trinacriabob

I know. I definitely know. Trilingual Montrealers and Quebecois are common. It also ensures a global mindset instead of a hick one. I'm not a fan of hicks and narrow-minded thinking. I didn't speak English until I went to school because we spoke Italian at home. My parents spoke accented English their whole lives. They're no longer alive. They could handle what they needed to handle, for the most part. I only spoke Italian with them. However, once I became a teenager, I would usually intervene in their dealings with realtors, merchants, and auto repair places in English to make sure they were not taken advantage of. I did it reflexively. - - - - What I really wanted to say ... I saw an article which didn't really surprise me, but made me happy. Lufthansa is bringing some of its Airbus 380 fleet back on-line. For whatever reason, it will be based in Munich (MUC) and not Frankfurt (FRA), which is their main and larger hub. They will obviously also operate their Boeing 747-8s. Soon, 2 of 3 of the big European carriers will be operating the Airbus 380. What Air France will do remains to be seen. Details: Lufthansa Airbus A380 Returning In 2023 - One Mile at a Time Also, along with Swiss, Lufthansa is operating the smaller Airbus 340 quad, which I really like. It looks like Lufthansa will keep the newer Airbus 340-600s going, but be retiring the Airbus 340-300s and, according to some other article, replace those with Boeing 787 Dreamliners they will order. That way, they'll get the seating capacity of the Airbus 340-300, but in a newer and much more economical machine. Having the airplane manufacturer, airline, and travel industry point toward returning to new and previous highs is a very upbeat thing in my book.

I didn't know where to put this. It probably belongs here. Before having the tires (see post above) put on, they were fairly worn, hadn't been aligned in a long time, and were out of balance, with a slight vibration coming through the steering wheel. Now, with all that new tread, as well as optimal alignment and balancing, the car seems to show little rolling resistance on the freeway and unknowingly gets up to 70+ mph without even being aware of it. I'm loving the way it drives. I will be taking it on a medium-haul run in a few weeks and it will be a good time to check the mileage. "Fresh" Michelins have always fetched fairly impressive fuel mileage for me.

Good morning ... Got milk? Check. Got your Halloween costume ready? . . . Happy Halloween nonetheless.

So, I got the Moderna enhanced Covid booster on Tuesday. This morning, I got the adult IPV - the PV part means polio vaccine (booster). I couldn't find in the family paperwork when I had it, and if I had it as a kid in Europe or the states. The lady said it's fine for adults who don't react to vaccinations - and she read the list of potential allergens - to get this one-time adult booster. I expect to be in the NYC area in about a month or so. I asked her if there has been an uptick in requests for IPV. She said she has only given it one other time in the recent past - to a customer who was also concerned because they had to travel to the NYC area.

Good morning ... ... maybe not.

I looked at the color chart for the current Corvette. It's not that good, with the above color featured among 2 extra cost enamel ones and 2 extra cost metallic ones. The standard ones are almost better. I keep going back to silver and burgundy for this car. Was looking at the power train. Don't quite know if the dual clutch 8 speed transmission is something that GM (or supplier) created especially for this Corvette ... nor how it works.

Saw this yesterday ... I would not own one, but I like what they've done with it. Not only that, the craftsmanship and attention to detail are excellent. The sinister glance got me. Not the color I'd pick. I'd have to go to chart to see what they're offering. The yellow seat belts are interesting and stood out. Love that side air scoop. Also, who'd have thought we'd be seeing Americans produce a mid-engine sports car? This current Corvette makes quite a statement. I hope that it proves to be successful and reliable.

