My parents just bought a new
car, and I keep hearing them
referring to it as their pride and joy.
I thought that was me, or my
sister, but I guess we are old
news, and we can’t compete
with all the technological
advances made since they last
bought a new vehicle 15 years ago.
When’s the last time you
bought a new car?
Their new baby has a backup camera,
keyless entry, [that’s not when you
climb through a bedroom window in your teens], and does almost everything but the dishes.
Because our climate up here is pretty darn cold in the winter, it has heated leather seats, “a absolute must” declared my Mom.
It has so many gadgets, and gizmos that they are still learning how to turn on the dual control air conditioning in the middle of a heat wave, instead of the heat, and the GPS disappeared when someone hit the wrong button and somehow changed all the radio stations.
She let me drive it to the almost big city to take her to a appointment, and we did some shopping afterwards. Someone had goofed up in the weather department, and it was blazing hot.
About halfway home during a 20 minute trip when the seats were still burning behind our backs, we tried to double check to find out if the heated seats were turned on. We managed to find the right buttons, but then the heat kicked in, and the air conditioning stopped cooling us down in over 33 C weather. The keyless entry wouldn’t lock the doors, and the GPS said we were in Hawaii.
So much for technology. And who’s your pride and joy now Mom?
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
We just bought a new vehicle at the beginning of the month. It doesn't have quite as many bells and whistles and buttons as your parents one does but it certainly has more than the last one we had. Alas, no heated seats for us, even though the winters are pretty cold in Ontario.
ReplyDeleteLoved the last part of being in Hawaii. We used our Garmin GPS over the week-end. I knew how to get to the destination but thought we could take another route. It was unreal. At one point they had us go down an alley in a little town, just to turn on a street about 50 yards away. Once the GPS went out of range. It still showed us where we were going. We got almost there and the whole thing froze up. Not that this has anything to do with a new car, just the technology. I hope they can figure it all out.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're more predictable than that new vehicle of theirs. One almost needs to be an electronic engineer just to make everything work they way it should. Hope they get it all figured out in the next 15 years!! Oh but there is something said for heated seats in the winter. I have lower spine arthritis and the heat feels so good!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious. Although, I still maintain that two of lfe's best luxuries are heated seats and afternoon naps. I'll bet you needed the nap after that little excursion.
ReplyDeleteIt is little wonder that new cars are so expensive today. But I do like heated seats--in the dead of winter. I hope your parents enjoy their new car. Your old car photos are a wonderful contrast to your narrative. I hope your mom reads your post; it's great.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your funny humor this morning. I always wonder why ruin a good thing by improving it more. Sounds like it is not a user friendly car. I love your shots today especially the first one. Hope your parents are more familiar with the car now. Have a good day!
ReplyDeleteJust like any ole' computer, it's only as good as the person who programs it, lol. (my husband has heated seats in his truck and I love them in the winter)
ReplyDeleteGuess you and your sister reclaimed the spot in Mom's heart after all that. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI do love the rusty old Beetle and that sweet Mercury. Gads, where are they, I want them.
Last spring we bought our very last 'brand spankin' new' truck, a Ram.
There is no way we will be getting another since retirement. Mercy, so pricey, but we loveit.
BlessYourHeart
The more gizmos, the more that can go wrong.
ReplyDeleteOut car is 11 years old. I love it, but we definitely need a new one. Having one car is a drag and we need a car to take on the heavy driving so that our 2001 Honda CR-V can catch a break.
xo
Claudia
Thanks for my morning laugh, Jen. I love the old Beetle (memories from childhood). I bought a new car in Oct 2009 - a 2010 Honda CRV that I love. I bought the basic model because I don't need all the gizmos but I'll be keeping this baby forever. My last new car was a 1993 Saturn and I sold it when I bought the CRV. I expect this one to last longer than 16 years. J
ReplyDeleteI'm chuckling right now! Your witty writing is priceless!!!! You know... irony will kick in some time in the next few months and your parents won't be able to figure out how to get the heated seats to turn on or the A/C to turn off... just in time for the first snowfall.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the grin and the laugh.
Very cute post, Jen! My car is 5 years old. We once had a car with heated seats and even here in GA, my mom loved them. She would ask me to get her a Chickfila ice cream at the drive thru and then ride around with the heated seat on until she finished it!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm too stingy to purchase a vehicle with all that fancy stuff. Mine has air conditioning but no electric windows.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I could use GPS, though. I can always get home from the west side of the city with no problem. I just can't find anything on the west side when I go there.
OMG ! Too funny Jen .. but I do have to smirk a bit here. Husband's car, OK (SUV) .. has heated seats and let me tell you baby they feel GOOOOODDDD in cold weather !!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL .. but I can certainly feel that unwanted HEAT when things get mixed up .. I just said today as we traveled through town, I wouldn't last 5 minutes without AC in our vehicles .. BIG sigh : )
The GPS thing .. I hate that voice and the snotty tone it takes .. so I don't have one .. but husband saved me his old one just in case I ever do ? like the cell phone in my purse which constantly runs out of juice and I forget to charge it, because I don't use it .. hum ? seems to me I am stuck between two worlds of love and hate technology?
Perfect cure ? go out and buy some Halloweeny things !!!
Joy ;-) hehehehe
Hahaha, this is too funny!!! That is exactly what i was like when i bought a new car, i couldn't understand why i was melting, even with the ac on! Turns out i was driving around for the three months of summer with the heated seats on lol.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Jan @ door251
Jen - That is hilarous!! I really loved the part about the Keyless entry - so funny. Really enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteJudy
I loved this post!! Its been a long time since I had a new car, but my husband got one 3 years ago, and when I drive it, I still am not sure how to turn off those darn windshield wipers! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the good laugh. I really needed it. It reminds me of my Grandmothers new car years ago when they stopped labeling things with words. We were trying to work the air and both of us swore that picture next to the button was an ejection seat. Ha. Thanks again for the cheer and memories. Great post.
ReplyDeleteLOL I was riding with a friend and started feeling a "hot flash" or so I thought. I said something to her about having a longer than usual hot flash. She glanced over and said that I had hit the button on the door which turned on the seat warmer. OOPS!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL! There are so many new features on cars these days. I have not gotten a new car in 12 years so I am way behind the norm. LOL! I do not trust those GPS systems either. I will stick to paper maps I think.
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Jen. My van is 12 years old, but does have heated seats. Great in the winter, but not too great when you accidentally turn them on in the summer. I bet she is rethinking that pride and joy thing :)
ReplyDeleteI find too many gizmos makes me a distracted and unhappy driver...although my heated seats work great in winter and the button is in a perfect spot to turn them on and off...
ReplyDeleteOh funny Jen:) Thanks for the smiles:)
ReplyDelete