Thursday, August 14, 2008

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?

13 comments:

Sonya said...

Yes, boy dogs are totally different. Now don't get made at him if he takes the shark impression a little too far.


Love the car, even tho it is what I call a non-color. You know they are shaking :)

YawnOver said...

What a great picture of Cooper :) He looks very happy in his new digs.

Lapdog Creations said...

Cute Cooper... ahh, the typical "kill it" instinct. Lola does that with lots of toys!

Congrats on the new ride!

Jennifer Lori said...

Cooper is cute, but my favorite part of the post is the reflection of the green grass in the shiny word "hybrid". :)

Congrats on the new car!!

SissySees said...

You'll love your Prius. My cousin has had one for a couple of years now.

Cooper is a doll, but I'm glad he and Sissy can't get together to play. I think he has that whole I'm too cute to scold thing going on too! ;)

Donna Lee said...

I heard that a used Prius is selling for more than a new one around here. It looks really good and is one of my goals.

Unknown said...

Awesome pic of Cooper. He certainly has settled in.
Nice purchase! I'm an Element owner. Love it. Compared to the old Jeep Cherokee I was driving it's much better on gas. Let us know how your like it!

Criquette said...

Both of the new additions are so very cute and post-worthy! Did you give your car a name?

Knitting it Out in an Urban Zoo said...

Cooper! I love him. I just want to hug him. And the car rocks. Congrats!

Anonymous said...

AWESOME! Call it your "stealth cloaking color" car. :) The folks I know who have Priuses (Prii?) love them. Go you!!

Firefly Nights said...

Cooper looks like such a nice dog. You were fortunate to find him. And, I like the color of your new car. Our vehicles don't get such good gas mileage, but we compensate with the fact that we don't do a lot of driving except for the Michigan trips. Your Prius would definitely be a plus there.

dogquilter said...

Cooper is a very pretty boy. You are quite right in that there is a huge difference in boy and girl dogs. Wilbur is all boy and rambunctious and Charlotte is much more sweet and calm (mostly anyway).

My dad gave mom a Prius for Christmas and they both love it! Hope you enjoy yours!

Amanda said...

Jeff and I got a Prius last year in April, and we're thrilled with it. We don't hypermile, but we do have a log and write down all the mileage and petrol prices.

I believe ours is the same colour as yours! I can nver remember the official colour name, but it's a metallic beige type colour.