Into The Blue*
Reuniting With A Family Jewel After 40 Years.
Pirate
Press June 2026
More fun than Hantavirus on a Cruise Ship!
Just last year I had complained about how difficult it was finding Victoria a new car and then suddenly I was back in the same situation with Amanda after she was broadsided in January.
It's no exaggeration to state that prices and supply are ridiculous for both new and used vehicles, and due to that we searched up to 600 miles for a suitable replacement.
She wanted something similar to her Hyundai Santa Fe that was good on gas, wasn't too big, and had a lot of space.
Fortunately, our insurance picked up the tab for a 2024 Jeep
Compass Limited 4x4 loaner so we happily piled the miles on it during our exploration.
"Everything's Bigger in Tampa"
The first vehicle we wanted to inspect was all the way in Wesley Chapel, Florida, which is an affluent suburb of Tampa. It was located at BMW of Wesley Chapel, a sprawling seven-story, 130,000-square-foot dealership. Situated on four acres of prime real estate right off I-75, the multi-level parking structure features 340 spaces for vehicle inventory as well as 208 spots for customers and employees. Obviously, it's the largest dealership I've ever seen or viewed.
A BMW dealership bigger than a lot of hospitals I've visited.
We got a late start for Wesley Chapel but I reasoned
that was okay because we planned to drop by the dealership after
hours. This would ensure that we weren't hounded by salesmen and we
could also determine if we liked the vehicle or not before committing to buying it.
Following a delightful dinner at Chuy's in Gainesville, we arrived in Wesley Chapel around 9:30 PM and noticed what a clean and modern-looking community it was. Last year, it was even recognized as Florida's Best Place to Live by Consumer Affairs. But with a median household income of $112,000, and with nearly 20% of households earning over $200,000, it wasn't a complete surprise.
Unfortunately, after driving around the massive, monolithic structure several times, I determined that the Mazda CX-9 we came to see was located on one of the parking garage's upper floors. Furthermore, access to all of it was restricted by a rather imposing and sturdy-looking wrought-iron gate. Obviously, investigating a vehicle like this wouldn't have been an issue at any other dealership but I just happened to pick the one attached to a 100-ft. tall carport. I had briefly entertained the concern that this might happen, but I was almost certain that a pre-owned Mazda would be parked out front rather than sharing covered space with $100,000 BMWs. Regrettably for me, they had room for both!
Our next— and more immediate matter— was to find accommodations for the evening lest we wanted to test the sleeping space in the back of the Jeep. Amanda nor I were fond of that idea, so we both began furiously searching on our phones for nearby lodging. Much to our chagrin, we quickly discovered that the late hour, holiday weekend and ritzy location all conspired to significantly dwindle our available options.
There was a Residence Inn by Marriott around the corner from the dealership so I checked it's price online and was stunned that even with my member discount it was still an outrageous $350 per night! But with few other vacancies present, I was seriously beginning to consider the likelihood of staying overnight in our four-wheeled "White House" and it certainly wasn't the one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But after some more desperate hunting, I bit the bullet and paid $250 for a nearby Holiday Inn Express which was clearly highway robbery.
Upon check-in, I groused to the heavily-pierced and tattooed female desk clerk about the extortionary amount and she replied that those prices are dictated by the corporate office and they have no control over them. Perhaps due to her loneliness (and the fact that I was essentially a captive audience) she proceeded to torment me with her various experiences there such as the animosity she received in 2023 when Taylor Swift's circus came to Tampa for three sold-out shows. Hotel rooms were commanding over $1,000 a night and even reaching nearly $2,000 in some cases with customers feeling fully justified in venting their anger to her about it. I sympathized with her and told her I could completely envision those entitled snowflakes wanting to victim-blame someone else. I then quickly slipped out the side door before she could seamlessly segue into another long-winded, depressing account of her employment there.
The next morning, we made our way to Wesley Chapel BMW to view the elusive Mazda CX-9.
So why a Mazda?
Back in 1979, my parents bought their first and last Mazda, a 1980 626. It was award-winning and would go on to become Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year. It was a beautiful Marine Blue Metallic and I even took my driving test and had my first date in that car. But despite that nostalgia, it burned a lot of oil and constantly had brake problems. The 2.0-liter carbureted four-cylinder was designed for leaded gas and only made 75hp but thin cylinder walls led to seemingly more oil than fuel consumption. Under the directive that I would never tell my Mother, my Father admitted that during a family emergency he discovered that it's top speed was only 80 mph.
