His and Hers

We do not have His and Hers cars. 

We have a small single driveway with two cars parked in it.  Whichever car is closest to the street is the car driven by whoever needs to go somewhere.

If, by chance, we both need to be somewhere at the same time on the same day, we each take a car. Whoever gets home first parks their car closest to the house. This means the second car home may have just rotated.

There are definite downfalls to this scenario.  To me, whatever you take into the car is what you take out of it when you leave.  When Bob gets into the car, he packs as if he could go camping for a week.  Food, charging wires, devices, clothes – Bob will never be unprepared.  Since he never takes anything out of the car when he is finished, in theory, I will never be unprepared either.

The second downfall in this scenario, especially since the pandemic hit, is that while we predominately use only one car, the other vehicle lays dormant.  Sometimes, for months.  When it is eventually turned on, the car ROARS to life. Then we cross our fingers that all rolls well.

In the past two months, I have been using our smaller car.  It is excellent on gas and should be the car I use for all my many errands and appointments.  I was pleased to use my grocery rewards for a free tank of gas this week.  I was a little disappointed I couldn’t fill the bigger gas guzzling car for free, but I was there, my little car was there, and we enjoyed a free tank of gas.

In the past two months, I have also scheduled every doctor, dentist, and orthodontist appointment that was canceled, rescheduled after the pandemic, or just now necessary. 

I did the dental swagger walking out of the dentist’s office, flaunting my once again cavity-free mouth to the kids.

We all suffered through Declan’s dental visit, where a cavity was mended.  I am proud he got through the appointment, but that day was filled with inconsolable screams of, “my mouth feels weird!”

Catelyn held her head in both hands when the orthodontist recommended her for 2 years of braces with rubber bands. However, she was relieved when I had to postpone her braces until Bobby wrapped up his.  Paying for two sets of braces at the same time is a little out of our comfort zone.

And after completing multiple tests and more and more follow-up testing, I finally received a clean bill of health.

Those were some long days, but thankfully, those days are over.  The little car and I happily continue to traipse the kids to all of their appointments. Put putting away on my free tank of gas.

Having sat at the back of the driveway in bitter cold weather for over a month, the gas guzzling car did not roll to life when it was finally restarted. It started with an angry screech, then refused to turn or move without whining loudly.

It finally required Bob driving it to the mechanics with both his fingers and toes crossed, while I followed behind in the happy little car in case of a possible breakdown.

Thankfully, we all arrived at the mechanics in one piece.  And as I took the key from Bob to turn it over to the mechanic, I saw the car’s floor was fully loaded with all of Bob’s leftovers.  Shirts, coats, shoes, food, drinks – a car entirely prepared for anything.

Of course, the mechanic said he had to order a part and would have to keep our car for the week, but I know what is really going on: The mechanic is taking our car on a massive camping trip with his buddies as he now has everything he needs.  Bob should be proud!

In the meantime, WE will continue to drive the little car.  Rotating between entirely empty and fully loaded depending on the driver! 😊