On Sunday morning, Cape Cod was gray and rainy. The temps were in the high 50s. Off Cape, temps improved - high 70s/low 80s, sun with some clouds, though the sky looked a bit...unsettled. And unsettled it turned out to be. We checked the weather forecast and decided that the better day to see a movie was Sunday, since rain was in the forecast, so we headed out in the afternoon to go see Star Trek.
(I've never seen more than a passing glimpse of a Star Trek episode and have never seen any of the movies, but B wanted to see the movie and reviews indicated that a love of science fiction and all things Trekkie were not required to enjoy the movie, so I was willing to go along.)
Midway through the movie, some interesting sound effects started during a critical scene. Then the sound effects got loud enough that we realized that the sound was coming from outside the theater, not the speakers. The sound was in fact coming from the golfball-sized hail that was assaulting the building. We were tempted to leave to see the phenonemon, but the movie was so good! We decided that whatever was happening, we'd deal with it after the movie finished.
As we left the theater, high from peanut M&Ms, popcorn, and our rowdy space adventure, we worried about the state of the Subie. Would his windows be broken? Would have be speckled with damage from hail stones? Would there be any unmelted hail stones (because we really wanted to see the weather that had made the theater feel like it was rattling)?
We got outside--it was sunny again, though cooler--and discovered that the Subie had weathered the storm nicely without a single dent. Unfortunately, all of the hail storms appeared to be melted (though we had plenty waiting for us at home).
As we drove home, we were astonished by the damage that the storm had caused. Green leaves covered the roads, yards, driveways, roofs, and the sides of houses. I saw one house where the shutters on one side had been destroyed by hail. Some roads were flooded--apparently, the hail was followed by a ferocious rainfall.
We pulled into our complex with heavy hearts, and we were right to be concerned. The 5 screens on the front of our house had long tears in them from where the hail had struck. Parts of the siding were broken off, and--saddest of all--the Island Corolla is pockmarked like a golf ball from all of the places where the hail hit. The dents aren't deep but they're plentiful. Our neighbors' screens and cars suffered similar damage.
We headed to Lowe's to buy replacement screens, but as it turned out, we didn't need to replace the entire screen. You can buy the mesh and the spline and a tool for assembly, and all of those parts were cheaper for 5 windows than a single new screen would have been. Bargain. We made a little instructional video about how to do it; I'm hoping B will post it on YouTube so he can show off his handyman skills to the world.
As for the damage to the Island Corolla - I will be calling my insurance company tomorrow to report the incident. She seems to have perked up since the assault and might eventually forgive me if I am unable to have the damage repaired.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Pictures from Mem Day weekend
Here are a few photos from this weekend...
First up, the Sandwich boardwalk. Not exactly like the boardwalks of other beaches on the eastern seaboard, but what it lacks in tackiness and funnel cakes it makes up with charm and views.
First up, the Sandwich boardwalk. Not exactly like the boardwalks of other beaches on the eastern seaboard, but what it lacks in tackiness and funnel cakes it makes up with charm and views.
A new variation on the handheld photo of the two of us.
And here are our $3 tables. Chic, shabby chic, or just plain shabby? To be determined...
Memorial Day weekend, part 1: Decadence and shopping
It's been quite a weekend. I hereby declare Mem Day weekend 2009 to be an Epic Weekend. First thing's first - and this tale might require several posts.
Like many diehard New Englanders, we spent part of our Memorial Day weekend on the Cape. Memorial Day weekend on Cape Cod tends to feature hit-or-miss weather, and this year was no exception--though the weather was significantly better than the damaging hail storm that came through our area on Sunday (more about that later).
On Friday night, we went for a walk on the Sandwich boardwalk, where we had engagement and wedding photos taken. The boardwalk and its accompanying beach offer lovely scenery and some of the coldest water I've ever swum in. The low 60s air temperature did not inspire me to go for a dip, though we did see one hearty fellow dive in (and quickly run back out for his towel).
