A little background in the unlikely event there’s anyone out there who doesn’t know our vehicle story. We have a “newer” vehicle, even though it’s now 4 years and has all of 18,000 miles on it, and it has a fantastic air conditioner.  It will freeze you out in a heartbeat no matter how hot it is.  But, Vince doesn’t want to drive it and he hyperventilates at the thought of me driving it . . anywhere . . any time.  It could have something to do with the fact that there’s residue in my car from every fast food meal I’ve enjoyed while driving for the past 10 years and 2 months in my Honda.  More likely, it has to do with his fear that someone will open a door and make a ding in the Highlander, or I could run over a nail and get a flat tire.  Did I mention on here about the day I wasn’t sure the sunroof was closed completely and decided to squirt a water hose up there to see if it leaked?  It leaked — gallons!  Vince did not find that incident amusing at all!

And, we have the Honda CRV that’s 10 years, 2 months old.  My plan was to drive it til it has 150,000  miles.  It only has 85,000 miles now so I’m thinking I’ll be driving it for a very long time.  But, the air conditioner is just horrible.  Every summer for at least the past 7 years, I’ve had the car back to the Honda dealer or to our mechanic saying “Please help me!  My air conditioner isn’t working!”  They always check it and they say “Your air conditioner is working fine.  This car has a lot of glass.  It’s very hot outside.”  No joke!

When the car has been sitting in the garage, it’s not so bad but when it’s been sitting out in the hot sun with the windows up . . it takes forever to cool down!

Every time I start to go to Joplin or Kansas City or anywhere, the first thing Vince says is “You’re taking the HONDA, aren’t you?” Most of the time I do because if something spills in there, it’s not a big deal.  Since I drive the Honda mostly, I’m more comfortable driving it, as long as I can keep the sweat from dripping into my eyes!

So, Vince is coming home for the weekend.  The heat index is going to be about 110º.  I have to pick him up at the airport in Joplin.  The car will be parked in the airport parking lot, then we’re going to drop off some quilts, then we’re going to eat and who knows where else we might go . . as many stops and starts as I can legitimately make.  I’ll wear capri pants, a thin shirt and sandals.  Vince will have on jeans, tennis shoes, socks and probably a knit t-shirt.   I’m guessing he thinks I’m driving the Highlander to pick him up.  My thinking is . . after we’ve gotten in and out of that car and he’s flipped the a/c over to high and realizing it just isn’t cooling down, he might be a bit more agreeable about me driving the Highlander during the summer.  Think I’m correct?

Actually, when we get to Texas I’m probably going to go ahead and trade the Honda for something.  I have no idea what.  If we get the land we’re wanting to get, I’ll probably get a full size pickup.  If we end up in the city . . well, I’ll probably be living in a jail cell if that happens and won’t need a vehicle at all! 

Chad asks me, “Mom, WHY do you want a truck?”  My response:  I need a truck so I can take my cow to the vet!  He doesn’t believe I’ll really get a cow and I’ve yet to determine if a cow has to go to the vet but if I’m going to live in Texas with 40 or 50 acres, no matter why . . I need a pickup!  More important than what I get, it needs to have a good air conditioner since it’s summer at least 12-1/2 months each year! 

My son and I usually get along quite well.  He’s 23-1/2,  he’s lived in the dorm with no rules, he’s graduated from college and hasn’t found a full time job, though he’s had the same part-time job for about 4 years, and he’s still living at home!  He understands that he either has to move with us, which he says he isn’t doing, either find a way to live working part-time or get a full-time job and earn enough to support himself (anyone know of a job that pays about $500K for a fresh out of college graduate with a degree in political science?), or he has to learn to live like the rest of us who know there’s a limit to how much we can spend and try to keep a bit of money set aside for a rainy day but . . so much for the discussion Chad and I have three times a day!

Chad and tires have always had very short time relationships.  Those tires lasted 8 months because of this.

I never go anywhere that I don’t glance at my tires.  I don’t go out and kick them and check the air with a gauge but I just glance at them as I walk by the car and make sure they’re ok.  Chad, even with his tire history, never ever looks at his tires.  Last night about 11:00 I walked out to put something in the trash and his front right tire was almost flat.  He hadn’t been in long from a trip to the lake.  I said “Chad, wherever you’re going in the morning, don’t wait til the last minute because your tire may be flat.”  He went out and tried to fill it with air but the air compressor wasn’t holding pressure so he went down to the store and filled the tire with air and when he got home, you could hear it  hissing and losing air.  By then it was 11:30 and he decided to change the tire!  It was still hotter than heck outside, he was under the truck banging around trying to get the spare off.  Of course it was dark!  He decided he didn’t have all the “things” he needed to change a tire, couldn’t get the lug nuts off and I don’t know what else.  I’m thinking . . you’ve had that truck 10 months and you’re just now checking to see if you have all the tools needed to change a tire? but that was not the time for a lecture.    I tried explaining to him that he should bring the truck into the garage and hope that it would still have enough air in the morning (it does) that he could drive it to Wal-Mart to get them to fix the tire, then he could figure out if he has all the tools needed to change a tire but midnight was not the time to be messing with it since he doesn’t have to be at work today til about noon.  He wasn’t happy with me but I understand he was aggravated with the leaking tire and it made much more sense to him to yell at me instead of yelling a tire.  Even if the tire was completely flat this morning, it would have been better to change the tire in the daylight when it was cooler!  NOT what he wanted to do!

It’s hard living with an adult kid who’s been on his own (as in having no rules) — even if it was a dorm and mom was still paying the bills.  It’s just as hard for a mom to deal with the attitude, knowing we’re all having to suck it up a bit and get through rough spots.  In the end . . Vince and I will find a house and get moved and this time next year, all that we’re going through will be no big deal, hardly even remembered.  In an hour or so, Chad will have his tire fixed . . so there’s no reason to argue and fuss when things go wrong.  We all have issues to deal with and what we’re facing is small — very small — considering what some folks are going through.

Through the years I’ve learned that you can tell a whole lot about people by how they deal with issues.  Some people fall apart over the smallest things.  Yes, I get upset and angry over small things sometimes, and then I feel kind of small for allowing trivial matters to upset me and rob me of even a moment’s pleasure.  I believe how we deal with life’s trials, the big ones and the small ones, shows a lot about us — about our maturity level, our faith, our outlook on life.

Flat tire on the pickup or not . . Vince comes home today for a long weekend so for the next few days, the stress of the move will be shared, the grass in the garden can be cut so the red tag guy will be happy with us and if I’m lucky, Chad will still be frustrated enough with me that he will go out and look for his own place to live!