When my Dodge Grand Caravan gave up the ghost a couple of months ago, we bought a brand-new Toyota Corolla. I like nearly everything about it: roomy for a compact car, great gas mileage (34 mpg), Bluetooth, backup camera, spacious trunk. There are only two features that annoy me.
One is the location of the Mode button on the left spoke of the steering wheel. I steer with my left hand, and when I’m making a sharp turn, tend to rest the heel of my hand precisely there to spin the wheel. This can kick me out of a phone call or interrupt my favorite song. I wish they had placed the button at least half an inch to the right.
The other annoying feature is the hard plastic of the inside door handle. I hadn’t realized how much comfort I was sacrificing when I gave up the Caravan. Since I’m 6’4″, in a small car I either have to stretch my left leg out or sit grasshopper-like with my knee up and leaning against the door. The leg-extended position puts pressure on my heel. The grasshopper position puts pressure on the side of my knee at the point where it rests on the hard plastic. I think I’m going to tie a cushion to the door handle.
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For our trip to Panama City, we rented a Chevrolet Caprice. It was somewhat roomier than our Corolla, and my knee didn’t get as sore from leaning on the door. But it had a couple of stupid design features.
The steering wheel has metal trim, just like the Corolla, but the Chevy’s is shiny, ready to catch the sun and reflect it into the driver’s eyes at any opportunity. The rear edge of the hood has a bevel that also sends sunset glare right into your eyes.
The dash has this display with blue lights that remind me of a cheap boombox.
![IMG_20140417_205356[1]](https://roadkillspatula.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/img_20140417_2053561.jpg)
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Alicia and I watched Frozen last week. We enjoyed it, but there were some flaws in the writing that bugged us:
1) Not just one, but two cutesy mascots! The reindeer was okay. The snowman was annoying, but at least the writers realized it and were mean to him.
2) Some really bad parenting. Horribly bad.
3) No foreshadowing of the prince’s betrayal. The only thing resembling a hint is that Elsa was opposed to Anna’s engagement because it happened after spending just four hours with him. The prince’s behavior was exemplary up until it suddenly wasn’t.
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If you speak Spanish, you may enjoy the India María movies from Mexico. Alicia and I discovered them a couple of weeks ago. They are wonderfully funny, with gentle humor that is much cleaner than that of Cantinflas. Unfortunately, some of the movies available on Youtube appear to be heavily edited, leading to gaps in the narrative.
The last one we watched was a bit disappointing both in writing and editing; María goes to Mexico City to talk to her congressman about her village’s lands being expropriated and her brother taken away by the government. She suffers a number of indignities trying to find the congressman’s office, isn’t allowed to see him, gets thrown into jail, and then the story heads off into María’s promise to help a fellow prisoner whose children are in the care of an unscrupulous couple that sell contraband, neglect the children, and are squandering the prisoner’s last remaining assets. María goes to live with the couple and has various adventures in their neighborhood. She participates in a professional wrestling match to raise funds to help her friend. At the end of the movie the bad people are arrested, the children will be okay, and their mother will finally be able to bond out of jail. But there is no more mention of the expropriated lands or her missing brother.
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While we were in Panama City, FL last week, we drove out to Panama City Beach. It was much too chilly for the beach, so we visited the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum, which is shaped like half the Titanic. The museum was fascinating. There is also a 3-D Moving Theatre, for which we had to stand in line for about 40 minutes. The two short 3-D movies were pathetic in comparison to movies I’ve seen in similar theaters at amusement parks. The smudged and flimsy 3-D glasses didn’t provide a 3-D effect at all. I was very glad I hadn’t paid the full price of admission. (The show is a $5 add-on if you buy a museum ticket.)
* I sent the above comments to the museum’s Contact Us form, and immediately got this response back from the manager: “I apologize for the inconvenience that you and your wife went through. We are currently upgrading our theater into a more interactive shooting 7D experience. We should be re-opening the theater on May 12. Please allow me to make-up for the experience by sending you two complimentary tickets to come back after the new theater is in place. Thank your for visiting and sorry for the inconvenience.”
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Panama City and Panama City Beach are beautiful places. The people who attended us at the hotel and in stores were extremely polite. Streets are clean, houses tend to be attractive and well-maintained, the beaches are excellent.
