Record high NEW car prices in 2025 keeps me buying used cars

| November 1, 2025

After recently selling our 2010 Acura RDX and replacing it with a “previously loved” 2019 Tesla Model 3, it feels good to be buying a used vehicle rather than needing to shop for a NEW car (definite sticker shock). Certainly, it would be nice to have a squeak-less new SUV to replace our 2010 BMW […]

The week, or should I say month, for “dealing” with cars

| September 27, 2025

Besides the frustration over getting our aging 2002 Honda Odyssey ready for a trip to Atlanta … and then hopefully to Florida … we’ve been moving forward on the selling of the 2010 Acura RDX and eventually taking possession of a 2019 Tesla Model 3.  What makes the Acura exchange nearly perfect is that the […]

My 2010 BMW X5 35d is still a great looking and driving SUV

| September 26, 2025

We’ve been talking about new cars or NEW USED cars lately while Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX sat with a FOR SALE sign out by the rear fence. It was a great car for her and she loved the sporty performance and smaller size (like her RAV4). Currently she is driving the 2010 BMW X5 35d […]

SOLD: Our 2010 Acura RDX would make a great first car

| September 14, 2025

Posting the update: SOLD this past weekend 9/20/2025 to a local family with a new driver … who is a local high school band drummer and needed a first car that could haul his drums! Well the road behind our house is open again and before we start getting too busy this fall, it seemed […]

So much for listing the 2010 Acura RDX for sale this month

| July 19, 2025

The Ohio automotive registration was delayed as long as I dared this month just in case I could convince Brenda this might be a good year to sell her 2010 Acura RDX. Unfortunately she was not convinced before the license plate renewal date inched closer. So another $56.59 has been spent and we’ll go another […]

Plastic headlights restoring with Cerakote kit ($17 on Amazon)

| June 7, 2025

This week the long overdue task of polishing, brightening and coating the plastic headlights on three of our cars was on my to-do list. Our 2002 Honda Odyssey was likely the worst, but the others were not much better. Years ago I tried the toothpaste and rubbing compounds on several other cars, but without a […]

Testing a inexpensive 12 volt solar battery maintainer for the car

| December 8, 2024

Our 2002 Honda Odyssey van sits outside in Florida for a longer period than usual and a few times the battery didn’t start the car. At first I replaced the battery thinking it was just old. Then I started to disconnect the battery when leaving it covered in our condo parking lot … but it […]

Tech Friday: Low-cost iPhone Magsafe car mounts – non-charging

| October 11, 2024

So far I can endorse a couple of inexpensive “non-charging” Magsafe “magnetic” car mounts for our two iPhones (iPhone 14 and iPhone 16 Pro Max). Both were purchased together on Amazon with a minor discount for 2 items together … and for the low-price, I expected to be disappointed. Nope, I was not. The magnets […]

Tech Friday: OS woes and a Mars Edit software update

| July 12, 2024

Although the Late 2012 Intel-based iMac is “aging better than President Biden,”  my desktop iMac is struggling and is no longer being used as my primary computer. Still … it does work as a larger twin 27” screens desktop computer along side my MacBook Air M2 these days. Recently I cross my fingers when updating […]

Hoping a small repair prevents a major repair on our Acura RDX

| January 6, 2024

Last week we took our 2010 Acura RDX to our local repair garage, hoping for a minor rather than major issue. So far, so good. The initial thought that it might be a solenoid controling the turbo wastegate turned out to be “not” the issue … and digging deeper required several more hours of labor. […]

Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX is in for an emissions issue – Gulp!

| December 28, 2023

After taking Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX to a local service garage in September, it ran fine for a few months. Beginning in December though, it started to stumble and eventually triggered lights on the dash that included emissions and an AWD code. So we have taken it back this week to see if there is […]

A economical fix for the 2010 Acura RDX by our local garage

| September 24, 2023

Our 2010 Acura RDX with 155,000 miles was sputtering and burning excessive fuel for the last couple of weeks (according to the car’s driver — Brenda) and by the time she asked me to take a look at it, a plethora of lights were on the instrument panel. A quick start-up and I knew something […]

Frustrating and surprised at a couple gasoline receipts

| June 4, 2023

You would have to know my penny-pinching personality to truly understand my frustration over gasoline prices, but these receipts had me pulling out my hair. A little pretext: My wife has ALWAYS only purchased Shell gasoline for her cars. No matter the price, she always goes to Shell and has been loyal for decades. Over […]

Replaced the 5-6 year old battery in the 2010 Acura RDX

| February 4, 2023

After 5 or 6 years, a car batteries no matter their indicated warranties, lose some of their cold cranking amps (CCA). If I were a “maintenance-focused only kind of guy,” I’d probably just replace batteries every 5 years rather than waiting forthem to fail. BUT … as usual … I wait until the winter when […]

How many flat tires does a person repair in a lifetime? #TBT

| December 8, 2022

The Throwback Thursday #TBT tag was just an excuse to ask the question: “How many flat tires does a person need to have repaired in their lifetime?” I don’t know the answer, but I do know that I’ve repaired A LOT. It seems I’m forever needing to add air (change in temperatures), have a slow […]

Who enjoys dealing with insurance companies and claims?

| January 27, 2022

Well I don’t enjoy dealing with insurance companies or claims … that is for sure! Brenda’s Acura RDX was backed into in a Kroger parking lot last week so the insurance adjuster phone tag begins (a previous time it was the Honda Pilot and a CVS parking lot). This time the young driver who backed […]

Brakes for both the Acura RDX and BMW X5 35d last weekend

| December 14, 2021

Looking at the rear brake wear on Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX is not a sign that I’ve been taking good care of her car, but she did mention her brakes were squealing a bit last month. By the time I got around to ordering brakes and discs for both the dual-piston fronts and rears, it […]

Plugging yet another tire and “smelling the roses” #video

| April 18, 2020

Another nail or something in the tire, this time in Brenda’s Acura RDX. Thankfully it was in the tread and small, so an easy plug … but plugging two tires within 30 days? (the animated gif above is just a little soap water sprayed on the tire for leak detection) As for a video that […]

Leftover photos: A lousy Valentine’s Day gift & antique miter box

| February 18, 2020

Here’s a Twofer Tuesday archive from a couple weekend photos on my phone: First, I tried to use Brenda’s grandfather’s handmade, and well worn, antique miter box to cut a couple pieces of trim .. but ended up using my powered Hitachi sliding miter saw to clean up the cut instead (I did use his […]

Simple mount in BMW X5 35d for Amazon Echo Auto

| October 12, 2019

It isn’t easy to see this little magnetic bracket I made to hold my new Amazon Echo Auto low on the dash of the BMW X5 35d. I opted to make a little aluminum bracket that straddles the pushbutton switch blanks to the right of a few other buttons. It is fastened with automotive trim […]

Our 2006 Honda Pilot replacement – A 2010 Acura RDX

| August 21, 2019

We have always shuffled our “fleet” (as my son-in-law calls it) and strive to keep the loss through depreciation on vehicles to a tolerable level … while still driving reliable vehicles. Thankfully our current and recent vehicles have served us well and regularly hit the quarter million mile mark before we retire them. In my […]

Family Fun Weekend with Annalyn in Cincinnati – part 1

| August 8, 2017

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More on Honda and Acura clean diesels

| January 22, 2008

Many diesel advocates are anxiously waiting to see just what new clean diesels will be arriving in the U.S. over the next few years. Hardly a week goes by now without some new announcement. For many of us, the Honda Accord 2.2L i-DTEC stands out in the hopes it will be an affordable and dependable […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog