A simple Calculation for EVs

The price of gasoline went up again yesterday and remained the same today! It was after a sharp drop. That is why it's called roller coaster. With that in mind, I thought I do a little, simple calculation to see how the ones who drive an EV, enjoy it. However, I need to mention the concept of battery depreciation, something that EV owners cannot close their eyes to it.

My story is a little bit different. I drive a Hybrid-Electric which has less dependency on the charge. I have been able to charge it at work, most of the time, free of charge. I haven't heard anything from HR but I guess when I hear it would be the day that they ask me to leave and never come back! 

Apart from that I wanted to do a little calculation to how it actually looks. The data is based on Toyota App. This system record all the details: Where the charging took place, the date, the hours and most importantly, the amount of energy extracted in Kwh. Here is an example:

The Battery was at 0% and went up to 89% in less than 9 hours, or to be exact 8 h. and 57 m. and 19 sec.! Keep in mind that it is a small battery. Not like Tesla's. It extracted 9.167 kwh of energy. This amount of energy combined with just a few drop of gasoline is enough for a reliable and enjoyable drive of nearly 70 km (43 miles). It will cost $0.104900 x 9.167 = $0.96! 

Solar Panels installed in the first solar plant within the limits of City of Calgary in the southeastern quadrant. These panels last up to 30 years and generate convert nearly, if remember correctly, only 26% of the sunlight to alternative current. Inverters then are used to convert the current the DC and make it suitable for the public use

It seems pretty attractive to have an EV. Does it not? Especially now that the prices are coming down but you also have to remember that many of these cars are simply Compliance Vehicles meaning that they just are a cheap copy of the originals big brand luxury EVs and the pathetic companies have to make them to be able to comply with the governments' rules which mandates them not to make internal combustion vehicles after a certain year.

It is said that if you drive them well, perhaps meaning not accelerating suddenly, do not expose them to extreme cold or heat and consider some other factors, they will last up to 10 years. What do you need to do after that? You must consider the battery changed or the vehicle is only good as a carriage which needs a couple of good horses! All the money that you have saved in the past 10 years now is going to be spent on a new battery! What have you gotten, then? Just comfort and the joy of driving the EV. The question is was it worth it? You also can buy solar panels and make your charging free after a few years but as these panels normally last 30 years. The final verdict is buy a good EV, if you can afford it. Enjoy driving it, enjoy its luxury and then who knows what happens in 10 years?! 

(Photo, top: The Toyota App gives you lots of options as well as interesting data about your vehicle)

The Roller Coaster of Gasoline

I purchased $30 worth of gasoline last Sat. night for approximately, if I remember correctly, $1.85 per liter. I had planned for a hike the next day. I got lazy and didn't go! That amount of gasoline would have lasted me the entire week or at least up to Thu., had I continued driving my old internal combustion engine vehicle. I, instead, drove my PHEV. What was shocking was the price of gasoline today: $1.50 per liter! Just after one week! 

A week ago I did not see prices lower than $1.85 in most of the major gas stations across the city

One might thing ȼ35 per liter is nothing but it adds up. There has not been any exchange of missiles or any bombing during the week. The US has just increased the economic pressures and blockades on Iran and the Saudis have helped the Yemeni Government in their fight against Houthis. Leading those to a more stable oil market is surprising but thank you. The food prices, damn, they're out of control. It's so bad that I don't even want to discuss them. No wonder why some people go to bed half hungry or the lines are long at the food banks. I'm not going to discuss this issue again.  

(Photo, top: The price of gasoline in the southeastern quadrant of Calgary, Alberta, yesterday afternoon)

Gasoline Price Spike

I had not expected this recent jump in the price of gasoline which took place late last week to take this long. After the Houthis of Yemen (They call themselves the Assistants of God, as well!) got the control over Bab Al-Mandeb (the Strait of Anguish! literally in Arabic) and stopped the export of oil from Hejaz (which has been changed to Filthy, Nasty, Disgusting Saudi Arabia by the family who runs it; they renamed the country to their own surname!) the price of gasoline went up to CAN $1.80 per liter, an almost CAN ¢15 increase per litter in less than 2 weeks. I'm glad that I bought the PHEV but I'm not driving it much because of the asshole, jealous, hacks at work! Still worth driving it twice a day or more. I drive it to work and charge the battery there without having to pay! Yes. It's not being cheap. It's a small battery which runs only up to 75 km, my exact daily commute and it takes 8 hours to be fully charged! I usually go to 80 per cent and take it off or plug it in late. There hasn't been any outcry but one of the assholes who has been fossilized in the company for 14 years said something about that once (I will write about this guy later in a separate post) but I haven't seen any official complaint yet. If someone from HR asks me anything I can simply say that I haven't done anything against the company's policies which is true and if they ask me to stop charging, I simply will.

The notorious picture showing Houthis fighters celebrating shooting down a $90 million F-15 using an allegedly domestically made ground to air missiles! 

