(no subject)
Feb. 19th, 2009 10:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eee1313First off, I'm using this icon because it's the only one I have with a car in it. Plus, it's Chicago. So I guess that counts for an LJ post all about the Chicago Auto Show, right? Sure, just play along.
I got to McCormick Place before the Scientist, but had to park up on the roof of the parking garage. This sucked, because it was snowing. BOOOOOO. But whatever. Anyway, I got inside only to find that there was the IKC Dog Show happening at the same time. DOG SHOW!
Y'all don't understand how much I love dog shows.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
yakgirl and I used to watch them together on TV and make up voices for the different dogs. To actually be at a certified dog show was very exciting for me. Alas, it was the end of the day and the only dogs being shown yesterday were terriers. (Boo. I like me some big dogs.) But I got to see the miniature schnauzers, Norfolk terriers, and soft-coated Wheaten terriers get judged. (One of them threw up on the show green, so all the dog handlers after it had to avoid the dog vomit. Awesome. You never see THAT on TV!) I also saw some of the weird-looking Bedlington terriers were hanging around, so I got to snicker at them.
Then the Scientist called to say he'd arrived, and I made my way into the Auto Show. Except the signs pointed me the LONG way around, and I ended up entering the show from the back rather than the main entrance. I got totally turned around and couldn't find my way out across the concourse to the north exhibition hall where I was supposed to meet him by the Chevy display. So we ended up playing Marco Polo with our cell phones until he found me over by the Fords. Oy.
Anyway, it was my first Auto Show, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. We got to see some really cool racing cars, like the Mazda Mono Posto. Then there were the concept cars like the gorgeous Corvette Stingray, the all-electric Dodge Circuit, the spaceship-like Saturn Flextreme, and the Suzuki Makai which had matching roof-mounting surfboards and ridiculous seats.
The best exhibits were for Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler (which had a whole track you could drive simulating an off-road experience, complete with a hill climb/descent), Ford (which had a car whose body would split in half so that you could see the inner workings of the vehicle), VW (which had the talking vintage Bug from the commercials), and Chevy, which had this:
TRANSFORMERS!!!
I don't care that the moviekind of sucked. TRANSFORMERS!!! They had Bumblebee on display, and from the new movie the Autobots Skids and Mud Flap. Wheeeee!
So we spent some of our time looking at cars that might replace my beloved purple PT Cruiser if/when it ever kicks it. Which it certainly will some day, as all cars must eventually die. I had four criteria in my search: the car should be big enough to fit both cargo and a carseat (as we will eventually [hopefully] have children), it should get fairly decent mileage, it shouldn't cost a fortune, and it should be big enough that I don't hit my knees on the steering column and yet can still have an adult sit behind me in the backseat. This last factor ruled out such vehicles as the Honda Fit, the Dodge Charger (which I wasn't actually considering, but just wanted to sit in it anyway), the Scion xB, the Subaru Tribeca, and the Honda Element. Cost and mileage ruled out the VW Tiguan, the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Kia Borrego, and the Saturn Vue. And cost alone ruled out the entire lineup of Lincoln, Mercury, Audi, Saab, Mercedes-Benz, Acura, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Hummer, Spyker, Bentley, Ferrari, Lotus, Maserati, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini.
In the end, the cars that might actually work for us some day were whittled down to:
By the time we got on the road to head home, it was already 9:30. The roads were icy as hell (some idiot with no headlights came close to t-boning me as he skidded through a red light), so the drive home was really slow. We hadn't eaten dinner, so we decided to stop by Bacci's Pizza on the way home.aj, the Scientist tried to call you but it went to voicemail, so ... sorry we missed you. We snarfed down pizza (I have leftovers for lunch!) and then headed home and practically passed out.
Tonight I'm making Turkish lamb burgers for dinner. Yay! I actually made it all up on Tuesday night, but since the Scientist had to cover an emergency shift at the theater, everything went into the fridge. So tonight it's just grilling the meat and we're good to go. I'm very curious to see how these taste. I hope they're good... And great, I just made myself hungry.
I got to McCormick Place before the Scientist, but had to park up on the roof of the parking garage. This sucked, because it was snowing. BOOOOOO. But whatever. Anyway, I got inside only to find that there was the IKC Dog Show happening at the same time. DOG SHOW!