@David The IKEA card is indeed free. I've had one for years. Most average metro areas have only one IKEA. Sometimes, it's at an "end." I recall that, in the Seattle area, it's down south around Kent-Auburn* and one took the Valley Fwy. to get there, so I have only been once or twice. They could easily put one in on the north end and it would do well, if one is not already there. They might have upgraded the benefits. They don't matter much to me. I don't like their merchandise very much and I find the maze inside annoying. Mostly, I've used the card for the free coffee and tea and the food specials. I think that anyone can go to the julesbord events. It's just that the price spread for members and non-members was noticeable. Maybe they've changed the rules and are now requiring IKEA card membership to go to these "buffets." BTW, the IKEA card and its bar code mean squat in Europe. I explained the situation after presenting my card, getting a "thud," and they did tell me to help myself to the tea! * yes, that Kent, about which one friend said, "If Tonya Harding were from the Seattle area, she'd be from Kent." I've told this one before. Classic.

I'm just guessing they'll do it this year because we're seeing a lot of restrictions lifted. U.S. to Canada and vice versa travel is now free of restrictions. IKEA is probably waiting until closer to the date to decide whether they will do it. The Christmas one is typically the second Friday in December. I would check with your store in mid-November. The price with the IKEA card may now be a little higher than $12.99, but I expect it to be fair. There is an early seating and a late seating so they can handle the demand. You buy tickets in advance. That's what I've done at the Portland location. Just think: salmon, Swedish meatballs, soups, salads, sides, their Scandinavian chocolate bon bon type things, lingonberry juice, coffee and tea ... and return trips to the serving line for more. Wishful thinking for the return of IKEA smorgasbords!

Yes, from what I recall when they were doing them habitually, Portland IKEA has/had 4 of them a year: Easter julesbord (smorgasbord) Mid-summer julesbord (" ") Christmas julesbord (" ") a buffet centered around crayfish * They use a 2 seating system, with 2 blocs of time. With the IKEA card, they are a really good value. The food is actually of good quality, though it has that trademark Nordic IKEA blandness, which I can roll with. * I hated this one ... I don't like crayfish or crawfish ... for some reason, this event was largely attended by Asians and the decorations for the event reflected that, too. I don't know what the link might be. The others were attended by a more typical cross-section of people.

I got injection #4 Tuesday. I got the upgraded Moderna with the omicron component. I went two Pfizers and two Modernas. Of all the shots, this one had the least negative impact - no usual headache I get after any type of vaccination, but some soreness at the site of the injection. I'm wondering if I had a mild bout with omicron at some point that came and went. However, with all the free test kits now laying around, I made sure I was in good shape (negative) and with a good temp (high 97s) for a good while prior to getting this last jab. I, too, plan to mask up during any air travel. Instead of using N95 grade masks, I may opt for the regular cheap ones. (The newer the aircraft, the better the ACHs in the ventilation system should be.)

I have been thinking about IKEA's Christmas smorgasbord lately. Damn pandemic had to ruin things. I have a feeling it may return this holiday season. For about $12,99, all I can say is "bring it on."

Also, had to mention to @oldshurst442 that you've done some things that impress me, and probably others: you've been very active in raising 2 teenage children, you have a business, neither of which I have done, and, while bilingualism is common in Quebec, and in Canada, you probably speak three languages: English, French, and Greek ... each being on different roots.

