratch the missing limb

broderic on February 3, 2011

I finally put the VW back on the road. A week before the Hawaiian Vacation, it threw coolant warning lights on the dash, which turned out to be a leak in the cooling system. I put her in the garage and left her until this month. The snow forecasts forced me to get her fixed. I trust her tires more than the ones on the Cooper S. Hers are newer, less wear, and more all weather types.This morning, as I started her up to get to work, I placed my hand on the light switch. I stopped by the deli to get breakfast, and when I started her again, I placed my hand on the light switch. Where does this behavior come from?I know I do this all the time. Subconsciously, I place my hand on the switch. At times, I flip the switch on. I do this most every time I start her up. Even when I know I do this, I can't help it. I do this in the Cooper S as well. There is no switch on the dash for the lights, so I am reaching for air. Perhaps, writing about it will stop this behavior.

Saturday Post

broderic on January 16, 2010

Plenty to talk about. Hard to write down though. Trying to capture some things that have been rattling around my head this early month of 2010, the year we make contact.

Watching movies is getting hard again. Netflix queue is backed up again. Perhaps it may take longer than usual to unclog and I’m sure I’m approaching the last overdue record. Sunshine why must you mock me? Going to the movies? Also hard, especially with lame movies like this. Are there gonna be anything good coming out? Or do I have to wait for this or this.

Baseball season will commence soon. In thirty or so days, spring training. Then I will get to sit next to Nick Markakis in right for thirteen games. There’s still time if you want to join me. Yet, they just raised the prices for walk up games. How am I going to go to all the business men specials on the spur of the moment? I planned to go to all the day games and root, but I’m disappointed in the price hike. Didn’t we just show up and buy tickets lots last year?

Work is still sucky. I’m not feeling it as a software engineer. I wish I knew someone that would make working fun. Let’s build out good software. I wish I could be cool again.

Got a cool app. Mini-Link. Don’t know if it works. It’s a social app. Why aren’t Mini drivers girls?

Trying to read lots of books. Still stuck on that city one. I’m onto Green Mars. I have to get to my Christmas present. I still go to the bookstore, but I’m trying to hold off on the books.

Anime! Anime! Anime! Manga! Manga! Manga! The only spring anime I’m torrenting is Baka to Test to Shokanju. Funny! Still watching KimiTodo, Cross Game, and Railgun. Still buying lots of manga.

Nendoroids are my favorite. I have received four more and I haven’t opened up the boxes on three. I want more. More nendoroids! They are so cute.

Plenty of more to say, but I can’t keep writing. Hit me up in comments with your thoughts especially those of the 16 early days of January.

Ghosts of Minis Present

broderic on May 11, 2009

Ghosts of Minis Present
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.
Chased her from 795. She’s got the sport package accoutrements. Black wheels to boot. She also didn’t get the front licence installed, but chose the aftermarket tow hook licence dongle. I’m not sporting it though. I wonder if it’s her boyfrind’s car.