a roll of quarters

I honestly think if all USA-based vending machines accepted 50¢ and $1 coins, the world would be a better place. Alas, the highest value accepted is 25¢.

The most convenient way to get quarters is in a 10-dollar roll. It's getting that roll that's annoying.

Here's my short tale on that:

The best place to usually get a roll a quarters is at the supermarket. You go with cash in hand, march straight to the customer service desk and get your roll. Simple, right?

Not today.

I went to not one but two Publix supermarkets in search of a roll of quarters. Both times I was lied to. At the first one I was told "Sorry, we don't have any quarters to spare." The second one told me "We don't have any quarters." I'm not kidding. She actually said that.

I can understand it if a convenience store doesn't have quarters because of the store's small size. But at a Publix, there are at least 8 cash registers - including two more at the customer service desk. And they don't have quarters. Yeah, sure. Right.

If you're asking "Why didn't you go to a bank?", the banks are closed today because it's Sunday.

Out of desperation I headed into a Walgreen's. And they had my roll. I was happy. Walgreen's once again kicks butt in all the right places.

I use quarters for two things; laundry and road tolls. It's mostly laundry because my GPS routes me around toll roads. I've always loved that feature, but I digress.

I said all vending machines should be made to accept 50¢ and $1 coins and I stand by that.

As far as the $1 coins go, the ones we should be using are the Presidential Dollar Coin, introduced in 2007 (yes, this year.) They're just the right size, will have good circulation and vending machines could be easily made to accept them.

Per the 50¢ a.k.a. half-dollar coins, unfortunately we don't have anything ready for vending machines because those coins are just way too frickin' big. No one carries them around because of their size. Something needs to be done to create a smaller half-dollar coin.

And I've got the perfect solution for that. We've got presidential dollar coins, why not vice president coins in a 50¢ flavor that are smaller and usable in vending machines? Makes perfect sense to me.

I am also one of the people who think pennies shouldn't be used anymore.

the mighty mighty dueling streetpilots

I'm writing a new book covering a whole bunch of stuff concerning the Garmin StreetPilot "c" series units. Once done it should cover almost the models, i.e. the c310, c330, c340, c510, c550 and c580.

I have two StreetPilots, the c580 and c340.

Thus far there's been scattered information on how to wield a StreetPilot correctly. There really aren't any definitive how-to's on POI creation and usage, how to access all the functions, easy-to-understand help tips and tricks, how to update maps, system software and voices the easy way - and so on.

My intent is to solve that by writing the end-all/be-all book on the subject. :D

So far I'm about half done because there's a lot of ground to cover.

Don't get me wrong, the manuals for the StreetPilot c3xx and c5xx series are okay, but don't really get into the nitty-gritty details that well. This is probably by design, and hey, that's okay - because guys like me can write up the super-duper manuals. ;)

I'll announce it here once I have it completed.

garmin streetpilot c580 cheers and jeers

Now that I've used the Garmin StreetPilot c580 for a bit, here are my cheers and jeers about it. I'll list all the jeers first.

Jeer: Must be plugged in to use MSN Direct.

The antenna is built-in to the power adapter, which is great, but in order to use the MSN Direct stuff, it must be attached. Normal GPS use doesn't require this (it can run on battery alone).

This is a step backwards because it essentially makes the battery worthless if you have to have it plugged in all the time to access all the MSN content.

Jeer: MSN content reception spotty at times.

In the Tampa Bay area you will get spotty MSN reception at times. Compared to the GPS reception (which is outstanding) it falls short - particularly on interstates. It's much "happier" in-town.

Jeer: When unplugged, it "forgets" MSN content.

The c580 will "remember" MSN related content for a period of time (usually a few hours), but if unplugged from the power adapter, it forgets all the gas prices, weather and other MSN-related stuff. When you plug it back in, it takes 10 to 30 minutes for it to update its info again.

Important note: This is only for MSN related content. Normal GPS use is always lightning fast on startup and usage and doesn't "forget" anything.

Jeer: (Still) can't do custom routes.

What is a custom route?

It's a route that you design specifically. Rather than just accept what the StreetPilot gives you for directions, you instruct it to take very specific turns to whatever destination.