@oldshurst442 Thank you for the kind words. Is it okay if I laugh about part of the post? I own being a real nerd when it comes to certain topics. For one, I am fascinated by geography and always have been. One life shaping event was moving back (and forth) to Europe 2 times with my parents before I was a teenager. That involved crossing the Atlantic on the few ships that were still doing that voyage and even crossing America on Amtrak from the West Coast to the NYC suburbs, where we stayed with relatives for a few days before boarding for the sailing. So, by the time you are 8 years old, and you can study maps, I was able to trace the ocean crossing - seeing the ports we stopped in as well as the Azores, which you sail through - as well as the train trip across the U.S. Every place looked different. So did the people. But, mostly, the scale was staggering, when you compare it to going from L.A. to Las Vegas, or even N.Y. to Miami. My dad also contributed to this. Before being allowed to come to the U.S., he moved to Australia, as did others from Mediterranean countries. Australia was sort of open at the time and he got in. He stayed 3 years. He did not like it. He also took the ship to and from Australia. That trip is 3x as along as crossing the Atlantic. You go through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and then cross the Indian Ocean along South Asia and then down to Australia. I heard about all this and saw photos from these journeys. I'm glad he didn't like Australia! I much preferred growing up in the U.S. Cars and planes were such an evolving "art form" when growing up. Both had a lot of personality and kitsch that's lacking today. Yes, there was less worry about the environment, sustainability, and global warming. So, ignoring that, cars were going for new styling frontiers, crazier interiors, and bigger engines. And I loved following all that, and even sketching it up at times. The same was true for planes. We lived about 6 miles from the international airport and I would ride my bike there, just to be at the airport and look at all the planes and even the different airport buildings. The 747 kept getting updated and better. The L.A. Times would always have big ads for the different airlines and their gimmicks, including a Hawaiian styled lounge in the coach section from the West Coast to Honolulu on certain Continental 747s! How cool is that? I would tear out some of these newspaper ads and keep them. You were very likely to fly from L.A. and S.F. to N.Y. or Chicago on 747s. In fact, it was fun to look at their schedules and find those odd trips where the transcontinental trip had another leg on it so, just maybe, you could fly on a jumbo jet somewhere close, like to San Francisco for 45 minutes. But kids and teens couldn't take trips like that, unless you convinced your parents to go, too. The above is absolutely hilarious by today's standards but, when you're a kid, you took it for granted. This is on a Continental 747 ... in "coach." Today, losing this many coach seats to a "lounge" would never pencil and you'd be attracting the bar flies. But, maybe that would be better than having people on planes being hostile to flight attendants and each other. We didn't hear much about that when I was a kid. The above is American Airline's rendition of the 747 coach lounge. This is nuts, including facing sideways and backwards. That lady looks like Jill St. John. The above is upstairs in first class, again on a Continental 747 ... another kitsch laugh riot. "Those were the days" because I don't think that, despite so much progress, QOL is much better in the last decade or so. @Robert Hall also has interesting stories and I like hearing about the compare-contrast between living in the Desert Southwest and the Rocky Mountain states, especially since both have pipelines of people going to and from California. And, along with many others, how people originally from the Eastern Time Zone headed the call to "go West" and what that was like. Stories about immigration and transplantation fascinate me. I'm all ears for those.

It's obviously a B777. However, I don't know where that might be, with the mountain backdrop so close. That part looks nice. I know that the backdrop is way north of YVR (Vancouver Intnl.), so it's not YVR and I'm at a loss. Aeroflot has been kicked out of SkyTeam. (Act like a "team player" and you get to stay in.)

What did I do to my car today? A lot. Today was the day for the new Michelins! They are the latest Defender 2 design, branded a specific way for Costco. With the current sale, the package deal for everything was a nice thing to have in these inflationary times. Instead of going "Cafe 1.50," I went "Cafe 2.69," because I had a slice of pepperoni pizza and a soft drink while I waited. "Costco lunch" pickings were slim. I started out with that. As I got near the place, I drove the car around a couple more miles and pulled it up to the tire department when the tire life was at exactly 72,000 miles. OCD much, eh? The guy told me I still had about 4 mms on the middle treads, but clearly not at the shoulders. Still, that's impressive. I then went to get them aligned at a small shop I happened upon a year ago and really like, and then went for a belated birthday dinner for and with a friend. Between brand new tires, and their being balanced and aligned, the car drove as if it had less than 50,000 miles and reminded me of the incredibly quiet motoring on smooth asphalt between Portland and Seattle during the car's "early years."

Love that Iberia A340-600. Look at those engines and the open thrust reversers. The only A340-600 I've flown on was operated by Iberia ... it was a Chicago O'Hare to Madrid flight, connecting onward to BLQ from there. The 300s I've been on were from Lufthansa and Iberia. It left on time and got in a little early ... a lot of them do going eastbound since they pick up a good tail wind from the jet stream. It was still fairly dark upon landing in Madrid. Iberia and Aerolineas Argentinas were under the same umbrella at one time, with both having what they called the "arcoiris" livery going over the top of the fuselages, but with different colors based on each country's flag. On AR, I flew on their 747-200 from Miami to Argentina and back. Half empty in each direction and oh so comfortable with armrests up and laying down horizontally to sleep. This was the livery before the very last one. Nice. I like the white one above, but this very last one, below, is kind of interesting. Here it is in Auckland, New Zealand! Some early Airbus 340s had those unusual thrust reversers that stuck out, like on this one.