We spent Saturday morning on Main Street in Falmouth, where I bought not one but two dresses (wedding season is upon us, after all) and two headbands that would make Blaire Waldorf proud (yay for me, impressing a fictional high schooler). We also happened upon an indoor yard sale that a local art guild was hosting in a basement.
While I am not much of a fan of yard sales, B is frequently tempted by the thought of discovering an Antiques-Roadshow-worthy treasure. We headed down a little alley (which might have been scary, had it been anywhere else but Cape Cod) and into a basement where a woman greeted us and said that they had priced their items to sell and many were in fact free.
Nothing caught our eyes immediately, but as we wandered around, ideas started to catch hold. Several paint-stained tables, which in a less authentic format might sell for hundreds from Pottery Barn, were being offered at the bargain price of $1 each. We picked up three, one to go next to our couch in the loft (or to hold a fan in the summertime, or to hold my purse--we have not yet determined its purpose) and two to go behind our couch in the living room. We originally planned to buy a new set of tables, but then they were discontinued at our favorite furniture store, and we haven't found anything that we like as much. Plus why spend a lot of money on new tables when a $2 totally unique option is availalble?
In addition to the tables, we bought a signed and numbered art print (also $1), a nonfunctioning women's watch (free; we're hoping it just needs a battery), a locking money bag from a bank (also free), and a paintbrush box that B will repurpose to hold his watches ($.50). The grand total for these items was $4.50, but we offered a slightly larger donation--after all, they are a nonprofit, and it's not easy being a nonprofit organization these days.
We carted the cobwebby tables and our other treasures back to our car (thank goodness for the Subie's roomy trunk and backseat) and headed over to Mashpee Commons for lunch at Bleu, a French restaurant that I've been meaning to try for ages. I had a Croque Monsieur (significantly awesomer than the street versions that we ate in France) and B had a bacon and tomato quiche. Nothing like a butter, egg, and cheese lunch to make you hungry for...dessert? Mais oui! Homemade strawberry champagne sorbet to split, and didn't we feel decadent. Not decadent enough to skip buying cupcakes at Cupcake Charlie's, though. We skipped buying an extra frosting "shot" though - you have to know where to draw the line.
We picked up some new entertainment at the local toy store in the form of Qwirkle, an addictive and nerdy game that I can't recommend enough. Qwirkle is a mix of Scrabble, dominoes, and Uno. Don't be fooled by the "Ages 6 and up" on the box - this game is great fun for adults, too, much like Blokus, except that so far, I haven't turned into a horrible person while playing Qwirkle as I do when I play Blokus. Darn my competitive spirit.
We came back home on Sunday, stopping en route to buy a new suit for B. As I mentioned, it's wedding season, and his suits haven't fit since 20 pounds ago. I gave him three options - buy a new suit, get one or more of his suits tailored, or gain back the 20 pounds. He opted for the first choice.
Like many diehard New Englanders, we spent part of our Memorial Day weekend on the Cape. Memorial Day weekend on Cape Cod tends to feature hit-or-miss weather, and this year was no exception--though the weather was significantly better than the damaging hail storm that came through our area on Sunday (more about that later).
On Friday night, we went for a walk on the Sandwich boardwalk, where we had engagement and wedding photos taken. The boardwalk and its accompanying beach offer lovely scenery and some of the coldest water I've ever swum in. The low 60s air temperature did not inspire me to go for a dip, though we did see one hearty fellow dive in (and quickly run back out for his towel).
We spent Saturday morning on Main Street in Falmouth, where I bought not one but two dresses (wedding season is upon us, after all) and two headbands that would make Blaire Waldorf proud (yay for me, impressing a fictional high schooler). We also happened upon an indoor yard sale that a local art guild was hosting in a basement.
