What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[Cheest]

My brother and his wife of forty five years announced to their kids yesterday that they are divorcing. Merry Christmas kids!

To a point, it's amicable. He retired at 58 after selling out his share of the company he founded with some college mates that made him very wealthy. The money also changed him. Stoked his ego. He bought a big chunk of land in N. Wisconsin, primarily as a vacation/hunting place. Built himself a cabin and restored the old farm house for guests. It was supposed to be a weekend getaway place for both of them, but he decided he was going to live there full time. He won't live in town and she won't live in the boonies.

We started to guess things were going south when Kathy had open heart surgery over the summer and he didn't leave the cabin to be with her. One of their daughters, who works in the medical profession, ended up being her care giver. We'd get a play by play on her recovery via group text from him but that was it. IMO, that was kind of crass but then we learned he had side chick up in the north woods. A woman that had a crush on him in high school and still did. That stoked his ego, again.

We don't know if Kathy knows about the side chick. It seems that some of my old high school classmates knew because I was asked about it at our 50th class reunion. I was a bit taken aback by the question but my response was that they'd have to ask his wife. OTOH, we don't know if Kathy has a boy toy, either.

There hasn't been a divorce in the family in over a century. We always knew my brothers' pride and ego would eventually cost him, though. Mrs.Cheest and I decided long ago to sit out the family drama and just watch from the sidelines with a bowl of popcorn.

 

[The Panda Nut]

It doesn’t go through a transformer to LEDs does it…or is it a blind alley, finding lots of those ‘no need to remove old wiring, I’ll just add another’

No its a very basic system and a standard ceiling rose. With a bulb its all showing dead at off, without its showing a light in myn tester. I shall recheck the entire line and all the neutrals but I am 99.99% sure its all exactly right. Any wire that cannot be physically seen and inspected has been replaced with new. If the bulb and holder are removed it appears live, when switched off, and I have not had the balls to touch the wire when this is the case it remains apparently live. Maybe I need to fiddle with my multimeter. The lights work OK on the switches and the switches test correctly when tested for resistance in every position, with 12v connected to the wires and the mains disconnected it all works entirely as expected.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Probably find a neighbour has cut into it to keep his bill down.

The whole lot has been replaced from and including the meter. I do have a light in this house though that does not trip the breaker in my house if shorted! I suspect IT may be wired to next door. The previous owners were somewhat, shall I say eccentric.

Edit. I was just thinking it cant be wrong as the new super sensitive consumer unit would surely throw a wobbler and switch off, I shall check it all again from end to end though.

 

[bugsymike]

The whole lot has been replaced from and including the meter. I do have a light in this house though that does not trip the breaker in my house if shorted! I suspect IT may be wired to next door. The previous owners were somewhat, shall I say eccentric.

Old houses eh!
When I went on holiday one Winter from my first house ( a 200 year old farm labourers cottage) I turned off the mains water as a precaution.
On returning I was told it had shut off several houses down the road also, oops

 

[The Panda Nut]

Old houses eh!
When I went on holiday one Winter from my first house ( a 200 year old farm labourers cottage) I turned off the mains water as a precaution.
On returning I was told it had shut off several houses down the road also, oops

You didnt live in Maidstone did you?? My neighbours did that to us just after we married. Fortunately I managed to get the local cops to come and supervise a breakin and out to restore supplies as they had gone off for a month.

 

[bugsymike]

You didnt live in Maidstone did you?? My neighbours did that toi us just after we married. Fortunately I managed to get the local cops to come and supervise a breakin and out to restore supplies as they had gone off for a month.

Sorry Torquay around 1978 £9500 asking price, recently one of my daughters rented a similar size one from Airbnb, I pointed out the weeks rent was equal to my deposit of 10% on my identical first house a half mile a way!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Sorry Torquay around 1978 £9500 asking price, recently one of my daughters rented a similar size one from Airbnb, I pointed out the weeks rent was equal to my deposit of 10% on my identical first house a half mile a way!

Inflation is really sick. Our first house was 1980 £17,950 you just look back and ask why prices change so much for something that is much the same as it was back then. I bet that house is at least £250,00 now. (And not worth half that)

They must have been your evil trainees.

 

[bugsymike]

Inflation is really sick. Our first house was 1980 £17,950 you just look back and ask why prices change so much for something that is much the same as it was back then. I bet that house is at least £250,00 now. (And not worth half that)

They must have been your evil trainees.

When I bought that first house it was listed as being built as farm labourer's cottages for the Earl of Haldon, so I bet he paid considerably less than that!

 

[PuntoHowTo]

My toddler found out I could “print” him new toys, this is going to be something I regret showing him, I can tell.

 

[StevenRB45]

Oh good christ...

Good luck with that.

He'll be up at 4am making his own before you know it..

 

[AndyPM]

Oh good christ...

Good luck with that.

