Up-Sizing

Way back when, shortly after Hubby and I got married, we consolidated our two cars into one joint car. We went with a Scion (whom we named Gus) and have loved it greatly since:

However, it is a truth universally acknowledged that, a single child generates a great deal of *stuff* required to travel and it follows that two such children will have, indeed, a greater deal of *stuff*. So, while our fantastically small and cute Gus was a fine fit for two married folks, and even offered enough space for a single child, we knew that its days were numbered once we had our second.

We started our search a few months ago. I made up a whole spreadsheet to compare and contrast all the various important specs which lead to a list of about 5 finalists. Over the last few weeks, Hubby and I have gone on a few test-driving adventures and finally found the winner for our up-sizing needs:  A Toyota Rav4

And henceforth it shall be called Norma.

Though I have no photographic proof at this time, the Superman floor mats will continue to live on in our car.

For the Love of Things with Wheels

There are some kids who can turn anything into a gun - fingers, teddy bears, food. Then there's my kid. He can turn anything into a Thing With Wheels.

Currently, one of his favorite games is to take all my cooking implements from their drawer - one at a time, and pretend they are each different types of vehicles. The game goes like this:

Townshend: Mom! What's this one?

Me: A cement truck (or whatever random Thing With Wheels that I haven't already said)
Townshend: You're right! It is a cement truck. (reaches for another thing from the drawer...)
then,
Mom! What's this one?

If I ever troll tease him, and say it's a spatula or whatever, then he'll say: No, Mama! You have to say the silly answer!
Which, of course, I then supply.

Once the drawer has been emptied, he'll close it with a satisfied look and say: Let's play again!

Despite the monotony (I generally can only handle two or three iterations at a time before I make him tell me what they all are), I admit to being singularly charmed by this little game.. one day he'll just see cooking tools. So, I'll capture some shots and savor the fun for today!

The Ongoing Saga of Skeeter

Once upon a time, way back when I was a poor college student out in Colorado, a magical thing happened: a friend gifted me her car. To me, that was something that happened in movies and fairy-tales.. and yet, there I was with a car of my very own.

Me in June of 2002

It was a 1987 Mazda 323. Manual transmission, manual windows, no power steering and no radio.. still, it ran and it was mine! It was given on condition that it would retain the name "Skeeter" and, when I no longer needed it, I would gift it to another and pass on the joy. 

When I graduated from college, in 2004, I moved from Colorado back home to Wisconsin. I contemplated taking the car with me. However, doubting that Skeeter would survive the 1,000+ mile trip (including a strenuous pass through the Rockies), I had to consider that the humidity of Wisconsin would eat her frame in no time. No, Wisconsin was no place for Skeeter. 

So, I passed her on to my roommate who would be staying in Boulder for another few years to finish school. Skeeter's life with my roommate was much more posh; she had a dad who lived nearby and was skilled in the art of car mechanics and he spent many an hour updating and tweaking her engine. 

A few years later, after my roommie graduated, she got a nice job and decided she could afford a little more in a car. So, she passed Skeeter on to her sister. 

The other day, I got word that Skeeter was moving on again. Owing to my roomie's dad's loving ministrations, she's still running and, thanks to the dry, Colorado climate, her frame - while showing a little wear and small spots of rust, is still nicely sound. So, when my roommie's sister upgraded her car, she passed Skeeter on to another friend in need. 

They were kind enough to send me a picture update:

Skeeter in 2012

Long live Skeeter!

How To Make It Rain

It is December 31st. I live in Chicago. What is up with this rain??

Oh wait.

I got my car washed yesterday.

Nothing like camping and car washes to bring rain to wherever I am.

I thought, since it was winter, that things would be different.... guess I should know better than to get a car washed, even in December.. Hehe.

Happens every time.

Visitor

Tonight I came out to my car and this little guy was waiting for me:
It made me smile.

Hot Wheels

It's Finished!!

Well, our GIR-mobile officially won 2 of the 4 speed races.. and was a close second for "Most Original" (a banana split car decorated with a real banana peel slipped to first place). But we've got a lasting memento of the ward Pinewood Derby night and it ROCKS!

We Picked One!

And henceforth it shall be called Gus. 

  

And of course:

(Some things never change)

Weighing My Options

Right now, my hubby and I are a two-car family. It's not so much out of necessity as much as it is just a carryover from before we were married.

His Car:

2004 Subaru Forrester

My Car:

2005 Chevy Cavalier (Maggie)

However, realistically speaking, we could get by just fine with one. And, for a while now, we've been seriously considering consolidating and becoming a single-car family, but that's where things get complicated. How to pick which one should go?

Both cars have been good to us. When compared, they do have their individual pros and cons, but we're each quite fond of our own... and not so much a fan of the other. So, simply selling one isn't really an option. So we concluded that we'll have to trade them both in and find a different one we both like.

