First Looks

Well, we did our first round of car shopping today. Talk about tiring. We only hit two dealerships -- Honda & Nissan -- and we were spent. (Having to wrangle Parker didn't help. Not to mention, we also need to get goods for his birthday tomorrow.)

Here are the two cars we checked out...

2008 Honda CR-V EX-L w/Navigation System Front-wheel Drive 2008 Nissan Rogue SL 4dr Front-wheel Drive Overview MSRP * $27,200 $20,790 Invoice * $25,285 $19,386 Engine 2.4L I-4 166 HP 2.5L I-4 170 HP Transmission 5-spd auto w/OD Xtronic 2-spd CVT w/OD Fuel Economy City 20.0 mpg 22.0 mpg Fuel Economy Highway 27.0 mpg 27.0 mpg Bumper to Bumper Warranty (months/miles) 36/36,000 36/36,000

Of the two, so far, we're favoring the CR-V. It was a lot nicer than the Rogue. Plus, the Honda dealer didn't do the hard press sell that we got at Nissan.

If we have time tomorrow, we're going to try to head over to the Toyota dealership in Valencia (because there's not one in the AV...go figure) to check out the Rav4.

There's still time to weigh in if you have any other car suggestions for me. Here's my criteria:

NEEDS:

• Automatic Transmission
• Cruise Control

WANTS:

• Good gas mileage
• Seats at least 4 adults and a dog
• Deep tint windows (no more vinyl clings to shade Parker
• DVD Player (Lil' P has his needs.)
• Light on the outside, dark on the inside (essential to hide dirt)
• Roof rack (for snowboards)
• iPod hook up
• Phone bluetooth (got to be hands free in July)

WOULD BE NICE:

• 4WD/AWD
• Concealed storage

DON'T WANT

• Sunroof

The Word's In

Looks like the insurance company has decided to total the car. The question is, though, how much will we actually get for it...and, I guess, what car should I think about getting. Here's my current criteria -- good gas mileage, tinted windows, and DVD player (my baby has needs!). A plus would be all wheel drive (which will hamper gas mileage), which could be countered if it happened to be a hybrid. My Saturn has lead me to the discovery that I have no need for a sunroof. (Too noisy!)

But what are your thoughts?

In Case You're Still Worried...

...about Parker. Don't be. Here's what the little guys said this morning when he saw my car, ''Mom!* What happened to your car?''

*Yes, he's 2 going on 3 and he's already started calling me ''Mom''. Next year, he'll be calling me ''Catherine''.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

What's Wrong With This Picture?,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

Well, obviously, my side view mirror is gone. And so is my hubcap. Oh yeah, and my door! Yes, I was sideswiped on my way home and it was a hit and run. How can you drive off with someone's door and not know it? And should I even be embarrassed about the little fuzzy thing stuck on antenna? Yeah. Totally.

More importantly, Parker and I are fine and we made it home safely. Now we wait in anticipation to find out what our insurance company will do -- fix it or junk it? You make the call.

On the bright side (after the Parker being safe and sound, of course)...it's a good thing I decided to pass on the car wash today.

Don't Be Late!

I always seem to know when daylight savings is approaching because my body seems to anticipate the change. I've been waking up a lot earlier than normal, giving me a chance to actually have a cup of coffee at home. Go figure.

I guess mentally, I can't wait for the time change because it just means more daylight, especially at the end of the day. (Traffic seems to be better when it's light out.)

The Road Ahead

So I've been interviewing for a new job and I just got word today that I got it. Have no fear. I'm still working for the mouse. Actually, I'll still be at the same desk. Instead of site producer, though, I'll be transitioning to a business analyst position. Which means I'll be doing a lot more writing. And, more importantly, I'll be able to give up the on-call phone...no more 2am calls. WHOOPIE!

One of the Few

Yes, the Trillos were one of the few people who watched last night's Oscar telecast, which, surprisingly only ran 15 minutes overtime...go figure! Of course we love any opportunity to head over to Acton Cinema 1 (the big screen at Thommy & Geoffrey's) and snack on pizza and wings.

I loved Jon Stewart as host (but then I am a Daily Show junkie) so I just thought I'd share a few of my favorite quips:

• ''There are three pregnant ladies with us tonight. Jessica Alba. Cate Blanchett. Nicole Kidman. And the baby goes to.... Angelina Jolie. I'm stunned. Angelina couldn't be with us tonight, it's tough to get 17 babysitters on Oscar night.''
• ''Diablo Cody used to be an exotic dancer and now she's an Oscar nominated screenwriter. I hope you're enjoying the paycut.''
• ''Even Norbit got a nomination, which I think is great. Too often, the academy ignores movies that aren't good.''
• ''Democrats do have an historic race going. Hillary Clinton vs Barack Obama. Normally, when you see a black man or a woman president an asteroid is about to hit the Statue of Liberty. How will we know it's the future? Silver unitards, that can't be all?''