I don't know what will happen because it all depends on the negotiations between the different parties and mediators but It also have impacted my next month's trip. I'm scheduled to rent a vehicle in a European airport and drive it for a few days! With the price of gasoline nearly €2.17 per liter (CAN $3.39! and US $8.9 per Gallon!! Did I miscalculate?) it will be a little costlier than what I had planned! The thing is I planned for this trip last Dec. when there was no conflict in Iran and Yemen. 

Strait of Bab El-Mandeb or Strait of Anguish and major shipping routes in the area. The area is now under 100% control by the Houthis

Now I'm hesitant but I've got no choice but either cancel my driving (the rental car). This will add another 3 hours to my trip and a number of uncomfortable and tiring train exchanges! I have to make a decision as there's not much time left.

(Photo, top: A gas station in Calgary, Alberta showing CAN $1.85 per liter in 17.Sep., 10 days prior to this post. The prices have come down a little and reached CAN $1.80)

Stegosaurus (Dolomite) Peak Second Attemp

I really don't like it when places are named after similar places. For example I don't like it when they say the Venice of this country. Venice is a city in Italy. If this place has some resemblance, find a good name for it. I guess it's not easy but still possible. I wanted to know who has called this mountain, in the beginning of the Icefield Highway in Alberta, Dolomite Peak! First of all it is not a peak! It is a series of peaks! Secondary if this mountain has some resemblance to the Italy's Dolomite, that doesn't mean it should be named the same. That is why I like to call it Stegosaurus Mountain! 

I'm not Trump who orders left and right and renames place around the world but we all can agree that it is a legitimate and valid name change. I'm a little surprised that Google has accepted Trump's order because Google is not a government agency but perhaps I can start a petition and contact Google to make this change happen! 

I was determined this time and being a very nice and sunny September day with no rain and no wind and very mild temperature made me sure that I could reach the summit this time. I started at 09:00 while unlike the last time there were two cars parked there. When a path is not crowded but there are one or two guys it gives you the sense of security and competition but I didn't see anyone until I reached the same spot that I had reached the last time, after 3 hours! 

I'm thinking going up from the right side of these trees and reaching the center of the mountain next time I'm attempting this mountain. I know it will be hard but third time is the charm!

I tried to go up a tall rocky wall as I wanted to avoid narrow and exposed path near the big standing rock but I couldn't! I went back and took a few pictures next to the rock and was ready to go back because deep down I know I wouldn't go from the exposed area but decided to give it another try. Same result! That was when I thought that I had wasted enough time and decided to go back down while I was cursing myself! It was only a few meters down when I saw a young fells. He was coming back down from the top and told me he was the driver of one of the vehicles but there was no sign of the other driver. He took off after a short talk and disappeared in the valley! It gave me a lesson of bringing a pair of damn hiking poles. They're helpful. The main reason I dislike them is they break so quick. I remember this hike we went with Alphonse a few years ago and I used a pair. I had to threw them out after the hike/scramble but I'm going to definitely use that in my next hike this weekend, wherever it will be. I found a pair within my hiking gear a few weeks ago! I don't know if I have purchased them or someone gave them to me but I will certainly use them. 

Coming down was very painful and tiring and I don't know if it was because of my age(!) or I was tired because going up was fun and enjoyable. I perhaps wasted too much time up there deciding and trying to go beyond that dan rock and reach one of the towers. I think it was almost 17:20 that I reached the vehicle. One of the vehicles was still parked there so I'm hoping they were all right. With all these recent deaths in Alberta, you never know what might happen. Perhaps that's why I didn't want to rick that narrow path. I simply didn't want to become another statistic but know I think perhaps I shall approach the top from the middle of the mountain, next time, instead of going to the most western edge. 

The drive back was good until Canmore. I wanted to stop for a beverage but the McDonald's in the west side of the town was closed. I think they're building a new restaurant amongst a few more in the area. I then decided to try Tim Horton's which was a few meters away. What a bad mistake!

I'm going to share what happened in that Tim's as this was my first experience with this franchise after a very long time. While the staff was great and the store was organized, they charged me $3.50 for a damn medium Iced Coffee(!) and that is not all. I don't know if it was the ice, the cup or the coffee itself that it tasted like burnt cooking oil. It must be that they store one of these items next to a used oil container or something. It was awful. I have communicated this issue through their website. I'm hoping that they can fix the issue but for someone like me who doesn't eat out, it's not a major issue. It's just a horrible experience after a day out in the nature.

There was some jam on Highway #1 on the way to Calgary which I think was because of an incident. I only saw an SUV with with a deployed front air bag at the left side of the road and after nearly half an hour waste of time, the traffic flew but I didn't reach home until 20:40!  

(Photo, top: The same drainage that I followed more than two years ago in Jul. and led me to the same damn dead end/exposed area! This is the path that everyone takes. Perhaps it's the time to open a new one!)

The Multiple Used Car Guy

There's a huge market for used cars here in North America. I had to hear all sorts of nonsense from people, every time I wanted to buy a car and I always ignored it:

1) You save in Insurance.

2) Your car loses its value so fast that it makes your head spin.

3) You can change your car every year, if you buy used.

