Learning about tires

I am learning more than I wanted to know about tires today.


There are all season tires, performance tires, and heavy load tires.
Tires ares designed for rain, snow, and heat.
There is even a noise rating for tires.

I came into our local tire dealer today because of one simple reason.
My tires won't hold air.
And although the very informative gentleman behind the counter was quite enthusiastic about sharing his vast knowledge with me,
I had 2 simple requests;
To purchase 2 all season adequate tires that fit my Eos,
and
I wanted them to hold the appropriate amount of air pressure without leaking.

I don't want 4 tires just so all the treads will match.
And I don't want 3 tires, although I probably need 3.
I just want 2 for this month.

He looked at me like who is this crazy lady who is not at all concerned with matching tire treads.
I suppose some people (mostly men I judge) care about matching tire treads.
And I know women who pay great attention to matching their hand bag and accessories.

I don't fall into either category.
I simply look for function and sometimes design.
I guess it goes back to me being practical.

http://steppinoutwithdwntwn.blogspot.com/2011/01/being-practical.html

So here I sit in a tire store surrounded by men excited about tires,
or as one guy phrased it, "the new road rubbers" he is getting.

I was just waiting quietly, avoiding eye contact, but mostly blogging (thank heavens for free wireless!)
When the tire technician assigned to my car approached me and said he could not find the tire key lock.
His suggestion was for me to go to Volkswagen and get another one.
After pressing him on what exactly the tire key lock was,
What the key lock looked like,
and why wouldn't the same local tire dealer put it back where it belonged the last time it was used, He walked away.
My questions must have persuaded him to look again....

Voila!
He found it!
It was right where it was supposed to be!

I could write a book about the times I have located an apparently lost item that someone simply didn't look for....
But I hope I'm not here that long!

I am trusting the Goddess (Eos) will be ready for a top down drive in a matter of minutes!
Or at least an hour!
A sunny day awaits!





Steppin' out with DWNTWN

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Riding the bus & Doing the right thing

I never had to ride the bus to school.
My mom got up every morning and drove us kids.
All 7 of us would pile into the wood paneled station wagon,
big kids in the seats,
little kids tossed in the back,
and off to school we'd go.
There weren't seat belt or child restraint laws back then, just words of caution.   Sit down,   hush up,   and hang on!

For decades I did the same for my kids, hauled them to school.
There wasn't a bus to ride.
Yes, I was part of the mini-van, soccer mom set.
Although I never fit into that mold very well.
Then we got the big blue Dodge Ram Van that seated a small army, a menagerie of critters, and two shopping cart worth of groceries.  Well, not at the same time!  I couldn't trust the kids to not eat all the food before we got home!  I really didn't fit in with the soccer mom set then!

But let me get to the point...
Some of the best talks I've had with my kids have taken place while running my mom taxi service, making trips to and from school, and going to and from practices.  I suppose it is largely due to the confined space and their inability to be silent.  Regardless of why,
those were treasured times.
I have missed those opportunities the past 4 years or so here in Salem.  We have an awesome bus service, and while I am thankful I didn't have to take 4 kids to 3 different schools, I have missed the opportunity to hear their stories.

However this year is different...
This year the youngest, #8, was selected to the honor jazz choir.  Hooray!
The honor jazz choir has class at 7:00am in the morning.  BOOO!

I realize getting out of bed at 6:30 to take her to school is not that early for many people.
But I like to complain about it... just a little bit.

I have to admit that I don't mind so much.  It has been a real gift to be up, out the door, and spending a small slice of my day, one on one with my daughter.  We've seen some amazing sunrises, taken a very curvy, downhill street in thick fog, and had a couple near accidents with inattentive trash truck drivers.  But for the most part our morning drives are uneventful and somewhat quiet.
This morning was no different.  Neither one of us said more than a sentence or two until we arrived at our destination.

The mini van in front of us was extra slow in advancing up the line for dropping off students.  Laura wondered aloud, "why are they taking so long?"
I said, "maybe they are having a conversation with their mom."
She wrinkled her nose at me.
Then she noticed, "Oh, its Preston!  I feel sorry for him.  He doesn't have any friends."
"Oh" is all I said.

