Aging ourselves...

A few weeks ago, we got the seed in our minds that we should start looking around for a new car. The Stratus had put in 11 years of faithful service, and it was time to retire him to the parking lot in the sky.

It was a little sad for me to hand the keys over... that car had been my Christmas present the year I got back from London, and it drove me through college, my first job, trips home, trips to visit friends, a late-night trip back from ISU after a date weekend gone wrong. It chugged along admirably, and I'll miss seeing its rusty little self in my driveway.

So, onto *bigger* and arguably better things: we decided to dive in the deep-end of mature adulthood and buy a Buick. Well-- let me clarify... It is a Buick Rendezvous, but it's pretty much the same as the Equinox/Torrent line of things, so we use that thought as our saving grace when defending that amazingly enough, we're not yet AARP members.

Hah-- just you laugh now-- but you'll delight in our spacious and luxuriously-refined interior if you ever have the opportunity to ride with us.

So anyway, the driveway looks a little different these days, and we're starting to be okay with that. However, we've already fielded the awkward questions-- Isn't that a minivan? Why do you need all that room-- do you guys have some news?? Optional 3rd row? You could probably squeeze a few carseats in there.... SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE... does any vehicle larger than a standard 4-door sedan require a congressional hearing?

:::

In other news, we've been very neighborly lately, which is refreshingly nice. Saturday evening we had a cookout with friends and neighbors on one side, and Sunday, our other neighbors carefully backed a huge rented flatbed truck onto their driveway with 5 tons of salvage Chicago brick. After we returned from some errands, they had barely made a dent, so we offered to help and knocked out the rest of it with them... They are planning on putting in a patio behind their house with the brick-- and knowing their pace-- it'll take awhile.

It's been the most beautiful weather this weekend, and I'm feeling happier for sure. Next: we have to start working on trip planning. It's coming up in... oh... 27 days?? EEEee! French Riviera bikini body.... eeks.

Better get crackin....