And the Winner is...

A Ford Explorer!

We spent last Saturday driving all over creation and test driving just about everything under the sun.  I can't give you a blow by blow of everything we looked at, because at some point, it all started to blur together in my mind.  I remember liking an orange Subaru Forester, and a Hyundai Sonata.  There was a Mustang that nearly won out, too.  By evening-time, I was so burned out and frustrated that I was ready to give up and head home in defeat.

The problem was too many choices.  And the fact that I want a car that does not exist (at least, not to my knowledge and not in my price range).  I want a sporty, sexy vehicle that is convertible for the Spring and Fall, and converts in the push of a button to a rugged winter ride and cool-comfy summer ride.  I want to be able to haul my bikes and kayaks around, have lots of room for the family on road trips, and .... get awesome gas mileage.

Lots of vehicles fit most of those parameters, except for the last one.  Bottom line, I can either have an economical commuter car, or an SUV.  I know there are lots of "crossovers" out there (crossover is the new term for pumped up station wagons), but none of them seemed to fit my personality.  I am still in love with Jeep Wranglers.  I acknowledge, however, that they are supremely impractical.  It takes two people to re-install the hard or soft top, and storms roll through here so quickly that it would likely sustain water damage before I managed to get it covered up.  Still love Mustangs, too.  But a bike rack would look ridiculous on a 'Stang.  And can you imagine tying a kayak to the roof of a Mustang?  Um, no.

The Explorer comes closest of all the cars I drove on Saturday to meeting all of those parameters.  The gas mileage is the notable exception.  Excellent gas mileage and SUV don't seem to belong in the same sentence.  However, it does have a sunroof, which was my compromise on the convertible issue.  It is rigged up for towing, so we can put our bike rack on the back of it AND throw kayaks onto the roof rack all at the same time!  This particular Explorer looks sporty and sexy (so say all the guys I talk to... something about the rims?  They look like tires to me, but all the guys think they're cool, even the guy I returned the rental car to noticed them and told me they were cool).

So, there you have it.  A new (to us) car.  I really hope I don't have to go through that again for a long, LONG time!

Car Shopping

I really hate car shopping.  There are too many that I like.  And, since it is such a big, expensive purchase, I can only get one.  It is not like picking a movie or where to go for dinner... where you can try something different next week.  This is a REALLY permanent decision.  More so because we aren't the type of people who upgrade our cars every two years.  We keep them for life (or until the Universe decides differently).  We've had the Expedition for 12 years, now.  It has gone from a sleek, upscale luxury-feeling car to a dented up, rattle bang, knock about... but I still love it!

So whatever we buy, I have to LOVE it.  I feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store, because there are several that I love.  However, today I found one that might be a LOVE.

I have had a secret love affair with Jeep Wrangler ever since I was a teen.  We test drove Jeeps when we were in the market for a car 12 years ago, and I was disappointed at how rattle-bang they felt.  I test drove this 2009 and LOVED it!  There was nothing vibrating and the stick shift handled beautifully!  I had a LOT of fun with it and spent the entire test drive with perma-grin, fantasizing about all the fun sportiness of it.  I just felt young and HEALTHY driving it.  Crazy, huh?

On the more practical side, however, is the fact that Wranglers come with NO bells and whistles.  Not even the ones that we have come to take for granted.  No power windows or seat adjusters.  No power 'roof', either.  To put on/take off the soft top takes two people and a lot of effort, so it isn't something you'd do lightly.  Also, the 'trunk' space is small.  Too small for hauling a lot groceries, perhaps?  Non-existant when you take off the top and shove it in the trunk.  So groceries would end up in the back seat, which doesn't have a door for easy access.  Another down side to this vehicle is, where would I put the bike &/or kayak?  Okay, so I don't currently have a kayak... but I want to plan for it, since I sense one in my future.  The car is sporty, but can I carry my sports around in/on it?

Still, it is a sexy and sporty car that holds its value better than almost any other car out there.  So, after a year of driving it, I could easily trade it in if I decide I'm tired of ruggedness and want some luxury.

Another car we test drove today was a GMC Terrain.  I think it was a 2010.  It was a bit more expensive than the Wrangler, but MAN! it has a lot of bells and whistles!

It has a front panel just full of buttons!  I'm not sure how much I'd use the navigation system, but it looks like fun to play with.

It is an automatic.  I am okay with that.  I think sticks are only fun in sexy, sporty cars.  If it's luxury you're after, automatic is the way to go.  Although, this car had a funky automatic/manual transmission that might be fun to mess around with.  Extra buttons!

