Air Conditioning Repair Tutorial

Let me start be stating that I came further and further appalled at the apparent state of Air Conditioning Installation and Repair in this state at this period in time. It is like everyone associated with this industry is the innkeeper from Les Miserables. Almost every review was either an obvious pro-provider fabrication or tale of disaster. People were upsold or lied to or overcharged. I mean in the thousands of dollars. Warranties, duct work, bs "issues", etc. Through some miracle of perseverance or serendipity, I think I may have found the last honest repair man in Central Florida. I am almost reticent to give him to you because I may never be able to retain his services (or the industry may take a hit out on him) from here on out. Oh, well. His name is Paul Sabacinski of Premier Air - Air Conditioning & Heating. Make sure you don't deal with a few other companies that use that (or similar) name. He is not a franchisee. The phone number is 407-327-7714. 1079 Winding Waters Circle in Winter Springs, FL. Payment by check or Visa/MC/Discover. License # - CAC058648. I checked with myfloridalicense.com and and he was up to date. No complaints at Yelp (only three at all) or Better Business Bureau (no BBB reviews either way) or Google or Expertise (I think). Website is www.premierairfl.com. In business for 24 years. From Worcester MA.

Issue: The last hour of the last hot day in the Fall the cold air seemed to not be so cold. I kicked the can. During the winter, there were some odd things with the heater. It wouldn't (automatically) shut off when the temp was reached and the emergency heat setting would come on and off. But, it worked (sort of). I kicked the can. This Spring the air didn't seem very cool again and it wouldn't (automatically) shut off when the temp was reached. Last year I had a issue where the blower wouldn't turn off when the outside unit did. This was solved with a new chip. That was with the people who installed the unit. They wouldn't come out for free to diagnose what I felt was their repair failure (oops), so, I decided to get a second pair of eyes on the unit. Plus I feel the overcharged me for the repair anyway. I dithered until now.

Research: I started looking through the mailers I save and looking at the bigger companies on line months ago. I started with Google and then Yelp and then Expertise and a few other ratings sites. I believe all but Yelp are full of it. They have to be in bed with these companies or susceptible to manipulation by them. Here are the companies and their phone numbers and ratings. I also checked the four in this Five Star Rated booklet that comes in the mail. The new Angi's List (Home Advisor) was too involved to suffer through. I didn't even call any of these companies though. I was too disgusted with the stories I read about them. Thank God I read a post on Yelp about another company that mentioned Paul. I would still be auditioning. I'm only listing the info in the hope that the search engines associate this post with them and save some people the headache. Most of these came up as the tops in the field in my area. What a joke. Some do more than AC, so, the ratings includes those jobs as well.

Frank Gay: 843-258-6781 or 407-900-0497. Google 4.7. Yelp 1.1. BBB 4. $89 Diagnostic

American Air: 407-499-6808. Google 4.9 

Service One: 407-519-2408. Google 4.8

Pro Tech: 407-573-7291. Google 4.9. 2.8 on Yelp (40 Reviews)

Facemeyer: 407-633-5263. Google 4.9. $98 Diagnostic

Mid Florida: 386-753-3667. Google 4.8

Del Air: 407-674-9563. Google 4.5. Yelp 1.8 (219 Reviews). $99 Diagnostic

Downtown Air: 689-223-7982. Google 4.8. Yelp (Poor Reviews). $129 Diagnostic

Matthew Robert: Google 4.3. Yelp (Poor Reviews)

ARS: 407-270-1387. Yelp 1.4 (147 Reviews)

Strada Cooling: 865-424-7277. I forget which site 3.1 (56 Votes). $89 Diagnostic

*From the Five Star Rated Book

Service Experts: 407-338-4661

Cool Today: 407-574-2275

United States: 407-495-1496

Result: I got an appointment the next day. I did have to call back after my message hadn't been returned by 4pm. He showed up within the time window promised. It turned out to be an easy fix. A malfunctioning capacitor that was only sending power to the fan. That caused the wall unit issues as well. He checked out the freon levels and pressure and amps et al of the system. We checked that heat and air were functioning as they should. That it shut off when the desired temp was reached. It cost $148.65. No extra labor charge over the $89.95 diagnostic charge. 5% for credit card over check. Total cost $250.53. Had to let him write down my cc number for billing once he got back to his office. He gave me a detailed invoice. I had read online that people with capacitor issues found them on Amazon for $40. If he made some money off that, so be it. Most people just tack on labor if you get them to reduce the parts cost anyway. I paid the last guys $425 to replace a free (under warranty) microchip! Paul was pleasant and had all the parts and tools in his truck. He once even taught AC Maintenance at a college. It didn't seem from this interaction that his lack of an online footprint was because of a "rebrand". You always have to worry about that. I advocated that he would have been listed as a new operator if he had a shady past and was starting over under a different name.