He'll be up at 4am making his own before you know it..

and at 5am will come the knocking on the bedroom door and " Daddy, somethings gone wrong with the printer"

 

[StevenRB45]

and at 5am will come the knocking on the bedroom door and " Daddy, somethings gone wrong with the printer"

"My Aztec death whistle is stuck..."

Maya Death Whistle (Easy Print, Very Loud) by Tacblades

PLEASE DO NOT ASK TO SELL THIS ITEM, I WANT IT TO ALWAYS BE FREE FOR ALL AND NOT TO BE PROFIT FOR ANYONE.This is a remix of the awesome Maya Skull designhttps://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1755540Adapted for my custom designed Death Whistle Resonator. Its designed to be very strong, easy to print...

www.thingiverse.com

 

[varesecrazy]

"My Aztec death whistle is stuck..."

Maya Death Whistle (Easy Print, Very Loud) by Tacblades

PLEASE DO NOT ASK TO SELL THIS ITEM, I WANT IT TO ALWAYS BE FREE FOR ALL AND NOT TO BE PROFIT FOR ANYONE.This is a remix of the awesome Maya Skull designhttps://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1755540Adapted for my custom designed Death Whistle Resonator. Its designed to be very strong, easy to print...

www.thingiverse.com

It was that..
or a "smart card" for a Renault

 

[SB1500]

Driving out of a supermarket I used to work in this afternoon, and then into my street... Places I drive in and out of a lot but also places I'd oddly clipped my alloys on both he Avensis and CT... For some reason, tonight as I drove out and was careful, but a little bit "****, how close was I to that?" I realised that I never had any issues in my Panda's. And whilst someday, I'm sure I'll lose my wits a bit and can blame age... I don't think I'm there yet (turning 29 in a few days).

Made me think... Sure, the CT is 'easier' to drive being an automatic. No gears or messing about like that. But then.... it's hard to see out of, it's hard to get in and out of (by that, I mean, I have to do some weird twists / positions to get in and out, and I've bumped my head any time I've rushed). I also can't remember struggling to fit things into the boot of the Panda's as much as I do with the CT, though maybe coming from the Avensis has me a bit ruined in that sense for boot room.

As manual and basic as the Panda was, it was so practical, and it was easier in the sense that you didn't need to lift yourself up, or lean or guess corners as much because by default, you're always in an upright position, you can always see around you regardless. My 2017 Panda was blacked out with 5% tints, but last I drove my grandmother's 2015 basic Pop, I was a little uneasy at how much glass and light and how easily people could see in compared to again, my 17 blacked out one and my Avensis / CT being so hard to see into and also tinted windows. But man, does it make the car easier to drive.

It's crazy how different the same roads.. experiences and even cars can feel based on what you're 'used to'. After my second or third driving lesson (ever) in 2014 - in a second generation shaped Ford Focus, which felt like a huge tank to me at the time - I got put on my sisters insurance with the 2005 Panda which she owned at the time. When I went between the Focus and the Panda, the pedals were so tiny, and so light and sensitive, but most of all, it felt so narrow that my inexperience of the steering wheel in general meant I'd be weaving left and right inside the same lane. Then, 50,000 miles in it myself, and no issues!

Anyway, I often say to my friends that my next car will either be one of the new Panda's or that Lexus LBX (same length as mine, smallest / cheapest one but taller and unfortunately an 'SUV'). But today, after these thoughts, I'm leaning more toward the new Panda. But will it have the same visibility / ease of driving that the existing models do... or will it be another 208 in how it feels too? Because the 208, like the DS3 and CT were a little bit 'style over practicality' too in enough ways to **** me off!

 

[StevenRB45]

Should have got an Auris, same car, same drive train, smaller wheels and no tints

Oh and standard heated seats..

 

[SB1500]

Should have got an Auris, same car, same drive train, smaller wheels and no tints

Oh and standard heated seats..

Somehow the CT is based on the Prius and not the Corolla / Auris. Though before I knew that, I’d have put my money on the Auris. If it wasn’t for that media screen same as the Avensis I’d probably have considered it!

I did put a deposit down on an Auris Business Edition with heated seats from a Toyota dealer here in Eniskillen around December 20th 2021… the guy couldn’t promise he’d have it ready by the 5th January so I just told him to never worry. Though as you say.. probably would have fit me a lot better

Still, like the CT… it’s no Panda

 

[StevenRB45]

Somehow the CT is based on the Prius and not the Corolla / Auris. Though before I knew that, I’d have put my money on the Auris. If it wasn’t for that media screen same as the Avensis I’d probably have considered it!

I did put a deposit down on an Auris Business Edition with heated seats from a Toyota dealer here in Eniskillen around December 20th 2021… the guy couldn’t promise he’d have it ready by the 5th January so I just told him to never worry. Though as you say.. probably would have fit me a lot better

Still, like the CT… it’s no Panda

All 3 use the same platform (Toyota MC) and Hybrid engines although the Auris is the only one that gets the option of not suffering a CVT.

