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The Mazda3

  It’s a nice little car; it’s got a lot going for it.  It is ridiculously sporty and powerful for a car that gets 40 mpg.  But it has issues.  When I open the back liftgate, I push the button, and nothing happens.  I have to actually *lift* the liftgate to get it started.  Then when it’s time to put the liftgate down, I look for the button to close it, and there isn’t any.  I have to push the liftgate down with my hand!   When I back out of a parking space, I look for the backup camera and there isn’t one.  I ease back and wait for any warning signal that another car might be coming.  The signal never comes; there isn’t any.  I actually have to look in the mirrors, and both ways up and down the parking lot aisle, to make sure the coast is clear.   And, when I’m driving on cruise control and the car in front of me slows down, I have to react and tell the Mazda what to do.  It doesn’t even speed up or slow down to maintain safe spacing for me!   I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this….    
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We needed to solder two wires together

  I looked for the soldering iron and found it right where I thought it would be.  Not only that, the resin-core solder was right there with it.  Excellent.  The tip of the soldering iron was bent; it hasn’t been used lately; but not bent so much I couldn’t straighten it with my hands.   I heated up the soldering iron, put the two wires together, held the soldering iron to them, touched the other side of the wires with the solder, and…..  ..nothing.  I tried and tried, and just couldn’t melt the solder.    I looked at the soldering iron.  It was from Radio Shack!  When’s the last time you bought anything at Radio Shack?  I’m thinking this came from Broomfield, Colorado in the 1970s.   I went to Lowe’s and bought a new one.  Problem solved.    
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Our favorite rest area

    It’s on Highway 281 just south of Falfurrias, both northbound and southbound.  It’s in the median.   Love the architecture.   They didn’t just put up steel covers and picnic tables.  They built it with care.   They gave it a Spanish flair.   It is also an indication of the native vegetation; the way the rest of the median could look if it were left undisturbed.