I have a car today
About two months ago, our beater car threw a rod. Because I'm severely unemployed, we have elected not to buy another at this time (unless somebody out there has an leads on a local beater car for sale). This has left me, for the most part, trapped at home. DH has to drive to New Orleans every day; there really isn't an option about that. Taking a ride share van would probably cost close to $400/month, and most of them only go to the CBD. Cheaper than owning a car, I guess, but we don't have $400/month.
This leaves me carless. I don't live in an area where you can easily walk to shopping, restaurants, grocery, etc., especially if you have arthritis in your knees and chronic achilles tendonitis. So most of the time, I'm trapped at home. Sometimes a friend will give me a ride someplace, but I don't have a lot of friends; I don't like asking for favors from people who are only casual acquaintances, and my one good friend, who would take me anywhere, has been pretty sick the last few weeks.
But today, older son is home from college for fall break, and I scheduled MD and dentist appointments for him this morning. This required a car. So I got up at Oh Dark Thirty, took DH to New Orleans, and came home. (I went back to bed. I was really tired.) Older son has finished his appointments and now I HAVE A CAR. I can get in it and drive it. I can press on the accelerator to make it move, and press on the brake to make it stop. I can activate the turn signals. I can turn the round thing to change direction. I have a license from the state of Louisiana to do all these things.
I have been thinking for two days now where I will drive. I think I will drive to the gas station, and then I will drive to the hair cutting place and partake. I will drive to the grocery store and buy things like whipped cream and stick margarine. And then, later this afternoon, I will drive to New Orleans and fetch my husband.
This leaves me carless. I don't live in an area where you can easily walk to shopping, restaurants, grocery, etc., especially if you have arthritis in your knees and chronic achilles tendonitis. So most of the time, I'm trapped at home. Sometimes a friend will give me a ride someplace, but I don't have a lot of friends; I don't like asking for favors from people who are only casual acquaintances, and my one good friend, who would take me anywhere, has been pretty sick the last few weeks.
But today, older son is home from college for fall break, and I scheduled MD and dentist appointments for him this morning. This required a car. So I got up at Oh Dark Thirty, took DH to New Orleans, and came home. (I went back to bed. I was really tired.) Older son has finished his appointments and now I HAVE A CAR. I can get in it and drive it. I can press on the accelerator to make it move, and press on the brake to make it stop. I can activate the turn signals. I can turn the round thing to change direction. I have a license from the state of Louisiana to do all these things.
I have been thinking for two days now where I will drive. I think I will drive to the gas station, and then I will drive to the hair cutting place and partake. I will drive to the grocery store and buy things like whipped cream and stick margarine. And then, later this afternoon, I will drive to New Orleans and fetch my husband.
6 Comments:
I want to drive to NO today because I want out of my city. I have a need for geographical escape big time. "not gonna do it, wouldn't be prudent"
did you get a 'do' at the hair salon?
CAR = freedom
I never forget this. My early married days were like what you are going through. I had to live close to campus where I worked so I could walk, and believe it or not I walked 7 months of my first pregnancy until my in-laws sprung for a car for us, and I wasn't too proud back then to accept it.
Bummer you are so restricted now, Ann :(
Freedom! Enjoy.
Not a 'do, just a shampoo (i.e., vigorous scalp massage with water and shampoo) and a cut.
When I went to fetch DH, we had dinner at our favorite Mexican place in the city. Older son is home, so we had a babysitter.
A good day.
Might be worth driving him in a few days a week so you have the vehicle. Then you get some alone time also, and maybe dinner out.
Yeah, Joe, I'm thinking about that. I'm also thinking it would be even better if we could find him a carpool buddy for once or twice a week on the days he has a more relaxed schedule (that is, he doesn't have to be in by 7:00 a.m. for his 8:00 class). There's a matching forum in the paper, and I may ask him what he thinks of trying it, if he doesn't read it here first!
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