Creatures of Habit

This morning, as I always do, I released my little Boston Terrier, Coco, into our back yard to do her business. As I watched from the top of the stairs, I witnessed the same process she does every day. She sniffs here, sniffs there, and nine times out of ten, ends up using the same two square feet to place her deposit. It made me think--is this the same way I live as a human being?

I don't mean this literally. Of course I use the same spot for my "business"--we have designated places for that--but in terms of the way I live. Do I always go to the same 5 restaurants when there are 50--or 500? Do I always put on the same radio station when there are dozens? Do I drive the same roads the same way to the same place five days a week? Even worse, do I think the same thoughts over and over?

This comes more into focus when I do something a little different. I went to two places I'd never been before on Saturday, one of which involved meeting some new people, and it was exciting. It gave the day a different mood. I've started a few new activities for my 2012 Jewish Roots Project and it's the same feeling. Yesterday, my band, Red Paint, practiced on Sunday afternoon instead of Thursday night and we seemed especially productive.

So, let's not be creatures of habit--unless it makes sense. Have something different for lunch today!

San Francisco in 1955

Look at that skyline!

I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1965 and in the actual city itself from 1970 to 1985. I have many impressions of that great metropolis from the years of occuping different apartments in different neighborhoods and working at various jobs, starting as a dishwasher/busboy diagonally across the corner where Moscone Center (a large conference center) stands today.

So, I was excited to discover a more than 21-minute-long full-color movie of touring the city in 1955. So much has changed, but much looks, oddly, the same. Of course the old cars are fun to see in their shiny new condition, but many of the old buildings on the streets out of central downtown are quite similar. Downtown, though--Market Street especially--is almost unrecognizable.

It's a form of time travel to enjoy these preserved images. There's actually another short film shot in San Francisco just before the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Now THAT'S really interesting. With a few tiny exceptions, my S.F. memories start in 1970, which is still a pretty long time ago.

Biking with Bluetooth

While I was researching Bluetooth wireless technology at work yesterday for the eBeam Edge that my company produces, I came across the HIOD One. It's a Bluetooth device for your bicycle. So, when you're riding along with your biking buddies you can communicate with them, placing phone calls on the run, and can stream music from your ipod into the earpiece that comes with it.

I'm guessing that for some bikers, getting away from technology and working up a good sweat on a challenging trail is the goal, but if you're out with others and want to plan your strategy or not get lost, this device claims to work up to 1,300 feet away.

The control panel mounts on your handlebars, but you wear the voice unit on your arm or chest, kind of like the Jewish tefillin. See the video at their website for a good view of someone wearing one. Pricing information isn't available yet.

I hope that this won't prove to be the same distraction that using a cell phone or texting while driving has become.

Where Do the Lost Things Go?

It seemed easy enough. Just take a photo and then upload it to my computer. But--what happened to the little gray USB cable? It's only sat in the same spot on my work table for the last several years. But it was nowhere to be found.

I tried looking again and still nothing. Who could/would have taken it? Did I move it for some reason? Did it fall behind something? I looked again. I even tried a borrowed cable--it didn't work.

I had this issue not long ago with my debit card. I remember the sense of disbelief that something you were just using has simply disappeared. With the card, I had to cancel the old one and get a new one--a minor inconvenience. I actually had forgotten about it until now.

A house full of clutter is a great place for an item to go AWOL. My father kept his house (and workshop) perfectly organized so he didn't have this problem. In my rebellion against his perfect order (long ago) I became only semi-organized, and now I'm paying the price.

Next stop? A computer or camera store to see if I can find a replacement cable that'll work. Then, of course, I'll turn up the old one. At that point, I'll remember the day I moved it (or something like that).

Oh well, it's not exactly a serious illness or unemployment or some other crisis. So I'm going to let it go (or try to) as I head out into my day. Now where did I put that pencil?

Acura ZDX is Certainly... Different

The Acura ZDX stands out. I especially noticed this last weekend, when I parked my test car next to another ZDX. The two together (facing different directions thanks to the other driver's backing in) emphasized the car's unusual proportions and edgy shape.

The ZDX is an upscale crossover vehicle. That means it rides high like an SUV but doesn't have the boxy profile or the great headroom. With its swept back windshield and low windows, I actually bumped my head getting in one time--and was much more careful after that.

