Spring Cleaning, Garage That Is!

It is funny what they say about us Americans. We put our junk in the garage and leave our car or cars out in the weather and it or they are the second biggest investment we have. I am guilty! Two marriages, three kids who believed dad's and mom's garage was a perpetual storage no cost facility for their stuff. Some even hauled their stuff here in a truck to put in dad and mom's garage.

I look at my new(er) car and the Uhaul boxes and varied storage boxes in my garage and it is what do I do with all this stuff? It is childhood, school papers, books, plywood projects, bicycles, stove, couch...other. I called "Hannah Home" that helps all kind of folks in need and they got a shipload of stuff from the Nutter's garage. It was a godsend to get this stuff no body had looked at or used in over 10 years and I know will never miss it!

I am just about there on freeing up one side of the garage for the Ford Taurus. I still have some other boxes to go through that just need organizing and put on the new shelving I have installed on the other side. I hope I have more time today or at least this weekend to get this completed and the junk out of the way. It is amazing the things we save and think are important at the time but really are not.

Cleaning out your garage is like keeping house. It is a thankless job that no one notices until it is not done. This post will be short and if I don't post anything for the next day or two, you will know whare to find me. Now where is that box of large leaf and trash bags. I need about 5 to fill and drag to the curb to be picked up TODAY!...Jeff Nutter, working in my garage at home!

2004 Taurus 29.1 mpg: 28.5 Overall

Boring, boring, boring. Who wants to read about someone's miles per gallon on his new car. But I am anal retentive and keep defined records on how the 'bugger' is performing. The car is new or only 8 months old since first day on the road and Jeff bought it back on the 8th of April.

This is my first Ford automobile and I wanted to know all about how it would perform just a week after purchasing. The round trip was 972 miles and I wanted to know what to expect in expenses on our trips back and forth to the mountains of NC. Done.

The car ran like a champ and did well with maybe 100 to 125 lbs. of 'stuff' in the trunk and back seat. We are a bunch of vagabonds and our 'stuff' has to go with us. Oh, it may weigh more than 125 lbs on the way back. Why?

We went to a Single Malt Whisky tasting at the games and got a nice comparison of all the different types available. Karen and I decided to get two brands we cannot buy here in Alabama plus we found some Sardinian wine at Harry's on the way up there so we had 5 or 6 bottles of spirits wrapped in a blanket and in our chest we keep in the trunk for the games. One is a 'cast strength' Scotch that is just as it comes out of the cast. No water or neutral spirits added. Will fill you in when we crack the cork on this bottle.

This story sounds like we are a bunch of drinkers of sorts. Not so! Our wine cabinet was empty and we get only 2 or 3 opportunities to buy these each year so really they are over a years supply. I don't remember when I bought any spirits last, I believe back at Christmas last year and I gave the two bottles to the Clarks as a house gift. I think I bought Bob an "Isle of Jura" Scotch and a "Tangeray" gin, his favorites for his spirits cabinet in the basement. Karen and I call this our 'cheap place' to stay in NC and this is our 'payback' for their taking care of us for the 4 or 5 days there. $44.00 for 5 days is not a bad rate!

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings this morning. It is time to get back into the real world again after 5 days in the North Carolina Mountains...Nice!

North Carolina and back, 900 Miles.

The purchase of the new car came at a very opportune time as Karen and I were going to NC to the Loch Norman Scottish Highland games that next weekend. They gave me a full tank of gas and it got 22.8 mpg in mixed driving back and forth to Bessemer to mothers and to the dealership. My interest now was how would it do on a sustained Interstate trip of about 9 hours and 450 miles.

We left early Thursday morning, earliest we have left that I can remember. We stopped on I20 in Anniston and got two sausage biscuits at 10:00 a. m. to sustain us until a possible late lunch the other side of Atlanta. The second stop was a fill up at a Shell station north of Atlanta on I85 but I do not believe I topped off the tank. The Ford manual said "do not overfill the tank" so I stopped when the pump turned off. The mpg figured right at 30 but, the tank was not as full or the gauge was not past the full mark as it was when I filled the first time in Vestavia. So this is not a good number.

We stopped at Harry's on I85 and got 6 bottle of a Sardinian wine we have not been able to find in over 2 years. We bought 2 bottles two years ago and they have been out on repeated stops there? This was a nice surprise. We bought bread, Brie, honey, oh yes, the wine and some other items and it was $134.00 to get out of there. There goes my discretionary money!

