No red tent neessary as it turned out. Energy rebounded nicely yesterday in between fairly tedious social and educational calendering, running a few errands, and a final playdate with schooling friends (school in town starts tomorrow).
The weather continues to be utterly not up my alley.
A lot lot lot whirling as Fall planning continues. Daniel is here for the day, a grounding force.
Peace and love.
And a song. Heard this yesterday in the car and smiled. I never thought I'd love having Sirius in the car as much as I do!
I still haven't constructed an updated budget. Which makes me leery of spending money. But I am doing some shopping anyway to move forward on a few things.
For the car/my honey (our free trial ends tomorrow):
For my butt body (it's a pedometer):
For my kitchen (20% off best price available...it's a steam mop):
For my culinary self (reconditioned, 5 year warranty, made in USA, free shipping):
Moomin's gear shift knob. Shot with my phone camera during a brief few moments of alone time while I was waiting for Daniel to get out of his last day of elementary school. Processed a bit: cropped, tilted and color faded. I remember the "B" was mentioned in the manual (which I never finished reading), but I don't recall what it stands for.
Oh my peeps. Thank you for coming back. The sense of connection keeps me going.
I did fall asleep last night sometime after 2.
And today has been much better. Mostly because the massive sugar/corn syrup hit has been absorbed to the point where the acute damage has been done and my body is moving on. But partly because the air cooled down...it was still wet and dreary, but there was some sort of atmospheric shift.
The kids and I hit the library and the comic book store. We played another game of Carcassonne (we've played every day this week). They did some homework Cap assigned before he left. We went to Donna's for common meal.
I started up our Subaru, Giles, just to warm the engine up a bit. I was shocked at how loud he was! While I was out back I stopped to snap the roses :-) I liked how they looked like a path up to the heavens...or at least to the pine tree.
Hope something lifted you, today.
Peace and love.
P.S. I was quite tickled to find a place online that will ship you four strips of the special velcro one uses to attach an EZ Pass to one's windshield. We only needed two strips so we could hang the EZ Pass in Moomin, but where was I going to find that? For $3.67, TollTape.com will hook you up. Very fast service and shipping. I recommend.
P.P.P.S. A case of necessity breeds invention? Maybe. Or it's just kismet. My library treats are YA morsels: A Greyhound of a Girl and See You at Harry's. Should be getting Stolen in a few days.
I LOVE OUR NEW CAR!!! Love, love, love, love. It is so comfortable (my bottom is spoiled for leather seats with power lumbar support forever now...and I so look forward to flipping on the seat warmer switch come winter!) ...and watching the mileage monitor creep up and over 45 miles per gallon cruising along endless I-95? Enthralling.
We spent just shy of 24 hours in Plympton and it was wonderful. Jamie came over for the lovely backyard dinner Amy put together. It was so relaxing and the night was perfect for it. Cool enough to keep skeeters away but comfortable enough to play and play and play.
Though I can say no toads were harmed in the making of these photos...it was pretty traumatized-stunned, the poor thing.
Mother's Day was spent celebrating Cap's mom, Mummu to the four "grands" as she calls them. I was very pleased that she seemed to really like our gift, a Barnes and Noble Nook. We set it to charge right away, but didn't have enough time to go over the ins and outs with her. We will be calling upon her local techie gurus for help with that.
And what would a visit with the Plympton cousins be without a viewing of Panda Go Panda? Sorely lacking in tradition, that's what.
Sigh. Cap and I really miss Massachusetts. It's always good to visit and a little wistful to leave.
This morning, I treated myself to a belated Mother's Day and took the kids out to breakfast. We went to Toast and loved it. They are knowledgeable about gluten issues and we felt comfortable (safe) ordering. Homemade hash on the menu daily...yum!
Peace and love.