Post Script: I learned that emergency heating is done by a strip inside the furnace alone. Normal heating uses that and something in the outside unit. The strip uses way more electricity. I probably wasted the cost of this repair in increased heating charges this winter. Capacitors often go down in our intense heat. The outside unit needs to be making a low hum when it is working properly. Bushes around the unit aren't necessarily bad. They provide shade to the unit. Freon recharges are "supposed" to cost $200-$400. The Greenies have forced another freon type to be outlawed. You may not be able to recharge after this year. You will have to buy a new unit. I still think maintenance specials are bs and an opening for them to create an issue that they then charge you to fix. They seem to involve coil cleaning, level checking and drain cleaning. They charge around $89 (on special) for this. My unit is ten years old and I have never had this done and there were none of these issues present at this inspection. Please write up honest reviews when you use they people. It is hard to get the true pulse. People who have really been screwed over and fake praise seem to be the two types of reviews. Tell us if their are good people out there. Even if you have to do it within a negative review. And please get a second opinion if you get an outrageous demand.

Now do any of you know a good tree guy (up to date business license, insurance, etc)? That seems like an even bigger cesspool.

Grub Crawl - International Drive and Downtown: Chuck Lager and Los Tres Golpes *FL Travel Notes

I tried these spots on Thursday at lunch. The first is just off Sand Lake Rd near Chuy's. The second is in a white building at 743 N. Magnolia Ave where Bagel World used to be. Sort of across (diagonal) the 7-11 at 50.

Chuck Lager - They said the owner beat Bobby Flay or something. I think his meatballs were the challenge. He (and I guess the original location) is from Delaware. Wilmington? They said his name is Fabio. In any case, it's a new chain to try. I had to sample the meatball sub at $18 after that introduction. It wasn't bad. Four golf ball sized meatballs. Pretty tender. Not world beaters though. Way too little sauce. A bit on the sweet side. Ok amount of provolone or mozz. I forget. Just melted on the roll. Roll was ok. Not stale. Some basil. Served on a fake plastic sheet with recipes on it atop a metal tray. Good silverware. It came with a healthy portion of in house potato chips. Barely salted (ok with me) and sprinkled with a touch of vinegar. The rest of the menu is a mish mosh of mostly snack foods. Most apps are double digits. "Mains" are around mid teens to mid twenties. Things like spaghetti and meatballs, flatbreads, burgers, hot chicken, steak ($40), etc. I don't recall any seafood. A big selection of the hard stuff. Flights. Most are over $10 a serving. Beer is $8 a glass. Wine by the bottle was 4x retail. And that is the rub. Everything is about 25% to 50% overvalued. I'm not sure if the other locations have the same price points or they think they can soak tourists, but, I'm not sure the care is great enough to justify the premium. It's just hokey bar food cooked by amateurs. Maybe if good old Fabio was at the helm it would be understandable? The place looks nice in a cookie cutter sort of way. Red brick and stained wood walls. A map mural of Route 66. Three rooms and an area up front that they can draw a curtain on. A large square bar in the center. Patio. Brown leather seats. Seats over 100. Empty. Open for a week. I would maybe try it at 3pm-6pm happy hour. Beer drops to $6 and they have some snacks at $8. 

Los Tres Golpes - They said it means the three hitters. I'm sure that is bs and it has a slang meaning like "players". Google says to strike or slap. Maybe they are slapping their monkey? I grabbed the pernil rice bowl to go at $14. It was very good. Soft, moist, garlic-y pork. A bit salty. More garlic sauce on top. Yellow rice with black peas. A bit soft. Tasted like it was boiled in chicken broth. Two sweet plantains. Cabbage, red onion and tomato with garlic dressing. Everything was flavorful. Lots of garlic. Not oily. It a Dominican place. Small menu. Five sandwiches. All were egg sandwiches. Under $10. Two other rice (chicken, mushroom) bowls. Some empanadas at $5. Not much on decor. Open for three months. Not open on M or Tu. Open 11am to 2am (and 4am on weekends)! I'll have to ruminate on whether it will be a Favorite. Close. Very close.

