3,000 miles later...

Yes, I can't believe I. Just under two months (I picked up the Mini-E #339 back in June 25) and I've already logged just over 3,000 miles.

And I'm still lovin' every minute of it!!!!

What's more, the timing of 339's "scheduled servicing" was nearly impeccable! After driving into work yesterday morning, I logged about 9,983 miles. Since BMW of Manhattan is just under 17 miles from my work... Well... I arrived at the dealership after work with about 3,001 miles on 339's odo!!!

Near-perfect!!! :-D

Still, it meant I had to leave 339 in the "loving hands" of the BMW/Mini techs -- who are waiting for the "Flying Doctors" (the gang of specialized Mini-E techs from BMW in Germany who are servicing all the Mini-Es in the U.S.!) to do all the servicing. Fortunately, the Flying Docs were coming to BMW of Manhattan today anyway to take care of another Mini-E. (I didn't see which one, though.)

Of course, nothing in this world is ever completely perfect. :-(

Since Mini 339 had to stay with the dealer (her "parents"??), I had to drive my Honda CR-V to work today!

Don't get me wrong. I still love my 12-year old Honda. She's a good old girl and I still need her since she still does things -- haul a lot of stuff from Costco, takes me and more than one other family member to the store, goes on long trips, gets me and co-workers to lunch, etc. -- that my cute and environmentally-friendly Mini-E #339 can't do.

And driving my red CR-V to work this morning, I'm reminded of how I "missed" those traits and other little niceties. Things like cruise control (Nope, #339 doesn't have that!) which can really help me keep my heavy right foot in check. Sometimes.

Oh, and a right arm rest for the driver's seat. Even though my sister hates the arm rest and always tilts it up and out of the way when she drives my CR-V, I love it! (It really helps when you're cruisin' down the road at a nice steady clip and all you want to do is "kick back" with your left hand on the steering wheel and your right arm just... well, "resting" on the arm rest. Is that SO wrong???)

And finally... The radio. I love my CR-V's radio -- an after-market Sony ES-series AM/FM/CD/MP3-disc/Aux input head-unit with IR remote control. It's not RDS-capable like 339's audio gear. But the controls are so much simpler!! Not to mention that I have a full four-speaker set-up in my CR-V. (Oddly enough, there are "fader" controls on 339's radio. But adjust 339's audio from "front" or "balanced" to "all-rear" and... Surprise! No audio! Why? Because there's only front speakers on the Mini-E since the battery takes up all the space behind the front seats -- the place where rear speakers would normally go!)

Still, this morning was the ideal commute with conditions that I know I would've been just thrilled to drive 339 through: Sunny, yet not hot... hardly any cars on the road...

In other words, I was c-r-u-i-s-i-n' down the road... music blarin'... blue-mirrored Wiley-X shades on... windows down... cool breeze blowin' through my hair... Just enjoyin' the ride with a smile on my face -- even though I'm going to work! ;-)

Oh, if only 339 were with me this morning!! (Oh, and if only she had the double sunroof option that's available to "conventional" Minis! :-()

::sigh::

Hopefully I'll hear from the Flying Docs later this afternoon and I'll be able to post something about her "check-up."