P.S. We've decided to remove gluten from Sag's diet for the next while (3-6 months). He has experienced enormous physical growth in the last six months and we suspect there are some hormonal/chemical shifts taking place based on new signs of inflammation (puffy appearance and higher than usual sensitivity). Cap and I are renewing our own commitments to gluten-free/grain-free...it has become a full blown family affair.
Does anyone else feel like 2012 is zipping along? Honestly, it feels like it is FLYING, to me, at times.
I am touching down from the whirls of activity which have characterized the past few days. I am happy. And present. Also a bit stunned.
Dragon's Way is good. Class last night was wonderful. Lovely and lighter vegetarian meals are gracing my days again. I had a strict mindset in place, but my whole system is working in concert to give itself what it needs...and a break from one part feeling like it has to take control for the benefit of the whole. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Mind.)
Wonderful to feel ease. And to experience the embodiment of balance rather than the wishful thinking of it.
Amidst the much going on, I am noticing a steadiness in spending (see "stunned", above). After decades of spending on credit, it means so much to be spending what we have. But, the time has come to hit pause. I am going to create a budget for essentials only for May and we will have a No Spend month. We will stick to the budget and not spend even a penny on anything else.
The Prius is swell. Driving it is rapidly becoming intuitive. I still have half the manual to read and haven't been able to sync the Entune system (our mobile phone carrier is not included in their online set-up which means I have to go out to the car one day with my phone and the manual and maybe even my laptop?!...too complicated to do as of yet).
Last night I couldn't find the parking brake with my foot. It was dark and rainy (the kids and I were trying to leave Dragon's Way) and I had to step out of the car and crouch down to visually locate the thing three times before I managed to find it with my foot to release it. Funny stuff like that keeps happening.
I am slowly working on an art project. Which will eventually be part of Lana's project. I have not perused the online exhibit yet (I want to finish my part first), but am really looking forward to it!
On deck for me this week:
• working on budget
• planning and prepping meals/snacks for Gem and myself for our 24 hours in Plympton and dinner in Forest Hills this weekend
• homeschooling
• Dragon's Way
• thinking on birthday gifts for two very special people in our lives
• coming up with a creative and/or fitting gift for the visiting Finns (reason for quickie visit to MA)
April has been an exceedingly "busy" month. By the end of the month we will have gone away three out of the four weekends.
I am looking forward to staying put in May. Settling into Dragon's Way, settling into homeschooling...making time for decluttering (still have our room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the boys' room and the basement left!) and making time for homeschool planning for the Fall.
Cap and I are looking forward to beginning what will likely be a series of conversations about college for the kids. What we think about it, how we'd like to plan for it, etc.
Somewhat related to this, we would like to devote some time and energy towards thinking about how and why we would like to expand Gem's homeschooling, in particular. If we had placed him in school when we moved here, he would be entering sixth grade/middle school in September. It seems a good time to reflect and assess...keeping pace with cognitive/intellectual developmental leaps of late and bearing in mind where he'd be on a pre-college "track", whether of our own devising or finding one that exists already that jives with our pedagogy.
Exciting and fun stuff.
At the moment, I am settling into life now. Which means folding laundry and watching some tv. House and episodes of House of Lies (love The Cheadle), I think. Sipping Chinese digestion tea with honey. (Temps have dropped here again...tonight's low will be in the 30s.)
Still shuddering a bit inside. Hot latte is helping to soothe.
I am going out to dinner tonight to celebrate Kelly's birthday with some friends. Cap has been working all weekend at two one-day conferences. I didn't want him to have to fend for dinner with the kids tonight. This meant shifting what I thought would be for lunch for the boys to dinner. Which meant I needed to forage at Whole Foods for lunch...not only for the kids, but for Daniel, who will be spending most of the day with us.
That meant taking the car out. I probably had enough time to walk, but it would be cutting it close time-wise...and also prolonging the inevitable. My first drive was not going to happen without me.
What's my problem?
