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Triumph TR3

When I was a little boy, before I could come anywhere close to seeing the big picture, my Dad had a Triumph TR-3. A little red one, much like the one pictured to the right except his had a roll bar and a lot more rust.

We all loved that car, but not nearly as much as my sister. When my Dad sold it to buy a very cool, but not working at all, Jaguar (pictured at left), she cried. I don't think it's going too far to say that that experience ruined cars for her forever. Somewhere there's a really great photography of her as the car is being taken away (I must admit that I could be making this part up).

I don't remember much, the rust holes, standing in the back holding onto the roll bar, and most of all, the smell. A mixture of gas and, well I guess, age. It was a beautiful thing.

I mention it because I'm seriously looking for a new car, though I haven't even begun to think about paying for it. A TR-3 is in the running along with a mid 60s Porsche 912, and another Bug. Surprisingly, they're all in the same cost range.

I'm sorta partial to this one. He's cute with the racing stripes. and so far not too badly priced. I could get it shipped from Texas right :-)

Yeah right, just like I'm going to have my Bug shipped from Chicago. Any day now, I promise.

Burning a Hole in My Pocket

Lately I've been feeling especial broke. It seems like I don't have any money at all, which is ridiculous seeing as I make more now than ever. So where's it all going?

Well, I pay over double the rent here than I did in Chicago, for a much shittier place I might add. So that's one thing, but that doesn't account for it all.

I was walking home from work contemplating this dilemma when I think I figured it out.

Beer.

When I lived in Chicago, there was always at least one of us in the group who didn't have any cash, so we didn't go out more than once or twice a week, drinking in the rest of the time. And when we did go out it was to a very cheap bar where you can get PBR for $1.50. Here, I drink about four times a week and pay, at minimum, twice that. So that's at least $100 a week gone. If I go to a club, which isn't that often, you can probably add another $50.

Then there's living alone, no more sharing all the bills. I believe my monthly bill total was somewhere around $40. Now it's something like $200.

Combine this with eating out twice a day most every day and you start to get the picture.

I have got to start eating at home more and maybe, just maybe, cut back on the drinking.

I really should be living large right now.

So when anyone asks why I hate LA, it's not the people, the job, or the crappy layout. No, it's the sucking noise it makes as it eats my money.

Ok, it might be some of the people.