The new car did quite well in her first full day. She saw it all: easy morning commute; difficult evening commute. And, in between, she took a nap in the garage. Ain't the life of a compact car just grand?

The search is over, and there's a new car in my parking spot.

Boy, that was a stressful 19 days! I can't imagine what it would be like to have dragged the process out any longer. Hopefully, I won't have to experience it again until 2020 or so.

So, if salesman No. 1 gives a price that's higher than the one salesman No. 2 gave, but promises a whole bunch of extras whose value can exceed the difference, who do I choose?

I may be getting better at this whole car price negotiation business, but I am nowhere near being an expert.

All I know is that a decision must be made within 48 hours.

"It's the final countdown ..."

As the countdown to a new car continues, I can be proud of the fact that today I called one of the salesmen I met over the weekend and asked for a lower price. And I got it.

Well, I didn't get the exact price I asked for, but I did get one that was really close to it.

And for that, I am proud.

This is my 50th blog entry. How fast time flies! Only 310 days left until the end of the year. That mean we're about one-seventh through 2008 already.

Nothing exciting has happened yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Just remember: Only four days left in the month.

Well, it's down to the last days of the month, and I'm almost ready to make my move. Of course, it's not really my move to make, but it will definitely be made on my behalf.

How lucky will I be this leap year? Only time will tell ....

Another day, another half-dozen test drives.

Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, Honda, Toyota, Pontiac.

Yeah, I know: One of these things is not like the others. But I really wanted to try an American car, and it wasn't going to be a Ford. My Chrysler (well, Plymouth, which no longer exists) lasted 11+ years and more than 140,000 miles. But there's nothing that brand makes that I'm all that crazy about. (OK, I love the Crossfire, but it's just too small for my needs.) We also wanted to see what Saturn had (everything was too big) and peeked into a Mitsubishi (a good feel, but the trunk was small).

The day wasn't awful, but all that driving was exhausting. I managed to not step foot into any actual showrooms, thanks to my famous allergy. Lemonade, folks, lemonade.

Today is 2/22, but I completely forgot about it until just now. I meant to pause for a moment at 2:22 this afternoon, but I was too, too busy.

I remember when it was 1:23:45 in the afternoon on 6/7/89. That was a really cool moment. I believe I was in Mr. Zeitlin's biology class. We didn't learn much that year. Apparently, all we did do that was worth remembering after all these years was watch the clock.

Of course, later this year, it will be 08/08/08. Not only is that a really cool date, but it's also the first day of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Now that's something I'm looking forward to.

As my mom has repeated several times today, "it's time to get down to brass tacks."

What does that even mean?

I know, I know -- it means something along the lines of "it's time to get really serious" about something. Something like car shopping.

So, today -- I took off from work -- mom and I continued my quest for a new vehicle. This time, she was taking names -- and numbers.

And she said I'd be getting a new car by the end of the month.

Cross your fingers and toes ....

You know how they have those supposed "smart signs" every so often along major highways? You know how the important messages never seem to make it onto said signs, and you get stuck in traffic for hours without explanation? (Yes, I know there are traffic reports on the radio, but I haven't listened to the radio since July 2005.)

Well, we've all been there, done that. But what about when there are actual, useful messages on the signs, warning you dozens of miles in advance (but not soon enough that you can alter your route) that there's a major problem and multiple lanes are blocked just in time for your morning commute? Rare, right?

So, imagine my surprise when I was greeted with such a message this morning. I couldn't take the turnpike because the first sign of trouble (pun intended) was less than a mile before the on-ramp to the interstate -- several miles past the on-ramp to the turnpike. I resigned myself to sitting in traffic for 10 miles on the interstate, and my experience -- which took 30 minutes longer than usual -- did not disappoint.

But my question is: What happened to the major problem? You see, when I arrived at the spot where the sign said there would be two blocked lanes, all was clear. Sure, there were two road rangers and a busted-up car on a tow truck -- in the shoulder of the road. Why were people doing 10 mph? It wasn't even something that was exciting to see. No cops, no fire trucks, no severe incident response team. Frankly, I was a little let down.

But, most of all, I was ticked off at the smart sign system. As soon as the lanes were no longer blocked, the message should have changed to reflect that. It is my theory that if people are expecting to crawl up a highway, they will. And don't get me started on rubberneckers ....