This has brought about a pretty serious round of car research. (Hooray for Consumer Reports!) It's been an entertaining process. Turns out, we both look for different things in a car. Of course there are all sorts of things to factor in, but when you boil it down to what there MUST be, I'm all about smallness and gas mileage and he's more interested in what the inside has to offer (i.e. where the adapters are located). Both things are very important to consider and, as it happens, there's a pretty wide range of cars where our number one concerns overlap.

So, we've finished the first wave of research and have narrowed the list down to 7 potential choices; all of them rank about equally overall... Now we've come the point where the usefulness of online research ends. Now we have to go take a look inside. So, for the next little while, our weekends will be filled with us checking things out in person. I'm pretty excited!

Anyway, so in all of this, the cuteness level hasn't really been much of a factor in our decision making process.. but I'm curious, and just for giggles, I thought I'd pose the question: Which of these do you guys think is cutest?

(in alphabetical order)
1) Honda Civic


2) Pontiac Vibe


3) Scion xD


4) Subaru Impreza


5) Suzuki SX4


6) Toyota Corolla


7) Toyota Matrix



Thoughts anyone?

Travel Companions

Once upon a time, in the fair land of Chicago, there lived a beautiful maiden. One bright spring morning, in 2007, this fair maiden received a grand gift of a 1996 Dodge Neon. This beast of metal was christened Sylvester the Super. Sylvester was a noble machine; though ancient in years and imperfect and worn in body, Sylvester was a trooper.
For an entire year the fair maiden enjoyed the company of Sylvester the Super. Together they traveled many miles, visited many stores, carried much cargo and many people. The mobility enjoyed by the receipt of this grand gift was not unappreciated by the fair maiden and she shared the transport freely.

However, despite the dependable spirit of this beast of metal, it was clear that Sylvester was growing tired. The many ailments* that plagued this noble machine had taken their toll; it was clear Sylvester was dying. Still, the fair maid did what she could to ease the decline and prolong their time together.

Then, one fateful weekend in the early Spring of 2008, the maiden and Sylvester traveled to the distant land of Plover. They began their journey of 250 miles boldly and with determination, despite the heavy snow and slow traffic. About 60 miles from their destination they broke through the howling storm into the chill night. As they traveled on the lone, plowed lane in the highway, a light snow was falling quietly from the dark sky. Passing fields and trees and the empty highway, they continued carefully north. Suddenly, as they rounded a curve, Sylvester lost his footing and together they slid off the highway into a snow covered field. As they slid, Sylvester spun and they left the highway going backward. Fortunately, their descent was cushioned by 8 inches of freshly fallen, powdery snow.



Once they had come to a stop, the maiden emerged to survey the damage. Sylvester had once again proved himself a faithful friend; Sylvester had taken quite the beating but the fair maid sustained no damage. Covered in snow and completely tangled in a fence, despite their best joint efforts, the maiden was unable to pry Sylvester from the field. The cavalry was called and eventually Sylvester was carried to a nearby clinic to survey and nurse his wounds.

Sadly, the damage had been done and the final blow delt. On March 25, 2008 - almost exactly a year from their meeting- the two friends were forced to part. Sylvester the Super now rests in the clinic and the fair maiden went on to seek out a new transportation friend.

Happily, the quest for a new companion began and ended quickly and with great ease. The new companion, a 2005 Chevy Cavalier, practically leapt off the lot with excitement when it saw the fair maiden, and before long she took it home and it shall henceforth be called Maggie.


====================================
* Things weren't all bad with Sylvester; all his windows rolled up and down, he'd recently gotten an oil change and the radio was great. There were some new dents, but main damage from that night was when the fence ripped off the exhaust system from the frame, but here is -

What Ailed Sylvester Pre-Fence Tangling:
-Blown head gasket (oil all over the engine)
-No pressure in the cylinders (made for painfully slow acceleration - zero zoom)
-Engine idled alternatingly fast and slow when the fan for the heater was on
-Speedometer would occasionally not work
-Leaky gas tank (not all the gas made it into the tank)
-Dented gas tank (didn't fill up all the way)
-All four struts were shot
-The belts were wearing out and needed replacing
-Brakes needed to be looked at
-Tires needed to be replaced
-Lock cylinder in driver's door had fallen into the door (to unlock the car one had to enter through the passenger side, reach over, unlock, then go around and open the driver side door)
-Tail light cover broken on right side (covered with red tape)
-Brake light holder rusted out (no blinker on the back right, despite the brand new bulb)
-Passenger seat wouldn't move forward (to get into back seat driver had to get out to let people in or climb over the seat)
-Driver side door (the old one replaced early on in their companionship) had the inner panel coming off - AGAIN (held in place AGAIN by duct tape)