• I grew up in NYC. My family didn't own a car for most of my childhood. My mother never learned to drive. I failed my driving test in Driver's Ed in high school. I didn't learn to drive till my senior year of college, and my main reason for taking the driving test then was knowing I would not be required to parallel park. I passed that test and got my CT license in 1988 shortly before graduating. I did not own a car. I moved to Japan for a year after that. The year after that I lived in California and I drove a rental car once or twice not very well. The year after that I lived in Japan again. (I have never driven in Japan.) In late 1991 I moved to Massachusetts. The guy at the Plymouth DMV looked at me like I had two heads when I presented my California driver's license to him so I could get a Massachusetts one. It wasn't a license, it was an ID card. I was so out of it as a driver that I'd forgotten that when I moved to Cali I opted to get the ID card (which at that time looked exactly like a driver's license) for official identification purposes. I don't remember why I did that, but it was probably because I didn't anticipate needing to drive. I had no idea where my CT license was so I had to retake all the necessary tests in order to receive a MA license. Luckily, I passed. In early 1992, we bought our first car. I was 26 when I truly began to drive. A late bloomer of sorts.
(Funny story: one of my siblings had come across my CT license at home in NY and figuring I didn't need it wherever I was in Japan or California, used it to make a fake ID.)
• I am a kinesthetic learner. I need to "do" in order to figure it out when I am learning how to do something. When it comes to driving, my confidence in driving is distilled down to routes. The more times I've driven a particular route, the more confident I am in driving...that route. Therefore, I may appear to be a confident driver overall, but the reality is that I am not.
• If Cap and I are in the car together, 99 out of 100 times, he will drive because I want him to.
• If I have to drive somewhere important (ie. first day at new job, first time visit with doctor, etc.), I will often do the drive the day/night before with Cap so I can "see" the route beforehand. I can't do this simply by looking at a map. I have to "do" it.
• Since moving to NJ, I have felt conflict and tension because living here has required more driving (older homeschooling kids with growing interests/circles) in more concentrated congestion of people, cars, streets, towns and than anywhere else I have lived. I pretty much do not want to drive outside my familiar routes...but feel bad about it.
• When I do step outside my comfort level and drive places less familiar, it takes a big toll on me energy-wise. I am very tense in every way before, during and after. And then I'm a puddle.
• It wasn't until after I had kids in the car with me that I began to take driving as seriously as behooved me. Having their safety be paramount pushed me to become a much better driver than I had been up till then. (I was 34 when Gem was born.) The last driving accident I caused was when I was quite pregnant with Gem. I rear ended someone on my way home from work because I was trying to eat a messy sub while driving. Even being pregnant didn't wake me up! I had to have that live little baby, out of my uterus, for driving safety to begin truly sinking in.
This is all to say that I've been increasingly nervous about driving the Prius for the last 24+ hours...and why. I couldn't do it yesterday, but today I was motivated.
So, I grabbed the manual and the kids and I got in the car. (No name yet...soon we hope!) I tried to remember how to start it and shift into reverse. I couldn't do it! I tried for a few minutes and then consulted the manual. I had already read that section, but didn't remember. I found the info I needed and we were on our way.
The streets were very quiet, thank goodness. I realized quickly that there was much to distract my attention: the digital readout of the "speedometer" threw me off and my eyes were repeatedly drawn to watching those numbers change...the breaks were so responsive!...too responsive!...acceleration took longer than felt intuitive...too long! I'd always remember, too late, to see if someone was behind me. Like I said, thankfully, the streets were quiet so I wasn't being a hazard.
The car is very quiet, as you may know or have heard. I was right to think it will take me awhile to adjust to not having the sound feedback you get driving a non-hybrid car. I have no idea when I will actually begin to read and understand the information on the dash regarding whether you are in Eco mode or power mode, how much gas you have left, how much battery charge there is, what time it is, what the temperature is outside, etc. etc. There is so much info lit up on the display screen!
We made it to the supermarket (five minutes away) and after we picked up stuff for lunch a big latte for me, we put the bags in the back of the car because I figured out how to open the hatchback door! My body remembered what to do to start the car and shift into drive (though I couldn't tell you know. My body knows more easily than my mind.