And many other stupid meaningless nonsense! 

I don't have anything against the people who cannot afford a new car or the used cart dealerships. I bought a used car once in my life and I had it for 6-7 months. I'm doing better now and I haven't purchased a used car since and will never buy one. In fact the last car I bought last year was a brand new 2025 and I paid cash and I will buy another brand new car soon and I will pay cash for it as well! No interest but that fits my life style. I don't have other major costs that many do. 
What these people don't understand is that everyone has a different lifestyle. I give you an example of this nasty disgusting animal who works for the same company as I do: This pile of stinking horse manure was bragging about his cars and his house! How he has, I think, two or three, one worse than the other and how he " fixed" his house that now it's " cooler " in summer! I wasn't listening but I heard he was bragging about that to someone else in the breakroom. By the way these are the people who have no friend, no relative, no sibling, no reliable and no lovable partner and have to find a free ear to chow it off at work, about what they do in their daily pathetic lives!! He got stuck on Q. E. II, near Red Deer last year and had to call a tow truck (!) and then last week had to come to work taking a bus and then on foot, a few days ago! Why? The answer is simple:  All those junk that he drag here and there, broke down!
The other fact about this people is the amount of complaining that they provide to you! They complain about the cost of living and how expensive their kids are and so on! no one put a gun to your heads, you numb nuts! Are you familiar with this product called condom or some might call it prophylactic rubber?! How about Morning After™ ? This disgusting animal, did the same! As soon as conversation started he asked me how many kids I had. I was going to tell him to shove his question up his wife's rectum but you know you cannot do that in workplaces! So I gave him the right answer. I then tried to avoid him and I was quite successful. It was him who would approach me to shoot the shit, as all these losers whom I explained them above, do! That was when I realized he was walking to the bus stop and became very happy! Get your life in line and stop complaining! 

(Photo: A backyard junk yard! This is the Brave's backyard! I used to live here back in 2002 and it was a nice backyard with three and even a picnic bench. This dumb asshole has turned it to a junk yard! The building you see is what that has been replaced the beautiful backyard and now is full of items, mostly tools which are rotting and I think two old cars which have no faith better than the tools! The cars you see are all rusting and dying in sun, rain, wind and snow and mostly have no value. In fact he has to pay someone to come and take them away one day or whoever inherits the house would have to do so. The house itself has been turned to Indian Punjabi asylum house which is the subject of a different post, maybe later!)

Ali G. and Mercedes

This story is a short one that Ali G., my buddy told me about the jealousy of Canadians, years ago when we used to hang out, back in the early 2000's:

Ali G. purchased a used Mercedes for $,5000 for his daily commutes and everything else. Mercedes is a very reliable and good car, until it isn't. Barely needs any service. I think his was a 190 e. We went to Banff and Lake Louise with that and basically every time we hung out, he drove it. He told me that his colleagues (Canadians, all) always made fun of him and said stupid thing about driving a luxury car, although it was used, by a foreigner and he always ignored them. The car eventually stopped right in the middle of the road! People helped him to push it aside and he never drove it after that. He then bought a brand new 2006 Acura, I don't know what model but I do know it was considered a luxury car at the time. I don't know the stories about that car but I know he moved to Lerthbridge after that , to work for Pepsico.

(Photo: I and Ali G. used to hang out for a few years back in the early 2000's as I wrote above but never were close friends in a way to take pictures together or anything like that. Beside camera phones and digital cameras were not as popular as they are now and everyone takes pictures of everything including the time they have an intimate relationship and sell it, so there's no picture of his Mercedes but I believe it was something similar to this, above. The interesting thing is this car at the time it came out of the assembly plant was available in two colours: Black and Metallic Black! My grandfather had a Mercedes too but that would be, probably, the subject of another post)

A Jealous Asshole

One of the things that you face here in Canada a lot, is jealousy. The country has been the land of mostly poor people from around the world coming for a better life. People without education, running water, electricity, not enough to eat, barely covering themselves in anything, etc. Try The Philippines, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, you name it. The funny thing is the last 6 called themselves European! European my ass! They cannot even feed themselves as well as India! There are also many Latinos and of course some Africans. So basically it is a toilet, as I have mentioned earlier. In case you wonder why I came to this toilet, I ran away from fundamentalism which is a separate story. 

When the US started to mess with western Asia, and for the ignorant who might read this and don't know where the western Asia is(!),  the area is at the west side of the biggest continent in the word which starts from Turkey and extends to Japan. Another funny thing is some public toilets, in the past few years have considered themselves European!!! Lands of absolutely nothing, tried to be part of E. U.(!!!!) as well. We'll discuss that in another post but western Asia consists of countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Iran and a few more. The region is called the Middle East(!!!!) by some alcoholic, ignorant, careless, toilet-fast-food-eater animals, in the US and many other places. For the exact same reason that those motherfuckers call the Native inhabitants of North America, Indians! These people's skull is filled with cat piss and dog feces. They can't think enough. They eat, shit (in the mouth of their own nasty mothers) and fuck! That is all they can do! 