But what an interior. Sumptious leather heat/cool seats, a generous, stitched leather swatch of golden brown leather across the dash and doors, handsomely turned out metallic (looking) console and dash trim, and the kind of overt, in-your-face styling that remains interesting to the eye.

The fittings feel very firm and solid--carved from one piece--and the performance from whats under the pointed hood is impressive too. You get 300 horsepower from a 3.7-liter V6 and it's right there and ready to rock with a touch of your right foot. Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SHAWD) keeps you in place even in inclement weather.

Fuel economy is 16 City, 23 Highway--average 19. I got 17.4 mpg over a week of driving, much of it freeway. Premium fuel is specified.

You'll pay for fuel and you'll pay to buy this luxury ride. Base price is $46,020, but if you want the Advance Package, which came on my tester, expect to pay $56,520.

But with that package, you've got a high tech marvel at your fingertips. The Advance Package includes Navigation, a super premium 10-speaker audio system, and special goodies like an adjustable suspension (comfort or sport--I left it in the latter), adaptable cruise control (keep a set distance from the guy in front), and the great safety of a blind spot warning system. With the limited visibility of this hunkered-down ride, that last feature will pay for itself every day.

Crazy, Stupid, Love isn't So

As usual, we watched a couple of movies on New Year's Eve at home while eating and drinking things that are not recommended for weight loss or long term health. This year, one of our two movies was Crazy, Stupid, Love. It's a comedy of midlife crisis, with a touch of My Fair Lady and some surprise twists.

Steve Carell plays Cal, who is a nice guy but totally uncool. His wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), wants a divorce, so suddenly he's out on his own, trying to pick up girls in a bar. He's hapless, but luckily, he gets some help from Jacob (played by Ryan Gosling), who seems to really have the knack. He fixes up Cal, but there's a lot more to the story--for Cal and for him.

Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), has a crush on his 17-year-old babysitter (Analeigh Tipton), just part of the crazy, stupid part of love. It's so touching though, because I remember that feeling, not only for a high school girl who looked after 12-year-old me but my life in high school that included a few of these unrequited love situations. And Ms. Tipton, who is actually 22 years old, and is quite fetching, too.

I was pretty uncool myself, but when I was divorced many years ago I might have liked to have a Jacob to show me around. I did OK. We learn more about Jacob in the movie--the other side of guys who seem to have it all together.

It's not my intention to spill the beans on this or any movie, but this one will work for anyone who can identify with poor Cal--or anyone else in the movie. A great time--and a fine choice for starting out the new year.

Accounting for 2011 - Big Growth

The goal with Test Driving Life in 2011 was to post daily. I did that--and somehow, at the beginning two extra posts slipped in, so there were 367 posts last year.

Total Views for the year were 35,091, and the number grew steadily all year, from 647 in January (after practically nothing in December 2010) to 2,312 in July and up to 6,254 in December--the best month of the year.

Test Driving Life is focused on two main subjects, Cars and Music, but the third, category, Miscellaneous, actually had more items.

Cars - 106
Music - 101
Miscellaneous -158
There were two additional stories that were specifically dedicated to both cars and music. Add them all up and you get 367.

My end-of-the-year survey shows that the Miscellaneous subjects included at least 28 categories, from Art to Food to Anniversaries (birth and death), Architecture, Tattoos, Movies, Health, Sports, Travel, Social Issues, the News, and more.

The top 10 stories of the year were:

Audi A2 May Return - Hooray   9/3/11     2,292 views
Ford Pinto Turns 40 - Join the Stampede  6/5/11   1,801 views
My Worklife in a Nutshell  3/25/11   975 views
Bob Dylan is 70 Today -- Really?  5/24/11   942 views
Jack Casady - Bassman Then and Now  6/6/11  691 views
Fiat 500 Brings Cuteness into the Present  8/2/11  644 views
Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts  3/1/11  491 views
George Harrison's Cloud Nine - Post Beatle High Spot  11/10/11  459 views
Paul McCartney Meets a Girl from the Motor Trade  5/6/11  436 views
Three Beatle Weekend  10/10/11   384 views

Of the top 10, three were related to cars, including the top two, which were far ahead of the pack. Of the seven remaining, six involved musicians, of which three were related to the Beatles. Christina Perri was not the only musician from today who was featured in the blog, but is the only one to crack the top 10.

Test Driving Life continues, but may not be daily. Check regularly, though. Thanks.