While I am not much of a fan of yard sales, B is frequently tempted by the thought of discovering an Antiques-Roadshow-worthy treasure. We headed down a little alley (which might have been scary, had it been anywhere else but Cape Cod) and into a basement where a woman greeted us and said that they had priced their items to sell and many were in fact free.
Nothing caught our eyes immediately, but as we wandered around, ideas started to catch hold. Several paint-stained tables, which in a less authentic format might sell for hundreds from Pottery Barn, were being offered at the bargain price of $1 each. We picked up three, one to go next to our couch in the loft (or to hold a fan in the summertime, or to hold my purse--we have not yet determined its purpose) and two to go behind our couch in the living room. We originally planned to buy a new set of tables, but then they were discontinued at our favorite furniture store, and we haven't found anything that we like as much. Plus why spend a lot of money on new tables when a $2 totally unique option is availalble?
In addition to the tables, we bought a signed and numbered art print (also $1), a nonfunctioning women's watch (free; we're hoping it just needs a battery), a locking money bag from a bank (also free), and a paintbrush box that B will repurpose to hold his watches ($.50). The grand total for these items was $4.50, but we offered a slightly larger donation--after all, they are a nonprofit, and it's not easy being a nonprofit organization these days.
We carted the cobwebby tables and our other treasures back to our car (thank goodness for the Subie's roomy trunk and backseat) and headed over to Mashpee Commons for lunch at Bleu, a French restaurant that I've been meaning to try for ages. I had a Croque Monsieur (significantly awesomer than the street versions that we ate in France) and B had a bacon and tomato quiche. Nothing like a butter, egg, and cheese lunch to make you hungry for...dessert? Mais oui! Homemade strawberry champagne sorbet to split, and didn't we feel decadent. Not decadent enough to skip buying cupcakes at Cupcake Charlie's, though. We skipped buying an extra frosting "shot" though - you have to know where to draw the line.
We picked up some new entertainment at the local toy store in the form of Qwirkle, an addictive and nerdy game that I can't recommend enough. Qwirkle is a mix of Scrabble, dominoes, and Uno. Don't be fooled by the "Ages 6 and up" on the box - this game is great fun for adults, too, much like Blokus, except that so far, I haven't turned into a horrible person while playing Qwirkle as I do when I play Blokus. Darn my competitive spirit.
We came back home on Sunday, stopping en route to buy a new suit for B. As I mentioned, it's wedding season, and his suits haven't fit since 20 pounds ago. I gave him three options - buy a new suit, get one or more of his suits tailored, or gain back the 20 pounds. He opted for the first choice.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wherefore art thou frosty, Spring?
I had to scrape frost off my car's windshield this morning. Frost in May? What's up with that, Spring?
Our single beautiful weekend in April gave way to a meh May, whose early days featured something like 10 straight days of rain. April showers bring...May showers? Not quite as exciting as May flowers, though we have seen some of those. Last summer, we cut off the worst-looking part of an ailing shrub in front of our house before giving up on it for good, and it turned out to be a lilac...tree? bush? Since my gardening skills are limited to hacking off dead parts, I can't be expected to know.
The chipmunks that live under our porch, surely promising signs of more warmth to come, are back. The chipmunks and we have reached an uneasy peace agreement. They ignore that we don't want them around while eating our bird seed and our neighbors' tomatoes, and we try to forget that they're rodents. I continue to feel guilty for the war that we waged on them a couple summers back and am grateful that chipmunks aren't as vindictive as crows. Live and let live is my new motto for fauna.
The makeover for our back porch is complete, for this summer, anyway. The makeover, which we dreamed up while eating a late lunch at a Florentine cafe, brings a little more green into our outdoor living. We had the pleasure of enjoying an al fresco breakfast this weekend amid our greenery and I was pleasantly reminded of how much I enjoy our deck. I keep meaning to take pictures but am waiting for the perfect conditions, including having grass in our backyard. It's been dug up and replanted so many times that we're wary that this planting will stick, but apparently it's under warranty. Who knew that grass seed had warranties?