Travel Notes - Florida: I did a little loop to break in the new car. I started in Port St Lucie. I saw the Mets Single A for $16 (listed as $14) and $5 parking. I stayed at the brand new Woodspring Suites (Expedia 9.8) for $133. It was a Saturday and not many non-gross options in the area. I had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, potato salad and cornbread at Nana Morrison's Soul Food. They are from Charlotte. I drove to Jupiter and got in free (some strange policy they have about not opening up to the public on Sundays because of costs) to the Cardinals Single A. Free parking too. I had chicken salad on a bagel at Bagel Boyz and a brisket and links sandwich at Mrs Smokey's Real Pit Bar B Q on Donald Ross Rd. I drove down 95 to Fort Lauderdale and hung a right at Commercial Blvd. I was doing that to get to 75. It took me to the Inter Miami CF stadium (near the private airport). I kept going west until it ends. Then onto the road that goes by the Panthers arena. It turned out to be a toll road. Onto 75 (Alligator Alley). Also a toll ($6) road. I got off just before Naples at Collier Blvd. I stayed at the La Quinta (Booking 7.4) for $88. I drove south on Collier to Marco Island. I had a half dozen Wellfleet or Blue Point (I forget) oysters, shrimp cocktail and mixed fish tacos at The Oyster Society. These were happy hour snacks. About $10 each. The regular menu was no bargain. I saw this on Samantha Brown's Places To Love. The next day I drove to 41N. I ate a shrimp salad sandwich with fries and potato salad at Swan River Seafood. I was trying for stone crabs, but, their market had them at $40+ a pound and the place (Oakes Farms Market) I went to last time was still rebuilding from the hurricane. FYI - most places down there are still f'd up. I continued north and hung a left on to Bonita Beach Rd. Drove through Estero and Fort Myers Beach to 867 and over to Sanibel (toll). I drove towards Captiva. Stopped at Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium (closed on Monday), JN Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Turner Beach (shells) and Captiva. All this from Samantha Brown. I saw her two food stops. Latte Da was being rebuilt. Mucky Duck was open. I wasn't hungry. Back to Bowman's Beach and up the other side of the island and back to the Lighthouse (closed). I had Playdough (yellow vanilla flavor) ice cream with colored sugar cookie bits at Magic Bus Ice Cream & Caffeine. I went back over the bridge to Macgregor Blvd. Up to College Pkwy (toll) and across the bridge to Cape Coral. I stayed at the Dolphin Key Resort (Expedia 8.4) for $78. Had beer at No. 3 Craft Brews. Some wine and smoked salmon (bogo) from Winn Dixie. At check out some guy told me to go to Cape Coral Yacht Club (public beach with free parking) on the Caloosahatchee River. I had a bad Cobb Salad at The Boathouse Tiki Bar. The Cuban was on Food Paradise. I laid out on the beach. I drove over the bridge to Allure Suites (Expedia 7.4) at $76. I had tacos at Taco Works. I went to the Twins Single A for $15 and $10 parking. I saw that the Red Sox have moved (Jet Blue Ballpark) close to there since the last time I saw them. They have no minor league team there though. The next day I tried to find stone crabs once again (in Fort Myers) and failed. I ate at Farmer's Market Restaurant next to one of the places that had none. I drove to Clearwater. 75 to 275 (toll) to 19N to 60. I stayed at the Palm Cove Motel (Booking 8.3) for $113. I went to the Phillies Single A for $12 and $5 parking. I was going to go to the Yankees, but, I didn't want to dick around until 6:30 pm. So, I came home early. 60E to 295 to I4. I think I'll hit the other four teams next week. All games were at 6:30pm. Empty. Sundays at 12pm. No games on Monday. Perfect weather. I'll have to learn about Pay By Plate. 

The New York Bagel Boys, Oviedo

I tried this spot on 426 on Saturday at breakfast. They are or in an old strip mall about five miles south of Red Bug Lake. Only open until 2pm. I had a bagel with an obscene (normal in NY) amount of cream cheese for $4 and a plain bialy for $2. Both fresh. CC was good. Enough left over for the bialy. That had garlic in the middle. Salty. They had breakfast and lunch sandwiches around $10. Around eight tables. They said they started as cookie bakers. They sold those in bags too. They did what they do correctly. But, I'm not sure it's worth the trouble unless you live nearby.  