I was hunting around for Airbus 340 vids. How I miss this plane. Back in its heyday, if I got on an Airbus 340, I was sort of steamed I didn't get onto a Boeing 747. Now, I wish I had ridden on more of them. This video is sort of long, but very educational. For one, it pointed out that the Airbus 330 (twin) and Airbus 340 (quad) were developed at the same time and share a lot of parts ... both are 2-4-2. The 340 (quad) fell out of favor, while the 330 (twin) keeps spawning new variants, the latest of which is the -900 neo. They made 4 of the Airbus 340 - 200, 300, 500, and 600. One saw a lot of 300s and then a lot of 600s. I've flown on both. The 300 "looks" better. Yes, it was the current time's answer to the very dated Boeing 707 and its skinny engines. The 600 roars and those big engines get that disproportionately long fuselage (longer than a 747, IIRC) to rotate fairly quickly. Just great! A cool 300 version, flown by Swiss and obviously in Swiss airspace. Did I mention that I miss this plane?

I couldn't photograph it, but I saw a near perfect silver Saturn Aura sedan today. I don't see those often. I'm guessing they were possibly on the same platform as the Grand Am and Alero, but they did a nice job with this car. Toward the end, Saturn was making some nicer looking cars, quite a step up from the spartan jellybean products they initially rolled out. Some dog/car sightings ... all this afternoon: 1. I went to the AAA to load up a travel card and a little black lab puppy was hanging his head out of the car window near where I had parked and was wagging up a storm. 2. I was sitting there getting coffee and, looking at the drive through, a guy driving out of it with one of those whipped coffee drinks let his dog in the passenger seat take the first big lick out of all that whipped garbage on those drinks ... don't give your dog sweets. 3. I saw an upline SUV from which a German Shepherd had hoisted himself up via the console and was sticking his head out of it. They are all goofy critters.

Saw this at a supermarket. It's a Porsche. Don't know which model. The area is okay, hence the owner left it uncovered. Wish those burgundy interiors will become more prevalent. September, yes, but prior to the official start of autumn.

Saw this. Reminded me of so many rentals - for a great price and with great gas mileage - that I will probably never again see from behind the wheel of a small domestic vehicle. Also, there were a handful or so of goofy enamel colors (pistachio, bright green, purple, dark yellow, etc.) that were offered on the Fiesta in its final years. I'm not so sure I saw them on the final Focuses. I enjoyed my Fiesta rentals, minus one circa 2016 or 2017 to Vancouver, Canada where the automatic transmission was doing just what they wrote it would.

This is an elegant livery. No doubt. The white has helped so many 747s look better, just look at those who ultimately went that route - Air Canada, Air France, Pan Am, TWA, Aerolineas Argentinas, etc. when they had them in their fleets. I don't think Trump comes up with livery designs. Maybe somehow he hired or gave it to came up with it. I'm not a fan of the robin egg blue on Air Force One, except that we now know that livery. I do like the one above, provided that's (dark) blue and NOT black. The raked wing design on this aircraft is a thing of beauty.

It's Oscar De La Hoya, whose boxing skills took an East L.A. boy out of East L.A.

Good morning ...

Wondering when the new Boeing 747-8i is to make its debut as Air Force One. Doing some reminiscing and found a photo of Varig Brasil's jumbo. Brazil's flag carrier hasn't operated in a long time, but they were definitely THE Brazilian airline, even with nonstops from LAX to GRU (Sao Paulo), and maybe even Rio. Here's their 747-300 approaching the south runway at LAX: Here's their very last livery, with the jumbo flying in front of Sugarloaf Mountain and Rio's beaches on approach to GIG (Rio de Janeiro International)