 

[SB1500]

All 3 use the same platform (Toyota MC) and Hybrid engines although the Auris is the only one that gets the option of not suffering a CVT.

The CVT isn’t too bad. I think technically it’s an eCVT because of the electric motor and the engine power, which won’t win any awards against a proper, high performance auto gearbox but I’d choose it any day of the week over what was in that Grandland.

You’ve gotta admit…. It’s pretty smooth on takeoff and the absence of any feeling of physical gear changes is nice. Even if it comes at the expense of all performance output in every other way.

And plus, the noisiness tricks my non-driving, non-mechanical friends and family into thinking it’s a big powerful engine doing something impressive. Even though it’s the polar opposite

Joking aside.. Is your Auris not lightning quick up to 30mph on electric? Sport mode on the CT jumps the electric boost up to 650volts and whilst we don’t have too many 911’s or Ferrari’s around here, I’ve not seen a souped up VW or Audi locally that comes close at the traffic lights in city situations off the line. Though that could be a few factors… bad tyres… or the fact that only in my head, is it a race … Still, CT is slow and when you want it to go fast, noisy until it gets there with the eCVT, but around the city in sport mode the electric boost does make it feel a lot more fun than the figures suggest.

 

[StevenRB45]

The CVT isn’t too bad. I think technically it’s an eCVT because of the electric motor and the engine power, which won’t win any awards against a proper, high performance auto gearbox but I’d choose it any day of the week over what was in that Grandland.

You’ve gotta admit…. It’s pretty smooth on takeoff and the absence of any feeling of physical gear changes is nice. Even if it comes at the expense of all performance output in every other way.

And plus, the noisiness tricks my non-driving, non-mechanical friends and family into thinking it’s a big powerful engine doing something impressive. Even though it’s the polar opposite

Joking aside.. Is your Auris not lightning quick up to 30mph on electric? Sport mode on the CT jumps the electric boost up to 650volts and whilst we don’t have too many 911’s or Ferrari’s around here, I’ve not seen a souped up VW or Audi locally that comes close at the traffic lights in city situations off the line. Though that could be a few factors… bad tyres… or the fact that only in my head, is it a race … Still, CT is slow and when you want it to go fast, noisy until it gets there with the eCVT, but around the city in sport mode the electric boost does make it feel a lot more fun than the figures suggest.

I got the 6 speed manual, because the one time I tried a Corrolla 1.8 hybrid it spent the entire hill to my house at 4.5k rpm attempting to achieve the national limit.

Which to be honest I thought might get a bit wearing. If it was a round town car it might make sense but it's not so something that makes a huge amount of noise but kinda stopped accelerating once the initial thrust of the electric motor dried up didn't appeal.

If I replace it with a Corrolla I'd need to look at either the 2.0 or the later 140bhp version to not go slower than the 1.2 none hybrid..which is indicative of how much it blunts performance given I have 116bhp and no electricity...and somehow it's still faster.

 

[SB1500]

I got the 6 speed manual, because the one time I tried a Corrolla 1.8 hybrid it spent the entire hill to my house at 4.5k rpm attempting to achieve the national limit.

Which to be honest I thought might get a bit wearing. If it was a round town car it might make sense but it's not so something that makes a huge amount of noise but kinda stopped accelerating once the initial thrust of the electric motor dried up didn't appeal.

If I replace it with a Corrolla I'd need to look at either the 2.0 or the later 140bhp version to not go slower than the 1.2 none hybrid..which is indicative of how much it blunts performance given I have 116bhp and no electricity...and somehow it's still faster.

A couple of years ago I think the 2.0 hybrid was up to around 180hp combined. Not bad at all for a car that size I’d imagine. I’ve never driven a hybrid Auris. Though a relative has a 2020 Corolla GR Sport which has a lot more kit and is more modern than my CT in every way. But they reckon the CT drives better and is faster in sport mode, which I found a bit hard to believe. I looked at a few Corolla’s 2019 decent spec ones with heated seats and CarPlay in September 2023, same time I first looked at the CT I bought while I was waiting for warranty work on the Avensis just out of boredom. Must admit the Corolla felt like sitting in a plastic bath after the CT. And up until that point I always looked at the CT ads thinking ‘what a stale, dated looking interior’ until I sat in it. Weird one for sure. Though I felt the same about Mercedes until the CLA. In pictures those big ugly vents looked horrific but in person they don’t stand out.

The hybrid isn’t for everyone though I suppose. I think higher up the Lexus line they do have some more performance oriented hybrid setups that are less about efficiency and more about power and driving feel but I’ll never be in the market for those!

I’m actually thinking about getting rid of the CT and taking the Panda Pop, and living with that (and no monthly payments) for a few years until a new, auto Grande Panda lands. Would probably put away the same per month into savings for that.