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| lone car in the driveway |
For the past, well it's almost two years now, we have had just one car in our family. I wish I could say this was out of some stewardship of ecology but no, it was because of my silly mistake, my selfish idea that I could have my ultimate car... but then that car only worked for 6 months, now it's sitting at our local 'garage' (which happens to be called "Pitchers Garage" - yea, I'd like to pitch it at this point!). Anyone looking for a Mercedes wagon 1992 300TE navy blue with camel interior - yes the perfect car, which sorely needs a new engine - email me. Can I add what a GREAT feeling that was for 6 months! kids loved the jump seat in the back, I actually felt like I had to get a bit dressed up to drive around in it, it made going to anyplace at all such a DELIGHT. Unfortunately it came at the beginning of a time that we could not sink money into fixing it, so there it sits.
I know this story was not going to be about MY car but when it comes up I must take a moment to wax-on about my beautiful car. For the last two years I have been eating it -- every time we could use a second car, every time I want to go someplace while my husband has the car with my son at soccer - I eat it. But I have to say that it DID come around to a learning experience, a realization that yes, you CAN just have one car per family, it's not easy but it can be fun.
Maybe fun is not the word, there are numerous times when I walked out to the driveway to hop in my car to run an errand only to realize, um... I have no car. My husband travels a lot, this helps, he has hardly noticed we only have one car. We both work from home, you may think this helps but it doesn't. At the beginning of the day we usually announce what errands we need the car for throughout any given day. "I am going into town, post office, grocery store - let me know if you need anything". A movie presents a special little problem, make sure you don't need the car for about three hours! It's usually on the weekends with soccer for the kids and other things that I start to hope that some day we might have another car. Meanwhile, it's driving, dropping off, running an errand as fast as possible or taking your time... trying to fit it into the pick-up time.
Here's the joy, from time to time, you drive together to do something... now, I ask you, when do you do THAT when you have two cars!! In my memory, never! I don't know in the end if it is helpful, economical, or saves anything... but it is an exercise in communication, patience, and time management so that can be a good thing!
For now, I am hoping to get another car, it just feels like a bit of craziness in my life that I don't think I need. One of these days I will be able to fix my Mercedes... it's STILL my favorite car!