We got to mom and dad Clarks about 6:30 p.m. and took in two bags to stay the night. Mom had fixed us a nice dinner and we enjoyed a meatless dinner of homemade macaroni and cheese, a spinach salad, and a shared bottle of the Sardinian Wine, and it was as wonderful as I remembered.

Oh, the car did fine with no glitches or warning lights or unusual sounds coming from under the hood. The next morning I knew we had an hour or so drive to Huntersville, NC, so I filled it up again and got something in the 25, 26 mpg range. I knew that fill up in Atlanta was off some. I imagine we are averaging somewhere close to 28 or 28.5 but that right now is only a guess. I plan to fill up at the same station at the same pump upon returning home to get a true reading on gallons used over the entire 900 miles.

It is interesting how the onboard computer learns your driving style and makes an estimate of how many miles you are going to get on a full tank. I read the manual and the onboard computer is constantly reanalyzing your driving habits and achieve mpg and making a pretty good estimate of what you can expect to get.

Mom and dad were surprised and please we now had dependable transportation now. Kathy and Steve liked the car especially Steve when he sat in the drivers seat and adjusted the electric controls and pedals to fit him exactly. Ah, that new car smell, nothing like it. I am writing my update from the Quality Inn in Hunterville this Sunday morning before Kirk services. Kirk is Church in the Gaelic language many of us Scots use in greeting and salutations.

Friend and family, we are fine and today closes out the 4th day of our 5 day venture. I hope this finds all well./Jeff Nutter, Jr.

Owner of 2004 Taurus SES

The last car I bought for Jeff was an Oldsmobile in 1971. Oh, I have bought 2 or 3 new cars and 2 or 3 used cars for kids, but Jeff has had a company car and this is somewhat of shock to me.

The car is very nice, really nice. It is Arizona Tan, leather, deluxe sound system with 6 disc changer in the trunk, security system, V6, 24 Valve DOHC (Double Over Head Cam)generating 210 HP. I did not buy the car for the power but it drives like a sports car and has the pep to get you going if you need it.


The weird stuff is the computer readouts you can get constantly in the middle of the instument cluster. MPG, Miles traveled, Miles to empty, hours and minutes since last fill up, and finally total miles. You can then punch one of three buttons and it gives you a read out of all fluid levels, giving you a short program with each indicating 'normal' level. An almost new car with only 18,100 miles should not require levels checked like I had to do with the Olds with 108,000 miles.

I did purchase one thing in addition to the 5/75,000 added warranty that comes with a CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) vehicle is a warranty on the technicals in or on the vehicle. This was only about $4.00 per month addition but Jeff will not have to worry about ANY electronics going out that are outside the extended warranty on the car.

I have now driven it 3 days and it is a dream to drive. The road sounds are almost non existant! You put on a disk and listen to Jim Croce or Carol King coming softly through the 6 speakers. The electronic warranty 'also' cover the radio and Jeff has got to have his 'tunes'....

We are giving the car a good workout tomorrow driving about 450 miles to Karen's mom and dad in Hickory, NC. Looking forward to seeing the Clark family and to see what kind mileage I get all on the I/S. Right now with mixed driving here in town, the computer says I am getting 22.4. I should, should, get 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 on the I/S. Pick a number...LOL.

Ford Program Car, Demo.

I have been retired for 2 years and back working part time for about the same time. I have been driving a 1991 Olds when mom had to give up driving. It had performed well but now at 108,000 miles, it is beginning to have some stress problems of being driven everyday. That said...

I have not shopped for a car and I cannot remember when. I had a company car for some part of 40 years so really had no need to buy a car except for my wife or my children. Me, I really do not, or did not know how!

I have looked at some of the Nippon cars but this 6'3" frame and 205 lbs is really not comfortable in these smaller cars. I have been looking at the Ford Taurus hoping to find a one owner, low mileage year old one where someone has taken that first years big depreciation.

There are 2 dealers close to me and I have looked and ridden but none felt like me until I drove a 2004 SES a week back. It had everything you would want in a car, nice, clean, 18,100 miles and was driven by two Ford exec in Lansing, MI and one in the Southern Region. It was in the Atlanta private Ford auction to dealers back several months ago and was bought by Town and Country Ford in Bessemer, Alabama.

It is spotless. It has no scuff marks, no dents, nothing to indicate he or she ever hauled anything in the trunk and it was obviously kept in a garage. I went over the car with a fine tooth comb trying for over 30 minutes to find any wear and tear. I could find none, nata, zip.

