Freestar finished, torch passed to Terrain

Because we were having trouble with the Freestar we started looking for a new vehicle. We figured that we would rather do it on our time instead of having to rush and get a car when the next car died.

In July we ended up getting a new 2019 GMC Terrain. It was brand new - with only 50 km on it. It has a sun roof, and the black-out package - which means that the chrome and rims are black. It doesn't have a CD player so I finally had to figure out how to rip our CDs onto a USB drive. It also doesn't have a gear shifter so I am getting used to changing gears with the buttons instead.

We've mostly been using it on the weekends, and gave it a good run out to Regina on the August long weekend. It seems like it will be a good fit for us. It's also the first new brand new car that we have bought.


Which is good as the Freestar didn't want to start after Labor Day long weekend. We had it towed to the shop and they asked if we had driven through water. It seems that it wasn't the battery or even the starter. They said the engine crankshaft had seized. If we wanted to fix it, we were looking at replacing the entire motor - about $3500.

It's a tough call, as we hoping to get at least another winter out of it. But it is starting to rust, and the brakes would probably need to have been done soon as well. So we really can't justify putting that much into it.
It's a shame as it was a good fit, and had tons of room. But it really doesn't owe us anything. We had a lot of good road trips in it and I will miss it.

Books read May to August 2019

May
The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity: How the Modern Culture is Robbing Billions of People of Happiness by Matthew Kelly
Outremer: Faith and Blood by Jamie Gordon
Dracula’s America: Shadows of the West: Forbidden Power by Jonathan Haythornwaite
Billiards – The Official Rules and Records Book (2000) by Billiard Congress of America
Star Wars: Lightsabers – A Guide to Weapons of the Force by Pablo Hidalgo
Born A Crime by Trevor Noah
Camelot edited by Jane Yolen

June
Heroes for Wargaming by Stewart Parkinson
Escher on Escher: Exploring the Infinite by MC Escher
Dream Sewing Spaces: Design & Organization for Spaces Large & Small by Lynette Ranney Black
Storage & Shelving by Jill Blake
Singer: Sewing Activewear by Cy DeCosse Incorporated

July
The Dracula Centenary Book by Peter Haining
Killing Floor by Lee Child
Heat Rises by Richard Castle
Brian Froud’s Goblins! By Ari Berk
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Aug
The Official Art of Big Trouble in Little China by Tara Bennett & Paul Terry
Time-Life Books: The Epic of Flight: Knights of the Air by Ezra Bowen
The Costume Making Guide: Creating Armor & Props for Cosplay by Svetlana Quindt aka Kamui Cosplay
Art of Atari by Tim Lapetino
Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game by Cam Banks
The Book of Cosplay Sewing – Starting from Zero by Svetlana Quindt
Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely