Jason Oakley : The life of an Aussie geek!

I wonder why this reminds me of The Simpsons

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Yesterday we went for a trip up the coast. We first stopped in at Aussie World and went on lots of rides. Sienna loves this ride like the Tilt a Whirl or something. Spins so damn fast! She has NO FEAR that one. Crazy girl. Like her dad *Grins*. Dad nearly brought his lunch back up. Erk!  After that it was the Ferris Wheel.. thank God! Much easier on the stomach. I just laid back and closed my eyes. Not due to fear of anything, but to try and settle my stomach.

Before that we went on the swing type chairs that go round and round and up.  She really loves that.  I think she’s addicted to adrenaline lol!  She also went on the more tamer merry go round and teacup rides. We bought some things in a nearby shop. Mum and dad bought one of those waterfall pictures for the wall that you plug in and it animates water flowing down and plays music.

Next we went for a trip North and stopped at The Big Pineapple. (I updated the Wikipedia article a lot after our last visit).  Just as we got there the train left for a trip around the grounds. As it turned out it was the second last trip. We booked tickets for the next trip which meant they were discounted due to being the last one and there was no time left for feeding the animals. Still, the driver was hilarious and told us all about growing pineapples. He kept asking questions and Sienna kept putting her hand up. He’d ask her the answer and she’d get all shy and jump on my lap! LOL! He thought it was funny. So did she.

Before we did the trip we had some dessert. Sienna had a Junior Sundae with chocolate icecream with chocolate sauce. I had a fruit salad parfait. Parfait may be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet! Mum and dad shared a banana split.  While we waited for that Sienna played on the wooden train in the food court with the other kids.  We had a fantastic time all up and headed home around 5pm. We grabbed a couple of Dominos pizzas on the way home. Dad got a supreme with classic crust and I got a triple ripple base with Double bacon cheeseburger topping (Sienna’s pick). I grabbed a nice bottle of Cab Sav while we waited for the pizzas to cook. I ended going to bed around 8:30pm due to having many late nights and early mornings. So tired. So of course today I woke at 5am. Grr. Oh well.  Today we’ll take it easy and relax and watch some movies. I saw half of Die Hard 4.0 and it looks bloody brilliant! I had to pick up Sienna halfway through so I might watch it now while everyone sleeps.

Today we went out to find me a new car. I tried a test drive of a Mazda 3 after reading reviews.. and can I just say “Yuck!!”??? I never want to drive one of these again. No legroom .. the central column is in the road of where my knee would normally be.. and I hated the dash. It drove okay I suppose but I just hated it. Lucky for me, the place I originally wanted to get it from had sold the only Mazda 3 the day before at lunch time. It was a 2005 model with 30,000kms on the clock.

We went a couple of places up the road from that to a Honda dealer. The people there were absolutely brilliant! Talking to Sienna and being really friendly. She came home with a half dozen balloons!! She was rapt. They were also really good to us. I took a Honda Jazz VTi out for a test drive and loved it! It was waaayyy better than the Mazda 3. I’d thought the M3 was supposed to be a nice luxury car, but it’s far from it in my books. When we brought it back, we got the info on a trade in for my old Honda Civic and found out what kind of deal we could get. I ended up adding on protective coating for the paintwork and tinted windows and I’m signing up for extended warranty and premium membership to RACQ. All up it’s around $22,000 or so and will be about $111pw financed.

Below are some photos from the web and other details, but let me say I’m way happy with the results.

Meet the ever-so-nice Jazz. It’s a bite-sized wonder with all the performance, safety and style that Honda vehicles are famous for. And with three exciting models to choose from, you’re sure to find one that fits you ever-so-perfectly.

Exterior – Driving a Jazz means you automatically set yourself apart. Every detail is a statement of your individual style.

• Jazz can slot into the tightest of parking spaces – thanks to its compact overhangs and short nose. It’s dynamic shape and smooth lines give it a distinctive charm, belying an utterly spacious and practical interior.
• Big, multi-reflector headlamps with chrome-plated rings flank a steeply raked, scalloped bonnet, accentuating the sleek lines. They produce a powerful beam, ensuring great night-time vision.
• Shopping will never be the same again – thanks to Jazz’s practical hatchback. It’s got a low height, so loading is a breeze. In fact, fitting in everything from hat boxes to surfboards is an absolute piece of cake.
• The Jazz’s combination rear lamps feature LED technology. LEDs are superior to regular globes because they’re brighter, longer lasting and are easier for other drivers to see. And let’s face it, they look pretty sweet
• The Jazz VTi and VTi-S models feature power retractable mirrors. At the flick of a switch, they automatically fold inward – handy for when you need to park in a tight spot or a narrow laneway.
• Also featured on the Jazz VTi and VTi-S models are mirror-mounted side turn indicators. Removing the indicators from their regular position on the side fender gives the Jazz a more streamlined appearance.
• Opt for the Jazz VTi-S model and gain instant street cred. You’ll find larger front & rear bumpers with integrated body skirts, fog lamps, rear spoiler, tinted rear lamp lenses and smart 15” alloy wheels.

Interior – The interior is a slick and inviting environment, with everything designed to be within arm’s reach.

• Those clever Honda designers have made use of every millimetre of space. The light and airy cabin lets five adults stretch out in comfort thanks to its innovative layout. Big car space – small car practicality.
• The Jazz GLi model features silver-faced gauges, whilst the VTi and VTi-S models are self-illuminating. They light up in stages – firstly when you unlock the door and then further when you turn on the ignition.
• It’s easy to keep your cool with Jazz’s air conditioning – a standard feature, of course! The retro rotary dials are perfectly positioned, allowing you to control your interior climate without taking your eyes off the road.
• Pump up the volume. Jazz features a funky 4-speaker audio system that incorporates a CD player and AM/FM tuner. It has toggle switches for tune and track changes and the whole system sounds as good as it looks.
• There is storage space and 3 cupholders in the centre console. You’ll find storage trays below the dash and a parcel space under the rear seats. There’s even a hook behind the passenger seat – perfect for take-away food.
• A flexible seating system that changes as often as you. In ‘tall mode’, flip up the rear seat base and you have over 4 feet of space from floor to ceiling in the rear. Switch to ‘utility mode’ by folding down the rear seats and you’ve got the cargo carrying space that would rival a minivan. And in ‘long mode’ you can stow items up to 2.4m long, perfect for a surfboard.

Engineering – Wherever you go in the Jazz, you’re assured of superb performance, handling and stability.

• The Jazz GLi model features a 1.3 litre i-DSI engine. Press the accelerator and the engine responds with a surge of power, generating 61kW of power and 119Nm of torque – great for city or highway driving.
• Jazz VTi and VTi-S models sport a 1.5 litre VTEC engine which offers zippy, powerful performance, along with excellent fuel economy. How does 81kW of power and 143Nm of torque grab you? Impressive, huh
• Driving shouldn’t be a chore. That’s why Jazz features an electric power steering system. Why electric? Because it’s smoother, has less kickback, weighs less and results in better fuel economy. Now that’s clever.
• Choose between a sporty 5-speed manual or CVT automatic. In addition, Jazz VTi and VTi-S automatic models feature an F1-inspired, 7-speed sequential shift with steering wheel mounted paddle shifts.
• The combined fuel consumption for the Jazz GLi is a miserly 5.7 (manual) and 5.8 (auto) litres per 100km. The Jazz VTi and VTi-S model’s larger engine uses only 6.0 (manual) and 6.1 (auto) litres per 100km.

I had a go. Got 255. You can do better:

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BOOMSHINE!