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THE TEST DRIVE We pulled into the Subaru dealership. A salesman approached and introduced himself as Bill. After we walked the lot, we chose a vehicle in our favorite color to take for a test drive. It was a new Subaru Outback with an odometer reading of 11 miles. We were the first ones to drive this beauty that just came in. Bill said the technology and safety features were state-of-the-art in this fully-loaded model. Every few minutes, he repeated his mantra, "this is the smartest car." I know what would make this car smart in my mind. I said, "Bill, does it cook dinner?" He looked somewhat deflated as he was forced to utter "no." Then he continued with the litany of accolades that he was bestowing on this hunk of metal. He wanted us to be as smitten as everyone had been with KITT talking to David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider. Upon returning to the dealership, we entered his cubicle to "talk numbers." Bill enthusiastically explained the fantastic financing offer of 0 percent down — "blah, blah, blah." We said, "No, thank you; we are interested in paying cash." He gave us his "lowest and best price — an awesome deal." The ball was in our court, so we asked for a trade-in value on our existing vehicle — an older version of this model. When he left to get that number, I turned to my husband and said, "Six years was too soon to put myself through these new car negotiations again." Bill returned with his "more awesome deal." We signed several documents making us the proud owners of this automotive wonder. Bill did a thorough new car orientation explaining every button and app on the information display and steering wheel. The coup de grâce was when he said, "The car drives itself, just put it in this mode." It was dizzying. Being the technological dinosaur that I am, I knew I would never access half of those features. I looked at Bill and said, "You know, all I wanted was a Flintstone mobile… but with Bluetooth." Stop by our table at the Fall Boutique in The Lodge Ballroom, Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 am to 2 pm. Autographed books are available. We meet on the second Tuesday of every month at 1:30 in the RCN Conference Room. Please join us. If you have questions, email mlarchibald@mac.com or zehnercorked@ gmail.com. ~ Andrea Zehner FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2019 41 The rainbow is a powerful symbol that represents beauty, balance, peace, and hope. As such, we believe it is a perfect representation for our group. We are residents of Four Seasons Beaumont who also happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. The rainbow is so perfect because it really fits our group's diversity in terms of race, gender, ages, and beliefs. While we strive to serve the interests of our members, we do welcome all supportive homeowners and encourage everyone to attend any of our functions. We believe you'll enjoy our company. Everyone leads busy lives (even at our age!) and we often find it difficult to stay connected with our neighbors. Therefore, the Rainbow Group has monthly get-togethers on the fourth Thursday of each month in The Lodge Game Room at 6 pm. Our next gathering will be on Thursday, Oct. 24. Our monthly get-togethers are mostly informal social gatherings which give members an opportunity to meet new neighbors, catch up on member and community activities or news, and just chat — no stuffy agenda items, roll calls, or minutes for us! If you are hungry, feel free to bring your own food items and adult beverages, or order from the new Kopper Kettle Bistro. The Rainbow Group also hosts periodic gatherings for socializing, such as BBQs, potlucks and holiday parties, LGBT-themed movie nights in the Lodge movie theatre, and other events the group may sponsor. Maybe you'd even like to suggest your own activity for the group--we are always open to new ideas. Please direct any questions to Dale at (951) 797-0364, dalebeckes@gmail.com or on Facebook, search for Four Seasons Beaumont Pride. ~ Dale Beckes Rainbow Group Seasoned Solos If you are single and enjoy a variety of activities, then Seasoned Solos just might be the group for you. At each meeting we discuss what is going on in the Inland Empire and plan activities for the coming month, from local lunches and dinners to excursions to presidential libraries, the Redlands Bowl, Metro Link trips into LA, and the beach train to San Juan Capistrano. There's not much that we won't consider doing. We meet on the first Friday of each month in The Lodge Arts & Crafts Room at 6 pm. For further information, call Joyce at (951) 850-3055. ~ Joyce Olson Writers' Club