RIP to Penn's SUV

Last Saturday, my beloved Equinox quit for the last time.

Coming back from Whole Foods, we were stopped at a red light in Bloomfield. When the light turned green, I hit the gas, but we only went about three feet forward before the gas pedal went nearly to the floor, with no resistance and no response. I watched the engine's RPMs drop to almost zero. My heart sank at that moment, because I knew that was it, the Equinox was done.

Luckily, I had enough momentum to steer us to the side of the street, where we waited for the flatbed truck to arrive. And, luckily, we didn't have to wait too long. I actually watched the same flatbed driver who later picked us up drive past us while we were talking to the AAA dispatcher. We only had to wait about 15 minute. A lucky star was over us that day.

Technically speaking, the immediate issue with the Equinox was that the fuel pump fuse had blown, which was a $100 fix. The overall problem, however, was a bad fuel pump, which cost $1200.

Since we had already poured around $4000 into repairs and other maintenance to the Equinox in the last 6 to 7 months, I had to admit that we could no longer continue that fight, if we wanted to make a choice that made economic sense. So, as much as it broke my heart, we decided to trade it in.

We now have a new (to us) Chevy Trailblazer LT2. There are many things I really like about it, but a part of me will always miss the Equinox. It was my first SUV, and it will always hold a special place in my memories.

That might be overly sentimental, but that doesn't bother me much.

Penn

PS - Daisy and I also want to give our thanks to Sun Chevy in McMurray (www.sunchevy.com/‎) for really taking care of us and the ailing Equinox, and hooking us up with a great new SUV. We greatly appreciated all of the excellent service we received from them.

Quit with hearings about Benghazi already

Holding a hearing on the attack on the embassy in Benghazi has become for Congress what playing solitaire is for the average office worker - a time-waster. Congress doesn't want to do any real work, like passing reforms, new laws, or budgets, so they hold another hearing the attack in Benghazi.

This repeated rehashing of the events in Benghazi last September has only had the effect of boring the American people into apathy and has sucked any real emotion out of the tragedy.

I'm sorry, but when several congressmen got choked up during the hearings (replayed multiple times on NPR), discussing events that are now almost eight months past, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Daytime television is more believable and sincere than some of those guys.

I simply don't want to hear any more about the events in Benghazi or what "new" evidence might be uncovered during one of these endless hearings. At least not until a usable budget and immigration reform are passed. What I want is for Congress to do some real work already.

Bad Congress. No biscuit!

Penn

Daisy's How to Have an Awesome Summer with Kids

Summer is on its way and that means school is almost out. When I was a children's librarian (once upon a time, in a land far, far away), the question of "What do I do with them all day?" was one we got a lot.

Even with kids in day care, you're going to have days off with them, and then what to do? If you don't want them to vegetate in front of the TV (stay tuned for "The Case Against Screen Media") here's a handy guide to a fantastic day:

1. Get up before the kids. This is key. Check the weather; if it's going to be nice, figure out a picnic-y kind of lunch, but don't pack it yet.

2. Get kids up, dressed, and sunblocked. Eat breakfast, but don't turn on the TV. Have kids help pack lunch and pick one toy to pack - or none; sticks can be fun, too. Find something for you to do, too. Bring along reading material or something else you'd like to do for a while. Remember - you are NOT mounting an expedition.

3. Go to park. Find a place where you can get some shade and set up camp. Send the kids to play and do your own thing.

4. Ignore children unless they are in serious distress. "I'm reading, go play" is a perfectly acceptable answer. Let your kids take charge of their own amusement. Catch up on those NYT op-eds you meant to read, learn Estonian, learn to knit. DO NOT micromanage your children. They can play independently.

5. Eat lunch, then send kids back to play some more. Running around with them a little, too, is good here. Maybe do something organized. Do re-apply sunblock at a certain point.

6. Head home sometime before dinner. Hose kids down, have dinner. I can almost guarantee you that they'll be easy to put to bed at this point.

7. Relax!

If it's rainy or way too hot to be outside all day, here's another way to be thoroughly awesome: making stuff. You can make most of your own art supplies with general household stuff.

Finger paint/faux oil paints:
Clear dish soap + food coloring or powdered tempera paint - this makes a fantastic finger paint. As a bonus, the soap will suds right up and help wash off the food coloring or tempera.

Soap bubble printing:
Mix a bit of clear dish soap into some water in a shallow bowl. Mix in some food coloring. Use a straw to blow bubbles in the water and then hold a sheet of paper over the bubbles. This makes some really cool prints.

Homemade sidewalk chalk:
Quick-set plaster + powdered tempera + water. Mix in a dixie cup and leave to set. When the weather is nice again, unmold the chalk and have fun!

Go to the library!
Libraries are air conditioned, generally, and usually have some pretty neat things going on over the summer. If your kids don't have their own cards yet, this is a good time to get them one. Check out the Summer Reading Club, too. You can foster literacy, and have fun!

Daisy, the recovering children's librarian