Grub Crawl - Audubon Park: Boxer & Clover, Skyebird and Dochi *Brazil Travel Notes

I tried these stalls at the East End Market on Corrine Dr on Tuesday at lunch. I started downtown, but, the Weekly was wrong about Wave Sushi being open (still weeks away) and The Drake's menu was way too heavy (and $) for lunch and no one was at Los Tres Golpos. I'm kind of glad that I was finessed over here.

Boxer & Clover - Just started this week after a soft opening period. The Hinckley Meats people. In the back on the left. I tried the two meats with two sides for $20. I had brisket, ribs, potato salad and beans (supposed to be collards). Four slices of brisket and four ribs. Brisket was from the lean side. Still moist and tender and broke apart (and held together) as it should have. Nice bark. Pepper rub. Smoky. A thin bead of buttery fat. Excellent. The ribs were a tiny bit worse. Just because I like them less resilient. I'll bet that they use a high quality breed of pork though. Compared to Briskets, the meat was firmer. More attached to the bone. But, that could be because it was fresher. I think they brined it. It was too salty. They kept on the silver skin. Short length. Not a ton of meat per bone. Pink. Salt and pepper rub. Nice crust. Smoky. The bbq sauce was excellent too. Thin. Vinegar. Slight heat and sweetness. Pepper. The potato salad was incredible. Fingerling potatoes with skins on. Properly boiled. Non-sweet mayo. Scallions. Some herb I can't place. It reminded me of this great chicken salad my college food court had. I have never been able to find its equal since. The beans were great too. Tangy. Onions and tomatoes. Some heat and sweetness. Needless to say that this will be a Favorite. It's a stall, so, no seats or decor to speak of. They have a few more items on the menu. Pulled pork, etc.

Skyebird - I'm not sure if I have ignored their existence for the seven years they have been there. I don't remember buying anything before. Maybe a drink to cross them off the list? I tried an avocado spread with chickpeas wrap for $10. It was meh. Raw, wheat tortilla. They said the avocado was Haas. I'm unsure. A bit citrusy. They could have added that element though. Whole chickpeas with some diced tomato and shredded lettuce. Just dull. No flavor. They sell other wraps and drinks. All vegan stuff.

Dochi - Another location of the 50 at Mills mochi place. I had a $3 ring of churro/chocolate. It was good. Still fresh. 

