Musical Cars

Usually, playing musical cars is an annoying thing that happens when I have to leave for work before everyone else and I'm parked in. Would that it were so easy this week.

OK-- so we have 4 people who need to be places, and started last week with 3 functioning cars. That's pretty manageable. Now bear in mind that one of these is a very revered 1986 Volvo 740GLE wagon whose odometer died about three years ago at 219,000 miles. It's been through several accidents (no injuries) and both kids learned to drive with it. This babe just keeps on ticking-- except when it stops on Rt 1 at 11 p.m. when The Daughter is driving home from work. So it's been in and out of the shop. I am assured that it's not terminal. During the past week, the green Explorer needed to go in for routine maintenance. We managed that ok. My little red Volvo S40 (bought used--best deal I ever got) needed maintenance, and they discovered that there was some kind of internal 2nd stage gasket or something that needed to be replaced. It was ready yesterday, but none of us could get over to pick it up.

So, The Husband, The Daughter and I all need to get to work, The Son has been here and there with various commitments, and I'm about to go a little batty.

The following is not a tirade against Metro.
I think it's wonderful, and I'm a great fan but it doesn't work for our commutes. I work in Georgetown, and I've done it, but the commute time from Mount Vernon is nearly 2 hours. It would be nice knitting time--but really not do-able when one ABSOLUTELY has to be at work at 7 am, or somebody who's been up all night can't go home. (The drive is bad enough at 45 minutes). The Husband works across the river. Not only is the Metro commute and associated connections prohibitively long, but the drive sucks air, too, because of the Wonderful Wilson Bridge, (which, I might add, is going to get even worse this weekend. But hey-- better late than never. I'm glad it's finally getting built).

By the Way...
What makes people think it's ok to horn in front of you to get onto the bridge approach ramp after you've been sitting there in line for half an hour???


So here is a summary of Thursday's transportation schedule: (The Husband was attending a class in Rosslyn, which is the only reason it was this simple.) I drove the red car, and dropped The Husband off in Rosslyn, and proceeded to work. The Daughter took the green car to work near the Eisenhower Avenue Metro. The Husband took the Metro to Eisenhower and picked up the green car and went home. He drove back at 8 p.m. and dropped off the green car for The Daughter, and I picked him up at Eisenhower Avenue in the red car on my way home. Luckily The Son was out of town.

Here is a summary of today's schedule. I went to work in the green car. The plan was for The Son, The Husband and The Daughter to take the wagon to Volvo to pick up the red car. The wagon wouldn't start. The Husband and The Daughter got a ride from a neighbor to Volvo to pick up the red car. The Husband took The Daughter to work, and came back home. The wagon finally started, so The Husband followed The Son to Volvo and then The Son took The Husband to work in the red car. The Son had stuff to do, and then he picked up The Daughter. She proceeded to drive him to Winchester. I left work and went to Volvo/Subaru where I signed a contract on a previously loved Outback (sweet vehicle!) that for some reason will not be available for a couple more days. (HELP!!!!) At this point, there was a deluge, and I got to sit in Wilson Bridge traffic for an hour to pick up The Husband. He drove home so I could knit. The Daughter arrived home, informing me that while in Winchester, The Son proceeded to miss a driveway and wiped out a tire so she had to drive home on the donut. So tomorrow the red car needs to go back in for a new tire(S#*%).

There were several variations on this theme over the past week.

So anyway, all of this car-mania has put a significant damper on my ability to visit my fellow Irregulars at Knit Happens. But I have been making progress on Spring Fling. I'm about halfway through the left front. A really nice thing is that when I get to the sleeves, they are short.

And did I mention
that I also lost a chunk of a molar on Sunday night (eating a slice of Atkins bread-- not even something fun or yummy), so I needed to factor in a dentist appointment in the middle of this craziness? Well, I guess I didn't, but now I did. I get to spend 2 hours next week doing the crown thing. And we've maxed out the dental insurance. I'm thrilled beyond words. But Hey-- I've got teeth. For which I am truly grateful.

And I found out that one of my friends is going to be moving. As much as I've moved, I still get really sad... but I'm happy for the new opportunities and experiences she'll have, and that she'll be near family.

So maybe I'll be able to get to The Shop on the weekend. I sure hope so!