Sept. 16 - The General's 100th

I guess today is GM's 100th birthday or anniversary or whatever celebratory name you use for a company. To celebrate this occasion they unveiled what is supposed to be the final production model of the Chevy Volt. This isn't a news site nor is this an editorial so that's all I'll say about it.

I saw Ms. OCT-NOV this morning AND the black Jaguar though I didn't see him until Baltimore county.

Sept. 11

I've gone dark for a few days, I know and I apologize. Anyway, all week has been a driving nightmare, no morning under two hours and so far two days longer than 2 hrs. 20 minutes. Accidents mostly. I have been seeing a car I haven't seen in a while though, a black Jaguar XF with Delaware plates. It's recognizable for a couple of obvious reasons but mostly that I see it between North East, MD and Baltimore and I've seen it in the morning AND evening. That being said, I haven't seen it for a couple of months until this week.

I've also noticed an incredibly absurd increase in the number of satellite radio users using the stations 88.1, 88.5, and 90.9 for either punk rock, fundamentalist Christian rhetoric, or Howard Stern. If I'm listening to the radio I DO NOT want to be interrupted by listening to somebody drone on and on about criminalizing pre-marital sex. I can think of precisely five stations using those frequencies in the areas I work and live so it's not as if they're unused.

Sept. 5 - New Chart

Another one of my suspicions finally starting to take shape in the form of visual data. I've long suspected that temperature affects my mileage. I had a hard time proving this without the data sounding anecdotal. Now I have a chart...

Sept. 5

Right after complaining yesterday about my morning drive, I clock in 1 hr 53 minutes this morning. I know, still sounds like a lot to most of you BUT since I left at 5:50 this morning I got to work at 7:43 so it also felt really early. Besides, my personal best is an hour and 43 minutes on a Sunday with no traffic so 10 minutes longer than that is nothing to sneeze at.

We'll see what tonight holds in store for me!

Sept. 4 - School's Back

The new school year has made a noticeable difference in my drive time in the morning. I always knew this was the case but never kept the data to quantify it. My drive times in the AM starting the week of June 2nd have all averaged, well, here are the numbers (in hours)...

Week 23 through 33: 1.963333333, 2.233333333, 1.973333333, 1.85, 2.004166667, 1.970833333, 2.026666667, 0 (I was on vacation), 1.87, 1.946666667, 1.875

So, yeah, still around two hours but all but three weeks averaged less than two. Now, since school started...

Week 34 through 36: 2.146666667, 2.096666667, 2.138888889

All over two hours. Seems like a fluke until you look at the weeks before summer vacation, they were like this too. All between 2.09 and 2.35 hours from the week of March 24th until summer vacation started. What was during the week of March 24th? Spring break. Before then? Over 2 hours.

Totals so far, miles driven and dollars spent

This first graph is the total cost in dollars I spend each month on gas. Last month was brutal, a full $100 more than in January.

This next one shows how many miles I've driven each month. More than I'd like but what can I say, I DRIVE ALOT!

Sept. 2

Nothing new to report since my next milestones will be in quite some time. I'm projecting, at the current rate of driving, that I'll hit the big 200k between October & December of 2010. I know! I can't wait either. That's a milestone I've NEVER hit in a car I've owned.

I didn't see the usual suspects this morning and while my drive felt like it went by quickly, it still took two hours and nine minutes to get to work today. Weak.

August 31, 100,000 MILES!!!!!!

August 30, 15 MILES TO GO!

I've only got 15 miles to go before I hit 100,000.

August 29 - THE BIG DAY IS COMING!!!!!!

I, or rather my car, will be rolling over to 100,000 miles this weekend! 117 miles from now in fact! WHOOOOOO!!!!!!

August 28

I got a good look at Mrs. Maroon Mercury Sable today. I don't think she's as old as I had previously thought. Maybe late 30's. She dresses like schoolmarm though. Imagine a a mid-thirties Christian conservative from Nebraska, not a real one mind you but one from TV. Yeah! You know the one. Stuck in the 1970's sorta-blonde hair that's afro-like in shape, big glasses, and some stupid flower print blouse.

I had some douchebag honk at me today and wave his hands around like an idiot because I-95 went from three lanes to two lanes. Apparently this was my fault. Though, in retrospect, if I was driving a 1998 Toyota 4Runner getting only 18 MPG I'd get pissed off easily too. Poor guy.

August 26

Not much to report on the driving scene except for the fact that it's TOTALLY SUCKED since last Wednesday. Probably because kids are going back to school but I tell you, two hours and forty five minutes in the car will drive you insane. Thursday, for instance, I spent a total of five hours driving to work and driving home. WEAK!

On a side note, I went to Medieval Times this weekend! SWORDS ROCK!

August 19, AM Drive

Today was pretty easy. 1 hour 45 minutes. Yesterday was just as easy though it took a bit longer since I needed gas (200th time, did I mention it?!?) That's it, really. I had a s'mores pop tart today for breakfast.

200 Fill Ups!

Today was the 200th time I've filled my car with gas!

MY HERO!!!

http://www.ksnt.com/home/ticker/26847869.html

1.3 million miles on his car! WHEW! And I thought I was excited at hitting 100,000 miles next month.

That's right, I'm all over!

http://www.supermathtechnology.com/chad%27skorner

No Friggin' Way!

qmwztlxb3

Will General Motors produce a Chevy Volt for retail sale by 1 August 2009?

I predicted No   on 8th Aug 08

what is this?