Today, Fidel Castro said he would not seek re-election, effectively stepping down from the position he has held for nearly 50 years.

I'm not one to comment on whether this will lead to change or not, but many people seem to feel that it won't, especially if Raul Castro takes the reins from his brother.

There were no riots in Miami today. It was just another story on just another Tuesday.

Or was it? Only time will tell.

I've been up for 15 hours, and absolutely nothing of note has happened.

That is, unless I dozed off after lunch and accidentally slept through it.

But I doubt it.

It was a bank/post office holiday, but I was in the office, as usual.

What fun.

Here's counting down to Tuesday -- only three hours to go!

I am pleased to report that I made it through the weekend without visiting a single car dealer. Of course, that means I am no closer to buying a new car than I was eight days ago.

I did, however, get to experience a performance of Puccini's Manon Lescaut at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Sure, I was watching it in high definition in a movie theater in Miami, but I can assure you that it was a live simulcast. I can't wait to go back for La Boheme in April. (And this time, I'll be sure to take the longer-but-faster route, instead of the slightly shorter-but-longer-in-the-end route.)

Today, the famiy gathered for something of a housewarming for my sister. It was great to have everyone together again for a potluck dinner.

Dear Hallmark,

You're killing me. I blame you and American Greetings for the insanity that is Valentine's Day.

According to the Wikipedia entry on the holiday, the U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that about 1 billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second-largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase about 85 percent of all valentines.

Well, I'm not one of those women. Sure, you make it awfully tempting, with cards for parents, siblings and those new PRODUCT (RED) cards for a cause I am happy to support. This year, I didn't buy any cards (even though I have one of your Crown Rewards cards and could've received 100 bonus points with any three-card purchase in February).

To me, Valentine's Day is just like any other day of the year, but it wasn't always that way. As a child, my mom would always leave cards and gifts for me and my sister. It was usually something small -- a pin or a bracelet -- in pink or red. And when my sister was away at graduate school, I sent a funny card and a little something so she knew I was thinking about her.

You see, I'm not totally opposed to the holiday. I just have a few problems with it.

First, why is it so important to set aside a day to celebrate that special someone in your life? If you've got a special someone, shouldn't you be celebrating every day? Why is this day different from all other days? (Oops, wrong spring holiday.)

Second, there's a lot of chocolate. Yes, women love chocolate. But receiving chocolate is a double-edged sword. We can eat it and show that, yes, we love it, or we can forego it and show that, yes, we have self-control. In a twist on the usual candy gift, on the way into work this morning, I saw a young boy walking to school hand off a small chocolate-filled heart to the female crossing guard as he made he way across the street. That had to be the cutest Valentine's Day gesture I've ever seen.

Third, it's great for you to be proud to have someone and feel that you want to shout it from the rooftop. But you don't really have to actually shout it from the rooftop. Or, hang a bedsheet from the side of the overpass so people on the interstate are aware that "I (heart) Kyran" at 7:30 a.m. Unless Kyran is going to pass under the bedsheet, it's a fairly silly way to show your affection. And it begs the question: What kind of name is Kyran?

Finally, why do some people not realize that this holiday was completely perpetuated by you and your co-conspirators in the chocolate and floral industries? Certain co-workers of mine wished people "Happy Valentine's Day" to each person they saw, as if they were saying "Happy Birthday" or "Happy New Year." It just struck me as odd. If I'm not your valentine, why are you sharing such a sentiment with me?

Well, that's about all I've got to say on today's topic. Right now, I've got to go dig into my bag of conversation hearts.

"I can't brain today. I have the dumb."

That was my motto today. Discuss.

I've finalized plane and hotel reservations for a trip to Denver in April. Finally -- something to look forward to!

True, it's a conference, and I'll be busy most of the time I'm there. But I do arrive early on the first day (when there's no conference) so I have plenty of time to explore the Mile High City. But where to go? A museum? The theater? The possibilities are nearly endless. What a dilemma to have!

On my way in to work this morning, I was stuck at a traffic light behind a Broward County Transit bus. This wouldn't be such a bad thing, except this was no ordinary bus.

You see, the bus was "wrapped" in an ad for McDonald's McSkillet Burrito. And, the back of the bus had a larger-than-life shot of the open end of the breakfast product.

