Good Morning

I must have done something right. This day welcomed me with a multitude of good experiences. Driving into town, the sky was illuminated deep pink as the sun gently nudged the darkness off of the horizon. Rolling down the country path, my four year old described the horses she saw eating their breakfast of hay. She looked at the rolling road ahead.

Turning toward me, she said, "You know, the earth is in space."
"That's true," I affirmed.
"And if we are driving on the earth, [pause] then in fact, we are driving in space."
"That's true," I affirmed. Thinking of the abstractness of her thoughts, I was amazed. "Good thinking, Ev!" I assured her.

After delivering her to daycare/preschool, I ventured toward Clearbrook-Gonvick High School, just outside of Clearbrook. I had the pleasure of judging the Poetry Out Loud contest which students in Vanessa Pulkabrek's class were required to enlist in. Today's contest was the city level, which is a stepping stone for 2 students who will advance on to the regional, state, and national competitions (hopefully).

The contest consisted of each student reciting a poem of their choice. The students gussied up to perform the chosen poems with dignity towards themselves, their audience, and the original authors of the works. How refreshing to hear high school students performing poetry. These kids had truly learned the meaning of the poems. They brought them to life. What a treat. Poetry is life, distilled. Teenagers drinking up such an elixir is magical.

So, I am thankful that the sun still dyes the sky at dawn, that young children allow their senses to be saturated and still think far beyond the concrete world they live in, and that teenagers can find the simple peace and universal understanding in poetry. Good day.

Car Thought

In the past six weeks, I've spent over $2,000 on my car. As a result of this experience, I find myself oscillating between two thoughts: attempting to continue to drive my Jeep Grand Cherokee - it is paid off and that feels good, or purchasing a good, pre-owned car with fewer miles - while I might have a car payment, my hope is that I wouldn't have a regular mechanic bill.

I decided to keep driving the Jeep while keeping my eyes open for my car of choice, a used Subaru Forester with less than 60,000 miles, a sunroof, and a price less than $9,500. After much research, I can happily report that such things do exist.

Much advice has been offered in regard to shopping for a used car. I invite any that comes my way. Allow me to list a number of the suggestions that have come my way.

~ Have a clear understanding of what you can afford. If you have a loan secured at the bank, don't tell a car dealer what you've been approved for. That is none of his/her business.

~ When you go for a ride in a pre-owned car, make sure the radio is off. Listen closely to the sounds in and around the car. You should not hear any odd noises. Roll down the window and listen as the car comes to a stop, as the car takes off, and as it cruises down the road.

~ While riding in the car, sniff the air. Consider the smells you take in. Did the previous owner smoke? Did the dealer/seller attempt to cover up the smell? Does the air smell damp or like the air around a swimming pool? If so, there could be a water leak somewhere in the engine.

~ This one might surprise you, it did me. Get out of the car after driving it, bend down, and take a whiff of the tailpipe. Is there an inkling (or more) of rotten egg smell? If so, you might have a lingering catalytic converter problem. A stinky and costly issue indeed.

~ Take the vehicle out on the highway. How does it sound? Is there road noise? Does the cruise control work?

~ Find a car of the model you are looking for that has at least 30,000-50,000 more miles on it than the target mileage you are looking for. Take the vehicle for a drive. Look around inside. Check out the upholstery, the dashboard, the seats, and the comfort level. Look at the paint on the outside of the vehicle. Pay close attention to how it drives and sounds it makes. Think about the fact that this is how your car will age. Ask yourself if this is the car you want to drive.

~ Open the hood and look at the engine. What do you see?

~ Sit in the backseat. How is it?

~ Pay attention to the seats themselves. Do they fit your body? Will you be comfortable driving for long distances? Consider how your back feels. These specifics might not seem important during the short time a car is test driven, however, they will be important when you take your first road trip.

~ ALWAYS CALL THE PREVIOUS OWNER!! Dealers tend to act like this is a bit of a big deal. The protocol is that the dealer calls the previous owner in order to get permission to share the telephone number with you. Be patient and wait for that phone number. Call the previous owner and ask about the car. How did it perform? What work had to be done to it? Had it been in an accident that resulted in any amount of damage, minimal or major? When were the tires replaced? How frequently was the oil changed? Did the owners get regular tune-ups? Take all of this into consideration before the purchase.

Here is a little advice from me. . .try to have some fun with the process! Purchasing a car can be exhausting. Have a good time!

Christmas Morning as a Co-Parent

What worked for me might not work for you, but it sure was nice.

Last year my little one was at her dad's. It really stunk to wake up and wonder what her expression was like as she peered out of the bedroom window in search for clues of Santa's presence as well as presents.

This year was my year to have her over Christmas. I felt incredibly thankful for this, but I also couldn't help but feel a little bummed for her dad. We decided to do something a little different than many separated parents and it worked out beautifully...

Ev slept at my house, as was the original plan. Instead of Santa making two trips (one to each parent's house), he only came to my house. I woke up at 5:15 to start making the traditional caramel rolls. Her dad rolled out of his bed and drove over at 6:00. The plan was that we would all be together for the Santa gifts. It worked out great for us. The most troubling aspect of the entire plan was that we literally had to wake Evelyn up at 8:45. I couldn't believe she slept so late!

I'm not sure what will happen in the future, but this worked beautifully for us this year and it was fun to have the family together for Christmas morning.