Before the Miata appeared in 1990, the RX-7 was Mazda's sole sports car. My cousin had one, as did my high-school girlfriend. In 1988, Coker Mazda in Mobile got in a 10th Anniversary Turbo Edition that was one of just 1,500 produced. It was a stunning Crystal White example with special badging and even a Momo steering wheel. I think the salesman just wanted an excuse to drive it because he offered to take me for a spin and it was the fastest sports car I'd ever experienced up to that point.
Our 626 was eventually traded in on a new 1985 Honda Accord but those fond memories persisted. So, when Mazda popped up as one of the most reliable brands next to Honda and Toyota, I seriously began considering one for our household. (Also, I'm superstitious and didn't want our recent bad luck following us so I steered cleared of Hyundai and Kia.)
Ironically, Ford and Mazda have a storied history stretching all the way to 1974 with their first partnership. Back then, the fledgling automotive company was still known as Toyo Kogyo which doesn't roll off the tongue nearly as smoothly as Mazda, a name derived from Ahura Mazda, the Asian god of harmony, intelligence and wisdom.
The reason I bring this up is because my Ford Fusion rides on a Mazda 6 platform while the CX-9 we looked at has a Ford 3.7-liter V6, nearly identical to the one in the Mustang. Unfortunately, due to packaging constraints the V6 makes roughly 30hp less in the Mazda and is burdened with an extra 1,000 lbs to accommodate the All-Wheel-Drive and 7-passenger seating. As such, fuel economy suffers with it struggling to break 20 mpg.
I drove it around Wesley Chapel, but Amanda and I unanimously decided it wasn't right for us. Not only was it a little too big and ponderous, we also didn't like the poor fuel economy and it had a problem with either the battery or alternator. During the test drive, the led screens were too dim to read properly and afterwards it wouldn't crank again. In a bid to save the sale, they offered to fix it but we already had our minds up.
However, the highlight of the visit was listening to a narcissistic, middle-aged woman in the showroom experiencing an absolute meltdown because they didn't have a new BMW X5 with white leather! Apparently accustomed to quite a privileged life, she didn't understand why she couldn't get exactly what she wanted immediately. A true "Enfant Terrible" I could not work a job where I was forced to coddle such vile people. I struggled to imagine what major insecurities she had that required such materialistic possessions to feel validated. Regardless, I've never been so happy to leave a dealership before.
Mazda calls this CX-9 "Dolphin Gray" but it sure looks black to me.
Since we agreed that the CX-9 was too large, we decided to step down to the CX-5. We found a nice one in Soul Red Metallic at a Tampa dealership that boasted about being family-owned since 1968. However, the salesman was reluctant to provide a Carfax which was a (no pun intended) red flag. But, I had the VIN so I was able to do a little research myself and I discovered that it had a rebuilt title from a previous accident. The damage was so extensive that the entire frame on the passenger side was bent in like a pretzel and it was declared a total loss. Someone after that bought it, repaired it, and registered it with a rebuilt title. Frame damage is particularly hard to fix and you never know if it was done correctly. Due to this, a lot of insurance companies won't issue policies for vehicles with salvage/rebuilt titles. However, the rebuilt title wasn't the deal-breaker in this case, it was the dealership's dishonesty in trying to pass-off it off as having a clean title!
Soul-Less: All that glitters is not gold (or red in this case!)
That notwithstanding, our time with the CX-5 confirmed that it was indeed what we were looking for: it didn't require costly 93 octane, was devoid of useless all-wheel-drive, made almost 200hp without the added stress of a turbocharger, and the rear cargo space was similar to what we had in the Santa Fe.
Our vehicular reconnaissance accomplished, we decided to spend the next day exploring the brand new Epic Universe, Universal's $7 Billion sprawling paean to the evils of capitalism. Located 15 mins from Universal's main venue, it encompasses 110-acres and is the most expensive theme park ever built. It offers four new worlds to explore: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk and Dark Universe.
Abandon all ye money, ye who enter here!
