Category: Life with Pratts

Giant Dust Storm On Mars… And In Phoenix!

Here I am once again in Sun City West, Arizona, and the wind is blowing up a dust storm. It’s not like the big sandstorms I saw in Saudi Arabia, but it’s not like being at home, either.

Riding the shuttle bus this morning to Logan Airport in Boston I was appalled, but not surprised, to look down and see people texting while driving on the Mass Pike. This is why we need self-driving cars.

The Check’s In The Mail

I have been told by the Kia dealership in Peoria, Arizona that a check for $10,700 was mailed last Wednesday, and to call them if I haven’t received it by this Wednesday. I’ll do more than that. I’ll call my lawyer in Sun City West.

When you’re buying a car they won’t let you out the door until the money has been settled. But if they’re buying your car they make you leave the sales office not only without your car, but without your money. Funny how that works.

As I continue to wait for the money — payable not to me, but to the family trust — my late father’s car is, of course, available for sale at the dealership. They’ll make a hefty profit, assuming it sells for the asking price of $15,000. Look at that low, low mileage!

Selling My Soul

Speaking of the Korean Peninsula, after my father died I had the title and registration of his 2014 Kia Soul transfered in my name. Tomorrow I will be selling the car to a Phoenix area dealership that, according to Kelly Blue Book, is offering me a fair price for a cash deal. I make tremendous deals. The very best deals. 😉

After my father bought the car four years ago, he called me to say how pleased he was with his purchase, and now I know why. Being a Honda-Toyota guy, I had my doubts about Kia, but with the Korean brands Samsung and LG taking over the HDTV market from Sony and Panasonic, I was interested in driving the Soul myself; which I started doing 18 months ago, sad to say only after my father had a stroke. But I was, and continue to be, very impressed with this little car that’s part subcompact, part hatchback, and part mini-SUV.

Dad bought the base model, and that seems to me as the way to go. A more expensive, full-featured trim would make the Soul less of a bargain than it is. I’m surprised that it has Bluetooth integration and voice recognition, but it does and they work well. Seating comfort and the action of the various controls are, if anything, superior to my 2017 Toyota Camry XLE.

There isn’t much cargo space in the back, but that’s actually a good thing because the height is excellent, and perfectly suited for someone who has trouble bending forward and/or down to get bags of groceries loaded and unloaded.

With the many Souls I see here in Sun City West, I’m wondering if this is another example of a car that was originally intended for young buyers and instead found its market with Boomers and retirees. That’s what happened with the Honda Element, and unfortunately it killed that particular model, but the Kia Soul seems to be selling very well.

The bottom line is that I like this little car so much that if I needed a car myself I’d keep it and make a road trip out of driving it back home to Massachusetts.

Haunted!

I’m preparing for another trip to Phoenix, in the ongoing work as Trustee of settling my late father’s estate. The CPA I hired to handle the taxes needs a lot of paperwork, and I’ve been sorting through it all.

Just as I was about to call it quits for tonight, on SiriusXM radio Cousin Brucie played the one and only song in existence with my father’s name in the lyrics! It’s a sign from Dad, who really did believe in ghosts, that I’d better stick to the task at hand for a while longer. This time of year I’d rather be going to Alaska than Arizona!

https://youtu.be/OUZGWjv1L68