Premium units like the larger 2720 will do this, but none of the "c" series will.

While you can set avoidances (and they work very well), making a 100% custom route is not an option, nor will it accept custom routes from MapSource.

This has been a long-time gripe of many StreetPilot owners. If you want custom routing ability, the c580 won't do it.

To those who would ask why custom routing would be desirable, it's because guys and gals who like to do road trips like to go places using specific roads - and most of the time the GPS will not "agree" that it's the best route to take, hence the want for a custom route.

Jeer: (Still) can't do custom coordinates.

Another long-time gripe about the "c" series is that it will not directly accept input of longitude/latitude coordinates. Granted, this is a super-geeky GPS option to want, but the desire for this feature to exist on the "c" series is there. Once again, premium units have this option. The "c" series does not.

Jeer: (Still) doesn't display coordinates.

Nowhere in the c580 will it show you the longitude/latitude coordinates for locations. Once again, this is a super-geeky GPS option to want. Only GPS geeks like myself would want this.

Jeer: Can't categorize favorites.

On models like the 2720 you can put favorites into categories. Can't do that on the c580. Would be nice to have.

Cheer: Configurable vehicle icons

The use of the icons is slick. It's also cool you have several to choose from, including but not limited to a tank, spaceship, station wagon, dune buggies, race cars/trucks, etc.

Cheer: Super-easy saving of favorites

One of my biggest gripes about the c340 is that saving a favorite was, to be blunt, a pain in the ass. On the c580, you just tap your vehicle icon on the map. The c580 then asks you if you want to save, you choose "yes", name it, and you're done. VERY cool improvement.

Cheer: Super-fast signal acquisition (GPS)

The SiRF tech in the c580 really makes a difference in GPS signal acquisition. It's almost near-instantaneous.

Cheer: Routes faster

There were times when the c340 "thought" a lot before giving a route. The c580 cut that time down by a large margin.

Cheer: Screen is truly daylight readable

From day one I hated the c340's screen. It got so bad that I had to get a hoody for it, else the screen was more or less unreadable in sunlight. On the c580 - not required. The screen is truly brighter, has true anti-glare and is readble even on the brightest days.

Cheer: Better mounting system

The c340 had an awful way of mounting itself whether you chose to stick it on the glass or the plate mount. The c580's mount design is different, smaller and stays put. Furthermore, you can position it far easier because you can twist it side-to-side, up and down. The best part (particularly for the plate mount) is that it now sits "squat" on the dashboard, literally eliminating a viewing hazard.

Cheer: Louder speakers

Yet another complaint about the c340 I had is that the speakers just weren't loud enough. If you were driving on the interstate with the windows rolled down, the speakers are basically worthless. Not so with the c580. At full volume it's loud enough to cut thru the loudest of wind noises, passing cars, etc. The best part is that the sound at full volume has almost no distortion. It's loud and clear.

Cheer: Instant power-on when plugged in

If the unit is plugged in, you hit the power button and ta-da, it's powered up, signal acquired and ready to go. Very cool. If not plugged in, it takes a bit to power up, but it's still much faster than the c340 was.

Cheer: Friendlier menus

The menu system in the c5xx series is better than the c3xx - and the c3xx was pretty good to begin with. The icons used within the system are more color coordinated which makes it easier to find stuff. The previous c3xx series had a small case of that everything-looks-the-same stuff from menu to menu.

Cheer: Tap/drag interactive map

If viewing a map, you can put your finger on the screen, hold, then drag and the map moves with your finger. Very trick. It's way better than using the north/south/east/west buttons and a whole lot faster.

Overall I'm 100% satisfied with the unit. It was a good buy.

For those who can't get the MSN Direct service (usually people who live in remote non-metro areas), the c550 would be better. Same as the c580 without the MSN stuff.

Tampa rainfall

During the summer season it's typical to get rain once a day for a small while (30 minutes to an hour), then it goes away, then comes back the next day, rinse, repeat, etc.

See a video I made of what I'm talking about.

This is not hurricane-style wind and rain. If it were, I wouldn't be standing outside shooting it. :-)

The rain is almost warm enough to be like bathwater.