Nevertheless when the things start going down in Iran, many people started to think about immigration. At the beginning it was the US and some European countries, mostly as students, then came Canada. These people were mostly educated and could handle their own lives easily. Some of my former classmates and colleagues now have very good, well-paid and stable positions in the US and Canada. This, cannot be accepted by, most of the, Canadians! They become jealous and all sorts of reactions could be seen. I will tell my buddy's story, Ali G., from the time we worked for Cargill Meat Solutions later. The jealousy is also seen within other foreigners. One of the assholes whom I had to deal with these years and I lied to him a lot is The Mumbling Guy and this is what happened recently:

I don't drive my new car, usually. Did not in winter because didn't want to spend money in winter tires. Now the ice and snow season is over, I'll take it to work once a week! I have told everyone who has asked about it, because it's an unusual vehicle, that it is not mine and made up an story for the jealous assholes. The Mumbling Guy approached me a few days ago and asked me about it. That was the second time he was asking. I told him the same story that I had made up for other assholes. This ignorant fuck doesn't understand the concept of Hybrid-Electric! So I told him that the car has a small battery (which is true) and is good for only 70 Km, which also is true! The poor ugly bastard thinks it's an EV! Then he goes this might be a issue!! Imagine an ugly motherfucker who does not understand basic English grammar after more than 20 years of living in the toilet and has a Master's Degree! I told him that I had talked to the company people and they told me it would be okay to plug the vehicle in! He said okay and fucked off! I made up a more detailed story about the owner of the car which is not needed to be said here, just to shut him up but he was not happy! 

(Photo: I took this picture in Nagasaki during a walk. I wondered why they have parked like that. Perhaps they leave at the same time. The front car is amongst a few Japanese cars that I have seen here in Canada and Japan, both)

One Month into the Spring

There's not much to do these days but work! I don't want to write about work in every damn post. It's become my whole life now! The local temperature plummeted to -8 ℃ (~ 17.6 ℉) yesteday morning and snowed of and on from Fri. to Sun. afternoon. One month into the Albertan spring! It's quite normal in this province but this year was different. 7 to 8 months of cold, wind, snow and ice becomes too much! Add to that a bad sickness (for me Gout!) and you'd have a miserable life! On the top of those is preparation for an upcoming examination, Income Tax deadline, you name it! There's no escape from any of those. And when are all of these located?! In an uncertain situation and a very expensive society! 

I went for jogging in the afternoon while it was only -3 ℃ (~ 26.6 ℉). Very refreshing, satisfactory and delightful! No other sole on the sidewalks, only a couple of people walking their dogs or simply strolling while bundled up! It was neither cold, nor windy. Just cloudy. 

(Photo: This was not taken yesterday but shows what exactly was going on in the past few days. I was too tired and lazy to take a new one!)

Country Hills Toyota: Avoid at all Cost

I would like to expose one of the worst businesses in the Calgary area with the hope to protect consumers: Country Hills Toyota. I've had so many businesses with this so-called dealership but have been able to avoid them for the past year or so after I experienced lots of poor service, bad customer service, overpriced items, you name it. The thing about this dealership is the location. This is the only Toyota shop that serves northern Calgary and the nearby towns. The service charges are atrocious and the waiting time and appointments are the worst. I must add that the other dealerships are not much better than this but Country Hills Toyota goes for the price. Here are some examples of how I experienced different services of them:

1. I was there for a simple Oil Change once. I used to go there for Oil Change frequently. I don't anymore. The waiting time is incredibly long. Oil Change is the simplest thing that everyone can do: There's a drain on the bottom. Drain the old oil. Contain for later recycling. Put whatever(!) back on, add fresh oil and make sure it is enough. That is all. The entire process takes about 15 minutes or so. The important thing is just to make sure the old and dirty old is completely out. They keep you waiting for sometimes hours to intensify their operation(!) and make it worth the big bucks they charge you. Once I waited there for over three hours. They were so ashamed and embarrassed that they didn't charge me for that! 

2. You need to know that many of these businesses are just a source of employment. What I mean is that there're people who don't work the way they shall, due to lack of proper management and the ownership needs to compensate for the losses somehow. I was there one day early around 08:00 to have my oil changed. There were as many as, probably, 20 big lights were on! The amount of money that is saved by turning those lights off in a summer long day, is beyond the understanding of the people who manage the costs in these businesses.

3. I bought a 2025 Toyota ____ in Aug. of last year from a dealership in Calgary. The documents showed the vehicle had been made in July of that year and it was legitimate. I had given deposits to other dealerships in the area, including this place, Country Hills Toyota. I never received any calls or any updates about my order. I eventually got my deposit back. I had one counter with one of the ugly idiots from a village in ___! You'd be shocked to know about it: When I asked about the price of a Crown, he told me it was expensive! The Toyota I bought is a little less expensive than a Crown but I don't believe you should tell a potential customer that a car they're looking at is expensive to imply that they can't afford it unless you're a mindless, stupid, ignorant, dumb rube and that's what most if not all the salespersons in Country Hills Toyota are.