If I feel up for it, I will take another short trip later to the bookstore. Eek!
It strongly resembles its sibling the Prius. But, it is longer. Measuring with the naked eye, the Prius V looks as long as my downstairs neighbor's Jeep Cherokee. The Prius V's cargo space rivals and sometimes beats the cargo space of SUVs that appear much larger.
We don't need as much cargo space as we used to. But, we do like having the option to lug yet another bookshelf home from Ikea. The first thing Sag said when he stepped into the car was, "it's so big!" The interior feels very roomy and airy. Fingers crossed that this, plus the lower center of gravity you don't get with an SUV, will help prevent his bouts of car sickness (ginger chews as soon as we get in the car seem to be helping, too).
This looks so futuristic. I love it.
These cobalt blue accents can be found in and around the car. Lovely color. I wonder if the red car has blue accents, too. The other car was red, which I thought I would like. It's called Barcelona Red, for heaven's sake. But, the color was flat, with no richness. I never thought I'd like silver as much as I do on this car. Our exterior is Classic Silver Metallic. The interior is Misty Gray.
The steering wheel. It's kind of nice to be seeing the Toyota symbol again. Our first car was a Toyota Tercel and we loved it. We drove it into the ground and bought the Subaru Legacy wagon just before Gem was born, in 2000. I was remarking to Cap yesterday, during our four hours at the dealership, that I didn't remember anything about the day we bought the Subaru. He gently reminded me that I was not there, as I was big as a house and not doing much (I was on bed rest towards the end). His sister was his co-pilot that day.
The shift lever is bright cobalt blue. And on the dashboard. Our car is an automatic transmission but the shifting mechanism works differently from either car we've had before (you move it to certain positions to shift, but then return the lever to its resting position). To turn the car on you push that big button that says "POWER". Standing next to the car with the keyless remote in your pocket will un/lock the doors! Cool...and kind of creepy.
*Sigh* The lovely leather seats. I didn't get my one luxury wishlist item, heated seats, but I am very happy about these seats. Go ahead, you can stroke, I'll give you a moment.
Gem, our child who holds onto things, has been reluctant to let go of his booster seat. Laws are confusing, citing, variously, age, height and weight requirements. Regardless, in the last year or so it has become apparent that he was too tall in the seat so we've been leaning on him to bid it adieu.
A couple of weeks ago, he decided that when we got our new car he would not move his booster seat into it. (I've been tossing it into the back of the Subaru for short trips to start getting him used to riding "bareback".) Yesterday he rode in the new car without his booster. He is sad though and even claimed he didn't remember saying he wouldn't use it in the Prius. He has asked for a reward as consolation. (He doesn't know what he wants...I think he just wanted the comfort, and acknowledgement, that he was doing something of scary and different. Change is bad, don't you know?)
Baby got boxy back :-) The more crap cargo to easily pile in. The hatchback door on our Subaru has been rusted shut for...over a year, I think. A prohibitively expensive repair. (It is the handle that is rusted shut, not the door itself...but we'd have to replace the whole door or something costly like that.) I was so excited to open this door and take a picture of the cargo area...and I couldn't! I tried and tried and could not figure it out, cracking up the whole time. I got as far as page 104 (out of 564!) in the owner's manual last night...I will have to study it more today.
Cap was particularly motivated to buy a hybrid. I am glad it worked out that we could. I am really looking forward to experiencing the fuel economy! (And as the manual suggested, we won't be hauling those giant water cooler bottles...water spillage onto the electric battery = bad. The manual provides lots of laughs, you can totally tell it was translated from a Japanese document.)
Much fuss has been made (amongst certain circles) about the fact that Toyota named their Prius wagon "V". The original line of Prii, like the wagon, has three trim levels that are designated 2,3 and "mysteriously", 5. This means that if you want to speak of the wagon in the third trim level, you would say the Prius V 5. Confusing...in an English speaking non-Japanese culture.