Y'all don't understand how much I love dog shows.
yakgirl and I used to watch them together on TV and make up voices for the different dogs. To actually be at a certified dog show was very exciting for me. Alas, it was the end of the day and the only dogs being shown yesterday were terriers. (Boo. I like me some big dogs.) But I got to see the miniature schnauzers, Norfolk terriers, and soft-coated Wheaten terriers get judged. (One of them threw up on the show green, so all the dog handlers after it had to avoid the dog vomit. Awesome. You never see THAT on TV!) I also saw some of the weird-looking Bedlington terriers were hanging around, so I got to snicker at them. Then the Scientist called to say he'd arrived, and I made my way into the Auto Show. Except the signs pointed me the LONG way around, and I ended up entering the show from the back rather than the main entrance. I got totally turned around and couldn't find my way out across the concourse to the north exhibition hall where I was supposed to meet him by the Chevy display. So we ended up playing Marco Polo with our cell phones until he found me over by the Fords. Oy.
Anyway, it was my first Auto Show, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. We got to see some really cool racing cars, like the Mazda Mono Posto. Then there were the concept cars like the gorgeous Corvette Stingray, the all-electric Dodge Circuit, the spaceship-like Saturn Flextreme, and the Suzuki Makai which had matching roof-mounting surfboards and ridiculous seats.
The best exhibits were for Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler (which had a whole track you could drive simulating an off-road experience, complete with a hill climb/descent), Ford (which had a car whose body would split in half so that you could see the inner workings of the vehicle), VW (which had the talking vintage Bug from the commercials), and Chevy, which had this:
TRANSFORMERS!!!
I don't care that the movie
So we spent some of our time looking at cars that might replace my beloved purple PT Cruiser if/when it ever kicks it. Which it certainly will some day, as all cars must eventually die. I had four criteria in my search: the car should be big enough to fit both cargo and a carseat (as we will eventually [hopefully] have children), it should get fairly decent mileage, it shouldn't cost a fortune, and it should be big enough that I don't hit my knees on the steering column and yet can still have an adult sit behind me in the backseat. This last factor ruled out such vehicles as the Honda Fit, the Dodge Charger (which I wasn't actually considering, but just wanted to sit in it anyway), the Scion xB, the Subaru Tribeca, and the Honda Element. Cost and mileage ruled out the VW Tiguan, the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Kia Borrego, and the Saturn Vue. And cost alone ruled out the entire lineup of Lincoln, Mercury, Audi, Saab, Mercedes-Benz, Acura, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Hummer, Spyker, Bentley, Ferrari, Lotus, Maserati, Rolls-Royce, and Lamborghini.
In the end, the cars that might actually work for us some day were whittled down to:
- Chevy HHR (22 city/32 highway, E85 flexfuel), $19,400. I've always hated this car, as I think it's a knockoff of my beloved Cruiser. But now that Chrysler won't be making the Cruiser any more... Plus, I sat in it and it feels good.
- Jeep Patriot Sport (23 city/28 highway) $18,000. I have to say, I liked this little SUV! Not bad. Not the best option, but certainly not a bad one, either.
- Suzuki SX4 Crossover (22 city/30 highway) $16,000. This car really surprised me. Though buying any car that's not from the Big Three would make me feel bad inside, I'll admit.
- Honda CR-V (20 city/27 highway) $21,300. Hrm, I thought this car was cheaper... And for the mileage, I'd rather go with the Patriot Sport or the HHR.
- Kia Rondo (20 city/27 highway) $18,200. The worst of the possible options.
- Pontiac Vibe (26 city, 33 highway) $17,500. Another car that was a pleasant surprise. Who knew? Also, best mileage of them all!
By the time we got on the road to head home, it was already 9:30. The roads were icy as hell (some idiot with no headlights came close to t-boning me as he skidded through a red light), so the drive home was really slow. We hadn't eaten dinner, so we decided to stop by Bacci's Pizza on the way home.
aj, the Scientist tried to call you but it went to voicemail, so ... sorry we missed you. We snarfed down pizza (I have leftovers for lunch!) and then headed home and practically passed out.Tonight I'm making Turkish lamb burgers for dinner. Yay! I actually made it all up on Tuesday night, but since the Scientist had to cover an emergency shift at the theater, everything went into the fridge. So tonight it's just grilling the meat and we're good to go. I'm very curious to see how these taste. I hope they're good... And great, I just made myself hungry.