These guys are going to be alright because they cover a vast area in northern Calgary but I'm happy that I was able to cut my ties with them. I will go to other less fraudulent services in the town! 

(Photo: Country Hills Toyota showroom ceiling at almost 07:15 on a summer day. Imagine how much waste could be avoided here but the owner doesn't care. He adds all the extra cost to your bill. That's why I'm not paying $150 for a damn oil change service which literally doesn't take more than 20 min. from an unskilled labourer)

Capitalism Finally digs himself in (6): Begging Communist China!

 Carney traveled to China to beg for forgiveness(!) and see the possibility of hooking up with the country that they always, or probably just from time to time for the sake of argument, only(!), condemn human rights violations, a week ago! The fact is with the power that the Western countries have been giving to China or to be exact the Chinese Communist Party, in the past 4 decades or so, it is very hard for any country, even the US to stand against and stop the beast! 

It was just a short while ago that two Canadians, known as the Two Michaels, were held in the country and one of the main country's executives was under house arrest in Vancouver. Then Canada imposed a 100% tariff on the Chinese EV which was retaliated by imposing tariff on Canadian agricultural imports. Canada did not have any choice to reduce the tariff to only 18% so the farmers could make some money on their products. The country is also letting as many as 49,000 Chinese EVs annually, which has pissed off Premier Ford a lot or I should say, the Ontario auto workers, in fact! 

This map suggests that China might simply block the entire island instead of an invasion which could be as effective or even more successful and less costly. Map courtesy of Yahoo Australia

This proves all this nonsense of human rights and the other crap that these people of, or I should correct myself, these politicians of the US and Canada say is useless. If China wants to take the island of Taiwan back, they can do that in 24 hours or less and the US or no one other country would be able to do a damn thing! The Westerners only confront non-Westerners when there is a temporary benefit! They turn to a friendly face right after that to gain what they can! The West is so addicted to the Chinese products that if they stop the flow, half of the people in the Western Hampshire will be naked and hungry! Go to, for example, Canadian Tire. There's basically not many things Canadian but a few store employees and the building itself which is founded on Canadian soil! Everything is either made in China or some Asian countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh. Even some employees are non-Canadians! The store shall in fact be called Chinese Tire and I would love to change the big sign on the top of one of these stores one day! I just have to look into the local Bylaw and The Criminal Code of Canada (in more than 1300 pages!) to see what the consequences were, if I did! 

(Photo, top: Robert Schellenberg was first tried and sentenced to capital punishment for narcotics-related charges in China in 2018. His sentence is now overturned after the PM's recent trip to that country. It shows that the Chinese like to work with Canadians as there are lots of benefits for them, more benefits than Canadians'!)

The Beautiful Winter of Alberta, again

The temperature has not gone up -15 ℃ (5 ℉), maximum, in the past few days and I'm really glad that I don't have to go to work today, although it will be mostly boring and waste of time but I get paid for it! Driving is not so bad as soon as I leave my street! The roads here are covered with a sheet of ice and now it's -24 ℃ (-11.2 ℉). If you think you can drive without winter tires, think of jumping in the pool and not getting wet! 

I have my winter tires on but my vehicle isn't in such a good shape. It's losing oil or perhaps I should say it's burning oil. I went to a close Toyota dealership to see what they can do. Here is what they said: $200 for diagnosis! And here's my answer to them: Shove it! Purchasing a new vehicle, no matter how good it is, without winter tires, is like having a wife to starts and raise of family without being intimate! My car has been sitting in the garage for the past month of so and the price of, not so excellent, two pair or winter tires plus the cost of installation is nearly $1800. So I decided not to buy it and instead rely on my old one, until, perhaps in a little more than a year from now, I buy another one: A vehicle for winter and a vehicle for summer. That's how you beat these guys who charge tremendously for their services. You don't have to book an appointment to change your tires. You don't have to change them back to regular one when summer ends and this last you many long years. My  goal is to buy an electric car so I can skip the damn time-wasting and expensive oil change as well. I will work hard and will reach that goal. 

Accidents were really bad on Q. E. II last week, on Thu. There was a big pile up in southbound close to Airdrie. When I reach there I saw tankers and semitrucks on their sides, pick up trucks in the ditch. It was really bad. I heard between 80 and 100 vehicles were involved. Northbound was not that bad. It was slow and blocked and then, happily, when I reached where I needed to take an exit, it had been opened. 

(Photo: I couldn't stop to take pictures but saw these two cars being taken by a tow truck in the city during late evening)

How Long to Save to Buy a New Vehicle?

I've kept my old Toyota after buying a new one. They are nearly 15 years apart, in terms of age! The old one was purchased in Sep.2009 but is a 2010 model, Corolla Standard CE and the new one in Aug.2025. I kept the Corolla because it has two pairs of almost new Michelin X-Ice tires and you can't travel anywhere without those in Alberta in winter. It doesn't matter how cold it is. It could be a very dangerous road even if it's only -1 ℃ (~ 32℉). For that I haven't taken the new car out. Then it hit me: I'm a loser who has nothing in life. Would this not be better to save and buy another new one just for winter? I can order it with winter tires only. I then would donate the Corolla or sell it.

