New Car!!

I got it! I got the new car! I don't really know how I managed, but I convinced Kevin to let me get the Accord and keep the Explorer. Although I hate having to spend every third or fourth day at the gas station, filling up for $50 or so a pop, I am also not ready to give up the luxury/convenience/feel of having a big road-hogging V8 SUV either. So in a year that one will be paid off, and we will have it for virtually no additional cost.

The new car is a Honda Accord, and, so far, I love it! It's different in many ways, obviously, but it is so comfortable, cute, and fun to drive. I have driven about 70 miles in it already, and have used 1/4 tank of gas. The thing is that the pin may stay on the 1/4 tank for many more miles, as it seems to do. I will see the benefits when I first go to fill it up. I am so excited!

I took the Explorer yesterday and washed and vacuumed it, had it inspected, then pulled it into the garage and sealed it up there. I will still need it for times of bad weather, when I need to shuttle multiple kids, or if I am going to park it somewhere where I don't want people looking into the car. (Such as last night, when I was lost in Asbury Park! Would not want to be in that situation in a little Accord with the new car tags still all over it.)

And Puff is doing amazingly well. We went and had her stitches out yesterday, and she's happy as can be. All it took to get her over the trauma was a bit of sliced turkey. She stays out a lot more, she plays, she purrs - she is like a new kitten, and she is so beautiful. I tell her that every day. When the tech saw her dumped out onto the table, she even exclaimed, "hello, Beautiful!" Puff obviously knew that meant her, because I call her that every day :-)

So tonight we are going to Bahr's again, for my birthday. That is the best part of January, I get to go to Bahr's twice. But, alas, since we have to drive the Doll, we have to go there to get her - it's such a pain. Then we all cram into one car, which usually means SHE gets the front seat. I am hateful, I know. But it makes the trip twice as long for all of us, being packed in there and having to weave through the streets of the retirement Village to where she lives, nestled amongst the biddies.

Megan had another successful week at swimming, but she had to fight for first place in the 200 IM yesterday! The girl was ahead for the first 100 yards of the 200. When Megan ended up beating her, the girl was so mad she wouldn't even look at Megan, let alone shake her hand. Not good sportsmanship - my theory is that this girl would have been put in the 200 free, but they probably thought Megan would swim it, so they took her out, and she ended up losing the IM instead. I have been noticing no schools have been giving Megan any competition since counties. Her name is in the paper today as having the fastest 200 free time in the conference.

However, if you read a little deeper, you will see that she is no longer in possession of that title. One of the girls in the other county beat Megan's best time at their championship meet last night, by a full second. So Megan is relegated to second, which is also where she is with the 500. Two of the remaining three meets could potentially serve her up her first defeat of the season - either in the 500 at the meet this Tuesday, or in both the 200 and 500 next Friday, when she races the other county's champ. The conference meet on February 9 should be a challenge. If all things line up well, she could get her National times at that meet, with that competition, and probably a 3rd place seed in both events.

Brian continues to be difficult, with his homework retaliation and general belligerence. I have decided to remain hands-off for the rest of the marking period, which I think is only a week or two. If he can handle it, his grades will be unchanged or improved from last time. I already told him if I see anything below a B on there, he is out of luck, and will have to do it my way for the rest of the year. He agreed to that, but we'll see.

So it is not surprising that I am on the fourth day of a headache. And I don't expect my birthday dinner to make that much better. Sometimes, it's barely worth going.

K-Cups to go

Amidst much fanfare and anticipation, I finally bought the Keurig coffee single cup coffee maker. At the risk of appearing to be wannabes next to my sister's fancy coffee and espresso at the touch system, the ease and appeal of one cup at a time were too much to resist. No clean up? You know that is for me.

So, $149 with $30 instant rebate; three packs of K-cups at $9.99 apiece, less $5 for the purchase, and Brian and I were set to install the machine. As we followed the directions, he could barely contain his glee. Brian can hardly stand surprising people; in his eloquence, he describes the feeling: "I always get really happy when we do things like this" as he bounces his shoulders around.

We prime the machine. We brew the first cup of water. Then we brewed some coffee. What's this? With milk added, it's the color of sand on the beach! Maybe I misjudged the mug size, put in too much milk.

We try the hot cocoa. Brian says it's "ok". The happy feeling is fading. I smell it, and it reminds me of the hot chocolate I used to get at Penn Center Rink when we'd go ice skating in the winter.

But, there it is, in the kitchen, and I have to admit, it is beautiful, and easy to use. What a concept! Kevin is happy. But then he makes coffee. Weak again. He normally fills a travel mug. This morning he put it in the travel mug and it was filled to 1/3 or 1/2 of the capacity. At least it will not keep him up on the bus ride. I guess he could do a double shot, that makes it about the same price as a cup of Starbucks.

I remember my post college days. I'd brew the coffee in a little percolator and drink half. The next morning, I'd pour the remainder into a small saucepan and heat it on the stove. That was good coffee.

My strategy for tomorrow: coffee in a tea cup.