GW almost died on a 67 degree day end of March. It was a few hours before I was heading to the airport with Curly to visit USCA. I took the tots to the park. I wasn't worried- GW had died a few times in severe cold - and usually when backing up.
After the park, I loaded up the 5 tots. Backed out of my space, pulled onto the road, drove 20 yards and started to lose power. NO! I was flooring the gas while searching for the hazards button. Almost at a complete stop - then BAM it took off. Close call. My afternoon of getting home from the park and leaving an hour later from the airport flashed before my eyes. What if . . . ?
I haven't driven the tots since. Too unreliable.
It breaks down so infrequently that it's hard to recreate it. The mechanic can't pinpoint the issue. Sunday evening we dropped her off to be assessed again. GW's on its best behavior at the shop.
Lad and Coach followed me in case they needed to push her. Lad had somewhere to be - so he drove separate. There I was, patting the dashboard - sweet talking with, "C'mon. You can do it." I called Coach and asked if he thought it was dumb to hop on the expressway. He thought I should probably take the expressway so I could drive fast. Me? Drive fast? C'mon.
People, I cannot wrap my brain around not having GW. I've driven her for 18 years this month. #strongattachment
We made it without issue, but I had to laugh at our double escort in my rearview mirror. * this is my elevated view from what I fear is my last time driving GW.
A few days later, Tim, the mechanic's office manager called.
Tim: I've been driving it around, so has Max. So far, we haven't had any problems.
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| photo from TMZ |
I'm begging Coach to replace GW if she can't be fixed. we need I need another van to drive the tots/babies around. Plus, we're talking about going to Yellowstone next summer. Maybe I'll babysit grandkids when I retire (Maybe wrap this gig up when my current families graduate to school? 4 more yrs?). Is it wrong to hope for a van full of grand babies in the near future?
I peeked at FB marketplace for other vans. (Shh, don't tell GW). I found a gray one. Um, slightly younger/slightly less mileage than GW. It's done it's not a former airport shuttle. It's a funeral home shuttle, complete with the name of the funeral home is on the side. What could be wrong with that?
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Recently Coach suggested that the reason I don't have enough time to write is because I answer the phone too often when our kids call.
My brain: Tell me you don't know what I do without telling me.
I've started texting him what I'm up to, what I'm working on, and how many more things remain on my list. He's been confused by this sharing of info. Why you telling me this?
Last night, I swore I was gonna write this post and finish the photo book that I started a year ago for one of my most-loved babysitting families. Their son started as a newborn and graduated to kindergarten. His little sister was also here, but with the mom's work location and his aftercare - she couldn't be at both pickups so their last day was May of '24. The photo book is over 80 pages (5 years of pics!) and I'M SO CLOSE TO BEING DONE . . . it's a labor of love.
Then tonight, I was gonna FINISH THE PHOTO BOOK, possibly buy some of the things I've been stalking on ThredUp (my latest addiction), and WRITE THIS POST.
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| not the version we ordered but you get the idea |
design.samedaycustom.com that swears they're gonna deliver to her high school by 11:30 am, and yes, I paid out the ass for this t-shirt to be mega-rushed. But full ride gives me a unique I DON'T CARE perspective.
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What keeps you busy that your spouse or family doesn't seem to grasp? Have you ever shopped at ThredUp? (she asks as she plans to sneak into her walk in closet and now wake Coach while trying on her own items to see if they will work and thus making part of her ThredUp shopping distraction unnecessary). Any car attachment people out there? Have you dream of driving a 12 seater van? When the photo book is ordered, I'll be better about responding to comments/blog posts. Promise.
Poor GW! I agree that driving tots in it is unwise. I guess you could rent a van for Yellowstone? A lot of people do that for vacation to save mileage on their own car and to have a reliable drive. We have cars that limp along- going only to the high school and in town. My husband taught himself auto mechanics so he can maintain our fleet. ( all cars are either over 15 yrs old, well over 100k miles, or both.)
ReplyDeleteI got some decent things at Thred Up; shirts, dresses for my daughter, and a pair of Dansko clogs. I loved them but they didn't quite fit right. I gave them to my daughter who's was in medical school at the time. They were perfect for going on rounds. I even sent some clothes in- three items were accepted and sold.
I love those cards- what a brilliant idea!
