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Lucky for us it ONLY works on four-cylinder engines! I guess they figure smart guys driving big V-8's wouldn't fall for it anyway.

uh, colin? i just heard we could be paying $5 a gallon by mid-summer.

doesnt that sound just awful? how will you ever manage? i dont think its possible. it would be reaaalllly hard to do.



cindy

byproxy wrote: i just heard we could be paying $5 a gallon by mid-summer.

cindy

When I planned our trip Upstate in June back in January, I figured it on 5.00/gallon; 4. for gas, 1. for maintenance. About a month ago I changed our budget to 6.00; 5. for gas, 1 for maintenance. Now I am thinking I should make it higher.

byproxy wrote:uh, colin? i just heard we could be paying $5 a gallon by mid-summer.

doesnt that sound just awful? how will you ever manage? i dont think its possible. it would be reaaalllly hard to do.



cindy

I think Cindy is trying to get the customers to come to Colin! How will out intrepid hero make it? What will, what can Colin do?

dingo wrote:

Have you tried this? I'm thinking about doing it.

yes ive been doing it for years. Acetone is the most common...youll have to experiment as what amount works best for you...differs for different vehicles, models etc..but approx 2-3 oz per tank. It raises the octane, so you dont want too much, or the effect is lessened. Others that work too: mineral spirits, MEK, WD-40 and of course, Colemans.

Raising octane merely slows the burn. It does not yield greater calories out of the fuel. So my question to you is, does your recipe add calories or slow the burn? The only vehicles that get better gas mileage from higher octane are those vehicles that automatically set the timing based on signals from knock sensors. Higher octane allows more advanced timing > more work from same quantity of gas.

Are you suggesting that I can get away with more advanced timing after I add acetone? Me, I won't advance the timing even if I knew that it wouldn't knock, I like giving my bearings an easy time and I like keeping the temperatures lower.
Colin
Colin

byproxy wrote:uh, colin? i just heard we could be paying $5 a gallon by mid-summer.

doesnt that sound just awful? how will you ever manage? i dont think its possible. it would be reaaalllly hard to do.

cindy

My vaunted intuition, some would call it Psychic Ability, tells me there is a tad vested interest here. . . .
I would have to just cancel the itinerary if the price of gas skyrocketed to such an alarming degree. . .
I would end up sleeping until noon, sitting and scratching on the couch in my tanktop and underwear watching loud game shows and belching Diet Coke while spilling hideous orange cheese doodles all over the carpet, "yeah I WENT through the classifieds couldn't find NUTHIN quit NAGGIN me, socks on the floor never hurt nobody, would ya get outta my FACE?? I can't hear the TV."
Colin

If I may be so bold as to suggest (and probably get slammed by Master C for it anyway):

The obvious solutions: adjust prices or make customer visits more cost efficient/time efficient

Not so obvious: relocate to a more central starting location so that trips would be of (possibly) shorter driving durations

Take a year off to create the book/calendar/get your life situated. Remember Yoda: there is no try, only do

I received a PM this morning, you know who you are, that suggested I was being unfair with my speil about non-refundable deposits if you cancel your appointment, yet here I am changing the terms of the contract with this question of a surcharge.

So, for the record, you are of course free to cancel your appointment if you find that a $20.00 round-up of your $280.00 balance is odious or undoable. You would get your deposit back in a hurry. Being pragmatic and democratic and, more importantly, devoted to these cars, I would just as soon just keep the appointment and NOT CHARGE YOU THE SURCHARGE.

Please. I am not a rapacious credit card company. I am one of you who is just trying to pull this damn thing off. I am a bit appalled that my estimate of expenses this year was off.
Colin

Amskeptic wrote:I am a bit appalled that my estimate of expenses this year was off.
Colin

How exactly could you have known, could anyone have known, that gas would become so expensive? In a perfect world when you charge for services, you can take a measure of fluxuation into consideration. But that flux doesn't account for the debacle we are facing with oil/gas....

I am not trying to discount your feelings, merely pointing out that your reaction is misdirected at self IMHO.

zblair wrote:

Amskeptic wrote:I am a bit appalled that my estimate of expenses this year was off.
Colin

How exactly could you have known, could anyone have known, that gas would become so expensive? In a perfect world when you charge for services, you can take a measure of fluxuation into consideration. But that flux doesn't account for the debacle we are facing with oil/gas....

I am not trying to discount your feelings, merely pointing out that your reaction is misdirected at self IMHO.

I am not "beating myself up" or anything like that. I am not appalled at myself, I am appalled that the Peak Oil Scenario is here, it is here.

What the hell is fluxuation, Miss Graduate From That Frou Frou School?
What I find fluctuating wildly are my manners.
Colin

zblair wrote:...could anyone have known...

Oh, I think someone knew. Three CEO's come to mind and they sit in their top-floor offices in Dallas (ExxonMobil), Houston (ConocoPhillips) and the Bay Area (ChevronTexaco). Yeah, somebody knew, but it wasn't Colin or any of us that are all in the same sinking boat. I'm sorry to hear you've received "negative feedback" regarding the fuel surcharge.

Please, please, please don't cancel your itinerary. I'll feel just like a little kid that just got told Christmas has been canceled.

Amskeptic wrote: I am not "beating myself up" or anything like that. I am not appalled at myself, I am appalled that the Peak Oil Scenario is here, it is here.

Got it.

Amskeptic wrote:What the hell is fluxuation, Miss Graduate From That Frou Frou School? What I find fluctuating wildly are my manners.
Colin

Fluxuation, as in a built in margin for operational expenses should the cost of goods or services increase for reasons out of your control.

Fluctuating manners? Vous? *insertlaughingandpointingsmileyIcan'tfindonthesmileypage*

dtrumbo wrote: Please, please, please don't cancel your itinerary. I'll feel just like a little kid that just got told Christmas has been canceled.

Do not underestimate my devotion. Before I would ever cancel the itinerary, I would ask you my esteeeemed customers if you'd perhaps like to help out covering the expenses. If there are individuals who need to reconsider their appointments, I am happy to negotiate solutions. But if you stand me up, hey that's whattadepositisallabout, heh?
Colin

The gas price runup: everyone knew it was coming (peak oil) nobody knew it would arrive so quickly. We'll all get used to it in time, but big changes are on the way.

The IAC gas surcharge: I'm amazed that it's so small. $20 seems like not enough, given the change in fuel price over last year.

The couch potato: sounds good to me. "Where's my clean SOCKS?"