47,885 miles later

Note: I will be posting the rest of my Universal stuff soon. I haven't yet because there's a lot to go thru. :-)

Anyway..

I present to you... The Tales of the 2005 GMC Canyon SLE.

I'm writing this post because I saw someone else post a "car log" of sorts with his Porsche. No, I don't own a Porsche, but I wanted to write a log anyway. :-)

Because this is what usually matters to most people, here's a list of things that have worn out, been replaced or gone wrong with this truck since I bought it new in January 2005.

• Annoying "clicky" noise developed from the passenger side curtain airbag while driving less than a month after owning it. Fixed at dealership. Hasn't returned since.
• Truck would pull to the right on the highway if you let go of the steering wheel. Fixed at dealership. Hasn't returned since.
• A noise developed that sounded like a frame or door squeak. That wasn't the case, it was the hood hinges. Fixed at dealership at very little cost. I spray WD-40 on the hinges whenever the noise returns, which is about once every three to five months. Not a big deal.
• Driver's side lumbar adjustment knob fell off the side of the seat. Whenever it does, I just pop it back on. I think this broke due to my error (I might have knocked it off one day by accident).
• Of the six speakers for the stereo, at least three (possibly four) are now blown due to me blasting it too much. I'm not surprised by it at all because standard radios in any vehicle suck, including the speakers. Being that I don't listen to the radio that often, it really doesn't bother me. I will eventually get them replaced.
• One tire has developed a "wub-bub-bub-bub-bub" noise while driving. You wouldn't notice it unless I actually pointed it out. And yes, I still have the original General tires that came with the truck. This noise is totally my fault because I haven't been rotating the tires every 6,000 miles like I should. And to note: Tread wear is still decent concerning this rubber has almost 50,000 miles on it. Not bad a'tall.
• Driver's door developed what's best described as a popping noise when opened. Two pops, to be exact. Very easy fix. Tighten two nuts on the inside of the door that are in plain sight. Fixed. If noise returns, tighten again.
• One headlight (low-beam) blown. Standard wear and tear. Replaced both. I'm not one of those people that replaces a single headlight. If one goes, I just replace both of them.
• One taillight blown. Standard wear and tear. Bottom light (there's a bottom and top to each side). Replaced both sides.
• A recall was issued for a brake light switch. Haven't had the recall done it yet because my truck doesn't exhibit the problem where the brake light stays on all the time. The switch works like it's supposed to. I'll eventually get the recall work done later.

Other than the aforementioned, everything else is fine so far.

Some vital stats on my truck:

• 4-cylinder motor
• Extended cab model (not four-door)
• 4x4
• Automatic transmission
• 6-disc CD changer

I list this info just in case anyone's interested.

You may ask (and rightly so) Isn't almost 48,000 miles a lot for an '05 vehicle? Yep. Most people barely break 35,000 for any vehicle over two years old. With me, I pile on the miles quick. It's been that way ever since I started driving. To be honest, I've slowed down a bit. I used to routinely put on 30,000 miles a year, but I've knocked that down to about 24,000. Needless to say, I know the interstate system intimately. :-)

Since being in FL...

I have noticed since being in Florida that the tried-and-true selling point "Florida Car!" has a loud ring of truth to it. It's true because unless a car lives its life next to the beach (salt/sand from the ocean), the only elements it will ever encounter is heat and rain. No snow. No ice. No hail. No mud. Just asphalt. It's very common to see cars here that wouldn't survive anywhere else for too long.

For example, a 1981 Buick. Any Buick. There are more than a few driving around. Some look beat up, but are still very driveable. This same car would not exist in Connecticut unless it were rusting off its frame - literally.

The Canyon has taken very well to Florida. She "likes" the predictable warm weather, the smooth-for-the-most-part roads, the long interstates and county routes. The 4-cyl motor keeps on keepin' on and routinely gets 23 to 25mpg on highway - unless I have my A/C on (then it drops to 19-23mpg - and I'm guessing there).

I also notice the Canyon seems more "happy" in-town compared to the highway. She likes zipping thru parking lots and side streets more than highway cruising.

So far, so good. Hope it stays that way.