We arrived at the Marriott suites only to find that I had no reservation. Apparently I hadn’t finalized the online process. But they gave us a room at a rate my agency would cover, and took good care of us all week. Our only gripe was that the free breakfast is a little boring. There is: yogurt, milk, waffles, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, instant oatmeal, instant grits, bagels, muffins, Granny Smith apples, bananas, apple and orange “juice”, coffee, hot chocolate, tea. It’s not bad for a day or two, but gets old over the course of a week.
That’s my two cents for today.
Fine Roadkill Cuisine 
Lol. The funny thing is that I’m like 10 inches shorter than you and I feel like I need all of the leg room. I always put my seat as far back as possible so I can fully stretch my legs.
I’ve sat fairly upright in my car for most of the past 20 years, so my body has gotten used to it. The most comfortable car to drive was my Chevy Astro, but it wasn’t economical and had mechanical problems.
the snowman is my daughter’s favorite character, hands down. She loves his “in summer” solo, particularly when he sings, “winter’s a good time to stay in and cuddle, but put me in summer and I’ll be a ………..happy snowman.” Ah, she laughs and laughs and laughs. But, I mean, she’s 8.
Yeah. Most 8-year-olds like Gergy, too, probably. What does she think of Jar-Jar?
Don’t know Gergy. I don’t think she remembers Jar-Jar. We tend to be Episode IV, V and VI people.
Good taste. I’m sure she loves the pandas, but they were far better than Jar Jar.
I got a new-to-me minivan a couple of years ago. Honda. It has nice features and some not so handy ones. I always get confused about adjusting the radio/Bluetooth/ phone, but it beats being towed twice in a month.
Once I can afford it, I hope to get another van, probably Toyota this time. I miss sitting upright.
I’ve been looking into low priced gas efficient cars, but getting in and out of them is suddenly a problem. And I am not fat, just getting older.
Favorite Mel Brooks quote: “they’re making taxis so close to the ground that soon we’ll have step over them and get in from the other side!”
I had some elderly neighbors who bought the Toyota Cube, which I think was made by Scion back then. They said it was very easy to get in and out of. It’s not as efficient as a compact but it’s not bad either.
I’m not sure it’s called the Cube, but it’s a funky square vehicle that you’ve seen around.
I haven’t seen Frozen, yet. But, still would like to see it.
I saw a movie The Loving Story recently…it was good. As was Saving Mr. Banks! 🙂
That was nice of the theater manager to send you two comp tickets for the new theater! My goodness! What is 7D?!
Well, that’s my 1/2 cent comment for today! 😉
HUGS and ❤ to you and Alicia!!!
🙂
I need to see Mr. Banks. I’m going to add it to my Netflix cue. I have no idea what 7D is except that it probably involves seats jerking around.
Seat jerking around! Ha! 😀
Saving Mr. Banks made me cry! It is an amazing story! I never knew anything about the author P.J. Travers until I saw the movie.
For some reason, I never think about how painful it is to be in the driver’s seat except when I’m in it. And I’m only 6′ and a little change. I wish manufacturers would make and sell a ‘big and tall’ car.
I agree with your three points about Frozen. The snowman was a total spell-breaker for me. He was okay, he just didn’t seem like he belonged in the same movie.
I can’t recall if we passed through Panama City on our way from Pensacola to Orlando. They’re near-ish to each other, aren’t they? Pensacola Beach is lovely.
If you were on the freeway, you saw the exits. If you took the scenic route, you might have gone through it.
Seems like making economical cars for big people would be a big selling point. I hear the Cooper Mini is comfortable in the front seat, but it looks like I’d still have my legs stretched out in front of me.
Oh man I so hear ya. I love my Kia Soul and I am always hitting the call button on the steering wheel and hear the recording that I do not have a cell phone hooked up, and if I want to use hands free, I need to hook up a cell phone.
Tieing a cushion to the door handle sounds like a good solution.
We loved frozen and are going to watch it again.
Have a wonderful week end.
I love Bluetooth in the car. It’s easier than floundering around for my earphones or holding the phone to my ear. For international calls, I still have to dial with the phone because I use a calling card account and have to enter a speed dial number, but when the call is within the US, I can usually do it all from the steering wheel or dashboard screen.
thanks for the car review. very helpful for future car buying opportunities.
i agree w/ your frozen assessment. felt the same way about the prince’s sudden betrayal. there should have been more preparation. snowman was a tad annoying.
was glad though that there was a plot centered more on a sisterly relationship than romantic one. that was refreshing.
cantiflas – i remember that.
india maria — will check that out –even though my spanish sucks –but will be good practice.