Stories from the Sales Frontlines

stickguy

thanks. I am way late (for many reasons) trying to figure something out for that week. Though I assume the ocean is still too cold that far north in early April to actually use it.

fezo

Average ocean temp in Kitty Hawk in April is.... 57 degrees. Brisk!

Now in Canada if you know what specialist you want to go to can you do that? I was going to a hematologist on my doctor's recommendation but after a while asked my brother, whose roommate spent time as a clinical director at Sloan Kettering (remember that Yale endowment?), to get a recommendation for one there. Fortunately SK takes my insurance, which is a PPO.

driver100

People need insurance becuase the prices are high, but the prices are high because most people have insurance.

Exactly! That is why government regulation is needed. I also prefer a co-pay plan, where the patient has to pay something, just to make him think before he goes to the doctors office every time.

fezo

Gee, thanks. Those of us that see multiple doctors all the time....

Actually my PPO has a cap on out of expenses every year; one that I have exceeded every year for several running. The doctors don't stop charging the copay but at some point the next year they send you a little note saying "sign here if you want a check for overpayment." I assume they do it that way knowing that some people won't open the letter since most stuff they send is junk.

stickguy

that is brisk. Was poking around, and thought of maybe flying to Birmingham, then driving down for a couple of days on the gulf shores. Just for something different. Water temp there in April is 69, with daily high air temp of 74. So not exactly tropical.

I have a feeling though at this point it will be "where can we drive to"?

my daughter had grand hopes for a fancy fly away vacation. Economic factors conspired against her though! But, I can throw the Volvo in her face (see? your vacation money went into a better car!)

One thing I know she does not want to do is spend the week driving around, looking at colleges.

stickguy

hey, anyone spend time in Charleston? Can actually get a pretty cheap air fare to there (and yes, that helps determine where I want to visit!) Looks like a neat place. Ocean a bit chilly, but beach could be nice. and should be enough activities to keep my daughter busy.

dino001

Exactly not! Government regulation is one that induced insurance-price escalation spiral and it is also one that sustains it. Medical insurace is one of the heaviest-regulated industries.

Another example of government destruction of marketplace is property (house) insurance in Florida in terms of rates. It is very heavily regulated, each rate increase requires government's approval and as a result the pool of available companies is diminishing weekly. There is almost nothing left, but state-owned Citizen's, which was supposed to be last-resort highest price insurer of houses nobody else would underwrite.

fezo

I've heard many good things about Charleston. You could do way worse.

Hey, get on down in the Florida panhandle (no cheap flights, though). When I was in grad school I'd head down to St. George Island or Panama City Beach. You could swim from mid-March to early November. I remember going down in mid-March and the Floridians thought I was nuts. "The water is 70 degrees!" Apparently you need to approach 80 for a Floridian.

Property insurance - well, of course it costs a fortune in Florida. It's a high risk state for property. In NJ while our car insurance is nuts the property insurance isn't bad.

driver100

Exactly not! Government regulation is one that induced insurance-price escalation spiral and it is also one that sustains it.

Exactly not, not! IMHO our socialized medicine system costs almost half the cost of the US system, per capita, because the government regulates how much doctors can charge, how much hospitals can charge. We don't have $18 aspirins. Hospitals have to work within budgets.

Maybe the government can't regulate insurance companies, I don't know if that works, but they can regulate medical costs.

kyfdx

Rent a car, and Hilton Head and Savannah are only two hours or less from there....

Ocean will be too chilly, but the weather should be nice, overall.. even if you just stay in Charleston... interesting areas with a lot of history..

stickguy

looked it up. seems like a nice place. reasonable cost, assuming the "casa loma" hotel isn't a dump!

much to do around there for a family, other than hang on the beach (thankfully we would be going after spring break was done!)

stickguy

CHarleston does look like a neat place, and somewhat central. 2 hours or less is OK for a day trip to something interesting.

and hey, it is different than being stuck in NJ.

sterlingdog

"One thing I know she does not want to do is spend the week driving around, looking at colleges."

Sorry I mentioned the colleges. They just happened to be in the cities that I recommended. They were just another point of interest. That's why it is difficult to give advice when you don't know people very well. Invaribaly, they don't care for my suggestions.