Personally, I didn't think I'd ever find a theme park more expensive than Disney World but Universal has certainly succeeded. Parking was $30 and it was $500 for Amanda and I just to get into the park and that didn't even include the Express passes which would have been another $500. Truthfully, I was going to purchase them but they were completely sold out. And while I was initially disappointed, I would later find out that it was a huge blessing in disguise.
A monkey with a crayon could have designed a more exciting $250 ticket.
Alongside us, Winter Storm Fern had also arrived in Orlando and was bringing unprecedented cold with a record-tying low of 22 degrees in Jacksonville. Ill-prepared for this, I only had a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt so Epic Universe felt more like the North Pole than tropical Florida.
Unexpectedly, it was also the coldest weekend since Epic Universe opened in May 2025. This is significant because these $100 million rides don't function in sub-50 degree weather. Why this issue was never examined or addressed prior to the $7 billion investment is beyond me. We've been to Disney dozens of times when it was similarly cold and not once have any of their rides been shutdown due to low temperatures. As I mentioned earlier— and due to the popularity of the first holiday weekend in 2026— it was a Godsend that we didn't spend an extra $250 each for Express Passes. For a family of four (of which we saw many that day) it represented an investment of $2000 to essentially walk around the park for the day. Universal did not offer refunds, or even an apology, for the thousands of people that bought a fast ticket to nowhere.
Despite that, we arrived early enough to catch a few rides before the impending drop in mercury shut everything down. The Harry Potter ride was technologically stunning even with a near 4-hour wait. The Augmented-Reality Mario Kart was a huge disappointment and we understandably skipped Fyre Drill, a wet, water-based ride in Isle of Berk. Paradoxically, the simplistic wooden boats in it were unaffected by the icy temps that brought down all the other million-dollar machinery. And finally, the Frankenstein-focused Monsters Unchained was my absolute favorite, even though it malfunctioned on our second time riding it.
And while Mythos at Universal's Islands of Adventure has consistently been ranked the best theme park restaurant in the world, it seems they have not been content to coast on their accolades. We dined at both Toadstool Cafe in Super Nintendo World and Mead Hall in Isle of Berk, and each had tremendously creative and satisfying meals. My Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl was like a giant pizza pot pie and the "? Block Tiramisu" was the most unusual interpretation of the Italian dessert I've ever eaten.
After twelve hours at Universal, it was dark and cold, and the perfect time to visit the world's largest Ferrari dealership without fear of being harassed. But in the grand scheme of authorized purveyors, Ferrari of Central Florida in Orlando is a mere baby, having only been established since 1999.
As I wistfully recall the halcyon days of the 1980s, and my first Ferrari-spotting trip to South Florida in October 1988, there were only two official dealerships in the entire state (and neither had the brand in the name as is now common). There was Shelton Sports Cars in Ft. Lauderdale and The Collection in Coral Gables. Back then, individual dealers played fast and loose with the franchises and there was virtually no corporate oversight or conformity. Before it was acquired by the Shelton brothers in 1982, it was Paradise Motors owned by Robert Publicker in the late 1950s/early 1960s. Then (Robert) Cressman Motors
in the 1960s and 1970s and finally Cressman-(Philip) Baumgarten in early 1980s.
Witness the long-arms/short-legs "Primate Posture" required to sit in a Lamborghini Countach. The clamshell bucket seat was thinly-padded and hard while the heavy clutch was equally uncomfortable, doubling as a calf-exercise device. But owners gladly endured the misery because it was such an outrageously beautiful car. (Pictured at Shelton Sports Cars)
In a bizarre case of life imitating Miami Vice, the owner of The Collection was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on a massive drug charge in November 1993. The dealership
was seized when prosecutors invoked forfeiture laws and in 1994 it was bought by Italian developer Ugo Colombo.
While total worldwide sales in 1988 struggled to break 4,000 units, Ferrari sold 13,640 vehicles in 2025 with net revenues of $8 million. Interestingly, earnings were up 7% over 2024 despite moving more cars (13,752) that year. Ferrari pointed to strong sales of the 12Cilindri, its new V12 grand tourer, as well as the XX Stradale, a track-ready version of the SF90. Ferrari cynically appeals to their ego-driven customer base with high-dollar, limited-edition models that allow them to sell fewer cars but make more money on each one sold. The XX Stradale is the perfect example— it has a stripped-down interior and just 30 more horsepower yet commands a $300,000 premium, a 50% hike over the retail price of the standard SF90. The mordacious money-makers in Maranello know that the typical Ferrari owner's self-worth is directly tied to their need for the best driveway jewelry and that they'll pay handsomely for that honor. Hence, limited-edition models as well as convertibles usually strike the intended demographic with the accuracy of a U.S. Tomahawk missile hitting an Iranian tanker.