I do like it when the car makes it so easy for me to see how fast I'm going with a digital display.

Not as fun looking, but sleek and modern and grown up feeling.  And, of course, places to attach my bike/kayak to the car.  So, not as sporty, but I could take my sports with me.  Oh, and lots of room for groceries.

Did I mention it has a sunroof?  I have decided that a sunroof is the minimum I'm going for this time around.  If I can't have a convertible, I'm at least going to have a sunroof!

Earlier today, I went and looked at several cars at the Ford dealership.  Once again, I was looking at Mustangs.  I have to stop looking at those, however, because I simply live in the wrong climate for them.  If I was buying an 'extra' car, one that could spend the snowy months dreaming of balmy summer sun while sheltering in the garage, it would be a different story.  But I am looking for my primary mode of transportation.  It has to be good in all weather, and all terrain.  That means 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive.  You can see why I keep gravitating to SUV types.

So, do I go for a sporty-and-sexy-wind-in-my-hair Wrangler?  Or do I go for luxury bells and whistles?  Not necessarily the GMC Terrain, of course.  I can find those bells and whistles in lots of different cars.

I'll be making a decision fairly soon.  I'll let you know.

The Universe Speaks

It was a beautiful day, today.

No.  Really.

Gorgeous late-spring-feels-like-early-summer low 80's kind of sunshiny, happy day.

I planned to go on a bike ride with my son when I got everybody home.

In fact, I was on my way home from work to do just that.

I drive Pioneer Crossing to get to and from work.  It is a high traffic main artery connecting the more urban East side of the valley (where I live) to the more rural/suburban West side of the valley (where I work).  It is a 50 mph road.

And I was driving 50 mph.

There are light controlled intersections slicing through Pioneer Crossing every 4 blocks or so, keeping Lehi city residents from being cut off by the flow of massive traffic along the corridor.  As I approached the intersection at 500 W, I started to coast because there was a red light ahead... but I was glad that there were no cars at it because I am one of those people.  You know, the ones that like to be first off the light when it turns green.  However, the light changed to green before I could even apply the brakes, so I was still going 50 mph when the first minivan shot the gap and turned left in front of me onto the side street.

Then the second minivan tried to turn left...

RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?"  I shouted as I stomped on the brakes.   (Yes, I really did self censor in the moment.  Aren't you proud of me?)

You know that noise they use in the movies?  That hellish screeching sound?  My brakes made that sound for what seemed like an eternity... and I KNEW this crash was inevitable.

So many thoughts raced through my head in that moment.  'I'm going too fast!',  'Oh, why can't I stop?!', 'This is really, really bad!', 'What if she (all minivan driver's are "she", sorry guys) gets hurt or killed?!?', 'What if there are children in there?!?', 'Oh please let there be no children!', 'I'll be late to pick up the kids, now', 'This car is already totalled, what's gonna happen with insurance?' (yup, even the more mundane and slightly selfish thoughts push through)', 'Oh my gosh, there is another car careening through that field!'

That last thought registered moments after impact, as my peripheral vision saw a white Trailblazer plow down a wooden barbed wire fence post (the thick, nice, new kind that can do a lot of damage to a car) and go careening off into a fallow field.

You see, I had been in the left lane.  The Trailblazer was on my flank in the right lane and had been side swiped by the momentum of my collision and pushed off the road!

Not a single thought had been about my own mortality or that I might get hurt.  Okay, a little 'Why me?!?' thought might have snuck in.

Oooh!  I just realized!  I AM SO GRATEFUL THERE WAS NO ONE RIGHT BEHIND ME!  That would have been super bad.  Beyond what was already going on.

Six months ago, I was rear ended by someone in that same car.

Six months ago, I could tell you exactly what my body did in that collision.  I really don't know what my body did this time.  I was so focused on what was going on outside of my car (metal car parts flying everywhere, other cars dodging to avoid a pile up, that unfortunate Trailblazer off in the field) that I really had no sense of what was happening inside my own car.  Only after the fact did I fish my phone off the floor to call 911, and much later discovered my computer on the floor of the passenger side (no damage, phew!).  And that poor plant the PTA gave me today for Teacher Appreciation?  I'm not sure it will survive the trauma of being dumped upside down in the back seat.

Thankfully, everyone walked away.  I am so grateful for that!  The Trailblazer in the field was being driven by a young mother who had her two little girls in the car with her.  The minivan was an Odyssey Touring and the driver (truly a 'she') didn't have any passengers.  Good thing, because I hit her passenger side hard enough for her air bags to deploy.  Mine didn't.  Hmmm.  Two accidents in 6 months w/out air bags.  I'm thinkin' they are defective?

