High tech / low tech road trip (say that fast!)

So the Ninja was getting a little low on gas and I was kind of babbling about filling it up this weekend. I hate to have to get gas on the way to work and after work? Fuggedaboutit.

Wait. Interruption? Why are you putting potatoes in the freezer? (And what is that loud meowing? Tubbs? Tubbs?)

Okay. Anyway, I (aka the GG) did gas up the Ninja today (a couple of times) but this activity became part of one of the geekiest road trips I have ever been involved in, except for maybe that time we were rambling around up in the yooperland in a certain Prius. For today’s road trip, the plan was to run down the gas currently in the Ninja (mid-grade octane level, which is what I always buy because I am supposed to), put some reglear in it (don’t worry, it can handle an occasional tank of reglear), then fill it up with premium. All the while using the GG’s handy-dandy On Board Diagnostics unit to gather engine performance statistics. The iPhone displayed said statistics while yer fav-o-rite blahgger used a lower tech method to record them.

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Here’s a close-up of the low tech counterpart to the iPhone. I could not tell you what any of those numbers mean except that a couple of them are our current speed. Maybe the GG will comment with detailed information and provide a screenshot of what the iPhone display looks like. I’m sure everyone will love that.

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Have to include the Lenawee County Courthouse since some of us are on a little courthouse kick. (I posted the Hillsdale County Courthouse a while back so maybe I started this.) Not sure if this is a high or low tech part of our little expotition today. Some of the typical offices housed in county courthouses are more high tech than others.

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Low tech? A gorgeous little (40 minute) hike on a part of the NCT that we haven’t done before. See how there is snow lingering on the north south side of the valley but not on the south north? We think this is part of the Baw Beese section but not sure. It is beautiful and well-groomed whoever takes care of it.

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A gratuituous shot of the GG and a little shelter of sorts off to the right.

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Is this artifact high tech or low tech? I will guess that back in the day it may have been considered high tech.

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This was a BEAUTIFUL section of the NCT. We didn’t hike for very long because 1) we were on a certain high tech mission with the Ninja and needed to cover a lot of driving territory and 2) on our way over to this trail section, BOTH beach urchins texted that they would be over at the landfill later.

I’m not sure how low the gas gauge (mid-grade still) was when we got gas in Hillsdale (yes, we were in Hillsdale again but we didn’t eat there or take a courthouse pic). We got a couple gallons of reglear and headed over to Coldwater and then up to Marshall, again noting engine performance statistics.

Lunch in Marshall at Schulers, a restaurant the GG has been talking about forever and this is the first time we have ever eaten there. Here is the exterior.

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And here is where we were sitting. We ordered a bowl of soup each and split a brussel sprouts appetizer with BACON. (Note.)

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The photo doesn’t show the folks to the right of us whose erudite-sounding conversation initially annoyed me but (of course) we ended up talking to them (because we cannot shaddup). Of course, the man turned out to be a Kalamazoo College grad. They were road-tripping too but unlike our serendipitous trip today, they were traveling between properties, as we do so frequently. As much as I love that kind of travel, I was glad I wasn’t doing it today. Rattling around on the old highways doing high and low-tech things was so much fun! And then we hit the I94 18-wheel Slogway for a quick ride home. I used cruise control on the [6-speed manual 2008] Ninja for the first time ever, so the GG could get some stats with premium gasoline. I don’t like cruise control ever and I especially don’t like it on a manual tranny but he eventually fell asleep and I turned it off and now we are home and the beach urchins are here commandeering my chitchen and laundry and Superb Owls are battling.

Am I happy? Yes, I am happy.

Love all y’all, KW

3 Responses to “High tech / low tech road trip (say that fast!)”

  1. Sam Says:

    Courthouse photos trending…yup. Schulers! A legend! I’ve never eaten there. We are avoiding the Superb-ones…(so far). Happy backatcha.

  2. Margaret Says:

    Beautiful buildings and it sounds like a great day, especially the end of it with the kids home and cooking. 🙂

  3. Pooh Says:

    Bugs and Horsey took me to lunch at Win Schuler’s in Marshall to celebrate my 18th birthday. Yes, we had champagne.