And I bet you're working on a video for Curly's graduation too- you make things interesting foe yourself!
Hang in there!
mbmom11 - Well GW spent another week at the mechanic and nothing new to report. Ugh. She's taking up a lot of real estate in the garage. Having a husband who could change oil etc. would be handy.
DeleteI'm somewhat obsessed with ThredUp. I have a fav casual dress - I bought it at a thrift store. It's like a workout/hiking dress, dry fit, etc. I found it on ThredUp and I've bought it in 2 more colors. My closet really needs a serious update. I have some very tired sundresses and these will replace those.
The cards turned out so cute. It'll be cheaper to make them at the library, if we manage to plan in advance next time- but then we need to source envelopes.
You have such a good memory. Yes, I need to get busy on the video. Eek. I'm worried my desktop won't be able to manage the task. Very stressed about that.
The van issue would stress me out. Yellowstone is phenomenal! You must go. But I'm so glad I don't drive a mini van anymore. It was horrible in the snow. I was SO HAPPY when I finished our family vacation photo album in February. Shutterfly changed the software in the middle of my project :*
ReplyDeleteBijoux - We were in Yellowstone with the kids were really young. Curly was 2.5. Now she's 18. Oh gosh - I would freak if the software changed in the middle of my photo book. Such a big undertaking. I'm unsure if I'll make photo books to replace all of the huge, heavy photo albums I've made. I guess I could have a hybrid collection. Either way, I'm a solid decade behind.
DeleteI get it. We traded in our 16-year-old Hyundai last November and I still think about how sad she was when we took all the stuff out of her and they took her license plate off and she was just sitting there forlornly in the parking lot. She did such a good job for us and was reliable until the very end. Bless you, Agnes. You did your job well.
ReplyDeleteEngie - My folks drove a '76 Chevy Impala station wagon from the time I was about 5 until the end of my college days. It was HARD to send her to the junkyard. I dressed in a black dress and black tulle over my face and we put the flowers from my sister Ann's wedding on the hood and staged a faux funeral photo shoot minutes before the tow truck came to haul her away. Pretty sure the tow truck driver had never seen anything like that before.
DeleteI have no dreams of driving a 12 seater van! We did the minivan thing for a good 10 years, and it was great for road trips, but we moved on to SUVs once the kids started driving. My parents got rid of their last minivan just a couple months ago- the youngest grandchild is now 9- so they have also moved on from the van stage of life.
ReplyDeleteI have never shopped at ThreadUp, but now that one of my kids is out of the house and left a whole closet full of clothes, I'm considering sending it out to them. There are so many pairs of jeans that have never been worn.
Kara - I imagine not many people would be interested in driving a big rig like mine. We now have my dad's rendez vous, which was his version of a minivan. Jeans that have not been worn? Yikes - yes, you def need to get started on ThredUp or Poshmark.
DeleteAw, poor GW! I hope the mechanic can figure it out! I have two pickup trucks now, since my 33 year old truck is having issues that no one seems to be able to fix. Yet. I keep the hope alive! So, I have a newer truck now too. Hubs wanted to sell the older one, but he's since seen the error of his ways.
ReplyDeleteI like ThredUp - I've found a bunch of treasures on there. And it's so much easier than actually going in person to the thrift stores.
Families have no idea all of the things we do around the house. Mine they think the house magically cleans itself. And they don't realize all of the paperwork, phone calls, errands... They must think the pantry restocks itself too, because they ignore my repeated requests to let me know when we're running low or out of something.
Anonymous - The week didn't find any problem. Ugh. So she's back in the garage, taking up real estate in the garage. Yes, I'm team keep the hope alive.
DeleteMy only hesitation with ThredUp is that I do like to try things on. I'm almost always the same size, but some brands are wacky. I have ordered a few dresses that are the same as a dress I bought at a thrift store last summer. I'm super excited. Casual dress for hiking or working out, but it's cute and I like it for just everyday wear in the summer. Light and looks great on.
Truer words were never spoken. My bedroom is a catch all and I'm really ready to dive in there and regain control over the dumping ground. My people manage to run out of peanut butter all the time, because no one bothers to mention when we are running low.
18 years is a good, long life for a vehicle! I've never really gotten attached to a vehicle in the past, but I might be attached to our current truck. Pretty much everything about it is just right!
