Hello Hotrod!

After long and painful consideration of our transportation needs, multiple visits to car lots, web sites, and the newspaper classifieds, seven test drives, anxious salesmen, and much deliberation, we have found a replacement for the Intrepid. Well, not a "replacement" exactly, more like a practical, intermediate solution for commuting while we look for a replacement. Except the "practical" part might be a bit of a stretch. And really, this car would probably be a decent first drive for Kenrick in ten years or so...

Okay, enough already. Here's what we got:

Welcome to the family, Honda Civic Si!

Honey, I shrunk the car!

The practical part? It IS a Honda Civic. With four doors. Used. Low miles. Air bags all around. And all the kids fit. Really. For now.

The make-you-smile-until-your-cheeks-hurt part? The Si. 197 hp, six speed manual transmission, sport suspension, 45-series tires. And according to Wikipedia, 0.9 g's on the skidpad. Color? Habanero Red. How can you not like Habanero Red?

Anyway, this thing is a blast to drive (yes, Andrea is driving it too), and it should get about twice the mileage as my truck so we're pretty pleased. We probably won't be taking any long road trips in the Civic, but it'll work for what we need. Minivan averted for now. Whew!

Farewell Faithful Chariot

After ten years, two hundred and fifteen thousand miles, and many, many happy memories, it's time to retire our beloved Intrepid.

She's had some minor aches and pains for some time now - simple nagging things like a driver's side window that won't roll down, a door lock that won't work right, foggy headlight lenses - but last month our dependable wagon developed something more serious. Actually, the joints have probably been on their way out for a while, but last month the metallic clunk under the hood from even minor bumps in the road and the abnormal wear on the front tires could no longer be ignored and so I put her up on blocks to see what I could see. What I saw wasn't pretty. The steering linkage on the driver's side was loose enough that the left tire could steer a few degrees independently of the right. Bushing gone, source of the clunking found - as well as the likely reason that our expensive tires have no tread. I kept looking. Broken exhaust support bracket, minor detail. Loose transmission stub shaft on the passenger side axle, not such a minor detail. I took her to the shop. Turns out that the steering link is the lesser of the two ailments. The transmission output shaft requires major surgery to remedy and the imminent failure of that particular component means the front tires lock up rather violently, without warning. Total bill? Four times more than the value of the car. We brought her home on a trailer. Sadness in the Pandemonium House.

How does a vehicle elicit such emotion?

The Intrepid was the first thing Andrea and I bought once I had graduated from college and knew that I had a decent paying job, our first major purchase together. It was much too big for just the two of us, but we pulled a U-Haul trailer full of house stuff back from Idaho after our wedding, we went camping, we filled the massive trunk will luggage and took road trips with whoever wanted to go along for the ride. We brought three little boys home from the hospital in this car, snug and warm in their protective cocoon, and ferried them safely about in all types of weather. And with the kids, road trips took on a whole new meaning. With trunk full of stroller and crib and toys and extra clothes for the boys and with seats soaked with spills and spit and various grit, the Intrepid carried us over endless freeways and winding scenic highways in summer and winter to Grandma's house and back. It never complained, never left us stranded.

This is how we'll remember her.

Today someone came to haul her away, someone who is willing and able to replace what's ailing or to make good use of the pieces that remain. We watched sadly as our car disappeared into the sunset.

Farewell faithful chariot.

Wind Farm, Completed

The wind farm out by us has been cranking out electrons for some time now, but I wanted to close the loop on my ongoing and long-overdue windmill updates. We were out that way this evening and the light was decent, so I snapped a couple of shots.

Looking north-west from highway 17 between Sparland and highway 40. If you squint you can see windmills way off in the distance, all quietly cranking away.

Well, not perfectly quietly. If you get right up next to one you can hear the blades slicing through the air, a low, rhythmic whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, like waves breaking on a beach. Here's the view from the base.