What would be a good vehicle for the tough winter of Alberta? That's the question. Many might say an SUV or a pickup truck. Some might suggest an electric truck, such as Lightning. I have nothing against SUVs and trucks but I always try to minimize my costs. So I would go with something like a Tesla Model 3 or something less expensive within the next two years of so and I have to consider that:

1) I will have the same income, if not higher,

2) There will not be such a significant increase in my expenses, and

3) I remain relatively healthy to operate a motor vehicle! 

How long would it take to purchase a new Tesla Model 3 or a less expensive model, if it comes to the market as it has been the plan, in cash? If I consider the price $70,000, it would be a minimum of 23 months to make it happen, considering all the above!

I also wanted to move to a new place. This is quite big and spacious for me but I'm looking for a better place, in a better neighbourhood.

It's funny how we all plan for the things we like and I think it's good to be positive and think and plan for the things you like to do and hope with dedication and hard work we achieve it but the interesting thing is that if I was in a serious relationship, none of them would've not even come to mind or if they did, would've never been accepted my partner but she had a major say.

(Photo: One of the many amazing old vehicles displayed in the Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagoya, Japan. Unfortunately I don't know the brand but it's not hard to find. Look how spacious it is. Lovely!)

A Mishap after 15 Years!

I woke up on time one of the days of the last week and got ready to go to work, as usual, when I realized that I cannot find my car key! Something that had never happened to me in my life and particularly in the past 15 years that I own this car! I have a spare key but has given it to a relative and they are nearly 15 min. drive away. I could get a cab to wake them up. However, this is the benefit of having two cars! 
I just got the newer one out and drove to work. The funny thing is that the Check Engine Light had come up the night before on the way home, for absolutely no reason and I wanted to drive the new car and it happened! I thought it was somewhere in the house but couldn't find it and then it hit me: What if I left it in the car? I went to the relative's house the next day and I got it. When I opened the door, it was in the vehicle and in the ignition! Someone could've easily stolen the car by simply breaking one of the windows or getting in somehow. This could be a benefit of living in a sketchy neighbourhood! The same care was broken into twice when I lived in Downtown Calgary and nothing was ever recovered: Flashlight, CDs, GPS, you name it! Getting off the subject but the only reason I lived there was my partner who never wanted to live somewhere else. Another disadvantage of being in a bad relationship!

I don't remember how this happened but it could be getting some shopping out of the trunk and forgetting the key inside.

(Photo: Many of the new vehicles do not need a key to enter or ignite the engine, including the one I have purchased but my old Corolla still works that way and I like it!)

Is that a Murder?!

I saw an SUV had parked near where I usually park, or close to it, a few weeks ago. They were parking like a blind! The only thing is our street is not busy or they could have been hit or complained about. I wondered who that belongs to until one day, eventually, I think, I saw where the driver went. It was a woman who lives at a corner house with a man of a different ethnicity who is usually not home and when he comes he comes late, driving a big and noisy pick-up truck. I didn't mind that until one day she parked closer to where I usually park. Now it's difficult for me to get the other vehicle out of the garage because the first car is blocking it and the SUV has been sitting there for more than a week and that's the vehicle which was driven every day! I think there are only three possibilities:

1) The woman is on vacation, alone, without her partner.

2) The woman, unfortunately, has left the man, which is very unlikely, or

3) The woman has been murdered!

It's hard to believe that someone who lives with a certain someone and has never been on a trip by herself, all of a sudden travels and it's as unusual as thinking she has left either! So where are we getting at? 
I was going to wait another week to see if she's coming back and if not I'd report that to the police but the vehicle was moved on Sun. afternoon.

(Photo: I could park really close to this idiot and once someone is parked in front, she would be trapped like a filthy mouse she is, but gave her space to get the hell out)

Reactions to the new Vehicle

I drove my newly purchased vehicles to work for the first time and of course parked it in the provided parking lot which half of the employees park there (There are have three separate parking lots) and received all sorts of reactions which I kind of had expected but perhaps not to that extent:

1) The first person was my supervisor. He stepped in the office and after Good morning he went: You brought the ..., naming the model of the car!

2) Then it was my manager who asked me if I had purchased a new vehicle. I said I had borrowed it citing the issue I currently have with it. The second part was right! 

3) Then there was this guy who has been working for the company for over 12 years or so and believes his job is the most important one. I have a plan to demolish him, partially, at least, later, and I will write about it! He came out of his nest! (he sits on his ass for at least 7 straight hours a day, coming out only for a lunch which he purchases from one of the local businesses or goes to the shop, rarely) and went to a couple of colleagues and said: Who drives that electric vehicle? My supervisor says: It's his, pointing at me and a colleague makes a face and says: The Troublemaker drivers an electric car?! 🤯. The Nestle guy(!), I think I'm going to call him that from now on(!) says he would like to ask the CEO to provide him with a gasoline pump now that I can simply charge my battery! Then he adds: If I disconnected your car, you wouldn't be able to get home tonight, would you? I told him that it was not my vehicle, firstly and secondly, I would easily get home, even if he disconnected the vehicle because the car has a gasoline operated engine! I add that it was a Hybrid Plug-in vehicle! He said nothing much after that! 