ReplyDeleteMichelle - It is a long life for a vehicle, but I'd prefer it last a few more years till I'm ready to retire. GW isn't pretty, but dang - she does it all.
Delete18 years is a long time with a vehicle! It's been through a lot of adventures with your family and I can see why you'd feel attached. Hopefully, the issue can be identified and resolved. I think the random trips to the zoo, park, etc. are part of what makes your daycare extra awesome.
ReplyDeletePersonalized stationary was a great gift idea!
Did Curly's shirt get delivered in time?
Jenny in WV - It is a long time to drive a car that we bought used. So so many adventures and memories. It's like she's a family member. You're so right - my outings really set my daycare apart. I met a mom I used to babysit for for drinks Sat night and she was like "your van? But that was so clutch to your babysitting." The stationary was a sign of momentary clarity. It was inspired and I think that'll be our go-to gift moving forward. Yes! Curly's shirt arrived on time. The driver wreaked of pot, so the school security guard told Curly that if anyone smelled pot on her they could talk to him. Ha.
DeleteHaving an unreliable vehicle when you're driving lots of kids around is a special kind of nightmare. And also frustrating when it's inconsistent! In some ways it would be easier if it just 100% gave up the ghost but when it keeps resurrecting itself it's tempting to just hold on to it!
ReplyDeleteI HOWLED at Coach's assessment of your lack of free time. Obviously there is so much more going on behind the scenes, BUT ALSO even if it was simply the fact of picking up the phone whenever your kids call, that's not exactly a bad thing!!
In my house it's definitely the grocery shopping/meal planning that seems magical to them. Even when I'm gone I prep in advance with meal ideas written on our menu board and frozen/easy-to-prepare ingredients stocked. Tidying/house cleaning/folding the laundry may fall by the wayside but by golly we always have food!
Kate - Well said, a special kind of nightmare. Yep, talk about butterflies. The mechanic was like Bring it in when it dies, but the issue is - by the time we call a tow truck she's started up again.
DeleteI'm glad you found Coach's thought process entertaining. He really has no idea what I do all day - often while babysitting for 5-7 littles. Goodness. Not gonna lie, he takes out the garbage and mows the lawn/shovels the drive in addition to working, plus he'll grill dinner in decent weather - but, everything else = like LITERALLY everything else falls to me. I make the magic happen. (that being said, our house is often a disaster, not my priority). When the kids call me (yes, it's a good thing), but our chats are usually a few minutes at most. When I go out of town, I always have meals ready in advance. It's sometimes more of a hassle for me to leave, because I have to get all of my ducks in a row. I do the laundry and the meals with total regularity, but that laundry doesn't get sorted in a timely fashion. Rae and Kay are good about tackling a load of laundry in a basket though.
Wow, 18 years! That's quite a life for a van, especially all of the adventures GW has been around for. Isn't it so annoying when you KNOW there is a problem with a vehicle but it won't replicate with the mechanic?! It's like a naughty kid who always acts so sweet around other people. SIGH.
ReplyDeleteI used to be obsessive about ThredUp! I should poke around there again.
Stephany - You nailed it - the dang car thing is totally like a kid who only misbehaves at home. I am wondering if it's like a bad tank of gas. Maybe? That seems like an easy fix. I might be in need of an intervention with my ThredUp habit.
DeleteWhat is up with the GW? Is it turning on you, and only you? Not having a reliable mode of transportation with that many kiddos is not ideal. 18 years is a really long run from a van on it's second life!
ReplyDeleteGirl, when your kids start getting married and having babies, you're gonna need two GW's!
Your husband is really funny, even when he's not trying to be funny. Sure, it's the phone that is taking up all your time; that is a knee-slapper!
Suz - Ha ha ha. No, GW died around Thanksgiving for Reg. Same scenario - backing up in cold temps. But it's done the same thing in decently warm weather, stumped. It spent another week at the mechanic and we are not where nearer an explanation. Hee hee - 2 GWs. Coach is not on board with another GW, but hey - if it's for my work? I think we really will have to replace it. We can maybe sell it when I retire. I'm not looking to buy something new. He IS funny - mostly when he isn't trying to be. Goodness. I just delegated a phone call that I need to make to Rae's school. Our friend donated money to the school, so we need to be sure that they gave us the credit for our fundraising goal because I'M NOT BUYING RAFFLE TICKETS.
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