But big interest follows big money, so Florida now boasts five additional authorized Ferrari centers. Since my last visit in 1993, each has been strategically stationed in wealthy zip codes like Boca Raton, Naples, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa Bay. Ferrari's typical market for a new dealership is a high density of individuals with investable assets exceeding $30 Million so it's safe to say that there won't be a Ferrari of Pensacola anytime soon.
And while not as sizable as BMW of Wesley Chapel that we had visited the day before, Ferrari of Central Florida is still the largest authorized Ferrari/Maserati dealership in the world with a 62,000 square-foot area and 23 climate-controlled service bays. It also boasts the most comprehensive collection of special models that I've ever seen assembled under one roof including the legendary quintet of a 1985 288 GTO, 1987 F40, 1995 F50, 2003 Enzo and a 2015 LaFerrari. This conglomeration alone constitutes an investment of over $25 Million, not including the ultra-rare 333 SP and the Formula One race car.
Amazingly, my late-night skulking in the bushes did not trigger any attack dogs or laser-controlled turrets, but the dealership is (understandably) reputed to have a state-of-the-art surveillance system with over 200 infra-red cameras to protect its considerable assets.
For our last meal in Orlando, we dined appropriately at an Italian eatery that I've been wanting to try for nearly a decade: Buca di Beppo. Given our theme park itinerary, we arrived late and I explained to the hostess how long I had wanted to visit the chain as well as the fact that we'd endured an 8 hour drive to do so. I figured at the very least, my out-of-state area code for the waiting list would corroborate my story and engender a small amount of sympathy. However, my pleas fell on deaf ears as we still had to survive a mind-numbing one-hour wait before being seated.
Since 2020, 36 Buca di Beppo locations have been shuttered, cutting the total number of restaurants by nearly half to to just 40. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024, declining sales, and negative reviews have all been to blame for the rapid reduction in patrons. I figured if we didn't try it now, there might not be a second chance as our nearest locations in Atlanta and Houston have already closed.
However, none of the company's immense fiscal problems were visible at the location we visited in Celebration, a suburb roughly 30 miles south of Orlando: it was completely mobbed with birthday parties, couples and families. I also quickly discovered that Buca di Beppo is not the place for anyone on Zepbound (Motto: Only Poor People Need Willpower!) or similar vanity appetite suppressants because all the meals are served "Family Style" which in Italian apparently translates to "Keep Eating, Fatass!" That's right, the smallest serving Amanda and I could get consisted of 5 large chicken parmigiana patties, several pounds of pasta and twelve slices of garlic bread. Suffice it to say, it was the first time I've ever left a restaurant and not had room for Tiramisu. Fate permitting, I'd love for us to try it again, possibly the next time with my daughter and her boyfriend as I think that would be just right for the massive portions.
A convoy of Corvettes (and a lone Ferrari 488) passed us outside Plant City.
The next day, we returned home to Mississippi empty handed but I wasn't upset. After the test drives, we'd confirmed what we wanted and didn't want, and it was a good excuse for a fun weekend in Florida. However, the scarcity and outrageous prices for another vehicle is what made the task so daunting.
But, fate can be a funny thing as our future CX-5 was right under our nose the whole time, essentially negating the time and expense of our Orlando expedition. That's right, I stumbled upon it when browsing potential matches in Mobile and quickly made an appointment to check it out.
After all our recent misfortune, I certainly wasn't optimistic so I suspect that's why it was the right one finally. But while I knew the CX-5 was a reasonably safe bet, I wasn't prepared to go all-in on a brand new one. With a MSRP of $40,485 for a 2026 model, 20% depreciation right off the showroom floor, and Amanda still being unemployed, we settled on an attractive 2016 model for half the price.