Travel Notes - Brazil: I flew to Sao Paolo thru Panama City and Bogota (return) on the shitty Copa (Co-lombia/Pa-nama) Airlines and back on Gol and the shitty (chintzy like Frontier) Avianca Airlines for $669. I checked in online and even with that the kiosk wouldn't print a pass (after scanning my passport) and made me move to the long check in line and the guy there must have made some mistake because they checked my passport again at the gate. And then we waited 45 minutes for late arriving passengers bags to be loaded. No tv on Panama to SP segment. None on either flight back. Avianca pawned my first segment onto Gol. They didn't give me a locator number for them. So, I could not check in online with Gol. And Avianca's web site wouldn't check in the Gol part. And the pdf for their segment wouldn't download. And there other issues I won't go into. Gol was a better airline anyway. Actually gave you two meals (and free drinks). The airlines were by far the worst part of this trip. They gave my endless anxiety for no reason. And it was never the flights themselves. Mostly on time and reliable. I learned after booking that US visitors would need a Visa again starting five days after I arrived. I could not get official info on whether I was grandfathered in if I arrived before hand. I assumed I was. It seems I was. But, I was under the fear that it would be an issue until I left the country. If I would be allowed to. In Sao Paolo, I breezed through customs and used the ATM. I learned that they have real banks in Terminal 2. I tried to find the shuttle or other bus at Terminal 3. I didn't. Only ones going where I didn't want to go. I saw a sign for Bus Station and I walked from Terminal 3 to 2. I ended up taking the $44 Reals (their currency) shuttle bus (www.airportbusservice.com.br) from the onibus "terminal" in Terminal 2 (Domestic) just across the car lanes. 5 Reals to the Dollar. The idiot at their booking counter said the next bus was two hours away. Glad I ignored her. They made me use a credit card (nao Ingles issue), but, I paid cash on return. There are four ways into (I don't acknowledge Uber) the city. It was hard finding out correct/current/non-contradictory info (in English) online. Taxi ($). Train (turned out to leave you off far away from center and you needed a transfer to the station at the airport). Bus (I could never find the one with number I needed and it left you far from center too). I would take the shuttle. Find their route map and stay at a hotel near it. I stayed at the Novotel Jaragua (Expedia 8.4) in the old city center because it was on the shuttle bus route. I stayed in that part of town because some idiot online said that (area) was the best for a first timer. It was a nasty area filled with druggies and homeless passed out all over the place and no commensurate attractions to make it a wise choice. The hotel cost $148 for two nights. It was 70+ years old. Queen Elizabeth stayed there. I hoped a big hotel like this could get me in early (I arrived at dawn). Nope. I walked around (plazas, metro, library, theater) and had McDonald's (I ate there 80% of the time) until check in and then finalized the rest of my agenda online. I grabbed dinner and wine at Carrefour. The next day I walked up to Avenida Paulista (where I should have stayed). They closed it off on Sunday. It was a nice walk. Very crowded. Saw a tightrope walker, MASP (Modern Art Museum), Parque Trianon, lots of buskers and singers, etc. More dinner and wine from Carrefour. The next day, I found out where the shuttle picked up and took it back to the airport to Terminal 2. From Terminal 2 onibus area, I found the hourly hotel shuttle to the airport Comfort Hotel (Expedia 8.6 for $71). Nothing there. Right under the flight paths. Took the shuttle back in the morning. I took LATAM to Manaus for $567. It would have been around half that if I had pulled the trigger even just a few days before. But, I didn't want to be all in if I had Visa trouble. The gods love to fuck with me when I do that. LATAM was a pain in the ass too. So unlike Chile. I think the website was different for Brazil too. At the end of the online check in they said that they wouldn't give me a boarding pass until they saw my Visa. That was a sleepless night! It ended up being unnecessary. The agents just gave me the boarding pass when I told them the story and when I tried the kiosk on return, it never asked for a Visa. Manaus is where the Rio Negro (et al) converge into the Amazon. A cab from the airport into the center was $70R. I think I misheard the quote. He probably said $60R. That was the price going back. Oh well, nice gratuity. Internet said it was $40R. I stayed at the lovely, new Hotel Casa do Bispo (Expedia 8.8) for $52. It was next to the nicest plaza where the Teatro Amazonas (old rubber money) is. Great roof deck. I walked through town to the port and river and mercado. Not much to appreciate. Grabbed terrible wine and food at DB Market and consumed it on the deck and listened to the music from the plaza. I was going to take a river cruise the next day. But, it was too hot and too expensive. I just got to the airport early and had Estraganoff Carne with rice and fries and beans at The Cheff. The pilot was a doll and flew over the Amazon. I took amazing pics and vids from my window. Made me doubly glad I eschewed the river tour. Got some pics of the rainforest too. One day was enough for Manaus. I did that because an extra day would have cost way more in airfare. A three day boat tour to Belem or up river may be worthwhile. In Sao Paolo, I stayed near the airport again that night. Sleep Inn (Expedia 8.2) for $65. They had a shuttle too. Next to Comfort Hotel. I wanted to see who was better. Still unsure. Shuttle back to the airport in the morning. Off to Foz (Mouth) do Iguacu on Gol for $166. I booked this with my Sao Paolo ticket. This is why I was here. WATERFALLS! It lived up to the hype. Like every waterfall in North America in one. It spans Argentina and Paraguay too. $100R park fee. Cash or credit card. Machine kiosks and booths with people (for the cash). They said they took dollars too. They have a bus that takes you 13km to them. A walk of a mile or so. I spent three hours there. You could pay more to take a boat on the river. I think it was $60 US. I have never taken as many videos and pictures of any single thing in my life. A guy's online web site said it was going to be ungodly crowded. This time of year it wasn't. I even went around 11am. That's probably the worst (busiest) time. Even though it was their Fall, the water levels were just off their peaks. Saw Coati (racoons) and some bird of prey I have seen in zoos. Many people took tours. I think they got ripped off. It didn't do the town. It was 17km away. There seems to be a lake up there too. I stayed at the Hotel Colonial Iguacu (Expedia 7.6) for two nights at $92. It turned out to be 1km from airport and 1km from park entrance. Perfect location. Good job by me. They had a free shuttle. But, he didn't show. I had to find a guy with a mobile to call them. I also tried the #120 Bus (every half hour) outside the hotel for $5R before I realized how close the park was to the hotel. I walked home. The jerks at the hotel suggested I pay $30R for a taxi. The bus also goes downtown for the same $5R. You can stay downtown and get to the park cheaply and I guess from the airport to there to. I came back to the hotel and went swimming and laid out. Once again, I wasted most of the next day doing nothing. It was rainy anyway. Just went to the airport. Met some guys from Denver who did the park right. Boat 2X and Argentina side too. Flew back to Sao Paolo and stayed at the Sleep Inn again for $66. I wasted twelve hours in the airport the next day waiting for the flight out. My penultimate anxiety attack came via the check in guy who asked for my yellow fever vaccine documents to get into Colombia (the stupid transfer location). Luckily, a few months ago I fished out some ancient document I got when I went to Africa that listed my shots. I had been seeing too many article about countries becoming vaccine happy. I started packing this just in case. It's probably total expired bs, but, it confused the guy enough that he gave me my boarding pass. I think I checked online a while ago and those shots last forever. I'm still unsure if I needed it because I came from Brazil and not the US. I never have been asked before and I have been to Colombia three times. I was worried all day that they would double check the document. They did start calling people to submit some documents before boarding. I thought I was going to pass out. The final anxiety inducer. I escaped though somehow. The gods are only so sadistic. The trip was one anxiety attack after another. But, I knocked Iguacu Falls and the Amazon of my list. I think some areas southwest of downtown Sao Paolo might be nice. I doubt I'll go back again (I avoid Visa countries) to find out. FYI - I had already been to Rio. It was a pain communicating in Portuguese. Just different enough from Spanish to be confusing. I brought a phrase book I bought for the Rio trip. The women weren't as avocado shaped as in Chile. Lots of cushion though. Not alot of people seemed to smoke. And no weed stench either. Not many fishing lures in the nose. Nary an American about. Mostly Euros (if not Latin). Chinese, Japanese too. One in ten spoke some English. Weather was like Orlando. I never needed my umbrella, sweater or poncho. I had Esfiha Carne (psuedo meat pie) at Il Forno Pronto at the airport and some tortas (meat or veg filled layered pastry cut into squares) and a white sweet potato at the breakfast buffet at Hotel Colonial. Otherwise, not much Brazilian fare. 