She continued, "I let him sit by me on the bus ride home because no one else will."
Noticing Preston was half as tall as my lanky daughter I said,
"You can protect him too."
She grinned.
As we moved to the front of the drop off line she admitted,
"he is pretty annoying though."
I told her, " I am glad you are doing the right thing even if he is annoying."
As she shut the car door she said, "I love you mom."

I love her too!



Steppin' out with DWNTWN
DWNTWNimages.me

Families in Transition

Do you still live in the city or town you were born in?
How many times have you moved in your life?

Growing up I imagined I would live and die in the same city.
I never thought I would venture too far from the tree lined streets where I grew up.
But that hasn't been the case.

The world is getting smaller.
Travel is easier and more affordable.  When I was a child the only people I knew that flew on airplanes were the extremely rich.

Communication and technology fit in the palm of our hands.  Gone are the days of rotary dial phones and party lines.  Do you remember party lines? Sharing a phone line with a neighbor on the next block?

Times have changed that is for sure!

Being the parent of 8 children, all with varied interests and talents,
I suspected they would move away.
I didn't believe they would live and die in the small town they spent most of their school years.
I thought some might, but not all 8.
Little did I know that it would be me that would move away before the kids had much of a chance to.

Our move began 5 years ago this month with my husband heading west ahead of me and the kids.
Our family has been in transition, criss crossing the country, ever since.

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Most of the moves have been due to college or university changes, graduations and job acquisitions.
Some of the moves are due to lack of employment, and some are transfers within employers.

From last July through this coming April there will have been 6 times I have helped a child move.
I Hate Moving! 
I hate the physical act of packing, pushing, pulling, carting, heaving, and hauling STUFF!
I think all this moving is what makes me continually reassess my own possessions.
I am always asking myself,
"Do I NEED this?"

Can I toss this or recycle it?
Who else might need this?"

I have become a pitcher. 
I pitch anything and everything I can't envision needing within a year's time.

I do have a few exceptions.
I like rocks. 
And some shells.

Well and maybe sticks. 

Sticks,
stones,
and seashells catch my eye.

Especially Heart shaped ones.

I will admit to a number of small bowls around the house filled with rocks.

I have begun limiting the number of rocks and shells I bring home.
Only the best ones make it into my pocket.

I've opted for just taking a picture of most of them.
I probably have enough for a rather large coffee table picture book. 

But I can't imagine anyone else wanting to leaf through such a book. 

I have promised my kids I will throw them out my collection before I die, or heaven forbid, before we have to move again.

But I am getting off track.  I was writing about transitions...


The most recent move has been for #4. 
She is in phase 1 of moving to San Francisco. 

I say phase 1 because her first step was to vacate her awesome downtown Portland apartment. 
I loved the old building and her corner apartment with huge windows! 
I was intrigued by the old brick work in the basement.  I wonder about the builders and how long ago the place was built.

She is sharing apartment space with friends until phase 2, the big move south down I-5 that will take place in a couple of weeks.

Its a lot of work moving.
I am sad to see her going so far away,
but I am excited for her at the same time.

Last summer child #2 moved to the Seattle area.
I think things are stable enough with his job that he will be there for a while, but I don't even try to predict transitions any more.  I just keep my fingers crossed.

I sure couldn't have predicted that within the next few months #3 and her family will be moving west and joining us in the area.

Its not easy or cheap to move halfway across the country,
but I am happy to help them move and bring them closer to us. 
I look forward to having them with us.

I never imagined 5 years ago that most of our adult children would be up and down the I-5 corridor within a half day or a days drive of us. 
I am fortunate. 
I would love to have my oldest and her family closer as well. 
But that doesn't seem as likely. 

I also have to realize the four kids still at home and approaching college age,
may not be here much longer.
They have their sights set on leaving home.
(I guess that means I have done my job!)
Oddly enough, some of the younger ones talk of moving back to Kansas or Nebraska.

I guess I simply need to make sure I have good tires on the car and gas money in savings.

This family,
as large as it is,
will always be in transition!





Steppin' out with DWNTWN
DWNTWNimages.me