Ahren's broken down car

Ahren's car has been broken down for quite a few months. 

A huge snow storm is coming and we had to get his car off the side of the road into our driveway.  Our township will fine you if your car is blocking the way of a snowplow.

 Zachary is home from college, so we had to fit 4 cars into our driveway.

I wish I got a picture of how bad the storm was.  Our cars were entirely covered to the top.

~

Ahren car has since been fixed and is parked on the street again.

Car Wash

I remember a summer day in 2005 when my boys went knocking on the doors of neighbors and volunteered to wash their cars for free.  It was their idea, not coaxing from Mom or Dad!

Of course they began with Mommy and Daddy's cars.

Conversations with Zach {Car Trouble}

Tuesday

Zachary:  Mom, I have a sticker from the apartment complex on my car saying it's going to get towed.

Me:  Go to the apartment complex office and ask why.

Zachary: They said I do not have a registration sticker on my license plate and as long as I don't park on the property I will not be towed.

Me:  I mailed you the registration paper that goes in your glove box and the sticker back in March.

Zachary: What's the registration paper look like?

Me: (texted him a picture of the registration)(I was smart enough to request a second copy).

Zachary: oh! I have that.  It's in the kitchen drawer.

(Ouch! I just smacked my forehead)

Zachary: But there is no sticker.

Me:  Okay, I will get online with the DMV and get you a new sticker.

Friday

Zachary: Mom, my car was towed.

Me:  Why??????

Zachary: I stopped home to get a shower and when I came back out my car was being towed.

Me:  (two octaves higher) Why did you park on the property?

Zachary: It was only for 20 minutes.

Me: Where is the car and what do you have to do to get it back?

Zachary: They need $125 and a paper with Dad authorizing me to pick it up since his name is on the registration card.  They said the paper needs some special stamp.

Me:  You mean notarized?

Zachary: Yes.

Me:  Well that's a problem because Dad is in England.

Zachary: oh no.

(In the meantime I called the towing service.  They will not allow me to get the authorization in my name because I am not on the registration.)

Zachary: My laptop is in the car. Can I go get it out of the car?

Me: No, they won't let you do that until you pay.

Zachary: My iPhone charger is in the car.

Me: Can you get a ride to Walmart to buy another one?

Zachary: Yeah let me get the money out of my wallet in the car.

I sense sarcasm

Me:  OMG! Can you borrow money?

Zachary:  I don't want to be that guy.

(At this point my forehead is hurting from smacking it too many times)

Zachary:  I just need my car.

(I'm trying to get ahold of Todd, with no luck.  He's still in England).

Me: Working on it.  I can't do anything until Dad calls me.

Zachary:  Awesome.   He just had to go to England.

More sarcasm.

Me:  You just had to get your car towed.

Definite sarcasm.

Zachary:  Bad timing.

(Got ahold of Todd and explained the story).

Todd:  (sigh) You've got to be kidding me?

Me: The notarized letter has to be taken care of right away.  Zachary can't board the plane on *Tuesday without his license.

*(Sunday the towing place is closed. Monday Todd is flying home and won't be able to do anything).

Todd:  My hotel room is so small, I can touch both walls.  I feel like the Jolly-Green-Giant.

Me:  Focus Todd, focus.

Todd: (He gave me his hotel info) Can you look on-line and find a notary nearby?

Me:  (found one and sent info).

Todd: Thanks, I hope they are open on a Saturday.

Me too!

Winter Park or Bust

Zachary and I left for Florida early Thursday morning.  We got on the Auto-Train in Virginia.  Instead of driving from PA to FL, we only had to drive to VA.  Zach's car was put onto the Auto-Train and we enjoyed the rest of the trip on the train.

Zachary is going to Full Sail University.  We found a two bedroom apartment in Winter Park, FL.

Considering how much snow we have gotten this year, I think it's rather fitting that Zachary moves to a place called Winter Park.

His winter will certainly be a walk in the park.  Lucky boy!

Leaving the nest

Zachary is leaving today for Full Sail University near Orlando, FL.
5 days before his 19th birthday.

