The Applicator pads were great for putting wax on (this is so karate kid), and easy to clean too.

The California Jelly Blade was supposed to make it easier to dry the car, you just swipe and go. Actually it’s pretty effective, I just have to get used to it since I’ve been a chamois kinda girl ever since I got Viktor. Let you know how it goes the 2nd time around.

Clamshell Packages

“A decade ago, as toys and consumer electronics items grew more complex, retailers decided they needed to attract shoppers by showing off items on shelves in clear plastic, instead of opaque boxes.

To do so while protecting the items, they decided to seal the hinges of containers with tough epoxy that would resist shoplifting, or what retailers call “shrinkage.”

Gawd, i hate clamshell packages. bow.

• because i don’t like the long period of cutting, trying to figure out how to open the damn thing before getting my item. I’m all for instant gratification…
• because by the time i figure out how to open it, I’ve already cut myself – normally a masochist like me would like that but this time, it’s so not goood!!
• because those nice little items you use to open clamshell packages in the US, we don’t have here in manila!!! waaaa!
• once you cut the plastic, the edges are all sharp and will definitely cut you. again. cuts. not. enjoying. it.

I’m sure the merchants out there who are inspired enough to put their items on clamshell packages have great and valid reasons to use it, but can’t you please… try to open one yourself before you start selling it to us!?!?!?

I had to deal with a clamshell package when I bought a car lock from blaze. I’m going on a trip this holy week and will be leaving the car in unfamiliar territory so it doesn’t hurt to be extra safe. After all, my darling Viktor will be all alone.

I initially wanted this:

but I couldn’t find one at Ace Festival, nor Blaze and I was too lazy to walk all the way to the hardware store in Robinsons which is south of where I was at that time. My brother  recommended something called Bulldog, which resembled a baseball bat but couldn’t find one as well.

So first, I bought the steering wheel – pedal lock at ace for P329. Pretty cheap eh?  However, it didn’t work as my brakes or my steering wheel were too far apart, it didn’t lock. HeH. Money down the drain? No, I returned the item the next day at Ace and I had it exchanged for other items (side note: when you’re really looking for something, everything else seems meaningless – I had 329 to spend at Ace, and it took me 45 minutes to get several items…weird)  

So anyway, that didn’t work right. My stubborn self went to Blaze and I bought the one that not only gave me cuts and slices, but somehow, I wasn’t convinced it would work.

For P399, the steering wheel lock clamps on your steering wheel (duh), and the long bar should hit your dashboard, preventing any movements of the wheel or if there are any movements, it would prevent the carnapper from taking your car too far since you couldn’t fully turn the wheel.

I managed to install the thing, it had 2 keys (one on my car keys, the other I’ll.. swallow hhahah), and this little plastic thing to make the locking mechanism a bit tighter (depends on the width of your steering wheel). We’ll see if it works in the next few weeks (no, I am not asking anyone to make an attempt to remove it… !)

So there goes my adventure with clamshell packages and car locks.  What a precursor to holy week.

The right side front section of Veh-1 was struck by the left side mid section of Veh-2 after the latter allegedly veered towards the lane traversed by the fomer. Both sustained damages, as a result.

Great, as if naman “damages” ang matatawag sa “scraped body sticker”, as compared to my “broken garnish chrome, fender/bumper scratches, and damaged right headlamp”

Sana man lang benz or lamo yun.. none-bulok vehicle.. but Nooo, Viktor had to have his first time(and hopefully LAST) with a friggin’ jeepney. I feel like singing close-up’s new jingle that’s getting too much airplay nowadays… all together now! the closer I get to touching you…

To all the feeling righteous there, I’m not being matapobre  (oh why did i get hit by  a jeepney), my irritation stems from the fact that MOST jeepneys plying Edsa don’t have insurances… so all the expenses for the car repair goes to ME (and my insurance of course)…

What made this accident dreadful was…

• The fact I had stopped when I felt what he was planning to do – unfortunately, the driver was either blind (as he did not see me on his sidemirror… duh, ang laki ng sidemirror mo tsong), deaf (since I had furiously honked at him to stop what he was about to do, but he did it anyway), and over all not a good driver (make a U-Turn dammit, but know how to calculate distances!). It was similar to watching a car crash in slow motion – except it was MY VIKTOR getting swiped by the jeep. They say it takes 2 to tango, but in this case, I maintain my innocence. If I had NOT stopped, then I guess it’s partly my fault, but I stopped, I had honked a hundred times, but he ignored every warning/signal. Haay.

• The driver of the jeepney, named Jacobo, had already confessed in his statement  “nasagi ko…” then when I talked to the operator of the jeep (the one who owns the jeep), the driver said the reverse(but naturally…) He said, Viktor (my car if you still don’t get it) had hit the jeepney and not the other way around. Wow men, time space warp, ngayon din!  I had called the operator to tell him of the incident and how we were just waiting for the police report and the estimate of damages (I’m not really sure if they’ll pay up…if they don’t my karma orbs will get them…)

I had so many plans that day – Photography seminar c/o of cheftonio, shopping at greenhills, massage, and night out with my dear friends, but had to drop everything because I was too tired, stressed, traumatized, and yeah, I  kinda looked like shit from crying.

On the bright side, I learned what to do during car accidents (not get hysterical hahaha),  how to write a decent “salaysay”, and how to assert yourself when the situation calls for it. Also, learned there was an MMDA office near Guadalupe, they didn’t have aircon in that office (ugh), and they’re a good bunch.

P25k worth of Learning Experience. This is some shit they don’t teach in school.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

For the first time in a loooong time, I woke up at 730 AM on a Monday(kaya ang aga ko nagtext sayo bea! hahah!), to visit the nearby Minerva to have my tires inflated with Nitrogen.

To the uninformed, Nitrogen... “is a dry, inert gas used to inflate airplane tires, off-road truck tires, military vehicle tires, and race car tires for improved performance.” It has several benefits, one of them lower fuel consumption which I’m aiming to achieve.

Malas naman, sira yung machine nila. PERO swerte kasi bukas and working ang Nitrogen machine ng Good Year Servitek along Alabang-Zapote Road. Each tire costs P55. I’m not entirely sure if there’s any truth to what those Nitrogen-Evangelists are spouting these days, but better to have tried than not at all, dba:)

Here are the benefits of Nitrogen Filled Tires, summarized:

• Better air pressure retention
• Enhanced fuel economy
• Longer tread life
• Slow chemical aging
• Oxidation is Eliminated
• No More Rim Rust
• On the Road Reliability
• Tires run cooler

What my dad and I liked about the Good Year Servitek was they jacked up the vehicle instead of just deflating your tires without any support (which we horribly witnessed when our other vehicle had it’s nitrogen refil). The staff were very friendly except the lady cashiers who couldn’t even muster a smile (coal in sacks for you from Santa this Christmas!!). 

Let you know in a month if it’ll work:)

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Other information you might want to check out regarding the benefits of Nitrogen Filled Tires.

Inflating Tires With Nitrogen

What are the benefits of Nitrogen filled tires.

Why Nitrogen?

Nitrogen Information