It's been a typical unimpressive spring in New England, but there is hope. Summer unofficially starts this weekend with Memorial Day. Meteorological summer's start is soon afterwards, on June 1, and global-positioning (whatever, you know what I mean) summer starts on June 21. Whenever she decides to arrive, summer will be welcome in our house.
Our single beautiful weekend in April gave way to a meh May, whose early days featured something like 10 straight days of rain. April showers bring...May showers? Not quite as exciting as May flowers, though we have seen some of those. Last summer, we cut off the worst-looking part of an ailing shrub in front of our house before giving up on it for good, and it turned out to be a lilac...tree? bush? Since my gardening skills are limited to hacking off dead parts, I can't be expected to know.
The chipmunks that live under our porch, surely promising signs of more warmth to come, are back. The chipmunks and we have reached an uneasy peace agreement. They ignore that we don't want them around while eating our bird seed and our neighbors' tomatoes, and we try to forget that they're rodents. I continue to feel guilty for the war that we waged on them a couple summers back and am grateful that chipmunks aren't as vindictive as crows. Live and let live is my new motto for fauna.
The makeover for our back porch is complete, for this summer, anyway. The makeover, which we dreamed up while eating a late lunch at a Florentine cafe, brings a little more green into our outdoor living. We had the pleasure of enjoying an al fresco breakfast this weekend amid our greenery and I was pleasantly reminded of how much I enjoy our deck. I keep meaning to take pictures but am waiting for the perfect conditions, including having grass in our backyard. It's been dug up and replanted so many times that we're wary that this planting will stick, but apparently it's under warranty. Who knew that grass seed had warranties?
It's been a typical unimpressive spring in New England, but there is hope. Summer unofficially starts this weekend with Memorial Day. Meteorological summer's start is soon afterwards, on June 1, and global-positioning (whatever, you know what I mean) summer starts on June 21. Whenever she decides to arrive, summer will be welcome in our house.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Not settling for just awesome
I have a tendency to book a vacation with a particular itinerary in mind and then, after further research, change my mind. It's not that I don't perform my due diligence before booking; but sometimes my initial plan, while awesome, could be awesomer. And why settle for awesome when you can have awesomer?
Take our Italy itin. Originally, I planned for us to spend 3 nights in Florence, 4 in Cinque Terre, and 3 in Venice. The plan was good but had faults and involved long, complicated train journeys with large pieces of luggage--not exactly relaxing. We cut CT from the itin and spent 5 nights each in Florence and Venice. While I'm sad that I haven't yet been to CT, I am so grateful that we had 5 nights in each of those Italian cities. First of all, I didn't even like Florence until the third day, and how sad to leave after you've finally become acclimated. And second, Venice is, well, Venice--amazing. Three days would not have been sufficient. Cinque Terre was meant to be saved for another trip.
What I'm getting to (in my usual rambling way) is that I've been thinking a lot about the PR itin and have been reading and rereading my guidebook and have realized that 4 nights in Old San Juan, even if we take a day trip to the rainforest for part of a day, might be a little too much. It's a smallish part of the city, and while it has a fair number of attractions, I don't think that we'll visit all of them. I tend to hit my museum limit fairly quickly when I'm not that interested in the subjects, and only a couple of the OSJ museums pique my interest.
So what are the other island options? I'm sure there are many, but if we stick to the more touristed areas, we have to venture just a few miles outside of Old San Juan to find beaches, resorts, casinos, and over-the-top swimming pools.
