EV charging circuits: Do they really make much of a difference?

| May 9, 2026

“Curiosity may have killed the cat” (see Oxford Language Club), but now I know just how slow a 20A – 110-120 VAC circuit is in charging an Electric Vehicle (our 2019 Tesla Model 3) vs a 50A – 220-240 VAC welding circuit. Yes .. there is a big difference.  Left – 110VAC 10 hr 20 […]

High gas and diesel prices have us planning Tesla EV road trips

| May 5, 2026

After a Tesla Mobile Service upgrade for our 2019 Tesla Model 3 last week, we made a couple of test stops on our weekend trip. The DC CSS Fast Charging at an interstate Wawa IONNA near Lima, Ohio (non-Tesla SuperCharger network) made an excellent stopping point for our slightly older “standard range” EV. Since we […]

Another minor Tesla Mobile Service call: CCS charging upgrade

| May 2, 2026

After having a positive Tesla Mobile Service call on our 2019 Tesla Model 3, I opted to schedule another “not all that important” upgrade. This particular improvement switches out a circuit board in the rear of the car, near the NACS plug, that will allow us to charge at non-Tesla DC Fast Chargers. I say […]

Follow up: Our first Tesla Mobile Service call went smoothly

| April 29, 2026

Our first Tesla Mobile Service call went well. The car was parked outside the garage and the technician arrived within the 7AM – 12PM estimated time — he actually arrived at 11:30AM and was finished by noon.  Since I was working from home, I decided to talk to him a bit to see if he […]

Auto Service: Tesla mobile service makes sound financial sense

| April 28, 2026

One would think that there would be some financial incentive in being a do-it-yourselfer when replacing the low-voltage battery in a 2019 Tesla Model 3. It doesn’t seem to exist, at least in my Internet sleuthing and comparing of prices. The procedure isn’t all that complicated and Tesla does a pretty good job of providing […]

A “Tech Friday” financial thank you to Drew and KeySavvy

| December 26, 2025

One of the highlights of 2025 on the automotive front, and as a car enthusiast, was making a solid financial move in selling Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX and buying a very clean 2019 Tesla Model 3. The “key” was to purchase it from a known seller and before the end of September using KeySavvy. This […]

Tech Friday, sort of. Tying a few loosely saved items together

| December 19, 2025

Here’s a Tech Friday item: The lidar maker Luminar for self-driving cars has filed for bankruptcy according to The Verge. Unfortunately for them, technology changes fast even when you have a great product and are innovative; in the real world, companies are still required to have a profitable business plan that keeps the lights on. ☹️  […]

Tech Friday: Tesla’s navigation and Sentry Mode

| November 28, 2025

Since I’m still “admiring Brenda’s 2019 Tesla Model 3,” but I’ve also been intrigued by some of the impressive navigation and realtime data. The other day on a trip to our local Costco, the Sentry Mode security recorded all the carts and people who were around the car while parked. I now know why so […]

Archive: A last November weekend to finish yard chores

| November 25, 2025

This could have been the last nice weekend to finish up yard work such as raking and hauling leaves – and my rake is about to be retired, as am I!  Who knows as a few trees are still fulling loaded with leaves; perhaps the wind will blow them elsewhere??? Anyway if felt good to […]

Tesla M3 charging and a Wyze Palm Lock for the detached garage

| November 19, 2025

In keeping with last week’s smart home fixes, the Wyze Palm Lock was one of those spontaneous purchases (a discount offered) that I really should have added to my Christmas list, but with a recent theft event in our neighborhood, it seemed “wyze”to add it sooner rather than later (it’s ok if you rolled your […]

Hm, I’m starting to really admire Brenda’s 2019 Tesla Model 3

| November 12, 2025

Today’s earlier post had to do with Tesla (“Musk’s $1 Trillion Is Not Guaranteed” – so I wanted to archive it since it was also posted on TheHustings). Also, the weather has vastly improved and it seemed like a good time to add another Wyze Cam driveway video highlighting the disappearing autumn colors. Besides, I’m […]

Beautiful autumn color and a camping photo from the late 1980s

| November 7, 2025

I know, it is Friday and that generally means an interesting (at least to me) Tech Friday story. Does a photo of Brenda’s “tech-y” Tesla Model 3 with the trees changing count? I didn’t think so … In reality, I’m slightly behind in my week and totally missed posting a #TBT photo my buddy Jeff […]

Archive: Personal home projects and talented granddaughters

| November 4, 2025

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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 […]

A busy autumn for our family and leftover automotive items

| October 29, 2025

It was a busy autumn weekend for the next generation in our family. Taylor and Megan were taking advantage of the nice fall weather to go to the Renaissance Festival while the Oostras planted tulip bulbs (how fitting) and tackled the huge “Back to the Future” corn maze in NW Ohio. It looks like the […]

Tech Friday: A few days of Tesla ownership and charging

| October 24, 2025

After a few days of owning/driving a “previously loved” 2019 Tesla Model 3, I’m learning a little more about it each day … and as the 2003 McDonald’s jingle goes, “I’m lovin’ it.” 😊 So far the Tesla has surpassed my expectation as for driving pleasure. It is solid on the road, very fast when acceleration […]

Archive: An enjoyable couple of days with our granddaughters

| October 22, 2025

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Filler: A very-clean 2019 Tesla Model 3 is now in our garage

| October 21, 2025

More to come, but a new to us 2019 Tesla Model 3 now replaces Brenda’s 2010 Acura RDX. We are as excited about having a Tesla, as is the seller for us “finally” owning a Tesla (aka: Drew).

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 […]

Is it too soon to talk about Graphite Aluminum-Ion batteries?

| March 8, 2025

This is strictly a future hopeful and something I’ve read Tesla engineers are working on (Graphite Aluminum-Ion Batteries), but I can’t help but get excited about another new battery technology … yes again (see my 2005 post and unfortunately fallout and A123 bankruptcy in 2012). If it is truly going to be in the next […]

Automakers banking on EV sales may need to buckle up in 2025

| January 4, 2025

After four years of inflation impacting everything Americans need and want, the optimism for improvement might not come all that easily to the next administration. Wages are struggling to keep up with prices, and although the Fed has started an easing cycle with rate cuts, everyday citizens don’t see that when it comes to necessities […]

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range, looks the same, but offers a lot more according to “Car and Driver” magazine

| December 4, 2024

The updated 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range only has a few subtle styling differences since the EV still looks like it did when it was introduced eight years ago, but has an improved range and is even quicker. Looks are deceiving. There isn’t any single earth-shaking upgrade, but this latest version has smartly placed […]

Archive: Weekend photos, including a Barbie Birthday Party

| September 9, 2024

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EV and hybrid vehicle advertising is starting to tempt me

| January 13, 2024

The advertising from Tesla is working on me as the range and charging infrastructure continues to improve. Having driven and watched my son-in-law use his Tesla Model3 (mostly for daily commuting) since 2019 with impressive success, a Model3 might make a great second car … IF the price were lower or incentives better (perhaps a […]

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