Oviedo Oyster House, Oviedo

I grabbed an oyster po boy with fries to go from this new (one month) restaurant on Alafaya Trail yesterday late in the afternoon. It's in the old Bonfire's location near Red Bug Lake. The sign is small and you can drive right past it. The po boy was ok. It seemed like three oysters cut up into thirds. The belly bites seemed fresh. Somehow the coating got sticky within just a few minutes in the closed container. I don't know if they were once crispy. The oysters seemed fresh. They said they were. The usual poor quality bun and veg. No sauce. I bit lame/puny for $18. The fries were half crisp and half not. Not many of those either. I chose steak fries. They had a few choices. The menu is more red neck fish camp than high end seafood bar. They only had Gulf oysters from Texas. They served them mostly cooked. The fish selection was equally low end. That one trash fish that sounds Greek. Mahi. Etc. Things that are probably bought frozen. They might have had some shrimp. Burgers. Apps. Probably some sandwiches. It was a long, one page menu. It was empty. One cook and one bartender. Seems like more of a joint than a food destination. I'm not sure if much had been done to the interior. It's basic. Not sure if connected, open bar area was there before. Parking was adequate. The OOH won't provide you with many of oohs.

*I also tried more dumplings from Kung Fu and ribs from Briskets while I was in the area. Still good.

240 Rose Cafe, Winter Park

I tried this breakfast/lunch restaurant on Pennsylvania Ave near the old Coop on Friday at lunch. I believe I went here in May 2016 when it was the Canopy Cafe. Similar offerings. Maybe a bit fancier. Seemed to be female Latin run. I had a Cobb Salad for $18 because I was full fro dinner and getting on a plane. It was average. The wrong base. Frisse and arugula are not the right leafy veg. Too bitter and wispy. They also gave way to little dressing. Egg, bacon, tomato, blue cheese, avocado and chicken were fine. Raw onion is also something unwelcome in a Cobb. The menu is pricey. I think the cheapest thing was $13. They had typical breakfast fare and chic pastries (from elsewhere). Burgers, sammies and salads for lunch.  Most in high teens+. The place is cute. Pink fake corsage wall inside. Only four tables there. Four more outside. And maybe eight in an open patio. Some parking. Service was fine. A little slow. I stopped here after I saw Omo was only dinner on certain nights and didn't want to face anymore traffic. I thought it had changed hands and I should verify. The waitress thought they had taken over two or three years ago. Your girlfriend will like it.

