Must Be Spring

Last weekend The Girl and I were running some errands.  The sun was shining, the temps were warm and it was the perfect weekend to be out with your car club.

They're Heeere

Genius Golfer and The Boy got in very late Monday night.  apparently--and in contract to The boy's tests he sent me on their sojourn home, GG said they went to a golf course that was a little further outside St. George than the maps made it look--30 miles west into Nevada and about 30 miles south.  So it was on the outskirts of Las Vegas somewhere and based on the road they had taken, they made an educated--but hopeful--guess they could make it back to St. George for fuel before heading north and home.

GG wasn't even concerned--he said once he was snuggled into bed last night having woken me up when they got in.  I wonder if The Boy's concern was as serious as I took it.  Maybe he was just pulling my leg.  They both think I over-react anyway.  I could see them doing that.

I'm trying to be grateful they are both home safely and that we can all get back to normal and into the routine again.  But my clean house I have enjoyed for three days by myself is now splattered with travel debris and dirty boy stuff.  Yuck.

And Finally...

This is the middle of nowhere.  Actually, I guess, this is really Downtown Nowhere.  It is where we ended up last Thursday afternoon, out of gas.

Nine miles outside of Mesquite, over the Arizona line, and just before we headed into the Virgin River Gorge, Genius Golfer's Baby Camaro ran out of gas.

This problem for me was compounded with the need I had to pee.  Having to seemingly always need to pee, I was making good on my promise to only pee when we stopped for gas--which, sadly, wasn't soon enough.

Cell phone coverage? You may ask. None.  Downtown Nowhere has no coverage for our cells.

So the choices were, nine miles with a full bladder and flip flops on my feet, or flag someone down and hope they will be kind and merciful.

Genius Golfer opted for the later.  He flagged a guy down--possibly the Mayor of Nowhere--not exactly merciful, but helpful in the end.  And for the king's ransom of $20 cash, he brought us 2 gallons of gas.  Enough to get back to Mesquite, where we should have stopped in the first place.

The sad thing is I had felt like I should ask GG to stop at the Las Vegas Speedway off ramp to pee there, and get gas, as we use that spot for a pit stop often when we take the Durango.  But I tried to tough it out and held my tongue and my bladder.

I mentioned having to pee again as we came close to Mesquite and  GG assured me we'd stop in St. George.  "Could you hold it until then?" he asked.  At the risk of breaking my word to only pee at regular stops, I agreed.  I guess I should have been more adamant.

After the world's most condescending and expensive roadside assistance by the Questionably-Honorable Mayor of Nowhere, the car started and GG asked if we should try to make it to St George or go back to Mesquite.  "Oh." I told him, "We are headed back to Mesquite.  There will be no debate on that point."

Luckily, I think, he was pulling my leg.  But, really, you should never try to pull the leg of a woman with a full bladder and head full of "I told you so's" that she is momentarily holding in.

I'm still not sure what the problem was with the math, as far as the mileage he thought we should make with his Camaro.  But we were listening to Harry Potter on tape, and perhaps (wishfully, for me) the story had transported him and he just didn't think about it as he was enthralled with the magical story of the boy who lived.  Nah.  Probably not.

But, this was the end of our anniversary adventures.  Until another 20 years, or so, I guess.

Creativity Sells, Man

 I was tipped off to this fantastic effort, car ad on a local classified site.  This guy knows how to entertain as he also tried his darnest to sell this car.  I loved the enthusiasm, and the creativity!  Kudos to you, Escort owner, for making a little car, (very like The Girl's) sound SO crazy good! Enjoy, my friends!

2002 Ford Escort ZX2

Provo, UT  84606  -  Mar 12, 2012

$3,25000

For Sale by Owner

Contact:  Doug

Member since:  Sep 08

Page Views: 106913

Favorite of: 22 people

$3,250. Price negotiable.
Clean Retail NADA value (w/current mileage): $4,825.

