Let's Hear It For Longevity

... and for (relatively) warm January days, while we're at it.  I'm just in from the verandah, where we managed to down Happy Hour's first beer al fresco.  But there's precious little warmth in the late afternoon sun on these short January days, so we'll take the rest of our beer indoors.  Still and even... it's been a LONG time since we sat outdoors and enjoyed a beer and a cigar, however briefly.  It was good, too.

But... longevity?  It's a minor point but one that causes me to marvel.  I made a beer and grocery run out to Cannon Airplane Patch earlier this afternoon... top down and stereo blaring.  Which got me to thinkin'.  The Green Hornet is a lil over 11 years old and her Bose stereo system still sounds as good as it did on Day One.  The CD player never skips, the speakers still kick out the jams loud and clear, and everything just works.  I find that rather remarkable, given the temperature extremes the system suffers, coupled with road vibrations and all that other stuff.  Why don't home audio components fare as well?  I've never owned an indoor CD player that lasted longer than five years and my pre- and power amplifiers, tuners, and the like don't last all that much longer... even though the heart of my current set-up (amps and tuner) is going on 12 years as we speak.  I should knock on wood... and I did.

The stereo isn't the only part of TGH that is long-lived.  She still has her original spark plugs and has never had a tune-up.  Ever.  Same thing goes for brake pads -- still original.  I contrast that to other cars I've owned, some in the near-way-back, and some long, long ago.  My ol' '83 320i Beemer got new front brake pads every 5,000 miles without fail.  My '67 SS396 Chevelle and my '70 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 each got tune-ups every 5,000 miles or so, too.  I don't wanna even think about the dual-point ignition in that frickin' Dart; what a right royal PITA THAT was!  It seemed like I was always messin' with my car every danged weekend back in the '60s and '70s and even up into the '80s.  But life did get better in the '90s... I have to say both my 'Vette and my '96 Impala SS left my possession with their original plugs in the block.  Both cars were virtually trouble free.

But... all that said... I'm thinkin' life is SO much easier these days.  I DO miss that 'Vette from time to time, though.  Ain't she purty?

Yes.  Yes, she IS.  Heh.