Donstar

Good arguments and I'd need to do more research if I was looking at at another gas burning truck. I do recall you and I defending the V6 several years ago against substantial protest from those suggesting only a V8 belongs in a pickup. My truck has just south of 65k miles so there will need to be some significant motivation for me to change. I saw a Rivian out in the wild yesterday and it looked great! It was leaving a big box store with a healthy load of DIY building material in the back!

I haven't followed the 2.7 since it first came out but it sounded promising. Has it been problematic? It's going to take a major event to retire my '15 V6. The most significant repair I've had in several years is the battery in my key fob died!!

Whoopee! Cold, flu and covid season has arrived! As I age, the times I'm not feeling well become increasingly more worrisome. It's not like my working days when I knew an occasional illness would pass. The hardest part was sounding sick enough when I phoned my place of work to say I can't make it in today! In my retirement years I start to wonder if an illness may be the beginning of something serious. I found out last week after a lot of testing that I recently had a stroke but didn't recognize the symptoms. The part that I found particularly difficult was hearing the words from my Doctor, "You had a stroke". I took his statement as if he was telling me my demise is imminent. This was reinforced when I told my neighbor that I'd had a stroke and she teared up and threw her arms around me! I was very fortunate to have a follow-up appointment with a specialist and he walked me through my results and the path forward. He told me that I was lucky and after he was finished educating me, I felt lucky! However, this didn’t save me from a few upsetting days between hearing the diagnosis from my Doctor and visiting the specialist. I know my turn will come but I need more time as I'm defiantly not ready!!

Congratulations, OnTheReel! Great looking ride! The extra pedal would be a huge draw for me but would be vetoed by my CFO. I'm holding out for a Maverick EV 4X4 or reasonable facsimile before my next purchase. I am hoping that, "Patience will have me eating ripe fruit". A year or two ago I got excited if I spotted a F150 Lightening. Now my local Ford dealer has a few to choose from on their lot and even one in their used section. However, I consider these to be the high "fuel" users of the EV world. Economy matters. Of course, as time passes, the justification for any truck in my driveway is also weakening. My other problem with buying now is it will reduce the need for car shopping! Yesterday I was parked next to a VW ID.4 AWD (EV). I told Mrs. Donstar about it and if she gave the nod I would've headed straight for the VW Dealership a few blocks away!

I spoke with a man in line with me waiting at the Costco prescription pickup counter. We talked about our plans for the rest of the day and his included going "to pay some bills". It turns out that, as he says, "never warmed up to computers and don't own one." I spent some time after that encounter musing about life without the internet in current times. I have lived life without but that was when everyone else was doing the same! Covid lock downs or quarantines would be exceptionally hard without, imo! When I was a child, not being able to go out and play was horrible. When the kids next door were kept indoors recently with Covid, their changes in activities were minimal!

"Pretty as a picture" It amazes me the things a picture won't tell. Years ago I drove a very long distance to hopefully buy a car that was well researched with pictures and written descriptions. I was speechless when I saw the car of my dreams in person c/w a fresh baby blue paint job that was applied with a paint brush....

(Thanks Grumpy for the redirect.) My '15 Sierra 4.3 V6 is proving to be my best truck in over 50 years of owning pickups. It is actually quite boring in its suitability, reliability, functionality and, as a result, taken for granted. I often go out kicking tires but no fuel burning pickup would be enough of an improvement or change to warrant purchase. I appreciate that this truck is the most fuel efficient of all my previously owned trucks however significant improvements in this area would be motivation for change.

The family next door now has only the matriarch without Covid. She looks more run down than the others as she works fulltime and does what she can to care for the others. Personally, I think she should be at home convalescing with the rest of her family but believes she is indispensable at her place of work. I won't argue with her because I remember having the same feeling. I remember in my early work life being ordered by my Doctor to go straight to the hospital from his office. I had no opportunity to arrange for a replacement at work yet they survived. I returned 6 weeks later feeling better (and more productive) than I had for months prior to this interruption. I was once told a test for being indispensable. "stick your finger in the ocean and if the indentation remains after you pull your finger out, - you're indispensable!"

Sixteen year old next door is sick with covid after cruise ship holiday with grandparent. Today, both parents off to work and sibling out with friends before returning to school tomorrow. (We're kept informed because we are emergency backups should their teens need help.) Such behavior doesn't bode well for keeping the spread of Covid or other afflictions under control this fall!

September tomorrow and Costco has Christmas decorations. News yesterday had a reminder that the fall Covid and Flu vaccine rollout will begin shortly. It appears that summer is coming to a close and for once, I think this is good! The heat, fires, smoke and droughts have made this a horrible summer for too many people. Looking forward to spring is taking on new meaning...

There are many tools available to assist us as we age. However, we don't always recognize when we're in need. My mother was great at telling others to use a cane or a walker but resisted when the need arose for herself. I am guilty myself of delaying the use of assistance. I woke up when my wife and I were in an large airport trying to make it on time for a flight. Out of nowhere an employee appeared with a wheel chair offering me assistance. As I was saying, "No thank you", my wife spoke over my comment saying, "Thank you" politely to the porter and "get-in" very firmly to me!

We're experiencing relatable population growth without improvement to roads built for traffic of the 1950's! Moving won't help you or me because we're attracted to the amenities that lure everyone else!

We have a lifelong friend who came home from a July cruise with covid. We phoned her yesterday and she says it was like a bad flu and she is now getting back to normal. However, while recuperating and in a weaker condition, she reports that she fell a few times. We stressed that she needs to get a mobility walker for those occasions when walking is difficult. Her age and back issues were the primary reasons for her falls and weeks of convalescing exacerbated these weaknesses. Our suggestion was poorly received as she felt 70 was too young to use a walker! We all laughed after this comment settled and realized how lucky we are to fell young in our seventies! The reality is that the use such devices aren't determined by the number of candles on your cake. I have found that most people believe this until it's them needing the help!

During my spare time declutter I sold two electric mobility scooters I had since my mother passed 10 years ago. My plans were to save them for my personal use or make a "go kart" type toy for the grandkids. The enthusiasm for either option never came. My son-in-law did suggest I keep one of them stock in appearance but make it suitable for racing! I couldn't share his vision at the time but maybe we're on to something here! I have done some window shopping for electric mobility aides. I look for stability, comfort and range. I should keep horsepower equivalency in mind in case I run into a Texan forum member in The Woodlands Mall in the next few years!

I've "unloaded" a lot of treasures over the past few years. I was particularly committed to this process during the Covid years. "Stuff" is starting to sneak back but new items receive a lot closer scrutiny before allowing to take up space in my garage. This morning, I was on another forum questioning about a winch to install on a trailer which I use to haul my trike. Indirectly, the issue of need vs want came up. I certainly don't need a winch on a trailer that was a want for a trike that was also a want! It can actually be quite comical (for lack of a better word) when considering needs vs wants in your 70's!