After calling 911 and verifying that everyone was 'OK' (not dying), I text-ed Helena to warn her and Will that I would be late picking them up from school.  They ended up finding a ride home (shout out and a great big THANK YOU to Alec Taylor for driving them home!).  While on the phone, I thought I heard someone shout out my name!  It turns out that my sis-in-law, Deanna, drove by at that moment and saw me!  She started texting me right away to see if I was okay.

It took forever to talk to the police, fill out the paperwork, and wait for the tow truck to come.  All three vehicles got towed away, mine last of all, because at first I thought I'd just drive it home...

...Because it was STILL DRIVABLE!  Man!  That car should have been in a crash up derby!  It's like the Energizer bunny, it just keeps going, and going, and going...

But the policeman recommended against it, saying the air bag could deploy at any moment (unlikely), or there may be damage to the radiator or hood latch (more likely).  The tow truck driver was kind enough to drive me home and on the way we discovered that he grew up with and knew my husband's nephews.  I swear!  I can always find some connection with everyone I meet!

Anyways, there you have it.  The universe is speaking to me.  It has spoken twice, now.  I am not supposed to be the owner of a white Oldsmobile Alero.  I need to let it go and go find the car I'm supposed to be driving.

Wish me luck.

P.S.  My head, neck, and shoulders are starting to bother me.  I'd best go see the doctor tomorrow.  Boo.

P.P.S.  My car doesn't look all that bad for such a traumatic incident.  You wouldn't know from looking at this that it ripped a side panel clean off a minivan, would you?

Helena's New Bed

Here is a picture of Helena's new bed.  Someday, this will be a guest room.  I'm still on the look out for the perfect nightstands, dresser, and bench/chaise to complete the room.  For now, though, she is definitely the most spoiled girl out there!

Spring Break 2012

Sorry it has been so long since I posted on here.  I have had several ideas about what to write about, but the moment has always passed me by and I miss my opportunity to record my thoughts.

There is lots to talk about, but I'm not sure how much of it I want to share.  Parenting is never easy, and there are times when it is downright painfully difficult.  We have had some difficult days around here, dealing with teens and school.  I'd like to vent, but I don't think it is very productive and may, in fact, do more harm than good.  We are in the home stretch now, with only 4 weeks remaining in the school year, so I think it will be best if I just hunker down and battle through to the end with a stiff upper lip and minimal commentary.  Someday, when it is all safely in the past and can be laughed about, I'll share the ups and downs of getting teens through their high school years.

In the meantime, let's talk about Spring Break!

Originally, I had planned to take the family on a Mexican cruise for spring break this year.  Unfortunately, finances weren't in line for that, so we didn't go.  It turned out to probably be a good thing, because this year the cruise lines closed some of the Mexican ports for safety reasons and tried to compensate by adding a US port to the itinerary.  Pfft.  Who wants a US port?  No thanks.  Maybe we can do a cruise next year and, who knows?  Maybe the ports will be back up by then.

So, we had a staycation.  Most of the vacation was pretty lame, really.  I spent half of it on getting the taxes done.  Yippee.  At least we are getting a refund this year.  Last year we owed taxes.  I was so stressed that we might owe again that I kept putting off the taxes, afraid of what I might discover.  So it was a huge relief to discover that we didn't owe after all.

Matt was on leave and spent it up in Idaho trying to find a job and a place to live when he gets out of the Marines in a few months.  We had hoped he could stop by here for at least a weekend.  We didn't have a spare bed, though, and that bothered me.  So, we upgraded Helena's bed to a queen size (her room will become my guest room someday when she moves out), and put her twin bed in the spare room for Matt.  You'd think the spare room would be the guest room, but it will become part of the master suite in the remodel, part 2.

So, we were all set up for Matt to arrive, when he sent word that he wasn't able to come, after all.  We invited him to Helena's graduation in May, so I hope he can come then.

Our one day of fun spring vacation happened on Thursday.  Megan came over and joined us for a family fun day up in Salt Lake City.  We went to the new City Creek Center.  It is a big, fancy mall.  Most of the stores were outrageously expensive.  Still, the building itself was pretty impressive, and we all had a good time doing a whole lot of nothing.

The rest of Spring Break was spent at home, just relaxing, sleeping in, and enjoying the time off.  To be honest, I don't even remember anymore what we did, because I didn't write it down right away.  That is what happens when you let the stresses of life take over.  Things fall through the cracks, including memories.  :(