Venturing east from Old San Juan, you find five neighborhoods that are popular with tourists and offer a broad selection of hotels:
Take our Italy itin. Originally, I planned for us to spend 3 nights in Florence, 4 in Cinque Terre, and 3 in Venice. The plan was good but had faults and involved long, complicated train journeys with large pieces of luggage--not exactly relaxing. We cut CT from the itin and spent 5 nights each in Florence and Venice. While I'm sad that I haven't yet been to CT, I am so grateful that we had 5 nights in each of those Italian cities. First of all, I didn't even like Florence until the third day, and how sad to leave after you've finally become acclimated. And second, Venice is, well, Venice--amazing. Three days would not have been sufficient. Cinque Terre was meant to be saved for another trip.
What I'm getting to (in my usual rambling way) is that I've been thinking a lot about the PR itin and have been reading and rereading my guidebook and have realized that 4 nights in Old San Juan, even if we take a day trip to the rainforest for part of a day, might be a little too much. It's a smallish part of the city, and while it has a fair number of attractions, I don't think that we'll visit all of them. I tend to hit my museum limit fairly quickly when I'm not that interested in the subjects, and only a couple of the OSJ museums pique my interest.
So what are the other island options? I'm sure there are many, but if we stick to the more touristed areas, we have to venture just a few miles outside of Old San Juan to find beaches, resorts, casinos, and over-the-top swimming pools.
Venturing east from Old San Juan, you find five neighborhoods that are popular with tourists and offer a broad selection of hotels:
- Puerta de Tierra: The home of the capital and primo resorts but not the best place to be after dark.
- Condado: Fashionable district with high-end boutiques; similar to Miami's South Beach.
- Ocean Park and Punta Las Marias: Great beach but less pomp than Condado.
- Isla Verde (technically part of Carolina, not San Juan): Resort lifestyle to the extreme - beaches, sand, and trendy tourists, but minimal shopping.
I suspect I know what you're thinking--she wants to stay in Condado. You are somewhat correct. I considered it. The extensive shopping options are appealing. However, in the end, we decided upon Isla Verde. We found a good-enough deal on a hotel (marginally cheaper than the hotel that we booked in Old San Juan for the same time period, go us), and B is somewhat familiar with the area because he stayed at the El San Juan Hotel & Casino for a bachelor party a few years ago (though he didn't leave the hotel much, so the PR experience will still be new for him).
The reason I was able to justify not staying in Condado is that we're taking a tour to El Yunque (the rainforest), and it departs from a hotel in Condado. The tour gets back in the middle of the afternoon, and we'll have the rest of the day to explore the Condado neighborhood before heading back to Isla Verde (either by cab or public bus, depending on how adventurous/tired we're feeling that day).
Our revised PR itin now features 2 nights in Isla Verde, 2 nights in Old San Juan, and 3 nights in Vieques, and I am satisfied that we'll have sufficient activities in each place so that we won't get bored. The Vieques leg is going to be significantly lower-key than most of the vacations that we've had, and I hope that I don't get bored with the beach, but if I do, there is a hammock and a pool just waiting for me back at our B&B.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tips for successful summer parties
While I am hardly a pro in the entertaining world, I have thrown a few parties in my day (and was once even paid to plan, organize, and host social events) and have learned a few tips that might be useful to others.
First of all, if you've never thrown a dinner party (or lunch party, or brunch, or any event that involves a meal), summer is a great time to host your first event. For a summer meal, the most refreshing side dishes are chilled dishes, which you can prepare ahead of time. Each component of the meal that you prepare in advance translates into less stress before the meal and more time with your guests. Plus you can taste any dish that you make in advance, and if it doesn't turn out quite as expected, you have time for plan B.
Speaking of plan B, it's a good idea to have one for dishes that you can't prepare ahead of time but which you aren't sure how they'll turn out. For instance, if you are mostly confident in your ability to pull off a 12-layer cake, go for it--but maybe keep some ice cream in the freezer, just in case. No one is going to complain if your dinner party features 2 desserts.
The morning of your event, take out the silverware, dishes, glasses, and any other necessities (napkins, wine glass charms, soup bowls, or dessert forks/spoons and plates, to name a few options) for your guests and set the table or place them in the buffet area. You don't want to be scrambling around for a final fork as your guests are waiting to eat. And don't worry if all of your plates, glasses, and silverware don't match--cleanliness matters much more than matchy-matchiness.