Images of Fall

Fall is in full swing on the Prairie. The trees are exploding with vibrant hues of reds and yellows, the harvest is well on its way, and there's a crisp, familiar bite in the air that signals the end of another summer. Pictures hardly do justice to the colors and the smells and the early-morning goosebumps that accompany this season, but here's a couple that we've snapped over the last couple of days.

The trees seem to be extra bright this year. This one can't seem to decide if it wants to be orange or yellow.

Even the clouds are putting on the colors of fall.

Miles of corn, ready to be harvested. Miles of windmills, harvesting the evening breeze.

Andrea forgets the advice about not looking into the sun.

Eating

Don't distract me mom, I'm eating!

Big Brother

Sleepy Paxton

Why are sleeping babies so cute? I might be biased, but I think this one is cuter than most.

First Ride

A couple of Monday's ago the boys and I got on our bikes and went for a ride on the Rock Island Trail. It was Anthony's first time out on the trail, so he was pretty proud of himself, but said afterwards that it was a lot of work. We ended up going a couple of miles, which is a long ways with six inch pedals! I shot this with my phone, riding one-handed while Anthony wobbled along ahead of me and Paxton blew cheerful raspberries in the trailer behind. Kenrick is so far ahead you can't see him.

Oh No!

I realized this morning that Anthony is a lot like our cousin Joel was when he was a kid! For those of you who don't know Joel, or didn't when he was a kid, think of a tornado on wheels, then play at full volume. Or take a look at this.

Sorry Joel.

Opposite Universe

Why is it that little kids seem to interpret everything you try to tell them just the opposite of what you really said?

"Anthony, be quiet while you are getting ready for bed, Paxton is already sleeping."

"Okay. KENRICK MOM SAID TO BE QUIET! DON'T HIT ME WITH YOUR SHOE!"

Oh good grief.

And time has no meaning.

"Okay guys, we need to eat quickly and get ready to go or you'll be late for school. Kenrick, why are you staring into space? Get your shoes on! Anthony, you were supposed to have your backpack ready half an hour ago! Kenrick, put food in your mouth!

The later we are the slower they move.

The more often you tell them, the less they hear.

Right is left. "Look out" means "Turn around and walk backwards just to make sure you run into the telephone pole."

Today we were at the art fair, which with little kids is a recipe for disaster. I've got to give the boys credit because they did really well, but I could tell they were struggling. "This stuff is fragile guys, don't touch," which in the opposite universe of five and seven year olds must have sounded like: "Touch the vase. Go ahead, pick it up. Or feel the painting, it probably feels scratchy..."

True Story

The other day I stopped by a local Jimmy John's for lunch. They were so fast that I got my sandwich before I even ordered. Freaky.

High Water

Last weekend we got about seven inches of rain in two and half days and the river has been rising ever since. The pictures of the high water downtown looked impressive, so we wandered into Peoria this afternoon to look for ourselves. The water level was about ten feet above the normal high water mark, which means that most of the riverfront park and some of the roadway next to the river was under. Impressive.

Captain, Captain! It looks like we've run aground!

Looking up the train tracks at Water street (aptly named?). The riverfront park is to the left, downtown Peoria to the right.

"What do you mean, tonight's show is canceled?"

*** We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program ***

FEED ME!

Game On!

Saturday was Kenrick's first soccer game, and my first as a coach. Go team!

Despite my general incompetence our little team actually looked like they knew what they were doing, and Kenrick took to the field like a fish to water. Here he is (in blue, front and center) chasing down the ball for another shot on goal.

The teams are six-on-six with no goalie, and since only six of the nine kids on Kenrick's team showed up to brave the rain they all got a good workout. Time for a breather.

Kenrick played really well, but has some learning to do. One time he took the ball from one end of the field to the other. "Kenrick, you are supposed to be playing defense!"

"But Dad, I didn't see anyone to pass it to."

Dad has some learning to do as well, as I was graciously reminded by the high school girls soccer player/referee that the team that was scored on gets to kick the ball from center to start play again, not the scoring team! Oh. Guess I'd better find that rule book again.