Planes, trains, automobiles, rental cars, buses and mini-van test drives

We drove up to the Claxton Reunion on October 3rd. The reunion is always held in Faber, KY. When Ava was born, I took advantage of already being on maternity leave and spent a week in Michigan. We thought it might be nice to do the same with Liam (and Ava) this year. So, we drove two separate vehicles to the reunion, planning on Doug driving back to GA on Sunday to continue working during the week (due to limited vacation time) and I would continue driving north to MI, to spend the week with the kids and grandparents. Doug was going to fly up to Michigan on Friday night and we would all drive back to Georgia together, IN ONE VEHICLE, that Sunday.

Let’s just say this trip turned into planes, trains, automobiles, rental cars, buses and mini-van test drives for Doug. No joke! On Friday, October 3rd, on the way to Kentucky, the Taurus (my good ole “Mommy” car, as I like to joke…:-) started smoking. I’m looking in my rear view mirror and turning the wheel slightly, to see if I can determine from where the smoke is coming. Doug calls me from the F-150, which he is driving ahead of me. He also notices the Taurus is smoking. We pull over at a gas station. Car is GUSHING transmission fluid. Two guys pull up and offer to help, stating they have a shop across the highway. We drive the car across the highway. Pile everything from the Taurus into the F-150, praying these mechanics will fix our car before Doug is to return back to Atlanta on Sunday. We continue on our way to Kentucky in one car. Saturday (my 32nd birthday) Doug was tasked with dealing with the car shop. They hadn’t even looked at the car by 3 p.m. the next day. One of the shop employees suggested we have the Taurus towed 15 miles away, to a shop in Athens, TN, so a certified mechanic can work on the repair. So we do. We scratch our heads trying to figure out how to get Doug back to Atlanta without me driving him the four hours there (and then turning around and driving an additional 11 hours from Atlanta to Michigan with two kids). We figure out that Doug can travel by BUS! We attend the family reunion on Saturday (and had a great time). We drove Doug one hour to Knoxville (on Sunday) so he could ride back from there to Atlanta by bus, rent a car for the week and begin looking for a car before he flew up to MI on Friday night. Doug has interesting stories to tell about his bus ride… We were thinking the transmission on the Taurus might be bad. The car was only worth $2500 (tops) and a transmission would’ve been $1700 (on top of the seal repair of $600)... Not worth it.

Poor Doug thought he was going to have a week of the bachelor life and he ended-up searching car lots for new-to-us mini vans for the right price… We both liked Siennas and Odysseys but not the price tag on new vehicles. My Dad, working for one of the Fox automotive dealers, found a used Toyota Sienna with low mileage for the right price. I test drove it and really liked it. Doug and I both talked (five states apart), trying to figure out which vehicle might be best, which features, what price, what year, etc. We ended-up choosing the 2005 Sienna with 33,000 miles on it. Thanks, Dad! Doug didn’t even get to see it in person before we bought it, so I hope it lasts a while! :-0 When he arrived on Friday he checked it out and agreed it was the right vehicle for us. So, it meant we had to drive back to Atlanta in two vehicles, but we made it back safely. Usually a 10 ½ - 11 hour trip, we made it back in 14 hours (after stopping in TN to remove our belongings from our Taurus). The certified mechanic in Athens, TN offered to buy the Taurus from us. Rather than towing it back, we agreed to sell it. Never did I think we would be walking away from that car as quickly as we did, but these things happen. We did own the car for 8 years and haven’t had a car payment on it in six years. And we had just spent $1000 on a new catalytic converter for the Taurus. Ugh. At least we got out of it when we did… And considering we had to find a car in a pinch, I think we ended-up with a great vehicle. So, we’re now part of the family of mini-van owners. Having owned a “Mommy” car (the Ford Taurus) and my ‘Vette (Che-vette, that is), my identity hasn’t been entirely wrapped up in my cars in the past. I guess the jump from a Taurus to a mini-van isn't a huge identity shift! One day I/we will buy a beautiful old beefy car (an old Chevelle, Camaro or an Impala...in my dreams). For now, practicality reigns. Bring on the soccer ball decal.


















We love how much storage this van offers. It handles really well and has lots of nice features. It had only one owner before we bought it. I have a cd player in the car (instead of a six cd-changer in the trunk, which wasn’t so convenient)! We will no longer need to take two vehicles everywhere we go when we have visitors in town. The third row bench seat folds down and is flush with the floor of the van. Huge storage! Two sliding doors! Telescopic steering column! Gas hole on the driver side (unlike the Taurus)! So many cupholders! (The Taurus only had 1.5.) Never did I think I would be so excited about a mini van… What’s next for us…an Econoline BUS? ;-)

More to post about the family reunion and trip to MI later…

Happy to be home safe and sound,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam