Observations

Lexus makes great cars. I owned an SC400 and after 180 thousand miles it was still running like new. No noise or vibrations. In 10 years I only needed to change the power pump of the steering system. It felt the same at 50 or 90 miles/hour. The stereo system was impeccable with its 12 CD player.

Last December Kathi and I decided to take a few days off from our work schedule and the cold weather, and drove south. I bought new rear tires because they seemed slightly more worn than the front tires, probably due to the rear wheel drive of the car.

On our way back, north of Charlotte, NC on I-77, we heard an explosion. The back of the car lifted and started to spin. Everything happened at an amazing speed. We saw trees in front of us. Then the front of the car hit a God blessed guard rail (which saved our life). The car kept spinning and hit the guard rail again with the back . We kept spinning and we ended sideways in the middle of the freeway. No one, thank God again, was close to us. When we stopped, I realized we were alive.

The police stopped the traffic, which backed up for miles. One truck failed to stop and went into a horse trailer, killing two horses. This happened on 12/31. Happy New Year, George and Kathi!

The tires? Brand new Goodyear tires, with only about 1000 miles. The insurance established that the tire that blew up was defective. Time will tell. Will Goodyear pay? Who knows. I hope so. I’ll keep you posted.

I bought another Lexus, of course: the SC430. A toy. Much sportier and more powerful. I went to Annapolis recently, on my way to a talk in Washington, DC.

Yes, my boat is still floating. As I was doing some chores to get her ready to sail, I realized how time moves much slower when I am near her. I called my reliable assistant and told her I was going to quit and stay on the boat. “Yeah!,” she answered, “then your brain will become a marshmellow and you will complain again.”

OK, I understood. Enjoy what you have, now, because you cannot be sure of what happens tomorrow. In Latin: carpe diem! Grasp the joy of the moment! Yeah!

(This Observations appeared in the 4-25-05 issue of The Peter Dag Portfolio ).

George Dagnino, PhD Editor,
The Peter Dag Portfolio.
Since 1977
2009 Market Timer of the Year by Timer Digest
Portfolio manager

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