4) The next two people were two ladies who work together and I bumped to them when we were all leaving work. They said they had wondered who drove a vehicle with a licence plate from the State of ..., considering it was a very long trip! It's more than 2,300 Miles or 3,700 Km! I told them that the vehicle belonged to a relative and that was it. 

(Photo: Almost all of the major auto manufacturers have started electric, hybrid and plug-in vehicles. I saw this Fiat a few years ago in a parking lot in Las Vegas, Nevada. Not mine though!)

The Crafty Government of Alberta

I once suggested to one of my colleagues to talk to an MLA to have periodic, at least once in two years, maybe, and it would depend on the age and records of the driver, driving tests both in practical and theory format for all the drivers in the Province, considering we have lots of crazy and careless ones on the roads. My intention is to not only improve the driving knowledge and skills of the drivers but also to generate some revenue for the Provincial Government. His answer was logical: No MLA would take any steps for that because they knew they would lose their seat!   

I agree but I have decided to do this myself and I will write about this later after I go forward with the plan. Nevertheless, it was just yesterday that I realized the Government has easier plans to make more money and no one would lose their seats! They want to increase the maximum speed on the divided highways to 120 Km/h! As crazy and stupid as it sounds, I understand what they're looking for: More incidents, which, of course, will lead to more revenue for, not only the Government, but also many businesses which eventually have to pay taxes to the Government! 

Just a few weeks before this, the crazy, dictator woman of the Province introduced a new licence plate with a new stupid slogan: Strong and Free! While all the provinces, including Alberta, so far have non-political slogans, this woman becomes a hero all of a sudden and thinks Alberta has not been strong and free until she calls it on the plates! 

(Photo: This is a divided highway for which the Government of Alberta intends to increase the speed limit)

A Purchase of a Vehicle, Finally

I finally purchased a vehicle after nearly 6 years of postponing it for different reasons. This, however, hasn't been without a loss which I still have the opportunity to compensate for it. I had two deposits at two different dealers, stupid(!), and one has refused to refund me! Not entirely. I haven't gone in to discuss it with them, and there's a chance they're reading it now but the worst case scenario is I will use the deposit as a credit to buy something. The problem with this purchase, mainly was insurance and although I've picked it up, it neither has insurance, nor registration(!) but I have time for those. 
This vehicle looks good and from what I've read about it, is reliable. This is my fourth car in the past 24 years or so and my third brand new vehicle that I've ever purchased. All from the same brand. My goal, first was to purchase a Tesla 3 but I cancelled that due to the high cost. Haters could start their business although I cannot understand why someone would despise another individual who has just purchased a new vehicle, without any history of hostility and resentment! ! It will be a little bit expensive to maintain and repair this vehicle but I have some good maintenance deals, not great, as part of my purchase which should help. Rather than that there's nothing special about this purchase or the vehicle but the fact that someone helped me to get it ready who was a very nice person and then no pressure for getting extra features or services. I, however, cannot disclose the name of the dealership or the model of the car as it would be advertisement. All I can say is the car is from the same brand that is seen in the picture. I'm not going to review the vehicle, unlike the previous one which I had a few posts for it, and I will not have any advise as how to have a smooth purchase like I did, as people normally don't listen (Or perhaps I shall say read!) or if they do they will do whatever they want. What I can say is I just gave the dealership a cheque (I imply didn't want to pay any interest!) and will not have to worry about anything but the insurance and maintenance, partially, for the next whatever years which I will drive this vehicle. I have kept my old vehicle because it still runs and I have two pairs of almost new winter tires on it and have no plan for selling it yet. Not until the next insurance renewal day, at least. 

(Photo: A model of Toyota in a showroom in Nagasaki. These are common types in Japan due to low fuel consumption and ability to maneuver on the streets, which could at time be narrow. I haven't seen anything quite like this anywhere in North America unless it's imported as used and of course the steering wheel is on the right)

Trip to NV at Trump's Time (3): Boundary Peak Attempt

Sleeping in Mizpah Hotel was not too bad but I didn't have enough stimulation the morning I woke up! I made myself a cup of coffee in the room before checking out and headed west. I took US 95, a major highway in Nevada which although goes from south (Las Vegas and before) to north (Reno and beyond), runs from east to west when you exit Tonopah and aim for Boundary Peak. 

It was a bit scary but not a kind of fear that a coward feels. A fear that someone who is alone and suspects they will be in a hole, feels. I continued on US 95 until I reached US 6 which continues to the west and then turns south. This time the number of vehicles on the road decreased even more! 