In Japan, the letter V is culturally significant. This piece explains it well with loads of photos to back it up. I bet that's why they chose to name the wagon "V". There's a robust energy ("genki" in Japanese) implied in "V" in Japanese and the wagon = the Prius + some extra genki.
Not only would most Japanese not "see" the Roman numeral five when seeing the "V" (they'd see V = peace = good!), but the number four is considered bad luck in Japan. I wonder if that is why the trim levels skip it. (I can't explain why they didn't go with 1,2,3...possibly because 1 so often indicates "the best", which could be confusing when the 3 trim level is the "best" in this case.)
There are two pronunciations for the number four: "yon" and "shi". "Shi" is also how the word "death" is pronounced. Makes sense that they would want to avoid any association with death when branding the trim level of a car.
End of Japanese lesson for the day, class dismissed!
Pretty, pretty azaleas this morning. Peace and love.
The deed is done. We are the happy owners of a Toyota Prius V! I am so grateful to Cap for being very supportive, compassionate and cooperative, throughout the whole process, but especially today during the FOUR hours we were at the dealership.
Negotiations were unexpectedly complicated because I was not happy with the interior color of the car they had in the trim level we were planning on buying (the basic one). I started feeling car sick riding in the back of a short test drive. The color was a charcoal gray (ie. very dark) and I felt like the sides of the car were closing in on me.
I was curious to see if it made a difference to sit in a car with a lighter interior (the first test drive we took a few weeks ago was in a car with a beige interior). The only other V they had (what the wagon is called) was silver with a regular grey interior in the second of three trim levels. I could see it was a bit lighter and asked if I could sit in the car to see if I could feel a difference.
Well, I felt an immediate difference...under my butt and behind my back. The seat (backseat) was so comfortable I didn't want to get up. It felt more cushioned and supported...the nimble feedback to my body was instantaneous. So we took a test drive.
The lighter color made a difference. My eyes weren't drawn to the contours of the front seats. They skipped easily past them and out the windows. The light wasn't drawn to the dark surfaces and shone more brightly and throughout the interior of the car. I felt much better.
So we found ourselves in the midst of a brewing storm of factors:
• I was very motivated to buy today once I saw they had the car in the base trim (the one we wanted and I had done all the math for...I was all excited before I got carsick).
• I was very motivated to buy from Edwin, who I liked from the start, a few weeks ago.
• There was no question I wanted the more expensive trim level car, today. Between the two cars, there was no looking back to the base trim model.
• It turned out the extremely comfortable seats were not due to the higher trim level. They were due to the fact that the car had leather seats which had been custom ordered by someone who ended up not buying the car. (I had thought they were pleather, funnily enough.)
• The cost to the dealer for installing the leather seats, which do have more cushion and support, was $1700 (according to them).
• In an effort to get out of the house as quickly as possible, I had not eaten lunch. I thought we'd be at the dealer an hour tops and then we'd go out to lunch. My blood sugar fell below optimal levels and the last hour and a half or so I had the shakes. (We were there from 2:30-6:30.)
• It took awhile for us to figure out the new and shifting figures. Cap was very patient with me and the process, and Edwin and his boss (who had his own boss he kept having to consult with...oy) were very patient, as well. Luckily, I had done enough research and printing out of research to bring with us, that we were able to ascertain that their final offer ($2000 less than their initial offer) was a solidly reasonable price for the car. We didn't pay a dime for the leather, in the end!
• It took me awhile to get my head around the fact that the Consumers Report "good" price didn't include local taxes and fees (none of which are avoidable). Since we had borrowed the money (from my parents) on this pre-taxes and fees figure, of the base model, no less, Cap and I had to consider thoughtfully, yet on-the-fly, how much we felt we could go into our savings to cover the difference.
