random

today, on our way to the mall, my five year old stepped outside onto the ice and immediately found himself lying on the ice, surprised and wondering how he had gotten there. the tears came, and in a burst of temper, he informed me that he hated the ice, and wished it would go away and never, ever come back.

a minute later, tears forgotten, he was chattering cheerfully in the car, informing me that we needed to make a snowman with all the snow before it melted. i was amused at his easy change of heart, but that's how kids are.

i'm inclined to agree with him on the ice part. currently, the van has no hopes whatsoever of reaching the summit of our rather steep driveway; and so it sits at at the bottom of our drive, no doubt giving the neighbors something to laugh at every time they drive by.

we currently are the proud owners of an aging mini van, something we bought (used) when i was still pregnant with clay. now, almost 6 years (and many more miles) later, it is nearing the end of its usefulness. the gas gauge is broken, and so is the odometer, which forces us to carry a can of gasoline in the back, in case we run out of gas, as there is no way to tell how full our tank is. the windshield wipers are also broken, which makes driving in the rain something akin to riding a bicycle in a hurricane wearing swimming goggles.

however, when it is dry outside, the van proves reliable, provided the gas tank is full. however, it could be worse. in the wal-mart parking lot the other day, i saw a van missing the glass in a window; in its place was blue tarp, held securely with duct tape.

you can get alot of things fixed with some tarp, duct tape and some old clothesline. my dad had an old car that lasted for years. when the bumper rusted off, my dad loyally refused to get a newer model; instead, he secured the old bumper on with some clothesline. not just any clothesline, either -- the old vintage radioactive green color clothesline that was visible from a mile away. by this stage in the game, the muffler had long since fallen off, and had not been replaced, so not only was the car an eyesore, it was about as loud as an airplane. nothing says "redneck" more than a bumper tied on by green clothesline. at least when dad finally did have to admit that his beloved car could drive no more, he took it to a junkyard for parts. i knew someone who had an old 70's gremlin parked in their yard for so long that a tree was growing up through its center. perhaps some day, when the tree has gotten large enough, it will gain the same cult status as the giant ball of string and other oddities seen in the midwest.

at any rate, one makes do with what one has. thankfully, our transportation does not yet require clothesline. and i'm okay with that.