Air Bag Recall

Posted on by Thor

I got a notice in the mail that the the passenger side airbag on my Prius was recalled. It would be replaced for free but I  would have to take it in. The Toyota Dealership is state of the art with a lounge and indoor cafe which makes the wait less painful. Having to  wait also of course is a perfect opportunity to get a sketch done. While most customers used their cell phones, I was busy putting lines and washes on the page.

Now, more than a year later, my rear back tire has a slow leak and I am long overdue for an oil change. Chances are this month or next, I will be going in for another sketch opportunity. I can’t vouch for how well the new air bags work, I haven’t had a chance to test them out.

Artlando in Lock Haven Park.

Posted on by Thor

In 2016 I was asked to participate in Artlando at Loch Haven Park (900 E Princeton St, Orlando, Florida). Over 80 artists cover the lawn with their displays, selling and creating art. Art created on-site was to be entered into a competition with thousands of dollars offered as awards. 100% of revenue from art sales went directly to the artists. I set up my tent the night before. The next day I had to teach classes all day, so I asked Bonnie Sprung to help man the tent for the duration of the event. She did a great job selling quite a few t-shirts. She offered her own art as well which gave some variety to the work offered. I am starting to realize that small ticket items are the only things that move at an outdoor festival like this.

There was a Toyota ‘paint by numbers’ exhibit which asked the community to paint in a mural by local artists, which covered an entire Toyota with art. Local artists also painted Juice Bike racks to be used at Juice Bike locations, which is a way to display art year-round in Orlando. I haven’t seen these painted bike racks yet, if you spot one, please let me know.

The outdoor performing arts stage featured
Orlando’s most prominent performing arts organizations showcased throughout the day and into the night. From Orlando Ballet to Orlando Fringe, programming transitions from kid-friendly in the morning, to general audience in the afternoon, and acts for mature audiences in the evening at Artlando After Dark.

As the host sponsor, the Orlando Museum of Art is an integral part of Artlando. The museum provided an air conditioned environment and housed exhibits from participating galleries.When I got to the park late in the afternoon, it immediately started to rain. Loud speakers announced that a strong storm was heading to Central Florida and that there would be high winds and tons of lightning. We were all warned to get off the lawn. When there was a lull in the downpour, I packed up my tent early. Just as I loaded it into the car, it started to pour again. I returned to Loch Haven Park later that night to pick up my empty tent. Many tents had been mangled in the high winds and looked like umbrellas that had been turned inside out and put in a blender. Oddly my old tent sat serenely alone among the carnage as if a cyclone had decided to stop and spin around it, hitting everything else in its path.

Mark your calendar, Artlando will return to Loch Haven Park on September 30, 2017 from 11 AM to 11 PM.

50,000 mile check up.

Posted on by Thor

I brought my Prius in to the Toyota of Orlando Dealership for its 50,000 mile all points check up. Because of the Holidays and m procrastination, the car was quite over due based on my odometer. I like to wait at the dealership while the work is done because there are always people waiting around to draw. They chat on the is phones, conducts business or finger their phone surfing social media. A large screen TV behind me was blaring some program that claimed that they have pertinent evidence in unsolved murders. A young college girl was murder and they had audio that apparently was from the killers cell phone. She shouted the killers name and cried for help. The show host then played | audio for the devastated parents to hear so the camera co get their reaction. I didn’t look. I tried to block it out.

My tires were well worn. I knew this from the last time, I had the car in for an oil change. There was z sale, buy three tires and get the fourth tire free. The damage was still over $500.  I ended up having t wait an extra hour and a half. Since I was sketching, the time flew buy. My car is probably in better shape and healthier than I am. It is time to think about getting a tune up myself. I’ve put in quite a few miles since I saw a doctor last.

Back to the Toyota Dealership for scheduled maintenance.

Posted on by Thor

My Prius was due for its 40,000 mile maintenance check up. I got a letter in the mail last week that let me know that a digital title was on file with the Florida department of motor vehicles. The car was finally paid off. I haven’t had a single issue to date, but I figure everything will go haywire once there aren’t any other expenses.

The Toyota dealership is close to my home and the place is brand spanking new. There is a commissary and comfy chairs for people waiting for repairs. One costumer snoozed while his girlfriend surfed the web. I only needed an oil change, but the technicians checked everything.  The sales rep, Jay Morales, let me know that there was some wear and tear on my tires. When I park on the street, I tend to scrape the tire against the curb to get as close to the curb as I can. I’ve scrapped the front passenger side hub cap and scuffed up the rubber quite well. Since all the scrapes are on the passenger side of the car it is easy for me to ignore the damage. They have back-up cameras on some cars now. I need hub cap cameras that show me how close the tires are to the curb.

Judging from my sketch, I’d say that my wait at the dealership was about an hour. My synthetic oil was changed and my tires were rotated along with a multi point inspection. My sales rep saw me sketching and he told me that his girlfriend Melanie Daniels had done a series of paintings called “Movement in Time.” The paintings depict a view of the landscape as it streams by, as if viewed from a fast moving car. I thought I would find her paintings online, but my search only lead me to find that Melanie Daniels was the character Tippi Hendren played in Alfred Hitchcock’s, The Birds.

Waiting at the Toyota Dealership Service Department

Posted on by Thor

I had to bring my Prius in for its thirty thousand mile service to Toyota of Orlando (3575 Vineland Road Orlando FL). There was a nation wide safety recall of certain Prius models built between 2010 and 2014. My car was recalled. It seems that if there was a heavy load like a trailer, or boat attached to the car, it would not be able to handle the load an the car would shut down. I never haul anything heavier than a sketchbook, but I was concerned that the car might not handle the Florida heat. All that was needed was a software update and the power management and motor generator system would be repaired.

The thirty thousand multi-point inspection involved replacing all the fluids and rotating the tires. I had a few scuffs on the side of several tires because I park so close to curbs. The service technician tried to sell me new tires even though there is plenty of tread left. He claimed that there might be road noise since the tires were rotated but the car now is as silent as ever. I suspect he wanted to sell tires weather they were needed or not. There was a deal where you get the 4th tire free if you buy 3. The invoice also shouts out that “We Sell Tires!”

Middle aged business men used the waiting area as their office. One paced back and forth worried and upset about fees incurred in a deal. I decided to do a digital sketch since the recall was because of a computer software glitch. Just as I finished the sketch, the computer blacked out. Up until this visit to the dealership, all the service was free. The thirty thousand mile service ended up costing $730. Ouch!