Jim

I took my Mustang in to Gaudin Ford yesterday to get an extra key and remote made. The sales rep says $24 for the key, and about $40 for the remote. $64 dollars so far, right?
He mentioned my Universal Belt needed replacing, and I asked him how much.
He said $80 with labor. I said okay. I'm thinking, with taxes, its $150 tops.
So, he writes me up an estimate for $190.
I told him, man, thats high for what you said. He said, we write them higher than they will be.
We waited for three hours, and they arrived with a bill for $380. I'm serious!
He said, well there's taxes and all. And said "NO", there is a problem, and I started getting loud. Your estimate says $190, and he said, no, that says $290. It had a suspicious looking 1 on it. I said, THATS STILL WAY TOO HIGH!
He said, oh, wait, there is a problem, and he comes back with a bill that says $310.
He said "There, its right at my estimate, I think I did a good job".
I said, "Man, you know didn't do right".
The last time I was in Vegas, Ford County screwed me.
I took my F150 in for its Air Conditioner not working. They put a charge in it, and gave me a bill for $400.
- Maybe, I wouldn't have minded if they didn't use inferior refrigerent.
The stuff they used didn't even have leak detector in it. I can't even find where you get bottles of refrigerent like that.- Maybe, I wouldn't have minded if when I took it back in again, they didn't quote me $1,200 for a new compressor.
I eneded up having to buy a $10 bottle from Auto Zone, and charging the system myself.
And then there was the time we went to buy an $8,000 car off their lot.
With the paperwork, the car came up to $30,000.
I LIKE FORD VEHICLES !
But if you have one, you'd better be willing to fix it yourself.

Honda's are mighty fine vehicles.
I wonder if all Ford Dealers hustle their customers. I was hoping/thinking it was a Vegas thing.

Not much has happened on the job search. I'm not giving an all out effort on it yet though.

Robert and Emily's Wall Pictures

If they don't drink, gamble or have money for the shows ? This I've wondered often while living in Las Vegas.
I think I've seen most of what this desert has to offer.
I've camped out everywhere, seen the hotspots, and even have my own secret 4x4 places.
It would take months to visit all of the casinos in Vegas.
In those months, more casino's would have been built, while the ones you visited would have been remodeled.
Since we've been travelling, within a few blocks
- the Cannery (a high rise casino) was built
- The Nevada Palace was leveled.
- A Super Walmart has opened
- The neighbors that wanted to move got stuck, the ones that didn't got foreclosed on
- The roads that were under construction, with the cones and equipment, haven't been touched.
There's always something going on in Vegas.

Nothing much has happened on the job front. Someone called me about a job in Minnesota.
I couldn't understand him, so I asked the guy to send me an email.
I got emails from Nandita, NanSuresh Babu Malli, and Dharani Rham all about the same opening. I also got emails from two different people from svsservices about Florida. Hopefully, the only openings I've submitted for is RJ, LordT, and Chev.
Finding a contract can be gloomy work if you try to make it happen.

Family differences can be hilariously funny.
Growing up, in my family, when you sat somewhere, you stayed there.
If you got up, you came back to the exact same spot.
If someone offered you their spot, they were being polite. You would reciprocate by graciously turning them down.
You would say "Thank you, that's very nice of you, but that's okay, I'll just grab a chair.".
That was our system of manners and respect. You didn't take advantage of someone elses generousity.

Spots were a big thing in our family.
For years, all of us had a spot on the couch (it was an 8' wide, homemade couch).
- Mom had her spot on the couch on the end
- I had mine near Mom
- Sonny and Dad sat further away at the dining room table. If they sat at the couch, they had an issue to resolve.
- Linda, Grandfather, Grandmother, and various guests had their spots at the end.
- Kelly was a spot stealer, she never chose a spot. She would either stand in front of us, or sit in the middle of the cushons, to take up two spots.
You wouldn't believe how many arguments having a spot picked out, resolved with a family of six living in a very small house.
But all families are not created equal.

I noticed at a BBQ yesterday, that everyone who left the living room came back to sit in a different spot.
There was an easy chair in the living room, and almost everyone sat in it.
One person left their spot in the easy chair to get some pie.
He had to sit on the floor, because in the minute he was gone, someone had taken the easy chair.
In our family, that would have meant WAR !
At the BBQ I had my spot on the couch in the living room.
It was marked by my camera, and my sunglasses, and by golly, if someone took it, that would have met the wrath of Jim.
"HEY, GET OUT OF MY SPOT !".
Someone offered me her spot at the table
I wouldn't take it. Neither Sonny or I will do that. We pick our spots. That's was just our family's way.
No, I didn't slide over because Dustin and Becky got up.
No, I didn't take the easy chair when Gma, Paul, and Emily got up. Robert may have sat there too. lol.
And most of all, NO, It didn't mean I'm a pervert who wanted to cuddle up to the 13 year old, budding, Jennifer.
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
It simply meant, I was not taking some else's spot.
And by the way, thank you all very much for reading this. You have been very kind.
LOL.