Car Shopping

So I take the green car, 1995 Saturn SL2, to Saturn for an oil change. I tell them that I've also noticed that the windshield wipers have gremlins (they go on and off all by themselves - no controlling them at all) and the coolant fluid level light just went on. Ellen, who works in the service department at Saturn gives me the eye - you know that look - it's the "Oh, no. What else could be wrotng?" look. I give it right back to her. Yes, I just brought the car in because I blew out a tire on a curb. Yes, the last oil change included putting on a new front axle boot arm thingie that was wicked expensive. Yes, the car has almost 120,000 miles. Yes, please, can we keep it going until the spring, I really can't deal with this and everything else...

She comes back out in 30 minutes and heaves herself onto the couch next to me. Yup, needs a new radiator. $650. Yup, needs a new windshield assembly. $400. Nope, leaving the car windows open during the amazonian rainstorm didn't cause it. (phew) Brakes OK, clutch OK, everything else OK. They don't have the windshield assembly so I'll have to come back, but they can do the radiator today. It's that time in everyone's life when one's anthropomorphic sense of guilt can overwhelm one when deciding to euthanize a car.

Hmmm. Think quick. The green car is in Jill's name, and it will be traded in for a laughable amount, or it will be donated. Jill and Jasper leave Friday morning for a week in Wisconsin - she'll need to sign the car over to me. While she's gone I can drive the Vue, so maybe I can limp along for a bit. I ask Ellen how long I have and she suggests maybe a week before the radiator completely self destructs. Great. Think again. Next week I'll be PMS bitch from hell - not a good week to make decisions, because I'll drive off a car lot driving a Mini Cooper, Toyota FJ or any number of other idiotic, though fun, car choices. OK, I should start looking now, see what I find, and if I don't find anything great then I still have a few weeks. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can just ride my motorcycle for a bit.

Saturn has a 2002 Vue, 6 cyl. AWD. ORANGE. Cool. I make an appointment to go back Sat afternoon to take it for a spin. I also decide to take a look at the Honda Element and Honda Fit. DOn't have any other options, but there's a million dealerships on Rt. 1, I can just stop at them all.

The Vue is fine. Just like the one Jill drives, feels totally familiar. It has 62,000 miles, but is only $11000. It will get me through the next few years. The Element is out (sadly) because I can't get a baby seat in it in a way that makes me comfortable. Too bad, because you can get it in a modely that is almost completely washable - all rubber plastic all over. Great for me, great for messy kid. The Fit is also out because I can't adjust the driver's seat so I can see over the hood. WTF? Otherwise I loved it. While I'm at that dealer I see a few Scions. They are cute. I like the xB - really boxy, funky. They had a green one - wicked green - like M&Ms. It was a standard, so it was right out. However, they have a fun blue one in the showroom - 2006, pretty punked out, less than 10,000 miles for $16,000. Hmmm. A bit more than I was thinking, but might be workable. I'll take that for a drive Sun.

Also stopped to look at Subaru - nothing jumped out. Nothing else jumped out anywhere else - except this big burly dude who was pissed at me for staying on the phone with my mother while walking around the lot. Like he is more important. (Thanks, Mom, for being my shield against moronic and slightly scary used car sales freaks) As I drove out of the lot, still on the phone he gave me such a look! Like scaring me into buying a car from him is a good idea!

So today I'm going to drive the Scion. This is what it looks like, though it's not this exact car.

This is the Orange Vue


Final Note: Jasper and I went to the grocery store this morning. On our way home I noticed the Low Coolant Fluid light on. I might have less than a week....

I Just Can't Stand It!!!

Easy Reader Rocks. Check out Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno:



And this one also killed me - Stockard Channing! Be still my heart....

Potty Talk

OK, so 15 months might be a bit early for potty training. But this kid has been saying and signing "diaper change" (which comes out like "diapah cheeeee") for months now, and every time she says it, she needs it. She now says it WHILE she's peeing, an interesting development. Earlier this week she was getting ready for her bath, a process that involves throwing a bunch of toys into the tub, watching it fill up with water, stripping down the kid, and at the LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT, taking off her diaper. Why wait until the LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT? Because watching lots of water flowing into the tub makes this little girl's bladder kick in and she pees. I figure if she's covered while watching the tub fill up, then we're good. If I whip off her diaper and plunk her into the tub and then she pees, well, urine is sterile. This particular night, she was diaper-less watching the tub fill, and started to pee. This is interesting stuff, so Jasper was watching as she peed. Jill caught it quick and scooped her up and plopped her on the toilet. Fascinated, Jasper watched herself pee into the toilet. Excellent! Great Job! All of the appropriate accolades were pulled out. First time a kid pees in the potty is a cool thing. (and I missed it... ) Peeing done, Jasper is in the tub, having good clean fun. After only a few minutes she starts saying "all done", or rather "ALL DONE! ALL DONE! ALL DONE!" OK, so she's done with her bath, out she comes, gets all toweled off, puts on her lotion, and runs around for some post-bath naked time. We all need post-bath naked time. What does she do? Runs around for a few seconds, then stops dead in her tracks in the kitchen and poops right in front of the fridge. Guess she was ALL DONE with her bath because she was NOT ALL DONE on the toilet. Next, she checks out her creation, notices that she has a new ball, and starts to kick it. Nice. The next star in Bend It Like Beckham is my kid, the Sooper Pooper.

This week's plan

Here is Jasper in Uncle Steve's favorite shirt. Note that she is also wearing her hat from Ofa's alma mater, St. Bonaventure University. And she's sitting in her pimped out ride, having a swig of cool water.

Today is Sunday. SUNNY. Should be at the beach, but instead I'm sitting her in front of my computer, having my coffee and listening to Carbon Leaf on iTunes.
I should also clean and pack some stuff.
This evening I'm hanging with my Improv classmates. We just finished level 3, and Improv Boston is having open auditions this week. Most of us are auditioning, and mostly for shits and grins and experience. We'll get together for a few hours, play, remember not to ask questions, to say YES, AND... , think "if this is true, what else is true", and get out of Brent's way when he flings himself across the stage. OH, and today is Father's Day, so I have to remember to call Ofa....
Monday is training day @ Ionia, and IB auditions. Jasper also has her 15 month check up. She's 23+ lbs - ooof. Slowly building up my biceps and triceps. This week she went down the slide all by herself at daycare. Go Bug! She is singing and dancing more - though she has a way to go to keep up with the Feldman cousin.... he can bust a mean move, that Seamus.

Like you all really want to know what I'm up to...

Succumbed to sibling pressure.
Resurrected Blog. Changed Name. Changed theme. Perhaps I'll write more here now? If you all comment then I'll write more.