Just got smarter

[bill_schubert]

I picked up my Smart Car from Mercedes this morning.  So happy to have it back.  They did some adjustment on the clutch but not what the Googles say was the problem.  I think I'm done with Mercedes.  They had something like 40 cars ahead of me when I brought it in but didn't bother to tell me that or contact me for several days.  I had to call them repeatedly to find out what was the status.   There is a Smart specialty place an hour from us.  A PIA to get to but a whole place full of Smart Cars and Smart Car specialists is worth it, I think.  I've got 66k on the car and would like to double or triple that.  So time to do some routine maintenance.  Better than a car payment.

Meanwhile back in NYC, I've been riveted to some of the US Open matches and rewarded with a couple of the best I've ever seen.  And the obnoxious crowd in NY does not disappoint.  They are not a group you want to have cheering against you but will carry someone they like on their cheers to a win.  It is something to see.  An 18 kid I'd never heard of played some miraculous shots time after time for 4 hours last night and likely could have played for another four.  It was so fun to see the mantle pass from the older players to the younger generation, something I've seen many times in my life.

And being able to hear in my head my mom cluck in derision when John McEnroe talks is priceless.

Comments

[sleepybadger.livejournal.com]

How annoying about the mercedes place! Ugh. Yeah, definitely a PIA to have to go an hour but at least then you can feel confident that they're doing what's needed.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

Mercedes sent me a link to Google review. I was nice but hit them pretty hard fore the lack of communication. The one thing that a service company has to do is communicate.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I didn't see the Alcaraz- Tsitsipas match, but delighted in the 18 year old's victory. I also missed Naomi Osaka's loss ... There doesn't seem to be much hope of Americans winning this year. I mean, Isner out in the first round, so many of our women player injured. WOW!

I was hoping Nishikori would take out Djokovic, but it appears unlikely. I watched four sets.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

Watch Alcarez if you can. He is amazing.

[howeird]

Caught some of the matches, and wondered if I was watching tennis or a Raiders game.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

He's definitely amazing. I was thrilled by Shelby Rogers' victory over Ash Barty last night, too ...

[slavezombie.livejournal.com]

I have never driven a stick and hope to one day own a bad-ass car with a manual transmission. A classic. ... to learn to drive stick with, I mean, I've ridden a motorcycle before and still do. It can't be that hard.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

I've had a manual several times in my life and at one point owned a motorcycle. Driving a manual is much easier. Won't take you a day to figure it out. The hardest thing is a hill. Find a hill where no one is around and practice releasing the handbrake as you engage the clutch so you don't roll back. If you don't smell burning clutch (releasing too slowly) and don't roll back you've got it figured out. You want to do this BEFORE you are at an uphill intersection with a car behind you (think San Francisco). Other than that it is a piece of cake.