Sunday, 21 August 2011
Yesterday, even though we did not plan to cross the highway, Owen insisted on riding his bike over the bridge. So Jennifer and Isla waited while Owen and I trekked across the bridge and then back.
Here’s a photo of the event:
Owen crossing the highway on bike.
In other news…we’re packing up to move. Today we packed about 20 boxes. I’m wondering how many boxes we can pack before it starts to look like we’re making headway. We’ve got a lot of stuff.
Monday, 22 August 2011
I talked to my Dad this evening. Turns out, he and my stepmom and getting their home prepared for Hurricane Irene. The storm is currently on its way to the Dominican Republic and is slated to be a category 3 (presumably on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) by the time it reaches Florida’s east coast.
My Dad assured me that the preparations are a little bit easier than last time. He and my stepmom now live in a condo, so someone else worries about the outside of the house. I hope they and the rest of my Floridian relatives fare alright.
In other news, here’s another awesome video featuring a former Star Trek: The Next Generation cast member:
And if you liked that, don’t forget to watch this, too:
Also – if you consider yourself a Minnesotan and an atheist – and at least an adequate writer, then you can submit your story here for possible publication in Atheist Voices of Minnesota.
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Today marks 11 years that we have owned our Chevy Cavalier. As you may recall (if you have a phenomenal memory), I have been tracking the roll-over of each 1,000 miles since last summer. I wanted to see, first, if the vehicle would last ten years and, second, how long I could expect it to last. My father-in-law predicted that I could get another 50,000 miles out of the Cavalier. He said that back when the car had only 150,000 miles on it.
So here are the miles the old rust-bucket has been logging…
| 150,000 | July 6, 2010 |
| 151,000 | Sept 8, 2010 |
| 152,000 | Oct 1, 2010 |
| 153,000 | Oct 26, 2010 |
| 154,000 | Nov 17, 2010 |
| 155,000 | Dec 14, 2010 |
| 156,000 | Jan 14, 2011 |
| 157,000 | Feb 9, 2011 |
| 158,000 | Mar 7, 2011 |
| 159,000 | Apr 5, 2011 |
| 160,000 | Apr 29, 2011 |
| 161,000 | May 24, 2011 |
| 162,000 | June 21, 2011 |
| 163,000 | July 26, 2011 |
As you can see, I’ve been going roughly a thousand miles a month. The largest gap – between 150,000 miles and 151,000 miles – was 63 days long, and much of that time was taken up with my paternity leave, during which time I did not drive to work. The shortest gap was the very next one, where I went another thousand miles in only 23 days. Yuck!
It looks, then, like I travel about a thousand miles a month in my Cavalier, meaning it has three more years until it logs 200,000 miles. I hope it lasts that long. It’s been a reliable car – apart from a new tire in January and new front brakes earlier this month, I haven’t had to put much money into it.
August 2014: The month I finally replace my Cavalier. ????