I drove until I reached Queen Canyon Road, a gravel narrow pass which takes you to an abandoned mine. It took painfully long. Both because I was by myself and it was hot. I started going up. Nissan Kicks is a sort of small SUV which does not have much clearance and it was then where I realized that I had made a mistake! I had selected the wrong time of the year and going there alone was a very hick risk especially when you drive a tiny little car. If the vehicle breaks down or you get injured the chances you come out alive are next to zero! One might ask why there's a road there? The answer can be seen at the end of the very same road: There used to be an active mine there. We saw the mine the last time I was there with Alphonse a few years ago. This time, though, I didn't even make it to the mine entrance! I was terrified that something might happen to the damn car and that would be the start of a very miserable day!

I don't know how far I was from the sort of parking area in front of one of the entrances to the mine but I found somewhere that I could turn and headed back. 

I know this is so stupid and idiotic but there was a huge risk involved and that would not have been even because of the climb! I felt very bad but while I was going back to Las Vegas, I planned for another trip, hopefully next year, to do the hike but this time from the California side. Here's one plan:

1) Fly to Sacramento.

2) Drive to Hawthorne, NV. It's longer than driving from Las Vegas to Tonopah but the drive will be a new one for me and I won't get bored.

3) Drive to Queen Canyon Road.

4) Do the hike.

5) Buy a reliable Satellite Phone, obviously before the trip starts! In case something happens you can contact an emergency, unless the incident is so bad that you can't use the phone! 

This hike would be perfect, if combined with a trip to Japan because there're flights from San Francisco but I think my next year long trip plan is set for Europe, not Japan. So unless there's another opportunity to make the trip to northern California happen, the hike cannot be done.

(Photo: Boundary Peak, the third one from right, not seen the tallest, from the intersection of US 6 and Queen Canyon Road)

A Huge Help

One of the most annoying and dissatisfying experiences as a car owner is when you need a service or repair, especially these past few years. For me the Oil Change has always been the problem. I tried many different service providers but mostly have been to the dealerships simply because I thought I could trust them but the wait and the cost has been too much: Nearly $120! 

This, somehow, was discussed during work and one colleague suggested to help. I thought he was joking but he was serious. So one day after work we went and bought what we needed. We then went to his home where he had a couple of ramps. The process is easy unless you need to change the filter as well for which you need to purchase a special wrench. The other issue would be recycling the old oil but it seems many mechanic shops and recycling centers accept that. I don't exactly know because he did another favour and kept the old oil for later recycling!

The entire process does not take more than 20 minutes even for the least experienced and someone who is not a jack of all trades. He, I believe, is! There was a problem though that made us all and especially him, baffled: The engine uses more than 4 L but we only drained less than 2!! 

I checked the level the next two days and it was sufficient. The colour also indicated that it was freshly added oil. What added more to the already strange situation is that neither Oil Level or Check Engine lights went on! I will check again tomorrow just to make sure everything is normal and then I will have to plan for the next time an oil change is needed. I'm not going to take it to any of these fraudulent service providers. 

(Photo: Using a jack does not seem to be a very safe practice but some do. I plan not to!)

An Adventerous Purchase

This past weekend I decided to get some fresh Garlic. I had planned that since the spring of last year and never had the chance to do so. I found a farm near the town of Innisfail. I called them to make sure they're open. I wrote the address on a piece of paper and headed to the town. My experience with my old Garmin GPS has never been good and I don't have data on my phone! So either a paper map or notes! Everything is straightforward until Innisfail but when I got there I had several issues! 
First I was not able to find the road that leads to the farm. Then I went to a McDonald's and connected my phone to the web and got the address but the stupid Google Maps made me to do a loop, for absolutely no sane reason and then took me to someone else's property where I was told that the farm actually was at the other side of the river where we were talking near it! I turned around and went all the way back, looking at the notes and roads signs I was finally able to reach there. Now bear in mind that I drove an old sedan and many roads are not paved! It's possible in summer but next to impossible if there's rain or impossible totally in winter. 

This Highlander was gazing at me, wondering what the hell I was about to. I didn't get close as these animals are very sensitive to strangers. I've been to different parts Canada and this was the first time seeing this type of cow

The Garlic is really expensive and I haven't tried them yet but a few cloves which were given to me as samples. They didn't have that sharpness and heat. Since I got to bunches, I hope at least one of them has, if not both. The good thing is I was able to get Red Onions and Fingerling Potatoes, freshly taken out of the ground before my eyes! The potatoes were great! I made some Salad Olivier (It's called Russian Salad as well) and enjoyed it last night. I had left a little. The Garlic's price was shockingly very high: $12 per Pound(!) but I bought two bunches as I had driven all the way there for those! The good thing the other vegetable's prices were acceptable so I didn't mind much but next time I will probably negotiate before I go. I also need to give these ones a try to see how they taste. If they're not strong enough, I won't go there anymore. They also had a sort of cattle but nothing was ready to buy meaning nothing had been recently slaughtered. The cattle they grow is called Scottish Highlander. I didn't know Scotland even have cows! Nevertheless I will wait for the message from Garlic Goodness to go get some.

(Photo, top: The farm is located in a very lovely, quite and beautiful area. This was seen at the side of the road)