Car Wash

I have always loved driving my car through the car wash. When I was little, my dad would fuel up at the Chevron in East Bay on University Ave. It has a car wash on site. Big blue flaps of material hitting wildly against the car, pushing it side to side threatening to tip the beast, but it never did. I used to hold my breath thinking each time that this would be the one that defied all others. This would be the exact moment that our car would be knocked to it side killing all occupants. (A little dramatic, I realize this, I was maybe 10, give me a break.)

Well, when I was about 19 or 20, Ephraim got their first automatic touchless car wash. Yeah, sure they had car washes before this, but I was thrilled. A car is driven into the bay and cleaned with sprays of water only. It is amazing! The splish splash car wash is particularly wonderful, because it's foam is multi-colored (Mind blowing, I know!) and sprays uniformly across the windows. When the boys were little we went to this wash about once a week. It was like getting a pedicure for the car.

As life has continued on for our family I have come to see that it is a bit frivolous to wash my car at the car wash each week. I have all the equipment at home, not that I use it. Anyhow, sometimes I decide that it will be a nice adventure for the day to go through our local car wash. (Still picaresque.) The other day was one of these magnificent days. Bentley and Remi had both fallen asleep leaving only Hunter and I to enjoy the experience. I recently purchased a Hey Tom duster from flylady.net. It is wonderful. I dusted the front dash board and the passenger seat. Hunter wiped the back seats down and started to clean the above console. I took the duster from him, so that he wouldn't wipe it on the ceiling. I wiped over the compartment containing my favorite sunglasses, the duster clinging to dirty fingerprints and dust like a magnet. I moved the duster forward in one swift motion to complete the job. As I pulled the duster down I heard the passenger back door open. Oh No, I thought, I didn't. Oh yes, I did. I had hit the button opening the back door. "Idiot!" I thought. Lucky for me the water had just passed her door and I closed it allowing only a fine mist to enter my car. As the door closed I could hear that the water was still whooshing as loud as it had before. I looked over my left shoulder to see the other door open. *^%$! I quickly pushed the button to safely close this door. It would close without incident just as before. As this thought crossed my mind I saw the door slowly closing and realized with horror that the water was quickly making it's way to our open door. Tie goes the runner I saw as water sprayed into my car soaking my arm that I had thrown protectively back, (like my arm is going to keep gallons of forceful water out of my car.) I screamed, Hunter screamed, Bentley woke up, and Remi slept. I laughed and laughed. It was hysterical. Hunter said, "That was awesome!" Lucky for my Bentley, she was mostly covered and only got a little wet. We definitely got our money's worth out of this inside/out car wash.

We are the same!

Stephen and I are trying to introduce a new parenting fad, or mantra of sorts for each family member:

"SAY NO TO INDIVIDUALISM!"

There is no need for children to grow up competing with one another to try and show that they are best. Everyone should be the same. If one of your children cannot ride a bike, none of them should. If your 3 yr old is not ready to read, by all means, do not let your 6 yr old learn. This would make his abilities stand out. And if by some chance, your baby cannot grow hair, shave the older children bald, so that she will not feel bad.

Music Monday

Today I would like everyone to go back in their minds to the fall of 1998. I was a senior at Delta High School, trying my best to enjoy life to the fullest. My best friend was Angelica Ward. We were practically inseparable. Stephen had just left to do his own thing. It was a Saturday night, the exact date escapes me. Angelica and I were restless. We wanted to do something crazy. Lucky for us we had Sarah Cross to grace our existence. She is one crazy broad, and I loved her for it. Sarah has always been a bit eccentric. She always had the most exciting ideas of fun. Some were good and some not so good for any of us. Well, this particular Saturday night she was at her best. The three of us got all dressed up in our best formal dresses. Annie Draper made us the most beautiful corsages made from marigold flowers. Marigolds? Yes, they are not the typical orchid, they are not part of the Orchidaceae family at all. But they were all we had. So there we were, three hot chicks dressed to kill. We got in my little 1982 mercury lynx with faux wood paneling and drove the 45 minute drive to Fillmore, Utah. Their high school was having the annual homecoming dance. It was a formal dance, and we just happened to be dressed for the occasion. The dance was held in the gym and every song played was a slow, nice, dance close to your boyfriend song. Well, we requested "Gettin Jiggy With it" from Will Smith. The dance floor cleared and the three of us took the floor. It was hilarious. I loved it. Every time I hear this song, I think of my date with Angelica and Sarah and how we ripped up the floor. I tried to find the picture that goes with this blog, but my scanner isn't working. Ah good times!

Music Monday

Brooke started a tag on music. I think this is a wonderful idea. Music defines so many different situations in life. Think of all of the music we have running all around us each day. Commercials, television programs, movies, stores, the car, it is everywhere. I am surprised that the refrigerator doesn't play music when the door is opened. I always have a song playing in my head, kind of like Homer Simpson.

There are few things that bind us together in commonality. With the exception of the crazy cults that might not allow any kind of music, most people across the world listen to some form of music. Try and name five things that humanity in general has in common. I am willing to bet my morning doughnut that music would be one of them. Music speaks to the soul. It inspires, it leads, it angers, it softens. It has the ability to conjure any emotion desired with it's beat, words, and melody.

The song I would like to discuss from my blog today is Depeche Mode's "Somebody." This has to be one of the cheesiest songs I can think of. I first heard it when I was in college. My roommate and friend (there is a definite distinction) Jill Farnsworth, now Jill Norris, knew all the words. We would call the college radio station every two hours, when they switched the DJ, and request it. She would stand on the couch and sing it to the roommates like she was giving a concert. Jill is the type of person that can light up the darkest room. I can't think of anyone that doesn't like to be around her. It was so much fun. Every time I hear this song, I think of her and how much I envied the happiness the radiated from inside of her. It makes me smile.

If there are any of you that don't read Brooke blog, which I can't imagine because she is a wonderful writer, I have copied and pasted part of her post that includes Music Monday:

"Therefore, I am hereby announcing that Monday will now be (drum roll.....) "Music Monday" (catchy, huh?) A lot of you have music on your blogs, so I'm tagging everyone who reads this (no one is left out!) to write a post about one of the songs on your blog each Monday. It can simply say why you like it, etc. Or it can be about how you had your first kiss to the song, blah, blah. Even if you don't have music on your blog, you can still write about songs you like. Anyway, I am doing it, so that I will have a tag to do :) Sooooo...EVERYONE, TAG, YOU'RE IT! :)"

Brooke, I hope that this is okay with you. I don't have the brain power to reword it.

TAG!