The Smart Car

I have to take a little interlude from our Friday Fun day and talk about Thursday night. The Zanders came by after we picked up our van. They were driving a Smart Car, which they will be buying soon. This is a French car that looks like a glorified golf cart (to my gas-guzzling, cowboyed, arrogant, no-eye-for-real-class kind of American mind, I'm sure). It has tremendous gas mileage, and despite its size, is basically a steel cage on wheels. In fact, it is so squat that it can be parked perpendicular in a parallell parking spot. Michael let Scott and I drive it around the block. It has a tiny engine and of course, no pick-up, but it's basically made for putting around town, which is great in Europe, but often not as well suited to our wide-open American spaces. Anyway, it would be an around town car for them, and save them a load on gas--just depends on what you want to use it for. Pretty cool, altogether.

The boys got in the car (which is shockingly roomy despite its size). This particular model was a convertible. Blane was unfazed when the roof retracted while he was in it, which was a big deal. Last September, Papa drove his convertible up so Blane could see it, and B was so freaked out when the roof retracted that he refused to get in the car. Anyway, the boys proclaimed it really cool. It was great to see the Zanders as it has been a while since we've been together--funny how that happens when you live about 2 miles from each other. They came in and we visited a while.

Family Fun Friday

Scott took the day off on Friday and we had a great day together! Scott took the boys to Belton with him because he had one patient to see. I used the morning to visit a few doctors trying to drum up more business for myself. Then we all came home, grabbed our sack lunches and after I made one more doctor visit at the Plaza, we headed over to Linda Hall Library to see Aunt Cindy's display there. For those of you unfamiliar with the library (as I would be if we didn't have an Aunt Cindy there), it is a research library on the UMKC campus. Aunt Cindy works in the rare books division.

We met Aunt Cindy there (surprisingly Uncle Joe showed up--he had other business there and we happened to see him, so he walked around with us too). Then we looked at a series of prints from copper engravings, many of which were taken from botanical sketches from Captain Cook's voyages. Without getting too detailed (and above my pay grade), a friend/associate of Captain Cook collected the botanical sketches from his voyages (CC discovered Hawaii and made trips to Tahiti, and charted coastlines of New Zealand and Austrailia--he was accidentally killed in an incident in HI), and had them preserved as copper plate engravings. It never made it into publication because of the expense at the time, and was only in modern times has the "florilegium" been printed up. The plates were purchased by the library and are stored there There were exquisite prints of exotic plants--just breathtaking to me as a plant lover and an erstwhile artist. Plus the kids and I knew the story of Captain Cook from one of our ValueTales, so that made it more meaningful to us. Then we went back to where Cindy's office was and Scott and I got to go into the vault with her and look at these ancient rare books. She opened that door and you could just smell the centuries in that cooled room...that musty old smell of time. Anyway, she showed us these books from the 14th century, printed in Latin...with actual penned notes in the margins! I was fascinated just touching those old vellum (?) bindings. The Captain Cook florilegium copper plates were stored there as well, but they are so heavy and large, we did not look at them. Of course the boys were a) uninterested and b) forbidden from taking more than a few steps into the vault. There would not be enough leaves in the world for them to rake if they did something to one of those books. I think we would all have to resort to indentured servitude.

The Van is Back

We got our van back, by the way.

New Names

I'm a little behind since we've had a busy few days.

Seth said something funny in the car on the way home from church Wed. night. He said, "Mom, what was your name when you were a little girl?"

"Diadra."

"No, what was your name when you were a little girl?"

"You mean my last name?"

"No, your first name."

I wasn't sure where this came from. "It was the same as it is now. Did you think you get a different name when you grow up?"

"Yes," he replied.

Later that night, he asked what Uncle Dan's name was when he was young. I told him it was Dan. I think he finally got it.

Van Update

Scott came home about 4 pm yesterday and we stuffed everyone in the Altima, because we were going to transfer the van to the dealership. The van apparently has problems with the computer, which is good news, because the dealership put in a new computer 6 months ago. We can't imagine that it's not under warranty. Anyway, I insisted that all the babies stay in the Altima with me, as I was not crazy about Scott driving ANYWHERE in that van after what happened on Monday. But the mechanic said it was drivable, so I agreed. Scott got in the van and drove around the parking lot. I could see rhythmic puffs of smoke coming from the exhaust pipe--it was not looking good. Finally, he backed into a parking place--it was NOT road-worthy. On the way home, Scott called Farm Tow again.

Later Blane was walking around the house with his "cell phone", reeling off our phone number, pausing, and then saying, "Correct!". I guess he was calling Farm Tow too.

Boys' Toys

Seth went up the street to play with his friend Paige today (she's in his kindergarten class). He arrived back home an hour later with Paige and Lauren (who is also in his class). Paige, Lauren and Seth tumbled into the house with Seth excitedly exclaiming that Paige had given him three toys (McDonald's Happy Meal toys, but still...). I turned to Paige.

"Are you sure you want to give him your toys, Paige?"

She shrugged with a disinterested look. "They're boys' toys."

Seth was just about as excited as Christmas morning--a dancing wind-up bee and two chattering skeleton heads.

The kids set up a "campsite" and then decided to rummage through all the sports equipment. Later I found what was left of a raquet handle sticking up in middle of the backyard. Good thing we don't have expensive stuff!

Tow Truck

Yesterday, on the way home from school, the car started to sputter and the power braking went out. Fortunately I was on level ground and going slowly, so I was able to stop with no danger (the brakes worked, but it was more difficult to stop the car--I had to press really hard). We have towing service with our insurance, so I called Farmers' and after 15 minutes of talking with a very courteous phone rep (who sounded outsourced to Mexico), we were informed that the tow truck would arrive in 30 minutes. We had to stay the car, even though we were about a half-mile from home. Seth immediately began exclaiming how terrible this was, and why couldn't we just go play out on the sidewalk? After much button-pushing up in the front of the car, a bathroom break shielded by the door, an attempted "nap" in the very back with the snow blanket, a few tic-tac-toe games, and a dots war game with Zac, the tow truck arrived. We all stood on the sidewalk as the tow truck used a pulley to crank the van up the ramp, then the ramp leveled on the back of the truck, and they secured the van. It was a fascinating sight for three little boys. I told them where to take the van (Scott was already in contact with our mechanic) and we went home. Of course, it had been 70 degrees at 2 pm, so Blane, Seth and I were in shorts and T-shirts, but a cold front had since blown it, so it was a bit nippy walking home. Fortunately, Seth had left a coat in the car, so he was okay. Blane and I made it without too much trouble as well (it was only a 5 minute walk home--especially when we were cold!). We will see what the diagnosis is today!