The News Prediction Game

August 8

AM Drive -

Sucked, there was an accident on I-95 just north of exit 67 in MD on the southbound side so I had to get off at exit 74 and I decided to take Philadelphia Rd to Whitemarsh. Not bad, but I wasted about 10 minutes doing so. It could've been worse.

And for some more stats...

Radio Stations I Listen To While Driving

• 88.1 WYPR - Baltimore NPR Station
  
• 88.5 WAMU - Washington, DC NPR Station
  
• 90.9 WHYY - Philadelphia NPR Station
  
• 97.9 98 Rock
• 102.7 Jack FM (one of those iPod stations)
• 103.1 WRNR
  

2008 Driving Stats - so far

For 2008, I've...

• driven 31,615.1 miles (as of 8.7.2008 @ 6:35 AM)
• spent $2,139.59 in gas (as of 8.7.2008 @ 6:35 AM)
• purchased 627.771 gallons of gas

Since I've owned this car, starting in Dec. 2006, I've...

• purchased gas 195 times
• purchased gas in the states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Virginia
• purchased gas from Wawa 99 times (the most)
• purchased gas from Lukoil & Shorestop once (the least, a tie)
• clocked my best mileage @ 66 MPG
• clocked my lowest mileage @ 30 MPG
• driven a total of 70,217 miles
• spent a total of $4295.74 in gas
• been in zero accidents
• bought tires once
• replaced the brakes once
• broken the cargo net

August 7

This chart illustrates the days I purchase gas in totals. 1 is Sunday, 7 is Saturday. I'm sure you can figure out the days in between. I just bought gas this morning so I thought I'd share this with you.

The drive has been really light this week, besides Monday evening of course. You can really tell that there are less people on the roads.

I saw the Oct-Nov Mercedes this morning, but that was it.

August 5, AM Drive

I left @ 6:06 today, not great but just in time to see the gray Prius as he raced pass me and the old lady in the maroon Mercury.

Last Friday, August 1

My easy driving week came to an abrupt end during the Friday evening commute. Three hours to get home. Three. Some airhead decided to not get his car checked up on and broke down in the middle of the Harbor Tunnel, so I sat for about 40 minutes in the same spot.

August 1 - Regrets to my readers!

I know, I've been an awful blogger. I was on vacation where I wasn't driving (I rode in a bus!) and ever since I've been out-of-whack. So, for the week, I've...

1. Purchased 13 gallons of gas
2. Driven 812 miles
3. Seen the gray douche Prius once, on Tuesday
4. Seen the old lady with the maroon Mercury Sable once, also Tuesday
5. Seen the old lady in the gold Mercedes with the plate OCT-NOV once, also Tuesday
6. Realized that I sync up with those drivers best when leaving after 6:07 AM
7. Have averaged less than 2 hours per drive home and to work all week!

It has been a light driving week, in time spent in the car anyway.

My total miles driven though, that's really bucking a national trend. See the chart below...


4,647 miles in the month of July ALONE! Whew!

July 16, AM & PM Drive

I left the house at 6:05 AM yesterday, the same time I left the house on Tuesday. This of course makes me mad since I usually get out of the house early on Wednesdays. I don't know why this happened, I was just slow I guess. I saw the same cars I usually see in the morning. One is a maroon Mercury, I forget the model, that heads from DE route 7, turns on 40, and appears to enter into the ATK complex in Elkton. ATK manufactures rocket propellant there. I also saw the douchey Prius driver speeding along at 70 MPH on 40. Like THAT'S getting him good mileage. He just bought it since today was the first day I saw that his temp tag was no longer on the car. He looks like somebody I'd like to punch! There's also the older lady in her sand-colored Mercedes C Class with license plate DE OCT-NOV. She turns off on MD 213 from 40. I got to work at 8:07 AM.

I left work to come home @ 4:09 PM. Nothing significant besides the fact that I've noticed an increase in Alaska license plates recently. I got home @ 6:03.

Man! I hope so!

qmwztlxb3

Will a plug-in Toyota Prius beat the Chevy Volt to the showroom?

I predicted Plug-in Prius reaches market first   on 16th Jul 08

what is this?

The News Prediction Game

Gas stations where I've purchased gas

This is from December '06 until July '08.

July 15, AM & PM Drive

I left work @ exactly 4:00 PM (awesome!) and was able to get home at 5:58 PM so I was able to keep it under 2 hours. Pretty boring drive overall, no accidents or anything.

I did get gas in the morning. I left @ 6:05 AM, arrived @ Wawa @ 6:31 AM, and still ended up at work @ 8:00 AM on the dot. I purchased 5.673 gallons of gas for $3.939/gal.

July 14, PM Drive

I left work @ 4:19 PM. Usually the pigs are out and walking around but I didn't see any today. I got onto the BW Parkway about 10 minutes later, pretty typical. For the most part, nothing special happened between getting on 295 and getting through the Harbor Tunnel. @ 5:01 I hit traffic merging with I-95. Weak! This isn't so bad because I watch people driving, like some douchebag who was listening to his satellite radio on the same station I was listening too. I could tell because he was singing to the words that were suddenly coming out of my radio. After Exit 77 things picked up and I was on my way home. I got off @ Exit 100 because I was picking up dinner. North East, MD is full of some douchey drivers. Some dick in a Neon almost plowed into me, I also watched a beardo walking down 40 like he was homeless. I finally made it home @ 6:31 PM. Would have been better without the dinner pick-up but I was starving.