Well. The wait is over. The most ballingest car ever is finally on the market. This one-of-a-kind ZX2 coupe is to the limit. And it takes no prisoners.

That's a double whammy.

Features? Yeah, its got em. Like how about it comes in sparkly, get-rich-or-die-tryin green. That means its camouflaged in the forest or lush fields of grass where you will undoubtedly be taking your lady (or ladies, if you're driving this) for a picnic of skewered lamb and frosty beverages. Green = the new whatever color you want. Green = mother nature’s cloaking device.

It’s got privacy glass so you can do whatever the eff you want as you blitz past zombies on the freeway. Plus, while everyone else is looking at each other picking their nose, you'll be chillin’ in a darkened cocoon of comfort and maintaining the mystique and mystery that comes naturally when you own a ZX2.

30+ MPG? Uh-huh. Get out there and explore, Magellan.

Air Con? Check. Keep cool, my brother.

Cruise Control? Oh most definitely. Don't be like everyone else on the freeway with their stop-slow-and-go driving. Lock this baby in at 85 - Utah's real speed limit - and save on the MPGeezle.

Power windows? Power locks? Power steering? That's a fatty mcfatty yes.

AM/FM, 6-Disc CD changing entertainment extravaganza? You know it.

Leather interior? Rare for ZX2s - but not this one. Because luxury is seats that feel smooth on your butt.

Zippy 4-speed auto tranny? Indubitably.

And before you ask, no you're not dreaming - yes, that is a spoiler back there and yes. . . you want this car. Bad.

This well-maintained and fully restored beauty is a salvage title. It was bought out of an insurance pool after getting into a tiny fender bender (i.e. vicious car cock fight. . . which it won. . . with metal and brawn).

The right front fender was dented, but then replaced by a cadre of men who were born in garages and bottle-fed Penzoil. Basically all that means is now this amazing piece of machinery has more character than your neighbor’s lame van.

Bottom line: if this car were any more advanced, it would stand up and say 'Autobots, roll out!'

Photo Gallery:  (Click any image to view the gallery)

Road Rules

Last night I showed up to the neighboring pool where The Girl and her high school swim team practices for a Parents' meeting about the last month or so of  their (a realllllly long) season.  The regional championship meet is the end of this month.  The semester changes on the 17th.  That adds some trouble to practicing when you no longer have a class.  But I digress....

I showed up straight from another meeting--that one for Young Women--so The Girl had driven herself over.  As I parked and got out of the car, she drove past me with with her friend and teammate (Miss M) riding shotgun.

I shouldn't otherwise be upset about this, as The Girl was helping our Miss M's parents--who were running behind from another city to make it to the parents' meeting as well--and picking her up and giving her a ride is a nice, charitable thing to do.

But it was not legal!

She has only had her license since August 1st.  By the state's graduated licensing law, as I understand it, she is not allowed to drive anyone except family until she has had her license for six months.  For her then, that means, not until Feb 1st.  She is one month off.

Frankly I have rather liked that she can take The Boy around wherever he needs to go, or he can go with her when she wants to go some place.  And I think it is wise to keep a car load of friends out until she has a little more experience under her belt.  I can see the advantage of this kind of thinking.

We had a little run in with this before, just after school began when The Girl drive a carload of swim team members to the trail head for a dry-land practice hike.  We talked to her then and she promised she would be better about obeying the law.

I'd be happier if she would just obey us.

Another friend, who doesn't have her license yet--but her older sister does and has driven friends around for a while--continues to tell The Girl that the "real law" says you can drive friends if it is for school or church.  But our family law says "NO" to anyone but family for six months.  That defiance from her friend(s) bothers me as I see it as disrespect for my job as her parent.

Maybe I am just too high-strung about this.  After all, I got my license on my 16th birthday and drove friends to the movies that night.  A whole car load of friends.  On the freeway.  In a fast (but ugly) car.  We all survived. 