For starters, the Deep Crystal Blue Mica paint is quite unusual and exquisite. It's an intense, deep blue that reveals purple hues in direct sunlight yet appears solid black after dark. It is highly reminiscent of the Ferrari paint color, Blu Pozzi, albeit much less expensive. Needless to say, I've never owned a blue vehicle before and the inclusion of the ivory leather interior, referred to as "Parchment", is a beautiful contrast.
And despite it's humble origins, our CX-5 also sports a lot of other automotive firsts for our household. I never imagined that the first vehicle I'd purchase with 19-inch wheels would be a SUV but here it is. Thanks to the "Grand Touring" top-level trim, 225/55R19 tires are fitted which seems excessive to me. Additionally, there's the curious choice of brand-new Bridgestone Weatherpeaks for the tires. As a vehicle that spent it's entire life in South Florida, the decision to outfit it with rubber designed for "Severe Snow Service" is honestly quite mystifying. Despite that, they boast a class-leading 5 year/70,000-mile treadwear warranty so I plan on keeping them for a while.
When I started looking at the CX-5, I knew right away not to consider anything less than the "Grand Touring" model as Amanda had made it abundantly clear that she likes her creature comforts. So, in addition to the oversized wheels, there's also a better engine, heated leather seats, a 9-speaker Bose audio system and a moonroof. However, the most surprising exclusion was a power liftgate as we had become accustomed to the convenience of one on our Santa Fe. But, it turns out that this was deliberate as a power liftgate was not available on the CX-5 at any price. Some owners praised this as simply one less part to break, while others criticized the lack of it. I just chalked it to Setsuyaku, Japan's philosophy of frugality that embraces productivity and minimalism— it might not be luxurious but it sure gets the job done.
And in terms of Asian efficiency, the CX-5's engine is a sterling example of that. At 2.5 liters, it's easily the largest four-cylinder I've ever owned and the most powerful naturally-aspirated one. With 185hp, it eclipses the 3.0-liter V6 in our old Saturn L300 and makes within 20 hp of what my Redline's supercharged four-cylinder came with from the factory. Funny enough, it even edges out of the RX-7 Turbo that seemed so fast back in 1988.
Mazda's buzzword for this proprietary engine technology is Skyactiv, not to be confused with Skyrizi, a prescription medication used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Utilizing a "Super Secret Sake" recipe, the mechanical ninjas in Hiroshima devised a way to make a 13.0:1 compression ratio engine operate optimally on just 87 octane. And it's actually detuned for the U.S. market— Mazda admitted that our CX-5's make roughly 10hp less than Japanese versions which run on 91 octane.
The CX-5 also includes the wildest factory header I've ever seen— a serpentine 4-2-1 exhaust pipe with an integrated catalytic converter to minimize premature ignition from the sky-high compression ratio
Twisted Metal: Mazda's 2.5L exhaust header could pass for Modern Art.
Assisting this ultra-efficiency is yet another first for me, a requirement stipulating super-lightweight 0W-20 synthetic oil that looks and flows like Lipton iced tea. It's definitely a far-cry from the syrupy 10W-30 dino juice I used in my Fiero. Attention was also paid to strengthening and cooling with a forged steel crankshaft (in lieu of cast-iron) and unique pistons with a special center cut-out to keep the spark plug from getting too hot. Also, overall engine mass was trimmed by 15 lbs., with ten of it being excised from non-critical areas.
Even though it was quite a task to locate the flagship model without it, I purposely opted for the front-wheel-drive version which shaved a significant 225 lbs. off the scale. Despite the increasing popularity, I refuse to invest in an All-Wheel-Drive setup until I live in a state that gets more than a sprinkling of snow every decade. Basic physics dictate that a vehicle with a tenth-ton less mass will accelerate, stop, and handle infinitely better. And the deletion of the extra drivetrain complexity boosts fuel economy while reducing repair costs.
With an EPA Highway Rating of 33 MPG, it's also the most frugal SUV we've ever owned, an unfortunate necessity when gas prices are over $4 gallon thanks to our warmonger President.
Although it had an outstanding CarFax (and the brake pads, rotors and alternator had all been recently replaced) I took it to a local shop I've previously used for a professional inspection. Mercifully, it was all good news with just the usual cursory reminders of fluid changes when the odometer rolls over 100k miles. Otherwise, the cabin air filter looked new and I changed the engine air filter myself. The mechanic even introduced himself, congratulated me on the purchase, and then volunteered that he had formerly been a Mazda mechanic for ten years. I had clearly done my due diligence when researching the CX-5 but it was certainly nice to hear his expert opinion affirming my decision.