Grub Crawl - Casselberry: Big Taco and Super 8 Chinese

I tried these spots on Thursday at dinner. They are next to each other in the shopping area on 436 and Howell Branch Rd. The one with a Metro Diner.

Big Taco - I tried the most expensive dish at $15. A pick two options. I chose a ground beef hard taco and a pork burrito. It came with beans and rice. The taco was the size of a Tijuana Flats taco. More meat. Slightly different shell. I had it loaded. Tomato, lettuce, onion, jalapeno, sour cream, cheese and black olives. It was fine. The beef was a bit more chunky than supermarket ground beef. I had the burrito the same way. It had less sour cream. The pork was marinated with some herbs that I couldn't place. Epasote? It was good. Big. Flour tortilla. Ungrilled. I chose refried beans. A bit bland. Topped with a little cheese. A cups worth. The rice was mushy. Odd flavor. Also a cups worth. They also sell quesadillas, queso crunch, chimichangas, enchiladas, bowls, street tacos, salads, nachos, chili bowls, spinach and artichoke dip, Mexican pizza and churros. Between $10 and $14. Some come with chips and salsa. Order at the counter. Around thirty seats. Modern. Three large murals of things with bandanas. I remember Bob Marley and Tony Soprano. Open since November. Not bad overall.

Super 8 Chinese - I used to live nearby and I think this place was here back when. A take out place. Looks worn. I got a small egg drop and wonton soup mix for $3 and a small Chinese vegetable soup for $2.45 because they had a $5 min. The veg was good. Clean broth. Not salty. Fresh veg. The mix was the same until the dumplings. They tasted off, so, I tossed them (3). Not much meat. Thick wrapping. Both smalls were a decent size. A pint? They had the usual menu plus egg foo yung and lo mein and mei fun. $12 and under.  $40 roast duck and the large sushi selection were a surprise. Sushi was around $2.50 a piece. I wonder if they can pull it off. $7.50 lunch. No seats. Run down. It doesn't seem like they can produce quality. Is it possible? You aren't seeking it, so, it isn't important. Open 7 days. 

*There is a bagel place here too. Across the street is a new place called Ave Maria.

Purchasing A New Vehicle Tutorial

I'm not sure if any of this will be of any use to anyone, but, here is my report. After many years of procrastinating, I finally pulled the trigger last month because my radiator is leaking again and they wanted $1.2K to repair it (was $700 last time). Among other issues. 

I bought a 2024 Toyota RAV 4 LE Hybrid from Seminole Toyota for $36,000. I think I paid about $1 to $2K more than they would have accepted. This was based on faulty MSRP advice that I received from a friend. I couldn't research it at the time. In his defense, it can be a little unclear on the internet. He told me that model went for $34k versus the actual $31,475. The dealer listed it as $31,725. FYI - some on the internet list the MSRP with the destination fee. That (and $449 all weather floor mats) brought it to $33,524 at the dealer. I think I paid $2,346 in taxes (they played backwards with the invoice and it is not listed). So, I was in line. There were other fees (some bs) on the sheet they showed me. I think that initial offer was around $38K. I was going to counteroffer $35k (all in including taxes). I don't know why I wrote down $36K. PTSD? I got no sleep the night before. I think I assumed that since every dealer I had spoken with over the last few years seemed like they held all the cards and I could take it or leave it, they weren't even going to budge from their initial offer. They took it in seconds. Let's go back before we go forward.

I started out thinking about a BMW 4 Series when they came out. Every dealer was listing them for more than the $40k+ they were to sell for and adding in tons of features. I called bs on that. I even declined over time to inquire on base models like the 2 Series as their prices increased beyond reasonableness in addition to the option scam. Mercedes were dicks about showing pricing (only QR Codes) and never had stock. Jaguar and Alfa (SUVs) had incalcitrant sales people. Cadillac changed their designs just as I was going to purchase one. Electric was never an option.