Now, I can't say that I've ever eaten breakfast at McDonald's -- I've stopped at Burger King a handful of times, though -- so I am not one to say what the McSkillet Burrito tastes like. But a McSkillet Burrito blown up a hundred times larger than its normal size on the tail end of a county bus is not my idea of an appetizing visual at 7:30 a.m.

Note to McDonald's: I'm not lovin' it.

Since I did the car shopping thing yesterday, I decided to take it easy today and rest up for the Grammys.

You see, to me, the Grammys are more than just a telecast: They're an opportunity to do some major multitasking. (While the TV was on, I was eating dinner, doing laundry, talking on the phone and paying bills. Not all four at the same time, but you get the idea.)

I figure that my musical tastes are so far from what's popular these days that it's really not must-see TV for me. In the past five years, I can only recall for tuning in for two opening performances: Simon & Garfunkel in 2003 (to promote their upcoming reunion tour) and the Police in 2007 (to promote their upcoming reunion tour). I enjoyed both performances, but in each case, the songs were 25 years old (or more, in the case of S&G).

So, as you may have guessed, I'm not anywhere near cutting edge of anything musical.

However, I tuned in tonight because it's the 50th annual Grammys, and I'm a sucker for milestones.

A few observations:

• Alicia Keys, wearing a green dress with a hideous hole in the front, accompanied herself on piano and was backed up by a brass band to sing a duet with a black-and-white film of a young Frank Sinatra. I don't like the whole bring-'em-back-from-the-dead-for-a-duet deal. It's creepy.
• The Band and the Beatles were honored with lifetime Grammys. To that end, the Band got nothing and the Beatles got performances from "Love," the Cirque du Soleil show that's running in Las Vegas, and "Across the Universe," the Julie Taymor film that's up for Best Picture at this month's Oscars. Immediately following the tribute, the soundrack of "Love" won a Grammy.
• Kanye West irritates me. Sure, he wants to pay tribute to his mother, but was it really necessary to shave "MAMA" into his head? Following his black-lit performance of "Stronger" and" Hey, Mama," he won a Grammy for Best Rap Album. I can't really speak about whether or not he was deserving of this honor. I just wanted him to win something because he has a history of being a sore loser.
• Fergie has a really good voice! I didn't really expect this. With John Legend on piano, she sang a song (that I don't know) absolutely beautifully.
• Cyndi Lauper and Miley Cyrus came together to announce the Best New Artist, Amy Winehouse. When Lauper was named Best New Artist in 1985, I was in complete agreement. And she's still making music more than 20 years later. Where will Winehouse be in 20 years -- rehab, or worse?
• Brad Paisley performed a rocking country tune. I can't comment on the specifics of the song, but I thought it was odd that the set behind him had his name in lights by the end of the performance. I guess that's how you get name recognition with the two dozen people actually watching the Grammys.
• There was a "My Grammy Moment" contest for the chance to play some sort of plugged-in string instrument to accompany the Foo Fighters in their outdoor performance. That's right: Some unknown makes it all the way to the Grammys for their big moment, and they can't even get into the Staples Center with all the real artists. The performance seemed fine, and the Foo Fighters were accompanied by the My Grammy Moment Orchestra, conducted by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. Frankly, I thought that wall all unnecessary. But, then again: What do I know? I'm an old fart (by the Grammys' standards).

I'm sure I'm leaving something out. (In fact, I know I am. I'm typing this instead of watching the Grammys' third hour.) But, the good news is that I can crawl into bed, get my eight hours of rest, and read about it on some other blog in the morning.

Ain't life just grand?

Well, it looks like I won't have to go car shopping tomorrow, as I had originally feared.

No, I didn't find something else to do. In fact, I went today.

My sister had to take her car to one of the dealers I was planning to visit, so I met her there and tried out the car I wanted to test drive. Then, after a brief interlude of lunch and rain, we hit two more showrooms, with less positive results.

So, there. It's done. Now, onto step two: figuring out which one I'm going to get and how I'm going to pay for it.

I've made plans to go car shopping on Sunday. That is, if I don't find something else to do in the next 36 hours.

I agreed to go with mom. She really wants her car back. And, I would like nothing more than to give it to her.

And yet, car shopping makes me feel a bit queasy. I know I'm not the only one. I last did this more than 12 years ago. I don't recall any really traumatic experience; I just remember that I had a very strong dislike for the process.

So, cross your fingers and wish me luck that the state of the economy and my sunny disposition will make this time a lot better for everyone involved.