Life and Times in SoCal

I‘m sat writing this on the morning January 5, 2021. I, like the rest of the world I suppose, are glad to see the back of the old year, probably for the same reasons as everyone else. However surprisingly I’m also sad to see it go! Why you may ask, well even with all its problems 2020 has been a good year for us on some levels. We welcomed the safe arrival of our new grandson Pip. Our granddaughter, Taylor and other grandson Koby are both thriving and in Taylor’s case doing well at school even with “learning” from home and in general our immediate family have been healthy throughout the year. My youngest daughter Megan graduated with a BSc in the summer and all our other children are pushing along.

Yes there have been some challenges, family furloughed, jobs at risk, but in all cases the effected family members have refocused and taken steps to support their immediate family through the challenges. I look at these younger members of my family and feel pride that they have not given up but tried and at some level succeeded to continue in their path of life.

As 2020 finished I made a decision to change my car - yeah ok it was a Christmas & birthday gift to me! - My previous car was a 2016 Ford Edge Titanium, I bought it new in 2016 and it has been a great vehicle, comfortable, reliable and modern looks. It took us to Seattle when we relocated in 2016 and back again when we came back to Southern California, with the only thing that needed changing was the battery and one tire (tyre).

However I had decided earlier in the year that my next car would be an EV (electric vehicle) so on December 30, 2020 I picked up my new Tesla Model Y, long range. Car buying in the US is much different to the UK. You go the the dealer tell them what you want and 98% of the time drive off the lot with what you wanted, all in the same day (though it is usually 4-5 hours). In the case of this purchase, things have changed again. I created an account on the Tesla site (tesla.com) choose the model I wanted (tesla.com/modely) from across the top, specified what I wanted to personalize the car, gave them $100 as intent to buy and placed my order. I was told it would take 5-12 days to deliver my vehicle (due to the Christmas holidays, but I also found that it can take longer due to demand, more on that later). You then complete the rest of the needs on the site (trade in, how you’re going to pay etc,) then sit back and wait. Then you get a text to say your vehicle is ready with an appointment time to collect your new car from the local Tesla center. 

We arrived at 6pm at a multistory carpark (the local Tesla center, no showroom etc) in Irvine (about 30 miles from home) drove up to the 3rd floor and parked, got a text saying where the new car was parked and then went to see the new addition to the family. The paper work was on the seat, I signed it, drove the new car to the parking lot exit, gave the paper work in with the keys for the trade in vehicle and drove home. very different and no traditional sales people, so another change on the horizon like on-line shopping. We were at the delivery center for approx. 1 hour in that time this one center must have delivered about 25 new Tesla vehicles and they had been doing that since 8am that day with other days the same! and Elon Musk just announce almost 500,000 vehicle sold this year.

Some who know me may ask why a Tesla? after all I’ve had a Dodge Charger, BMW 5 series, and even a Jaguar F-Type as well as the aforementioned Ford with a big V6 3.5 liter engine. As some of you also know I love new technology so I decided that I would get the most technological car available. Tesla’s are basically super computers on wheels, and the wheels are probably the only thing they really have in common with fossil fueled cars. 

My model Y comes with FSD (Full Self Drive) and autopilot and yes it really does all that! Its quite weird and scary the first time you “switch on” FSD on the freeway. The car accelerates to the posted speed (you can change this) and stays a safe distance (5 car lengths) behind the vehicle in front. It will slow down to match the speed or if possible (based on traffic flow) speed up, indicate and automatically overtake the car in front, then return to the lane if safe to do so. all this with no input from the driver. As you get to your off ramp (motorway junction) the car alters its speed with what’s around you and moves across the the right and automatically takes the off ramp from the freeway and gives you back control. All very science fiction, except now it science fact!

When we told our family of our first adventure with FSD and Autopilot there was the expected WOW’s of disbelief and skepticism and comments like “oh, I don’t think I would like that” - exactly what Julie said at the time!

However, I am convinced that in 50 plus years time when Taylor, Koby and Pip are sat chatting with their grandchildren and fossil fueled cars are a museum exhibit that will say that their Grandude was first one in the family to take this leap. I would also like to think that I will have contributed in some small way to changing the current stress on the climate to something our great grandchildren don’t even have to think about.

Plans for 2021.

I’m sure like the rest of humanity our plans are to get back to normal in 2021, although I have a feeling normal will not be what we expect and it won’t be a quick process. I think 2020 has made a real change to how we see and interact with the world and each other. I very much hope that the plans we had for visitors in 2020 will happen this year and that we can get back and see family who can’t travel to see us. 

I hope that our family stay healthy and use the learnings and experiences from the last year to continue to grow their talents and abilities to grow themselves and provide for their families.

We will be completing our naturalization in March and at that point we will become citizens of the United States of America, (as well as UK citizens). I also truly hope that now Brexit has been concluded the UK can heal its internal wounds and grow to the country it aspires to be. I know that after our grueling election and the shenanigans since the result we are looking forward to a more sensible conversation. I think what we all need now it to focus on getting over this pandemic and being able to be physically with our loved ones once again.   

Finally, If any of you reading are in the market for a new vehicle this year please feel free to you the referral link here; http://ts.la/paul10492 if you’re interested in a Tesla. it will give you 1000 miles of free super charging and whatever other goodies and incentives they are offering at the time of taking delivery, oh and I will get 1000 miles too, so thank you in advance.As always stay safe and take care

Ciao

Paul & Julie

January 2021