A little over an hour before your guests arrive--or however long a dishwashing cycle takes--load up and run through your dishwasher, and make sure you put the dryer on. From the moment the dishwasher starts, you should hand wash every dish, pot, or bowl that you dirty, dry it immediately, and put it away to minimize the mess. Make it a goal to not leave a single dirty dish in the kitchen when you're sending food out to the table or buffet. After the meal, you won't have room in the dishwasher, since the space will be occupied by the dishes, silverware, and glasses from the meal, and the prospect of returning to a disastrous kitchen is not going to make for a restful dining experience.
If you are unable to prepare everything ahead of time--a likely scenario if your summer meal involves grilling--it's helpful to have a partner. One of you can cook, and the other can assemble the food in serving dishes, empty the dishwasher when the cycle finishes, and wash and dry dirty dishes. I'm always astounded by the number of items that we dirty in the last 10 minutes before a meal goes to the table, but washing as you dirty helps to minimize the chaos.
The washing person can also check in with guests periodically to make sure everyone is comfortable and has a drink. You've probably noticed that as the host(ess) of a dinner party, you're not able to spend a lot of time with your guests. It's a limitation that you should be aware of before you decide to host. If you want to spend most of your time mingling with your guests, drastically trim your menu, outsource the cooking and cleanup, or host an evening party that features only appetizers that you can cook ahead of time.
Before you sit down, identify the containers that will hold your leftovers; you can even take them out. When you clear the table after the meal, you can drop your food into the containers, wash the bowls, load the plates and silverware into the dishwasher (make sure everyone keeps their glasses until at least the dessert course!), and then rejoin your party. If you return to a clean kitchen after your meal, your post-meal cleanup will be a breeze.
Happy entertaining!
First of all, if you've never thrown a dinner party (or lunch party, or brunch, or any event that involves a meal), summer is a great time to host your first event. For a summer meal, the most refreshing side dishes are chilled dishes, which you can prepare ahead of time. Each component of the meal that you prepare in advance translates into less stress before the meal and more time with your guests. Plus you can taste any dish that you make in advance, and if it doesn't turn out quite as expected, you have time for plan B.
Speaking of plan B, it's a good idea to have one for dishes that you can't prepare ahead of time but which you aren't sure how they'll turn out. For instance, if you are mostly confident in your ability to pull off a 12-layer cake, go for it--but maybe keep some ice cream in the freezer, just in case. No one is going to complain if your dinner party features 2 desserts.
The morning of your event, take out the silverware, dishes, glasses, and any other necessities (napkins, wine glass charms, soup bowls, or dessert forks/spoons and plates, to name a few options) for your guests and set the table or place them in the buffet area. You don't want to be scrambling around for a final fork as your guests are waiting to eat. And don't worry if all of your plates, glasses, and silverware don't match--cleanliness matters much more than matchy-matchiness.
A little over an hour before your guests arrive--or however long a dishwashing cycle takes--load up and run through your dishwasher, and make sure you put the dryer on. From the moment the dishwasher starts, you should hand wash every dish, pot, or bowl that you dirty, dry it immediately, and put it away to minimize the mess. Make it a goal to not leave a single dirty dish in the kitchen when you're sending food out to the table or buffet. After the meal, you won't have room in the dishwasher, since the space will be occupied by the dishes, silverware, and glasses from the meal, and the prospect of returning to a disastrous kitchen is not going to make for a restful dining experience.
If you are unable to prepare everything ahead of time--a likely scenario if your summer meal involves grilling--it's helpful to have a partner. One of you can cook, and the other can assemble the food in serving dishes, empty the dishwasher when the cycle finishes, and wash and dry dirty dishes. I'm always astounded by the number of items that we dirty in the last 10 minutes before a meal goes to the table, but washing as you dirty helps to minimize the chaos.