He will be studying… an 18 month program… straight through… without many breaks…

1,071 miles 

19 hours away

At first we were going to take two cars and drive the distance.  Since it is far away from our home we decided to take that AutoTrain.  Amtrak has a train we can take from 30th Street Station directly to Orlando.  Zachary's car will travel with us on the train and we won't have the stress of driving. 

I have been keeping myself busy by making a list of things he will need.  (It's a long list!)  Not only will he need small things like utensils, pots and pans, bathroom towels, etc… We will need to find him a bed, couch, dinning table, desk, chairs and TV stand.   A friend had a morbid great idea to look in a consignment store.  He had a good point when he said that a lot of elderly people live in Florida.  When they pass, many families do not want or need the furniture and we may be able to find good, cheap furniture.

The housing department of the college is looking for a roommate.  That will help cut the cost of rent.  I didn't realize how expensive an apartment is in Florida.  Zachary has been working and saved up quite a bit of money.  Unfortunately that won't last long.

As the date approaches, I can't help but cry. I know I should be excited for him. In a way I suppose I am.   I realize that it's a natural part of life for your children to leave the nest and lead their own lives.  It doesn't make it any easier for a mother. I am having a difficult time letting go.

It was an accident!

Ever see those cement blocks in a parking lot with a light pole on top of it?

Who would be dumb enough to drive so close to one of these bright yellow cement blocks

trying to line up the car after pulling in rather crookedly?

 Ummm, yeah… that would be ME!

CRASH!

I suppose when you have a teenage drive in the home having a minor accident comes with the territory.

It was a nice day outside and I wanted my day care kids to ride bikes in the driveway.  I asked Zach to move my car and I would move Todd's car.  Normally Todd's car wouldn't have been there, but he got a ride with a fellow co-worker that day.

I parked Todd car on the street while Zach took my car around the block because he isn't good at parallel parking yet.  After I parked I went inside the house to get the kids jackets one.

Meanwhile, as Zach pulled in behind Todd's car, he hit the gas pedal instead of the brake.  Zach walked in the house and said very calmly, "Mom I hit Dad's car".

I was expecting a fender bender, not what I saw when I walked out the front door.  The right-front of my car was up on the curb and the left-front was smashed into the rear of Todd's car.

OOPS!

I was either calm or in shock, because all I kept saying was "Oh my God!"  Zach replies "I guess Dad should have drove to work today".  Sorry Todd, but I had to smirk.

My car sits up higher and hardly had a scratch on it.  Todd's car, however, had a smashed trunk and bumper.  

I called Todd at work and I have to give him credit it for handling it well (considering he just got the car in May of this year).  All he said was "I guess I should have drove to work today." :-D

Ever melt a pair of jumper cables?

I know what you are thinking.

What? How can you melt jumper cables??

Oh my friends, I assure you it can be done!

Let me tell you a story…..

For the last few months we have been teaching our son, Zachary to drive an automatic car. 

However, the car he will be driving is manual.

Todd thought it would be a good idea to take Zachary to a parking lot with the intention of teaching him how to drive a stick shift.

Zachary's car has been sitting, not being used since the beginning of the summer.  So when it would not start today, Todd didn't think anything of it and he asked the neighbor for a jump.

Todd and Zachary went on their merry way.

Upon Zachary's first try, he stalls the car.  If you don't know about stick shift, stalling it is not uncommon, especially while learning how to drive it.

Problem though ~ the car would not re-start.

The guys called me to come "jump" the car, thinking the battery had died. Again.

We had no luck.  So Todd and I drove to Pepboys to purchase a new battery.

$100.00 and 40 minutes later…..

Todd showed Zachary how to install a new battery.

AND

we tried to start the car.

No luck!

Considering we are not mechanics, we thought "maybe we should try to jump the car again". 

Not our finest moment.

This time both cars spark when Todd puts the jumper cables on the clamps.

Then both cars begin to smoke and catch on fire!

Apparently if you do not match the positive and negatives, this is what a car will do.

HE FRIED THE JUMPER CABLES! 

I'M NOT SURE HOW THEY CAN MELT…

BUT THEY DID!

We called in the calvary.

Our friend found a fuse that was loose and Viola!

**Car started like a charm**

I think Zachary learned a valuable lesson and will never mix up the + and - signs while jumping a car.