But I wasn't the mom in that case.   And that makes all the difference.

Finally

The Girl has a titled, licensed, and now insured vehicle.  It is in her name. It is her insurance policy.  She is pretty excited about it.  So am I.

When Grandpa and Grandma showed up here Friday with her little car on their trailer, she was angry with me for grounding her for her failure to meet her curfew the night before.  So she was cranky.  But instead of recognizing that the anger she felt should have been directed at me (or at herself, if we are being really honest here), she was curt and sour with her grandparents.  Rude.

I was worried that she wouldn't snap out of it before Grandpa changed his mind about the car.  But luckily, she did, and today she is pretty giddy about the little car. 

I love when the attitude finally matches The Girl's natural personality.



It Could Have Been Worse? Actually It Was.

Just got off the phone with the mechanic.  The wheel bearing hub was replaced, but still has some trouble.  Next part to fix?  The CV joint will have to be replaced.

I really have loved this Durango.  But it is 11 years old next week, and the poor thing has given me the best years of its life already.  We knew it would start to cost money, but I didn't realize it meant to do it all the same visit to the mechanic.

I think we have replaced the fuel pump and fuel tank, but other than that this is the next big thing.  Which in the grand scheme of things isn't so bad.

I just keep thinking that either of these two problems could have broken us out in the middle of ding-dong-land and stranded us there.  Instead, the Lord watched over us and we all got home safely, the mechanic is walking distance from the house, the weather is fine for a good walk and the Genius Golfer's Camaro is available for all my running around in the meantime. 

Many years ago, in college, I had a sporty little Dogde Daytona that I drove almost into the ground.  We actually out grew it--as I had it just about until The Girl was born.  I think I had to put three or four CV joints on that little thing.  So on new one on a car 11 years old isn't too bad.

I will have a blog post about the Camaro at a later time, but I have to sort my resentment about it before I post anything here, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, I am counting the blessing I have and hoping to get a call telling me the Muggle-Mobile is ready for me to pick up.

Oh, Happy Day!

Genius Golfer unearthed the Baby Camaro from its cocoon yesterday and took it to work, leaving me the smug little Honda.  Ahhhh, the joys of having a vehicle again.

The Camaro hadn't been out for a real drive since Nephew Bryce took it to prom in May!  I guess that goes to show just how much golfing GG really did this summer.  Not much.

There is something so satisfying about having a car just waiting for me in the garage, as opposed to being a parasite on my friends' good will.  Though, I do have lovely and dear friends who schlepped me around for about 10 days while I was wheel-less and the weather wasn't going to cooperate with Camaro driving.

This Camaro is really a ridiculous car for our weather here.  It is a convertible.  CHECK.  It is rear-wheel drive.  CHECK.  GG babies it and doesn't want it to get dirty.  CHECK. DOUBLE CHECK.

I love driving, and being foot-loose and fancy free.  Well, that part is not exactly right, but it sure beats begging rides from very kind and willing friends and feeling guilt about doing just that.  I still have things that need doing, and chores that need completing, and commitments that need fulfilling.  It is all so much easier and convenient (and warmer) with a car of my own.

With any luck the Durango will be repaired and back to  me about the time the kids are finished with school and are released for Christmas break.  Better late, than never.

It'd Be Easier to Just Stay Home

For the sake of my mom, as well as any one else who is  as visual a learner as I am, here are the "after" shots of the Durango while it sat sadly in the body shop impound yard.  I stopped by to check on it and to grab some stuff I left in the little cargo area in the trunk.  See how sad it looks?

Today, Genius Golfer and I were out enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, while the kids are enjoying their Cousins' Camp out at Mamacita's place this weekend.  Sadly, most of the county's residents were also out and about, and unfortunately GG had a tiny run in of his own.

This is enough for both of us for quite a while.  I think we'll just stay home from now on.  It is safer and less expensive that way.