A bag of apples hoopty

Becky and I are blessed enough to have a safe and dependable late model four wheel drive SUV, which is essentially the boys’ car. She drives it most of the time, because she has the boys with her, and I drive it on the weekends, when wrestling doesn’t interfere with our carpooling.

(I think I should tell you that I just finished with one of those random little boy conversations that I guess wrestling parents have from time to time. I was just sitting, writing, and this boy plops down beside me and asks, “What are you doing?” I told him I was writing, and he asked me what I was writing. I told him, and the we started talking. We talked about the “Big Game” to be played later today between the Patriots and the Eagles and then just many other random things from a random child. I don’t tell you that for any reason other than to say that some random kid just came up, plopped down, and started talking to me about random things. Where’s the C and C Music Factory when you need them?)

So, I say that Becky and I are blessed to have this SUV, but it’s really the boys who are blessed with it; she drives it usually, I drive it occasionally, but the boys always ride in it.

We are also blessed to have a hoopty. Our metallic green 1996 Mercury Mystique V6 only has 47,000 miles on it, but it’s still a ’96, so, while the engine and transmission are still performing well, the little things that break and the fuses that blow keep me busy and often bothered by having to manage something I don’t particularly care to manage.

It’s what I refer to as “a bag of apples car,” because I keep a bag of apples in the trunk. It has only actually broken down on me once in the seven or so months that we’ve had it, but I’ve really only driven it for three of those months.

And I wonder why they never put a bag of apples on the list of things you should keep in your trunk in case of emergency. They mention the water, blankets, flashlight and flares, but they never say you should keep a bag of apples. Why shouldn’t you? If you drive a hoopty and you’re liable to wind up stranded somewhere, what better thing to have in your trunk than a bag of apples?

Apples taste good, they last a while without going bad, and they fill you up nicely. Also, as silly as it might sound to keep a bag of apples in your trunk, it sounds less so to a dude whose Gremlin X has left him stranded somewhere outside of Tupelo, where he doesn’t have any cell service.

If that happens to me, and there’s no guarantee it won’t, at least I’ll have some apples to hold me over until I get rescued. I’ll also have some water to drink–if there isn’t any snow to thaw–and a blanket to stay warm and a flashlight so I can amuse myself making hand animals.

Random stuff, friends. Welcome to how things work inside my head. Still, it’s not a bad idea, and if you’re like me and you hate waste, don’t go cursing your misfortune for not getting stranded, just drop them off at the shelter every couple of weeks and replace them. Win win.

Oh well.

Much love, my friends. Today marks the beginning of my second week at the expanded technical writing duties, and it should be a lot easier than last week. That means you’ll see me around here more often. Hope to see you too. Until then, be well.