This car qualified for Ford's CPO program or Certified Program Cars with not only the remaining 36,000 miles but another 3 years and 75,000 miles. I don't know how much the CPO cost compared to one that does not meet these 115 point inspection qualifications. According to J. D. Powers and Kelly Blue Book this can be "perceived" as anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. But is it worth that to me? I found a like car without this, that did not meet the CPO certification and there is a difference. They "appear" minor to me but what else was wrong with the car that it did not meet CPO certification. I can only guess.

My task now is to find out how bad the dealer wants to sell this car, the one I like and willing to drive for 3 or 4 years. We have almost come to a deal with his coming down $1,000 from his original quote. Remember cars depreciate weekly now and how does he need that space to put another car. We bargained. I am going this am with my last offer and I may be the owner of a new or new to me 2004 Taurus SES. Karen and I are going together as she ask some questions last night I did not have the answer to. Wish us luck....Jeff

New Pipe Organ Console

$110,000 of saving and memorials and we are there. Our church in Bessemer has a newly refurbished pipe organ that was given to the church back in the early 80's. It has performed beautifully with a muliple of organist but with Mark Jackson as our most current one.

The console was installed last Tueday as the old one that came with the refurbished one we have, had just worn out. The pipes (I would guess) never wear out but the console is mechanical and hydrallic in many ways and liken to a car, things become very expensive to repair over time.

So we began an "Organ Fund" about 2 years ago and we have seen the little sign in the nathex of the church telling us each Sunday how far along we were on this project. The plan was to not finance this, but to begin the purchase and installation when it got to 80% of the $110,000 goal. We are there.

I was at a meeting at the church Tuesday and saw it being installed and it is just beautiful. The console has so many, many more things than the old one built in 1921. I am sure the music Sunday will be just wonderful. There will be no sticking valves, no unusual sounds coming from this now beautiful instument. Come with me and Karen and enjoy it. I will tell you how good it sounds after this Sunday.

This is exciting! Karen and I had given several memorials or gifts in her son Jason's name especially over the last year since we lost him. He loved the organ and had helped install it back in the 80's. We will think of him this Sunday as he lives on as a part of this. Jason, we are thinking of you this morning. He is smiling!

How Do Protestants View The Lost of John Paul II.

It was the Sunday after the head of the Catholic Church died, after leading for 26 years. This pope was unique or is to most people 30 or younger as this is the ONLY pope they have known. I recall one interview on one of the networks "He was my father, and here is the cross my earthly father gave me when I joined the Church!"

I am not Catholic, but I cried when I he died. But I knew he was prepared to go to Heaven as his accomplishment here were unsurpassed! He grew the Catholic Church from 750 million to over 1 billion members. How many people are there in this world? Catholics, people of all faiths mourned his passing? But how did or are the Protestant congregations treating this lose.

I belong to and a communing member of a Presbyterian Church in a little town in Bessemer, Alabama. We are right in the middle of the Bible Belt in Alabama. I went to SS and Church Sunday and went early to enjoy coffee and cookies, a part our fellowship each Sunday morning. I did not hear Pope John Paul's name mentioned in those 15 minutes with friends.

We began SS and we have a time where anyone that needs our prayers, the sick, the shut-ins, and our service men are remembered and we are reminded to keep these people in our prayers. John Paul II, the leader of the Catholic Church for 26 was never mentioned. I look back and I should have said something which now I regret my not adding his precious name to our prayer list.

After Sunday School, we had 10 minutes or so before Church started at 11:00am and I stood in the courtyard and talked with six or eight deacons and elders and greeters and ushers, but the name of John Paul II, the lost leader to over 1 billion Catholics all over the world was never mentioned!

The Church service began at 11:00am and the lay leader who goes through the announcements and activities for the week. John Paul II's name was never mentioned. The minister spoke for 30 minutes and neither at the beginning nor at the end of his sermon did he mention John Paul II, the leader of 1 billion Catholics that passed away the previous day!

I stood at the top step of the Church behind the minister after the service and greeted some people leaving and mingled and greeted people leaving. We talked about many things, but the subject of John Paul II, his death, was never mentioned.

Me! I cried when he died. I prayed at Church for Pope John Paul II asking God to accept his servant into his loving arms. One Protestant, this one, is no less guilty of not mentioning Pope John Paul II's passing! I have a feeling of loss and that this world is worse off by his passing! Maybe, only maybe, this note is my way of saying "Thank you John Paul II for affecting my life and the people of all faiths and bringing over 250 million more people into the Catholic Church!"

You will be missed!
Jeff Nutter, Jr., Vestavia Hills, Alabama, USA