... Barbara's wedding quilt ~

Dear Prius Chat,

... 17 day bedside vigil, watching my wife slip into the great beyond, they say I fainted, 4 times. Hospital staff flagged me high risk, admonished me harshly, the importance of "reaching out." Married 39 years 6 months 4 days, to a disabled wife, apparently guys like me aren't said to do particularly well when their wife dies.

Reach out? For what? Pray, tell. Compelled to do exactly the opposite, I haven't turned on the television, since 04 June, the day Barbara was ambulanced to ER.

Former neighbor, a quilter dropping by the house to pay her respects, offered to take Barbara's wedding quilt with her, to Sacramento; perhaps there's something she could do, repairing it?

So the story goes, just married, tumultuous time, Volker-Thatcher disinflation, interest rates sky high, window shopping in downtown Colorado Springs, the old Hibbard and Company Department Store, Barbara just had to have that quilt. Just enough on our credit card to clear the transaction, buying it on time, we didn't have enough to buy my socks. I had to go put them back.

True to Machiavellian principle, the problem wouldn't be, affecting repair to Barbara's antique quilt. The problem turned out to be, excuses, getting it back.

Perfect plan: surprise same day up 'n back, 10 hours round trip, Lancaster to Sacramento, grab 'n go, in the interest of saving every stitch 'n thread of my better-half I possibly can.

Three cars to choose from, my fastest car being my slowest car, going cross country? My handy AWD station wagon which can't muster 18 MPG, downhill, in a tailwind? No brainer, my trusty Gen II Prius, slowest car in my humble stable, being my fastest, most efficient cross country car, I've ever owned?

First time venturing outside the neighborhood, since Barbara passed away, off to an early start, 4:00am, Lancaster Road bound for Gorman, coasting into the Manteca Costco for refiling, on fumes, then on to Citrus Heights for a surprise visit. Snatch my better-half's wedding quilt! High tail it home!

Once on interstate 5, set cruise control, 88 MPH. Toggled the consumption info screen, to monitor the battery, showing low 30 MPGs, about 4 to 5 thousand feet elevation, fuel consumption slightly better on the rebuilt engine, than when it was brand new.

Difference in fuel composition since 2004, the comparison perhaps being apples and oranges, I am not a chemical engineer. But, punched out rebuilt engine definitely gets comparable fuel mileage, slightly better than my brand new engine.

Steady state cruising, 88 mph on cruise control, funny thing: passed a Mach III electric Mustang on limp mode, like it was standing still. I thought to myself, "... that dumb sucker's going slower than a 300 pound democrat, in a '78 AMC Pacer!"

Then again, 20 or so miles further northbound, up the highway, exactly same thing, brand spanking new Tesla, running out of juice.

On the way up, I'd passed more than a half dozen Elon Musk electric toaster mobiles, their aficionados staring down in horror at their instrumentation, going even slower, desperately nursing their cumbersome, overweight Teslas sub-50 mph, incipient to crapping out.

Same day up 'n back, 10 hours on the road, not-a-one electric car passed me by. Not-a-one electric vehicle did I encounter, was capable of sustained intermediate 55 mph cruising. Much less intermediate range high speed cruising.

Ever watch the official FiA Formula E follies? Anything but a bona fide proving ground, yet another sophomoric form of corporation choreographed competition, those cars are so wretched, drivers have to ditch their electric car, hop in another one, at every refueling stop!

The absurdity!


Samuel, '04 Ruthiemobile