The Fidomobile's main goal is to be seen out and about in the Hamptons, so today's venture to Southampton Village was just right. I got my first weird look from a woman heading into a store when I was parking. She did a double take, like "Is that bulldog going to bite me?" and then kept going as if she didn't want to let on that she had looked. I suspect I had best get used to this reaction in the Hamptons. The Fidomobile is super cute (IMO), but Bentley drivers are likely not going to appreciate it as much as I do.
Starting Mileage: 232
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
First Trip
Seems kind of strange, but the first place I took the Fidomobile was my other main client site. This office is located in a strip mall in central Long Island. As I pull in (having thoroughly enjoyed 50 miles of driving on what seems to be a mere 2 gallons of gas), it occurs to me that hiding a rolling billboard in the middle of a suburban strip mall parking lot is a total waste of potential advertising impressions.
It just so happens that there is a Sonic Drive Through on the property, which for reasons inadequately explained to me, is continuing to draw long lines of people eager to buy chili cheese dogs, chili cheese tater tots, chili with cheese, and cherry limeades at all hours of the day. And it's early in the day, so the surrounding parking area is empty. Bingo. The Fidomobile spent the day at the end of a row of cars in clear view of anyone coming near the place.
After the drive home, we picked up my friend Susan and after everyone had a chance to gush over the cuteness of my little Cube, we headed over to our current favorite local spot, Canal Cafe, for dinner. So the Fidomobile has already been Out On The Town in the Hamptons.
Starting mileage: 136
It just so happens that there is a Sonic Drive Through on the property, which for reasons inadequately explained to me, is continuing to draw long lines of people eager to buy chili cheese dogs, chili cheese tater tots, chili with cheese, and cherry limeades at all hours of the day. And it's early in the day, so the surrounding parking area is empty. Bingo. The Fidomobile spent the day at the end of a row of cars in clear view of anyone coming near the place.
After the drive home, we picked up my friend Susan and after everyone had a chance to gush over the cuteness of my little Cube, we headed over to our current favorite local spot, Canal Cafe, for dinner. So the Fidomobile has already been Out On The Town in the Hamptons.
Starting mileage: 136
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Meet The Fidomobile
A company car is every good little corporate wage slave's dream, right? But, living the Hectic life, of course I didn't achieve it quite the normal way. My "company car" is provided by my very favorite client. It's a brand spankin' new Nissan Cube, whose cuteness is only enhanced by the gigantic bulldogs plastered all over the sides and back. Being a fan of the company, as well as a complete marketing geek, the opportunity to drive a great new car that gets awesome gas mileage, was too good to pass up.
So: Meet the Fidomobile. I was promised integrated Bluetooth, which is not actually included in the car, so it looks like I landed a Cube 1.8. I do NOT have "extra amenities: Body-color outside mirrors, Interface System for iPod®, [2] Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, cruise control with steering wheel-mounted controls, premium cloth seat trim, driver's seat armrest, visor vanity mirrors, dual overhead map lights, front passenger seatback pocket, chrome-plated inside door handles and 6 speakers, including 2 tweeters." Oh well. It has 74 miles on it and it even SMELLS new.
Never mind that it won't go in reverse.
So there I am sitting in the Fidos' Fences parking lot. I have virtuously been working all day long, knowing my new Cube was sitting right out front waiting for me to drive it. It's about a million degrees outside and there's a decent size thunderstorm somewhere over Connecticut, so I know I need to get things in gear to get this baby home before the LIE gets too adventuresome. And I can't get the thing to go into reverse. I have tried everything I can think of. Everyone else is long gone.
Out of ideas, and Google on my smartphone having totally failed me (apparently this is too dumb of a question to ever have been answered on the Internet), I give up and call the boss man / owner of the Fidomobile. He kindly explains to me that there's a ring on the gearshift that must be lifted up to enable the car to go in reverse. He tells me that I'm not the first person to have this problem, which I tend to believe means he made a similar phone call when seated in a similar vehicle in the not-too-distant past, but seeing as how the guy just gave me the keys to his brand new CAR, I'm not going to give him a hard time.
So now that I can back up, we're ready to hit the road. I blow kisses at the Jeep, left in the Fido's parking lot, and the Fidomobile and I hit the road. After 4 years of a Jeep Wrangler, this is a bit of an adjustment and requires a somewhat more delicate touch than I'm used to. The brakes on this care are very good, definitely.
Given that we made it home (60 miles!) through a monsoon with only one stall, I'd say we're well on our way to car-and-driver bonding.
Mileage: 74
So: Meet the Fidomobile. I was promised integrated Bluetooth, which is not actually included in the car, so it looks like I landed a Cube 1.8. I do NOT have "extra amenities: Body-color outside mirrors, Interface System for iPod®, [2] Bluetooth® Hands-free Phone System, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, cruise control with steering wheel-mounted controls, premium cloth seat trim, driver's seat armrest, visor vanity mirrors, dual overhead map lights, front passenger seatback pocket, chrome-plated inside door handles and 6 speakers, including 2 tweeters." Oh well. It has 74 miles on it and it even SMELLS new.
Never mind that it won't go in reverse.
So there I am sitting in the Fidos' Fences parking lot. I have virtuously been working all day long, knowing my new Cube was sitting right out front waiting for me to drive it. It's about a million degrees outside and there's a decent size thunderstorm somewhere over Connecticut, so I know I need to get things in gear to get this baby home before the LIE gets too adventuresome. And I can't get the thing to go into reverse. I have tried everything I can think of. Everyone else is long gone.
Out of ideas, and Google on my smartphone having totally failed me (apparently this is too dumb of a question to ever have been answered on the Internet), I give up and call the boss man / owner of the Fidomobile. He kindly explains to me that there's a ring on the gearshift that must be lifted up to enable the car to go in reverse. He tells me that I'm not the first person to have this problem, which I tend to believe means he made a similar phone call when seated in a similar vehicle in the not-too-distant past, but seeing as how the guy just gave me the keys to his brand new CAR, I'm not going to give him a hard time.
So now that I can back up, we're ready to hit the road. I blow kisses at the Jeep, left in the Fido's parking lot, and the Fidomobile and I hit the road. After 4 years of a Jeep Wrangler, this is a bit of an adjustment and requires a somewhat more delicate touch than I'm used to. The brakes on this care are very good, definitely.
Given that we made it home (60 miles!) through a monsoon with only one stall, I'd say we're well on our way to car-and-driver bonding.
Mileage: 74
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