Chaka Khar III

Weekend: gone.

One of the things I wanted to talk about on Friday, was just how close Ted and I were to getting a hybrid car. Now I'm happy to report that it has come to pass. We're proud "leasers" of a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Her name is Chaka Khar (the third) and she's very likely going to be blue (but maybe red, depending on availability). Isn't she pretty? And fuel-efficient at 1000kms or more per tank. Yeah, I know we've only had our last car for 3 years, but this is quite simply the more responsible vehicle for us. Bearing that in mind, we're quite hurried to get a potential buyer or someone to take-over our lease on our current car. We've got 2-6 weeks before the Camry arrives. So if you're reading this and in the market for a babied, immaculately maintained 2004 Acura TSX, please give me a shout. It's fully loaded (leather & titanium interior/6-speed manual transmission/6-disc CD changer/4-cylinder engine w 200hp/heated front seats/power everything including driver seat/heated mirrors/all 4 windows & sunroof) and within the allotted kilometres on our lease at 76,000. 11 months left on the lease. Oh, and it's also blue. A blue very similar to our new car. (with the possible exception of it being red - hee)

We've been hybrid shopping since December and finally decided that the Camry was our best bet. Although we did come close to choosing the Nissan Altima Hybrid. (decidedly more handsome than the Camry) But the Camry won-out for it's larger trunk (Hybrids are sadly lacking in trunk space because of the battery) and the Toyota track record. The Altima is Nissan's first attempt at a hybrid, whereas Toyota's been making them for 15 years or more.

Ted wanted the Camry from his first test-drive. But it was a bit harder for me to accept it, since it has a big tumor on the hood where the "T" emblem is. To me it looks warty and bulbous. Something I'm more inclined to overlook on it's cuter, smaller sibling the Yaris. 'Cause on the Yaris it's a cute lil meep-beep nose. On the Camry... it's something you try not to look at while you're speaking to it so as not to be insensitive. But... it's a small sacrifice (even if it just begs for reconstructive surgery). At any rate, we're both very excited about the new car, and among the many, many perks of getting a Camry are the stereo (which sounds sublime) and the $2000 rebate we'll get from the government. (Which we'll then sink back into the car, but that's beside the point.) So yeah - YAY!

On the reality TV front. I'd like to emphasize for anyone NOT watching Survivor and/or the Amazing Race... you should. No really, you should be watching. Survivor for one, has not been this cut-throat and nasty since the Pearl Islands edition. You've got 2 tribes living in complete opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of prosperity, morale and desperation. They hate one another and it's seething, competitive, feed-you-to-the-sea-snakes tangible hatred. At times it's uncomfortable, but some really heated conflicts are on the way (I can just feel them coming) and you can tell there will be villains emerging from all sides. It makes things edgy and engaging - which is good since they're noticeably short on the man-candy this season. If you can't have one, you'd better have the other. hee And Amazing Race has been incredibly FUNNY and fast-paced so far this season. Since all the teams have done this before, and they've all obviously been picked to do it again because of their colourful personalities, it's been top-notch. Absolutely nobody is boring to watch. Some, competitors are inane and painfully inept, but they do funny, stupid things so it's all good. Last night the Kentucky miner couple got eliminated with little fan-fare. I'd like to say I'm sad to see them go, but really, they were out of their league and it's a wonder they lasted 3 legs of the race. Rob n Ambah won for the 3rd time in a row which is a bit maddening, but hey... they evidently have what it takes. It could get old mighty fast if nobody takes them down a few pegs, but we shall see.

Song of the day is a good driving tune in honour of new cars and less greenhouse gases.

"Real Gone" by Sheryl Crow.

I'm American made but I like Chevrolet

My momma taught me wrong from right.

I was born in the South

Sometimes I have a big mouth

When I see something that I don't like

I gotta say it.

Well, we've been driving this road for a mighty long time

Paying no mind to the signs

Well, this neighborhood's changed

It's all been rearranged

We left that team somewhere behind.

Slow down, you're gonna crash,

Baby you're a-screaming it's a blast, blast, blast

Look out babe, you've got your blinders on

Everybody's looking for a way to get real gone

Real gone.

Real gone.

But there's a new cat in town

He's got high-faded friends

Thinks he's gonna change history

You think you know him so well

Yeah you think he's so swell

But it's just a front you wait and see

Slow down, you're gonna crash,

Baby you're a-screaming it's a blast, blast, blast

Look out, you've got your blinders on

Everybody's looking for a way

To get real gone

Real gone.

Real gone.

Real gone.

Uhh.

Well you can say what you want

But you can't say it 'round here

'Cause they'll catch you and give you a whippin'

Well, I believe I was right when I said you were wrong

You didn't like the sound of that

Now, did ya?

Slow down, you're gonna crash,

Baby you're a-screaming it's a blast, blast, blast

Look out, you've got your blinders on

Everybody's looking for a way to get real gone

Well here I come and I'm so not scared,

Got my pedal to the metal, got my hands in the air

Look out, you take your blinders off

Everybody's looking for a way to get real gone

Real gone.

Real gone.

Ooh.

Real gone.

Real gone.