• Though we were looking at $2000 less than their initial offer and the final price was within the 5% above what the dealer paid for the car (not counting the leather...they eventually took that cost off the table), which defined a solidly good "Consumer Reports" price...we had to consider taking $3700 out of our present savings.
• This all took four hours...on empty stomachs. Anxiety, adrenalin, excitement, relief, joy...what a chemical cocktail.
I really wasn't sure it was going to happen today. And I was okay with that, though with each passing hour I hoped that it would. And then it did. Phew.
This was the only shot I took while it was light out. More soon.
P.S. I am nervous about driving this car. I declined to test drive it. I will be taking it slow...tomorrow Cap will be gone all day with the Subaru (which we've decided to keep through the Summer so Cap can drive himself about in it for his summer job which often requires him to be in multiple locations in a single day)...if I venture forth to forage for food I'll have to drive it.
P.P.S Cap and I have named our two previous cars...this one doesn't have a name yet.
The other night, Cap introduced the kids to a game from his teenhood, Villains and Vigilantes. They had fun.
Early this afternoon, Cap took the kids out back to play. Gem loves finding living treasures and bringing them in. (Spring has definitely sprung around here. Much like it has in Florida though are pollen hasn't quite kicked in yet.)
Mid-afternoon we headed out to Route 46, a roadway I tend to avoid like the plague. But, there were Skylanders figures to pursue and a car to test drive, so we killed the proverbial two birds.
Sigh. Part of me was hoping riding in the Prius wagon would leave little to no doubt that the Outback was the vehicle for us. Nope. The Prius was just a good fit enough that we now have some thinking to do.
The Outback is cushier and more enjoyable to drive and ride in. It also has excellent safety ratings. (The Prius' federal safety ratings have not yet been posted.) The Prius is comfortable, simpler and more utilitarian in its lines and feel. Perfect for tooling around locally, which is what we need our car for 75-80% of the time. And the gas mileage is, as you likely know, through the roof (44mpg/city driving!)
First world problem, I know. I'm not complaining. I suppose the next step is to take the kids to Subaru so they can ride in the Outback. Then do some math and hard thinking (cost vs. comfort vs. safety) about whether we want to buy for the predominant city driving or the more serious highway driving we do to visit family, the occasional vacation, and Cap's professional road trips.
One last thought...the Prius wagon is, technically, a first generation vehicle. However, I think it is essentially a Prius that has been elongated. I believe the technology used "inside" is not new in it of itself. Would buying it be risky?
I just googled "route 46 new jersey" and this photo was the first one to pop up. Traffic wasn't this bad today, but it is a craptastic byway that is clogged with stores, parking lots, industry and cars...and I hate driving on it!
Cap and I dropped the kids off at a friend's house for a gaming party and went to test drive some Subarus. We met a lovely salesman and took spins in the Impreza (hatchback/wagon), the Forester and the Outback. (We are bummed Subaru no longer makes our car, the Legacy wagon.)
The Outback was sweet. It is bigger and more luxe than our current car. The interior was comfortable and roomy. (I rode in the back because it is critical that the backseat be comfortable for our growing boys.) Cap said it felt good to drive.
Our next step will be to test drive the Prius wagon. If the wagon is not a good match for us, we will likely go with the Outback. If the wagon is a very good match, we'll have some thinking to do. The wagon is a first ever generation and, so far, all opinions shared with us have urged us not to get a first generation car.
Before we test drove, I was leaning towards the Impreza wagon because it gets excellent gas mileage. But once we drove it, we realized that it would be too small, comfort-wise, for family trips of any length. Also, the lighter frame, which makes the better gas mileage possible, made for bumpier handling according to my driver.
I'm glad the process is rolling. As I said to Cap, it was remarkable what a crucial difference it made to actually get in and out of these cars. Scrolling through websites and lists of features, while fun, can take you away from the bottom line: a car is a car is a car. Most details aren't worth anything if the car doesn't feel right when you drive it.
I was kind of shocked to meet a salesman who was down-to-earth and easy to hang out with. (The owner of the dealership fit the negative stereotype of car salesman much more.) If we do end up going with the Outback I will actually make an effort to buy it through our dude today. I liked him that much.
After we picked the kids up, Sag flipped through the brochure we'd received. He really liked the way the Outback looked and eagerly noted that it comes with an entertainment option. (He so wants dvd screens for the backseat.) He has been taking the impending loss of our current car (the only car he has ever known) very hard. I was thrilled that he likes the idea of an Outback enough to banish his sad thoughts away.
He does not have mono, appears to be at the tail end of a virus, and we've been told to watch the low grade fever and resume normal activity. He is feeling better and better, temp hovering up to 99º still on most days. (He lost 4lbs. in two weeks...focusing on fattening him back up!)
I was also here:
We never made it to the pizzeria, but his Tour de Favorite Foods is over. In the end, the grand finale won out. He really effin' loves the cheeseburgers at Five Guys. Later on this day, Sag popped a fever high enough to give us pause.
Late Tuesday night, we decided Sag and Cap would not be going to Massachusetts (we had already decided Gem and I were staying home).
Yesterday was mental insanity for me most of the day.
I was in multiple conversations with Massachusetts family about our change of plans...and managed to forget to call key people.
I was in multiple conversation with the mechanic about our car and the various long-not-dealt-with glitches and noises, etc. (He was fantastic...drove down to the house pick up my set of car keys when I said I couldn't get them to him easily because we didn't have a second car and I had two kids under the weather. He wanted to try to get the rear hatchback open...the door hasn't opened in months...and Cap's keys were not working for him.)
I was in multiple conversations with various family members from my side of the family about when we could get over to Queens to take my parents' holiday picture. I really felt the effects of my lack of balance and energy (Qi) as the day wore on and I felt more and more stressed and pressed by wanting to please the most people possible and not being able to please everyone. This is never a good scenario! It's always easier, smoother and simpler to have a singular well-lit path. Ridiculous when I consider that no one was pressuring me or demanding to be pleased. It was all me.
I continue to see how things are better than they were before. When Cap called after he was done with his class, I was able to tell him how overwhelmed I felt. He took the disjointed details I was spilling out, reorganized them, and became a quiet, reasonable beacon.
The kids were deemed well enough to travel. I packed Inge's Dip, potato chips, a just-in-case meal for Gem, a collection of cheeses, a box of crackers, a snack for the car, candied pecans for my mom...and as soon as Cap came home with the car, we endured the trip to Queens which took twice as long as usual due to holiday traffic.
The holiday pic was taken, my sister's Sauerbraten rocked, we kept the cousins as not-on-top-of-each-other as we could (germ control), and my sister popped in The Wizard of Oz (which my guys have never seen). It was lovely.
And last night at 9:35pm, we were here:
With everything going on, it was the first chance we had to food shop for an unexpected Thanksgiving at home. I think this is the first non-traditional Thanksgiving we are having since Sag was born on Thanksgiving Day ten years ago. (The store was not as crazy as I'd imagined it might be.)
I hope it's a good day for you wherever you are and whatever you do. Peace and love.
P.S. Good news on the car front. The mechanic, who happens to love Legacy wagons and has a ton of experience working on Subarus, was pleasantly and genuinely surprised to feel that our car has some legs left on it. We are starting with a relatively minor repair and if that holds up the working theory, then we will likely keep the car knowing it has another good couple of years with additional, reasonable work given the car's mileage age. Yay!
I have gone from feeling excited and finding the process fun, to feeling sick about it...and a bit stressed.
It's a money thing. Its a change thing. So psychological.
We are leaning very much towards the new Prius wagon since Subaru no longer makes a Legacy wagon. We got our Subaru just before Gem was born. 11+ years and nearly 180K miles later, I am grateful to our trusty, but increasingly tired and run down, vehicle for all its seen us through.
Here's to the future...(as she tries to keep her glass from wobbling...)
