Newest Additions for Dogs on Thursday

Since tomorrow is Cooper's two month anniversary here in BritKnitter-ville, I thought I would share a picture of how well he is adjusting to life as an "inside" dog. Here he is all snuggled up on the over-stuffed chair-and-a-half.

Hmmm, do you think he has settled in? He says that the chair is just the right size for him. He loves grabbing a hold of the loose cushions and shaking them like a shark. I know I should discourage this behaviour, but he enjoys himself so much, I just can't tell him "no". That, plus that fact that I'm laughing so hard at his goofy ways. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...a boy dog is a whole different animal from a girl dog!

Speaking of a whole different animal, you might have noticed the plural "Additions" in the title of this post. There has been another addition to BritKnitter-ville this week. No, not another dog. I think we are pretty much maxed out in the dog department, thank you very much.

Nope, this new addition is a machine:An eco-friendly machine.

An eco-friendly machine that averages 48.7 mpg, so far.

This car is a whole different animal from a regular car, or at least from my Honda Element. There are websites dedicated to "hyper-miling" the Prius, and "stealth mode" driving (using all electric and no gas). This wasn't my first (or second or third) choice of color, but they're so hard to get, I couldn't be choosy! I got it in Delaware from Price Toyota, and I can't say enough good things about this place. In the interest of full disclosure, my sister's nephew is the manager of the dealership, but they treat everyone (not just extended family) with kindness and respect. They are a no-haggle dealership - the prices on their cars have already been reduced to the max, so everyone who goes in there is getting their best deal. Of course, the Prius wasn't reduced, but at least they do not overcharge for the Prius by $3,000 to $5,000 over MSRP, unlike some other Toyota dealers I could mention here but won't because my mother taught me that if I don't have anything nice to say then I shouldn't say anything at all. Buying this car was actually an enjoyable experience. It was well worth the trip!

I had looked at the Prius a few years ago for the benefits to the environment, etc., but didn't think I could swing the additional cost. With gas prices these past couple of years, the up-front cost of a Prius is recouped very quickly. My Honda was only getting 20 to 22 mpg, so I figured that I could either pay more for a Prius car payment each month, or continue to dump money into the Honda's gas tank. I chose the bigger car payment! So there! Not only am I doing my small part to save the Earth, those big conglomerate oil companies aren't getting any more of my money than is absolutely necessary! Ooooh, they're shaking in their boots, aren't they?