Obviously, I'm proud of our CX-5 and it seems like a real blue-chip investment. Mazda is a conservative company and because of that, the new 2026 CX-5 doesn't look radically different from our 2016, an aspect I'm clearly fond of.
But it's more than skin-deep because despite similar proportions, the '26 CX-5 is heavier, slower and gets worse fuel economy. The "Grand Touring" moniker is gone, replaced with a "Premium Plus" trim that's essentially the same package, right down to the identical 225/55R19 tires and the familiar 2.5-liter engine. However, the four-cylinder has been modified to run on 93 octane with very mild gains of 3 hp and 1 lb-ft. of torque. Furthermore, those tiny improvements have been pushed higher up the rev-band, arguably making it less responsive— horsepower now peaks at 6000rpm instead of 5700rpm and torque crests at 4000rpm versus 3250 rpm. Combined with a curb weight that's 525 lbs. heavier (thanks to mandatory All-Wheel-Drive) it's a formula not nearly as athletic as our 2016 model. Likewise, not only is the premium fuel considerably more expensive (Up to $1 per gallon in my area) but overall mileage drops sharply from 26 City/33 Highway to 24/30.
For the 2026 model, Car and Driver estimated an 8.2-second dash to 60 mph with a 16.5 second quarter-mile and a 116 mph top speed. Sadly, a version of our CX-5 without the AWD wasn't tested, but even with the extra 250 lbs. it managed much better times of 7.6, 15.8 and 123 respectively, which is plenty fast for my wife.
With those boxes checked, our final concern was interior space. This was underscored by our Jeep rental which we spent nearly one month in. Although it appeared to be similar in size to our dearly departed Hyundai, it was not nearly as spacious on the inside. In fact, the two front seats were so close together that our arms frequently bumped into each other. Also, when loading the luggage for our trip to Orlando it became immediately evident that we were dealing with considerably less cargo space than what we were accustomed to. Sure enough, the Jeep only possessed 27 cubic feet of storage, a whopping 30% shy of our Santa Fe. These things might not sound like a lot on paper, but every inch counts when you're trying to stack suitcases like a game of Tetris and driving 8 hours each way.
Likewise, I never checked beforehand but I was delighted to discover that our CX-5's trunk space was within 1-foot of the Hyundai (34 vs. 35) and possessed exactly the same wheelbase (106.3 inches). Coincidentally, our Mazda is a half-inch lower and 6 inches shorter which also helps it fit better in our garage without impacting interior comfort.
I recently took it on a solo drive to Mobile and was able to glean a lot more from it when not burdened with a nervous spouse and several hundred pounds of luggage. The CX-5 has long been praised as the best-handling crossover in its segment and once I hit some rural roads I could see why. Mazda engineers were inspired by the Miata, and tuned the CX-5 to behave more like a sports car than an SUV. Putting it through it's paces, I was rewarded with excellent chassis communication, firm steering, and precise handling. Despite being handicapped by the Winter-Rated rubber, the 19-inch tires still felt stable and planted. Body roll was minimal and the six-speed automatic transmission (No fragile CVT here!) is programmed to hold gears longer during fast cornering (trailing throttle), same as you would if putting down laps on a race course. It actually encourages hot-blooded drivers like me to maintain the momentum through the curves.
The seating position is lower, which I like, so it feels more like a car than an SUV. In Car and Driver testing, the CX-5 out-braked and out-handled my Fusion Sport which shouldn't be possible. Mazda credits this outcome as Jinba Ittai which translates to "Unity of horse and rider." It's definitely the most sports car-like SUV I've ever driven.
Needless to say, losing three vehicles to catastrophic wrecks in 14 months has been a physically, financially and emotionally jarring experience so I'm hoping we can keep our CX-5 for a while. I feel this is the best way to figuratively dip our toes into the Mazda pool without too much risk. If it works out and Amanda likes it, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to buying a new one.
*Kudos if you immediately thought of the 2005 movie starring a bikini-clad Jessica Alba. Of course, Blue Crush would have worked, also. 😎
