I was Put in Time Out by my Tesla!!!

 I am the proud owner of a Tesla. Yes that electric car that has everyone talking is mine. Is it the car of the future or will that Chinese car beat it out in the end? At this point in time I just don't care. I own a Tesla and I am happy.

BUT...Elon Musk does have a way of keeping his owners in line. After all, this car needs supervision and the learning curve has challenged me. The computer updates are amazing but if I screw it up, I will be put in "time out". Tesla gets sued when owners don't obey the rules and they wreck. Humans do that sort of thing.

Last winter Tesla came out with a new "supervised autonomous driving" opportunity for owners. I started using it immediately. But like a lot of people I didn't do my homework. It seems that if you override the system or if the camera in the cab catches you not paying attention, a computer somewhere in this world knows and gets mad at you. Even though I was in love with the new program and felt safer in the car than I had in the past, Tesla was not impressed. They were watching how I drove with the cab camera and monitoring things like abrupt stops etc. SOOO I received a message on my computer screen in the car and the function was locked for a week (or more). This grandma was put in "time out".

I went from frustrated to mad and back to frustrated. I could understand how the system wanted to save their own bacon...after all, a misstep by them could cost lives and they know it is not perfect. Highways and drivers are not all that reliable. Wrong turns by navigation, road construction and other driver all played a part. I think what frustrated me was the message that said that if the system was overridden more than 5 times, a driver could not use that option for a week. In other words, too much supervision was not a good thing. Hence my frustration.

If it were not for my sense of humor, this whole thing could have been bad. But in the end, I know that paying attention is to my advantage. I love the car. I am a busy woman and don't have time to fuss about the little stuff. At the age of 82 supervision is a good thing. And being in "time out" just made me laugh!

How's your day going?

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Making a Home one Mismatched Piece at a Time

 We bought a second home without any resources to furnish it. It was a leap of faith in the best of all worlds. In the worst of all worlds, it was a big mistake.

The only thing we had on our side was that we were not too proud to use other people's leftovers. We moved into a small park model that did have minimal things and even some booze and dry goods. So we just used what was there and had fun in our new location. I didn't mind and my husband didn't even notice the lack of things. We were good.

If the cornmeal didn't have weevils, I used it. The neighbors were horrified! Why, I told them is what I wonder today. I guess they asked.

That was many years ago. But, even today, I am using the mismatched thing from the first park model. Now they are "quirky" and interesting. Mugs from a now-defunct restaurant hold pencils and the original set of 4 dishes sit in my cabinet. Discarded bedside table lamps were painted orange and one sits on the mantel and another beside a guest bed. The original dining table from the house is now on the porch and I eat on it regularly. It was painted black and looks pretty darn good.

An Indian rug hangs on the living room wall and another is beside a bed. They were both abandoned in the park model. Bedside tables are in another guest room. 

The rest we bought at consignment or antique stores (fancy junk shops). It really is true that one man's junk is another man's treasure. A bakers rack, chest of drawers at one shop($80 for both), two bedside stands and a bedroom set (end table and dresser) at another. The cost is minimal and all of the pieces are beautifully worn.  A brass bar cart came from an estate sale.

All personal items like art are curated...we travel and buy some things along the way. But art from a thrift store or antique store works for me. As long as it hangs together nicely. 

We started this journey toward owning a stand-alone house after we retired. That was over 25 years ago. Many things were left and I am okay with what is gone...well there is that one little table and two chairs I miss. It is not perfect but the willingness to live within your means does not mean you have to live small. A retirement with a lot of style is possible even if you are not rich.

If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them.

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