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The EPJ is gone today. Something about taking her granddaughter (lil' EPJ)to her first movie. This was apparently going to be a big deal. For the EPJ anyway. I suspect at 2 1/2, lil' EPJ will be more interested in the comfy seats in which to nap than any celluloid action. (Warning: predictable Hollywood slam straight ahead) Given what's available at your local overpriced, neon-encapsulated megaplex these days, that's just as well.

Nevertheless, the EPJ quizzed me intermittently about what would be appropriate for this particular outing. My first choice was Drag Me To Hell (which was actually pretty good for a mainstream, modern horror flick, btw), partly for it's title; I thought it to be fairly apropos. Plus, I figured it would probably scar lil' EPJ for life, or at the very least ensure that she'll not request to see another movie until she's about 24 years old. As a result, the entire EPJ clan would save a little scratch and be able to buy that pony for lil's 8th birthday. I'd feel really good about myself as well, which is probably the most important factor. Self esteem, it's not just for winners anymore. Alas, DMTH has already vacated screens across America so I think she decided to go with my second choice, the slightly more kid-friendly, Ice Age 3.

Moving on...

The great car search continues. While I am closer chronologically, I can't say that I'm all that much closer to an actual decision. One of the more good aspects of the interwebs is the ability to do everything but the test drive in the comfort of my pajamas. True, I could do that also but fear it might cause me to be taken less serious as a customer. There are times when being misunderestimated is a good thing, but the cutthroat world of car haggling is not one of them. I need to be completely on guard and wise to all the nefarious ways of the car salesmen. A car dealership is, as George Constanza correctly stated, "Thunderdome", a place where the normal rules of society are not so much disregarded as nonexistent and floor mats cost extra.

Salesman generally do not have the most favorable reputations. Most people would rather walk in front of a train if it meant avoiding listening to the sales pitch of some fabbo new product. Yes, people literally would rather die than have that Sham Wow tool screaming in their ear. And while I understand it's is the car salesman's job, I generally have no desire to be bombarded with all sorts of meaningless facts and figures. I couldn't care less about safety, foot pounds of torque and what have you. I just want to drive a car that looks cool and look cool driving a car because, let's face it, I'm not getting any younger. If oversized rims and curb feelers will stave off middle age for a couple of more years I can go along with that. So I can do all manner of research and build the perfect machine before even stepping onto a showroom floor.

In short, I can avoid Thunderdome until the last moment. There's probably a good life philosophy in there somewhere as well. Unlike for the floor mats, I'm not even going to charge extra.