As for ocean temperature, I didn't mean that it was time to go swimming. It IS a perfect time to take walks on the beach and sit in the sun.

Too bad that the mountains are out. Most people from the North always concentrate on the beaches and really miss the beauty of the mountains.

As for Charleston, I have stayed there many, many times. It is a beautiful city with a touch of New Orleans. A nice hotel down on The Battery would be well worth the expense. The park there is also lovely. You can take the carriage tour of the city and/or the boat tour of the harbor. The restaurants are fantastic. If you have time, drive over to Savannah and tour the city. Be sure to take the tour of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil".

Richard

mako1a

drive over to Savannah and tour the city

I don't know what it was, but the best food I ever had was in Savannah.

My (now) wife couldn't believe it, but I ate 3 main courses and still wanted

more. Maybe it was because we were camping one night then hotel the next.

snakeweasel

That was the first guess a TMI. My blood work came back all normal, they did an MRI and found nothing and my arteries are clear and clean. Not known what caused it, but it hasn't happened since.

driver100

. Not known what caused it, but it hasn't happened since.

Still likely a TMI. Might happen again, might not. Might have left some affect, might not. Hope it is over.

jmonroe

hey, anyone spend time in Charleston?

Not me. I hope Mrs. j doesn’t find this post or I’ll be doing some more splainin. We might be the only people that lived in SC that never went to Charleston. It’s not like we didn’t have the chance, we lived there for 5 years. Plenty of times we were asked by friends to go with them to do some sightseeing and stay at the nice B & B’s they have there but for one excuse or another I never said yes. In my defense, a few of those times I had a legitimate excuse. Went to Hilton Head more times than I can count but never went to Charleston.

jmonroe

tjc78

Darn battery went in the Fiance's 08 Elantra last night. She was not happy whatsoever, trying to explain that needing a battery after almost 4 years wasn't the end of the world wasn't an easy thing. Luckily we both had our cars at the office because I had an appointment after work. Going to swap it out at lunch, I already pulled it. It had a little less than 12 volts and dropped to 10 after one starting attempt. I will still have it checked just in case, but pretty sure its toast. Way to go Hyundai 45 months and 32K miles!

driver100

I just remembered, someone wanted to get their yellow headlights cleaned.

I saw a guy in a pick up truck parked at the side of the road in Florida, highway 304. He had a cardboard sign, "I will Clean Your Headlights".

Quite the business idea. I didn't see any customers around, but you got to give him credit for trying.

jmonroe

Way to go Hyundai 45 months and 32K miles!

It could be worse, a lot worse. Engines go at 42K. :mad: :mad:

jmonroe

mako1a

needing a battery after almost 4 years

I tinker with solar panels and charging units which use batteries of all kinds.

I've found that the best batteries from car use are NAPA Legend or Interstate (choose

affordability by color) that will fit your car. Then there is Optima if you're going

to keep a car forever (They're expensive).

tjc78

Engines go at 42K

I hear ya!!! It certainly could be worse, this the first money other than oil changes and an alignment this car has cost us. I'm going to put a Die-Hard in it. I've always had good luck with them.

Mako, I've never tried a Napa battery but did have an Interstate that lasted a while.

imidazol97

Had spent a lot of time in Charleston in the 80s and 90s on visits. It has changed since then, for the better.

Buggy tours of the historic district are great for someone who knows their history especially. Listen to the tour guide talk as they greet and start the tour and then catch that tour guide for the next tour if you're impressed.

There's the slave market tourist site in the middle of old Charleston. Walking the Battery and the South of Meeting Street, I belive that's the east west street name, is great.

Take a tour boat out to Ft. Sumter and take one to view the rivers and the new bridge over the Cooper. Visiting the beaches where they still have public access.

There are plantations and gardens to visit if it's not too early for blooms. There are individual homes with tours, usually historical tours.

My wife and I just talked about taking a trip there again. It's been years since we took our son back. Our friend used to live in Charleston and buy houses to refurbish and sell in the 70s, 80s, 90s. So I got to stay in some beach houses when I would do visits to work a little and mooch a little for a vacation.

