New Wheels

I’m still here although I have had some computer problems that have invaded my laptop and caused it to cease accessing the internet. The spousal unit and I took a drive today in the new ride to check it out and get a feel for the new wheels. We decided to purchase the Ford Five Hundred Limited Edition all wheel drive. We wanted to test it out on the road so we decided to take a drive from Phoenix up to Prescott. We used the same route many of the car manufactures use. We went out through Wickenburg and up the Yarnell hill to Peoples Valley. We took a left at Peoples Valley and up to the backside of Prescott through Skull Valley and Iron Springs road. This route starts at eight hundred feet above sea level and at one point hits 6010 feet above sea level. Prescott itself is at about one mile high like Denver.

We had a nice lunch at someplace in Prescott although I prefer plain old bleached white flour buns over “whole wheat” bitter healthy buns. I ended up tossing the bun and eating the burger, much better tasting that way. Oh, I also put plenty of salt on the burger for you health food nuts out there. Ummm, charred mammal flesh heavily salted with cheese and onions. I digress.

The ride back was uneventful for the first few minutes. My ass was tired from sitting on the drive up and the hard wooden chair at the restaurant so I asked the spousal unit to drive. She reluctantly agreed and soon I found myself thunderstorm watching as the Spousal Unit guided us out of the mountains. We made it back through Skull Valley without any problems and were careening our way through Peoples Valley when the Spousal Unit encountered a car in our lane passing on a hill on a blind curve. Muttering expletives that would surely cause this computer to burst into flames the Spousal Unit made a quick stab with the brakes and then romped on the accelerator while pulling onto the tiny shoulder. We sailed past the idiot and continued as if nothing had happened. If the spousal unit had just slammed on the brakes we would both probably be in the hospital right now.

A few minutes later we approached the top of the Yarnell hill. I’m not sure of the elevation gain/loss but it is substantial. I think somewhere around 3000 feet in about two miles but I could be wrong. It might be more. We were headed down the hill this time and as we approached the first curve, a 30 MPH horseshoe, an RV and a pickup with a horse trailer sped through town and passed us. Not wanting to crawl down the hill, as we approached the top of the hill and the first passing lane the Spousal Unit really stomped on the gas. The RPM wound up to 5000 and our velocity approached 55 MPH. This would have been fine except we were on a 30 MPH corner and a downgrade of about 7%.

We both got a feel for how well the all wheel drive system hugs the road. Though we drifted through the turn the car never felt like it was out of control and we passed the RV and horse trailer without incident. After that the Spousal Unit really zipped down the hill with an appreciation for the new wheels.

Tomorrow, I clean the seats.

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