The Prius Attracts Attention

I pulled into the parking lot to pick Meg up from her after school program yesterday. Most days when I pull in there are at least 2 Prius' in the parking lot and yesterday was no exception. One day last week there were a total of 5 or 6 Prius' in the parking lot. I don't know if there really are more on the road or if I am just more aware of them since I really started looking at buying one.

As I was walking up to the front of the school, a teacher rushed out of the office and asked me how I liked my Prius. I told her I have only owned it since Saturday, but so far I was really impressed with it. She pointed out that she owned the first generation Prius and that she has been very happy with it. She told me that I will love it.

She asked me if Toyota was offering any incentives on them yet. I told her they were not and that I was told it was because inventories of Prius' are too low to offer any incentives. She was dissappointed and told me that she has been waiting for about three months to buy the new 2010 3rd generation Prius. She asked me to let her know if I heard of any incentives.

Yesterday was the first day I drove the car in my daily routine and it already got attention. I was talking to Tina last night about celbrities who drive them and I told her that they drive them because they are hybrids and because they are so recognizable. When people see the celebrity in them they know that they care about what we are doing to the environment. I am the same way. I could have bought a hybrid Accord, Camry or even Malibu but I wanted people to know how I feel about the environment. And my Prius has been a wonderful car so far.

Read more...

Obligations

Why do we feel like we are obligated to do certain things? Do people make us feel this way? Is it an emotion that takes control of us and makes us feel this way? Is it a feeling we get from someone that makes us feel this way?

Feeling like you are obligated really limits your choices and can force you to make a decision that you may regret in the future. There really is no reason to make people feel like they are obligated to do something for you. I genuinely try to avoid making people feel this way, but I often sense that other people feel like I am obligated to do something. I really dislike that and most of the time I just make my own decision anyway.

It really is wrong to make people feel this way and I think it is rooted in jealousy to a certain extent. The worst thing is when you know someone feels like you are obligated to them, but they insist that there really is no obligation. Are they just unaware that they are making you feel this way or are they just trying to use psycology on you and make you think that you are not obligated? Either way, it is wrong.

Read more...

New Addition to the Family

We picked up our new baby this morning after Meg's soccer game. We opted for a mixed race bundle of joy, a 2010 Toyota Prius. We ended up getting the Barcelona Red one and the reason is because it makes me laugh. I just find it very funny to have a little hybrid car that is race car red.

This car is made for tech geeks. Their are so many little gadgets in the car that there is more than one owner's manual and even a DVD. So far, I have just read up on the features I will need immediately, like the bluetooth handsfree calling and the navigation system.

I will be reading a lot in the near future

Read more...

How Hard is it to Buy Something?

I sure cannot believe that we are still in a recession if I have to judge by the response I am getting to purchasing two items. I am currently starting to shop for a new car and am also exploring my options for a swimming pool. I am really having trouble getting people to respond to my requests.

I used the Toyota website to build my Prius and then searched for a dealer in my area. Once I selected the dealer, my information was sent to them. I have been contacted by them via email, which I prefer, and have responded with questions. My email replies have only been responded to one time, but they keep sending me other emails asking how their service has been. I guess I really need to reply and let them know that it has been two weeks since this started and they actually have the car I am interested in sitting on their lot.

I tried to contact a pool builder that I saw at a home show last year. I could never catch a live person, so I thought maybe they were out of business. I made contact with three other builders with no problems at all. I continued to call the first builder and began leaving messages for them to call me back. I finally received a return call. I got all four builders to come to my house and start the work for estimates. One of them got back to within a few days, one got back to me within a week and one set a follow-up appointment for me at the original appointment, though it was almost two weeks later. The fourth, however, did not get back to me after almost two weeks. I finally called them and they got back to me the next day.

Two builders still owe me drawings. One of them told me they would email me the drawing on Monday and I still have not seen it yet. I am meeting with the fourth builder, who is my leader at this point, tomorrow. They are installing a pool down the street from me, which is how I found them in the first place. I am concerned that they did not get back to me until after I called them back though.

All I can think from these experiences is that either the recession is not as bad as everyone thinks and the car business and pool business are just slammed with customers or they are just two very flaky industries. I am inclined to believe the later at this point, until proven otherwise. I wonder if I would have the same luck trying to give away my money if I just stood on the corner with a sign that read, "I will give you all my money, just ask for it?"

Read more...