Extra good is if you're finished and tired with Charleston, you can always move to Savannah for the rest of your visit or up to Myrtle Beach before you return home.

stickguy

I go with Walmart. Much cheaper, and very relaible. C-R even has checked rated them in their tests.

especially for a little car, that you aren't planning to keep long.

depending on size/power, you can get one (installed) for $60-$75. I have had good luck at the Wally World on 38 (near the toy's R us behind the inspection station).

sterlingdog

Fourth try getting in here this morning. This is becoming a daily task.

"What about your HMO system..."

From what I have heard over the years, they have been a disaster---took away individual choices and ended up not saving money for the patient.

As for our Medicare plans, I have been pleased. They pay the majority of expenses, and our state plan picks up the difference. Our state plan for retirees was free until this year. We now pay a monthly premium of $10 which is deducted from our pension checks. Many states don't provide medical insurance for their state retirees. We are certainly fortunate to have that as a benefit.

Richard

sterlingdog

It has been my experience over the years that most car batteries die after 3 or 4 years. I suppose that some of the more expensive ones might last longer. It certainly is a hassle when they give way. They are better now than they used to be. I can remember having to fill the individual battery cells with water ever so often.

Richard

imidazol97

>Fourth try getting in here this morning.

From Imid's helpdesk:
Log onto edmunds.com by typing URL into your browser.
Then click on Forums in the blue bar near the top of the window.
Then choose one of the list of popular forums on the right side of that page.
Viola, you'll be reading that forum lickety split (hope I spelled that right).
Then when you click on Read New Posts, it will take you to the new posts in your watched forums because you're already logged on.

At leat this has worked for me.

I do this when I get stuck loading next forum and when trying to log on initially with automatic logon.

Good luck.

If this helps, just send contributions to the Hosts to help pay my forum dues for the year!

driver100

Our state plan for retirees was free until this year.

That's wonderful...but isn't that socialized medicine? (Gotcha! ha ha)

driver100

Just was informed the 2012 Equus won't come with a free ipad for the owner's manual. They say it was just a one year promotion and they did it while Ipads were hard to get.

I just wonder whether some people thought, hmmm, that's a pretty expensive way to buy an ipad.

The 535 has the manual in the navigation monitor. You can look up things that way, or by using the manual.

tjc78

Well, threw the new battery in at lunch. The old one failed the test on the machine at the store. Thanks for all the advice, threw in a Die-Hard since there was a Sears Auto Center close by. $112.00 w/tax. Pricey, but I know that it will last for as long as we own the the car.

Plus I got to look cool fixing a car in the office parking lot :shades: :shades:

stickguy

unless of course you need to look up how to get into the vanigation system...

reminds me of something from years ago at work. Hired a new guy, and was trying to get him set up in his email. I managed to get it done, after making some calls, but it was a hassle.

so what do we find once he gets in? Yup, the email with the instructions for setting up your email.

stickguy

as long as it works. I have no desire to hassle with that myself, especially since you have to take the old one back (though I assumeyou just walked it in?), and the wally world guy does it for free. Even cleaned all the terminals, but the red goop on, etc. And did I mention it was free?

tjc78

Yeah I walked it in. The car was stone dead, so I just popped it out and brought it to the store. I brought jumper cables, but honestly I hate jump starting anything with all the electronics in today's cars. I think the next bday I am gonna ask for one of those jumper boxes to keep in the car.

The Walmart deal seems good. Can't beat free!

Driver, no surprise the Ipad is going away on the Equus. IMHO it was nothing different than getting a free toaster to open a bank account. I bought my own Ipad and saved $59500!

I just got a call from the Hyundai dealer asking me what my plans are since my Genesis lease it up in two months. I explained its looonnngggg gone!

roadburner

I've had good luck with Interstate, NAPA, and the Advance Auto(Autocraft) and Autozone(Duralast) house brands. In fact, when the seven year old OEM battery in my wife's X3 expired, the truck was right across the street from an Autozone- which just happened to have the correct battery in stock. It made the R&R dead simple.

roadburner

It has been my experience over the years that most car batteries die after 3 or 4 years. I suppose that some of the more expensive ones might last longer. It certainly is a hassle when they give way. They are better now than they used to be. I can remember having to fill the individual battery cells with water ever so often.

