Mazdas are known for their excellent handling. I probably would have bought a Mazda 3 if Ford hadn't just come out with a new Focus.

I'm all about the slow start. 60 squats is on the schedule for today, and I have not done them. I have an hour and a half. ION, I'm eating pizza.

I have a friend who loves her Mazda. The Mazda was No. 2 on my short list of Possible Cars when I was shopping. But I test-drove the Hyundai first and liked it enough that I bought it on the spot. I've been happy with it, but I do wish it had more power and could get up to speed faster. It's a four-cylinder hatchback, what do you want from it.

Got word today that my and my neighbors landlady has decided to sell the property.

!!!

She called them yesterday, but has neither called or emailed me.

Holy crap!!!!!

Who the heck knows how long it'll take to sell the place, but I need to find a new home. I mean, I want a new home, I want my work tenants home, but it was insanely hard to find this place that's just barely affordable and is safe for my cats to go outside and kill things and not get killed by cars.

I had been planning on spending the rest of June, when I get my license back, visiting my folks, but now I think I need to spend it getting the apartment into "potential buyer" viewable status and looking through newspapers.

I need to email the landlady and find out for sure if she plans on pulling the rug out from under me, or will just transfer the rent over to the new homeowner (I can only hope, especially given all the fixing up my apartment needs).

WTF?!

I like how Mazdas handle, but I'm not a huge fan of their interiors.

Do you have a lease Julie?

Also, sucky as it is this might give you the excuse to probe delicately about the place at work.

(sorry, couldn't resist racy comment)

I had to figure out how to phrase that so it didn't sound racy! It's just putting my shoulders in front of my knees. I fold easily. I used to freak people out when doing homework in the dorms, cause I'd be sitting on the floor, bent over, knees higher than my head and my torso nearly parallel to the floor as I read or wrote on something resting between my feet.

Julie, I hope it all works out best for you.

but I'm not a huge fan of their interiors.

I had simple needs, and low expectations (1997 Sentra!) One of them was the main display in front of me and not blocked by the wheel for someone of my vertical proportions. Hondas drove me nuts with the latter and I hated the ones with displays over the center console. So distracting. My rear passengers will be cramped, but it's a TWO, I did not buy it to transport more than me.

I do keep accidentally turning on the defrost when I throw it into first...

Apparently Laurence Fox is a huge PITA to work with.

Boo! And yet, not entirely surprising.

I've never had a lease, technically. When I moved in, the lease I signed was for April, but I had to push it back to May for move-in. And it was never renewed. Even my neighbors don't have a current lease in the main house. So, legally, I guess, she could expect us gone within 30 days.

I don't get it, though, we've emailed bunches of times. But everytime she says she's going to stop by to check out the place (maybe once a year) she only contacts the neighbors in the main house. When she raised the rent, she only did it to the neighbors. Does she just forget about me? (convenient until it's not) or is she always expecting the neighbors to inform me? I've emailed her a couple of times on needing more time to pay rent, and she's always been totally chill about it. I've also emailed her on needing my windows fixed, and she's said she'd be down to check them out and never has. Never reimbursed me for fixing the air conditioner either.

And the thing with the tenant at work is that she's a big supporter of work, with contributions and being everyone's grandmother. I couldn't in good conscience be the agent to getting her own lease rescinded/not renewed for my own gain.

Life sucks balls right now.

In the mail I got, not my reinstatement form, but a bill for an additional 17 dollars for paying late. Really?

REALLY?!!

You know, I've defended NJ as not being the armpit of the East Coast to people who have only driven on 95, but between real estate agent fees that go to the wrong person and the MVC, I no longer recommend.

Atomic I assume? They ARE iconic.

Indeed!

I'm pretty sure we're going to get a Prius. There don't really seem to be any other hybrids that compare in terms of price and quality. We get a 1/2 percent off our already crazy low rate on our loan for getting a hybrid plus there's the money saved gas-wise. Going from my '99 Mazda to anything is kind of like driving a car From the Future but I liked driving the Prius pretty well. But I guess we should try some other cars, just in case. I have the loaner from the mechanic for another day and then I think we'll rent for a week. And hopefully buy a new car in that time?

I know too well how you feel, lisah! STOP COPYING ME, IT IS RUINOUS!

With my driving, the extra cost for a hybrid didn't make sense. Plus, I was unwilling to spend that much on my single income and penny-pinching ways.

You guys just going to one or gonna get complimentary cars?