I next ruled out most Kias, Mazdas, Hyundais, Nissans, etc because they aren't real values any longer and all look the same (add in Lexus, Acura, et al). I kind of settled on a dull Honda Civic because it looked different. It was around $18k+ in 2018. Then 21K in 2021. Then Covid hit and inventory dried up. Then the price became 25K+ and the dealer was playing real games (ie $1k garish window tinting) with options and the price rose to near $30K before taxes, etc. I gave up on them.

I tried to like some Subaru's. Had a "connection" who didn't really seem to be giving me a discount. Couldn't. Flirted briefly with a VW Jetta. Almost bought one for $23k in September. Considered a Camaro, Santa Cruz, Ranger, Stinger and some cheap shit.

I finally settled my wish list on a Ford Mustang or Bronco or Mazda CX5. I spent a few final days shopping around and getting info and quotes. Sun State Ford on 50 quoted me $35K (all in) on a Bronco and $39K on a Mustang. My friend (Meineke owner) told me Ford engines were shit and Bronco had water pump issues. Don Mealey's Sport Mazda on 17-92 quoted me $35K for a CX 5 and $32K on a CX 30. I think I could have negotiated those prices lower. My friend didn't like Mazda's either. Even though they aren't part of Ford anymore. Plus they tried to add a $1k Zurich Shield fee. I chose the Toyota in the end because of the economic and ecologic draw of the hybrid engine (perceived extra value at that price point). Even though I'm not a eco-warrior. Plus the reliability. Plus it was an SUV size. Toyota was the last place (on a lark) I visited and ended up being a shock to me. All I saw driving to the dealers that final morning were RAV 4s. A sign? Plus the Mazda guy took the day off. Toyota also delivered the car for free. Mazda said they would too.

I signed these forms: Vehicle Buyer Order, Application for Certification of Motor Vehicle Title and Odometer Disclosure Statement. They believed I was good for it and took my personal check. They cleaned and gassed it up. There was some bs about loading their app and registering the vehicle for service before I left. I didn't. It was a thing. I even was allowed to drive off without insurance. I'm not sure if that is legal. It was easier doing it from home. I just asked for the same coverage I had before. It didn't end up being much more. I still haven't received my permanent plates yet. I hope that won't become an issue. You will probably go through more steps if you finance.

Some things I learned during the process: 

1. Dealer stock is minimal everywhere. It goes fast. We have too many new comers to get us on the right side of the supply and demand curve. 

2. Web sites are bullshit. They never have what they say they have at that price. Pointless! You can't even buy one off the site. Just let's you make an offer. Basically, a contact info generator for them. 

3. They try and add kinds of bs charges like dealer fee, destination fee, special paint warranty/fee (this is the new undercoating scam), filing fees, etc. 

4. I never saw the same sales person twice in a row. They have layers of these people too. A manager always makes the decision. Commissions may be a thing of the past.

5. They didn't seem to be so much happier to get a lease they could sell off to the banks as before. Better (or neutral) for cash buyers, I guess.

6.  It really helps to walk in with written price quoted from other dealers or competitors. Talk about how much more affordable/sensible those same class cars would be to the sales person. Add that they said they would be willing (the truth) to go even lower. They still seem to be moved by that kind of negotiating. Some say they don't negotiate. sounds good. Probably not in our interest.

7. Treat each company differently. If Honda is being stubborn maybe Toyota is still amenable to negotiation. 

8. Check the options and things like tires. Some have different suppliers on the same models in stock. Know the difference in quality. I saw Michelin, Firestone and Toyo tires.

9. Currency conversion/dollar strength didn't seem to alter pricing on foreign cars.

10. Every company has similar models to every other one. Find the best value in the class. 

11. Keep on top of recalls/defects. A reason I avoided some models.

12. Your f'ing bank will probably put a fraud hold on your check.

13. Lowest price models in a line weren't that much of a bargain on average. Less for the money. And ugly.

14. They still want your trade ins.

15. They probe you for info to see if you are rich/uninformed/desperate/a mark.

16. Not all cars have spare tires anymore. Why the Mustang lost out.

17. The cards were stacked against us for the last few years (supply chain, inflation, etc). Maybe that is easing.

18. Pick up truck buyers are the biggest morons on the planet. What a rip off.

19. You can get free delivery.

20. You may be able to arrange insurance later.