The OEM battery in my 1995 318ti lasted over 10 years. It was still going strong when I replaced it, but I was scared it might leave me stranded when I could least afford it. It's Interstate replacement has lasted over 6 years. I got 7 years out of the X3's OEM battery while my Mazda's battery barely lasted 5 years- and my Jeep's original battery was shot after four years.
In any event, I still check and top up -with distilled water- the electrolyte level in any battery that has removable vent caps.

roadburner

The Walmart deal seems good. Can't beat free!

Doing it myself beats free. I know everything was done right.

tjc78

I hear you. I can handle a battery at least. My 99 S10's original battery just gave out late last year. That's impressive.

imidazol97

>Doing it myself beats free. I know everything was done right.

Amen on that point!

snakeweasel

A couple of weeks ago I got into a small fender bender and dropped it off at the shop this morning. They will have the car for 2 or 3 days and gave me a loaner, a Toyota Yaris. The title of this post says it all, just don't like the car. Seat is uncomfortable and sits high, drives poorly (high winds today and it was hard to control with the winds at even moderate speeds). Instruments placed at a poor position, on the dash board with made them hard to read without tilting my head one way or the other (I wear bi focals and the line between reading and normal parts of the lens is in the line of sight for the instruments so it blurs them).

I really don't like the car, good thing I will be driving it less than 50 miles total.

fezo

stick - one place to look for a place to rent is vrbo.com - vacation rentals by owner. Sometimes you just get someone looking for big bucks but some are pretty neat. We rented down on the Outer Banks through them. Got a nice deal in Williamsburg as well.

I have done well by batteries. I do use Interstates when I need one for the most part.

What day! Stress test, pulmonary function test, tow CAT scans an 20 VIALS OF BLOOD!! Not like I have that much! Home now and (surprise!) beat.

explorerx4

One factor that seems to make a big difference is where in the country do you live?
I used to buy 72 month batteries for my Mustang and that's about how long they lasted. Then I bought an 84 month battery and that's about how long it lasted.
Now I have a 100 month battery in there. Not sure when I bought it, but I started that car the other day for the first time since last August.
Disconnected the ignition and cranked it for 30+ seconds several times, before reconnecting to start up the engine for real.
Funny thing is, last year I had to use my Jump Box to start the car.
Being a Ford guy, I only buy Motorcraft batteries.
Getting back to the life of a battery, hot weather seems to shorten it more than cooler weather.

explorerx4

Fezo, We love the OBX. Some interesting rentals available.
I think tjc78 mentioned his daughter liked horses.
You can go north to see the wild horses on the beach.

fezo

When we were there we went up to Corolla (almost a car reference) but didn't get to see the horses up on the beach but did see some that were from that herd but were tamed.

The one place I saw wild horses coming in from the water was Cumberland Island, GA - which I highly recommend. That was back over 30 years ago but I still remember that day. We were walking along one of the clamshell roads and an armadillo walked by.

sterlingdog

Wow! You've done well with your batteries. I guess I needed to buy longer life batteries. If Explorer is correct, we do have a lot of really hot weather which may have shortened my battery life.

Richard

sterlingdog

Was your fender bender on the convertible?

Richard

sterlingdog

"If this helps..."

I wish that you lived next door to me. Thanks again.

Richard

sterlingdog

"That's wonderful...but isn't that socialized medicine? (Gotcha! ha ha)"

No, because I still get to choose my doctors and my treatment options. Got YOU. :P

Richard

snakeweasel

Yep it was, but just a little dent behind the headlight on the passenger side and some damage to the front bumper.

Nothing that would affect the cars driving ability and if it wasn't pointed out to you you may never have noticed it. Under $1.5 grand to repair, truth be told if the other driver wasn't at fault and I had to pay I would just live with it.

Kirstie_H

I've used vrbo.com to find vacation rental homes on Vancouver Island and Cape Cod - both times, a great experience. You can usually find a better deal than a hotel room if you have a family. We prepared all but one meal a day at the vacation homes, and bonus - washed some of our clothes so we weren't carting around dirty laundry.

fezo

Yes. The place we had in Nag's Head was great. Kind of a funky house - full of character. You'd laugh at little things but it was clean and nice and even had wifi. Out on the deck you had the most amazing sunsets over the sound.