The washing person can also check in with guests periodically to make sure everyone is comfortable and has a drink. You've probably noticed that as the host(ess) of a dinner party, you're not able to spend a lot of time with your guests. It's a limitation that you should be aware of before you decide to host. If you want to spend most of your time mingling with your guests, drastically trim your menu, outsource the cooking and cleanup, or host an evening party that features only appetizers that you can cook ahead of time.
Before you sit down, identify the containers that will hold your leftovers; you can even take them out. When you clear the table after the meal, you can drop your food into the containers, wash the bowls, load the plates and silverware into the dishwasher (make sure everyone keeps their glasses until at least the dessert course!), and then rejoin your party. If you return to a clean kitchen after your meal, your post-meal cleanup will be a breeze.
Happy entertaining!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Adventures in bowling
Last night, B and I went bowling with a group of friends. The bowling alley, which also featured several bars, a restaurant, pool tables, video games, and at least one bachelorette party (conveniently placed in the two lanes next to us; they didn't do much bowling but they were very good at making their pitchers of Budweiser disappear).
I don't have much experience with traditional bowling; here in New England, candlepin bowling, which features little balls and tall, straight pins, is much more popular. There is added appeal in that you get 3, rather than 2, chances to knock all of your pins down. I think that I've done the "regular" kind of bowling only once, and I scored a pathetic 27. Now in defense of myself and my bowling skills (ha, ha), I have to blame my poor performance on my thumbs. You see, all of the balls that I could comfortably lift had such small finger holes that my thumb didn't fit. I was stuck bowling with the 18-pounders, which I could barely lift. I went home that night with sore wrists and a deflated ego.
Luckily, the bowling alley that we visited last night offered better options, and our lane had two 10-pounders that worked well for me. I'm not saying that I brought my bowling A-game (or rather, I'm not sure that I possess a bowling A-game), but I beat my previous all-time record and had a lot of fun.
An interesting note - we were a party of 4 girls and 4 guys, and at the start of the game, the girls were *smoking* the guys - it was pretty funny. It wasn't that we were that much awesomer; it was that we went for the lightweight balls and used technique rather than muscle to knock over pins. On the other hand, the guys went for the heaviest balls they could find and flung them down the lane as hard as they could. Sometimes that worked out for them; sometimes it didn't. But after a few rounds, they realized that the lightweight balls weren't just for girls after all.
Friday, May 1, 2009
All growed up!
Last night, we reached a significant milestone in the life of the Island Corolla. She turned 100,000 miles.
The event, captured for posterity on B's iPhone, took place in the parking lot at the local commuter rail. Returning home from the mall, we forgot that we had to get B's car until we had nearly arrived home. The detour meant that both B and I were in the car for the occasion.
The odometer read 99,999 miles as we reached the parking lot, so I asked B to take a couple of turns around the lot so that he'd be able to photograph the new six-number display. He obliged, and around and around we went--luckily it was close to 9 PM, so commuters were scarce--until I watched 99,999 turn into 100,000.
At nearly 7 1/2 years old, my car is no newbie to the driving world, but she has miles and miles left to run before she's ready for retirement. Long live the Island Corolla!
The event, captured for posterity on B's iPhone, took place in the parking lot at the local commuter rail. Returning home from the mall, we forgot that we had to get B's car until we had nearly arrived home. The detour meant that both B and I were in the car for the occasion.
The odometer read 99,999 miles as we reached the parking lot, so I asked B to take a couple of turns around the lot so that he'd be able to photograph the new six-number display. He obliged, and around and around we went--luckily it was close to 9 PM, so commuters were scarce--until I watched 99,999 turn into 100,000.
At nearly 7 1/2 years old, my car is no newbie to the driving world, but she has miles and miles left to run before she's ready for retirement. Long live the Island Corolla!
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