Total Flosser

Blame the moon but we last night found Parker in the bathroom with yards of floss all over the place so we decided to make the best of it and floss our teeth. Parker does his best to be like daddy. But the floss was all over the place, even in his hair. But eventually, he got the hang of it. Now if we can convince him he doesn't need yards of it at a time.

Total Eclipse

In case you missed it...

Actually, we were able to check it out with Parker and, while I don't think he fully got it, he kinda enjoyed it. Well, it'll be two years before another lunar eclipse so it'll be interesting to see the difference in interest.

Pouring the Slab

Just about two years after we poured the foundations for our sheds, the cement trucks are back to pour the slabs that will surround the sheds. Yes, that's cement trucks...plural. If you ask Parker he'll let you know we had ''two 'ment trucks''.

Once again, Frankie was supervising the activity -- making sure everyone was working and, if he felt the cement mixture was lacking, he would add the necessary tennis ball to the mix. (Actually, I think this may have been part of his ''fetch'' ploy.)

This time, Chris hired a professional cement finisher to make sure the end result was perfect. Of course, running out of cement would make the finishing job all that much harder. (Who would ever thought 2 cement trucks would not be enough?!)

Have no fear, the calvary is on the way. Yes, that a third cement truck! (Of course if you ask Parker he'll still say there was only ''two 'ment trucks'' since he was napping when the third truck arrived. Also, it's harder to count three trucks when the other two have already left.)

With the last two yards in placed and professionally finished, I must say, the cement slab is really nice looking. It slopes down in the middle, creating a driveway allowing, in the future, Chris to park his tracker under the cover of the (future) sheds. Now we just need to do the actual sheds. Keep your fingers crossed -- I'm hoping to have another entry on this project by the end of this summer (and not in another two years).

Thanks to everyone who helped out today!

Obama-Mama

So I found this site that shows you where your ''Electorial Compass'' is pointing. All you have to do is take a survey and Viola! It literally shows where you and the candidates stand.

As expected...Obama is my man (so to speak -- don't be jealous Chris...even though I know he's your man, too). Actually, it's interesting to see all the candidates one one page based on their opinions. You can even see their (and your) positions on specific issues.

This election will be pretty interesting. The good thing is, though, the current batch of candidates -- Democratic and Republican -- don't scare me. I think all will do a good job if they became President. (Really, they don't have to do much to do better than our current President.) All of them seem to be able to hold their own in public conversations (not just speeches) -- I'm specifically thinking of McCain's many favorable appearances on the Daily Show and Huckabee on The Colbert Report. Not to mention a sense of humor -- Obama on SNL, Hillary's Sopranos Ad, and McCain willing to be in ''Wedding Crashers''.

If I had to rate them, obviously, Obama is my top dog -- great values, open to working with all parties in order to achieve goals greater (yes, I think we should be talking to our enemies in order to find diplomatic solutions not military solutions to our disagreements), and an overall great representative for the American people. (I guess I also can't ignore the appeal of a multi-racial candidate in office -- can I get a Hapa Whoop! Whoop!)

AO (''After Obama''), I'm kinda of torn between Hillary and McCain. I hate their hawkishness (Sure Hillary is against the war right now but I'm still not sold that she'll actually get us out of there, especially if she feels the need to demonstrate that she strong.) but I feel both will have a more responsible approach regarding the war.

I guess I would have to go with McCain as my current second. While my political leaning is more Democratic than Republican, I appreciate McCain's independence and willingness to work across the aisle -- even with Democrats seen as super-liberal (McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill) -- and even go against the party line if necessary (McCain's stance against the Bush Administration and Torture). It's interesting to see him speak to conservative groups. ''Many of you have disagreed strongly with some positions I have taken in recent years. I understand that. I might not agree with it, but I respect it for the principled position it is.'' He wants their support but doesn't outright cater to their whims.

To be honest, I can't anything that Hillary's done recently that doesn't feel more like political posturing. Dare I even say that she doesn't seem genuine to me? (Okay, I guess I just said it.) What I do have to go on is my gut, which tells me she'd do the right thing. But is that enough to trust her over McCain? At this point, no. But the Electorial Compass tells me she's politically a lot closer to me than McCain so maybe my opinion will change in the next couple of months.

So that leaves Huckabee in fourth. I don't believe in everything he stands for but, as dumb as it sounds, he's likable. I actually like him, personality-wise, better than Hillary.

We'll, that's where I stand right now. If I remember, I'll do the test again in a couple of months and see if there's been any change. In the meantime, I encourage you all to see where your compass is pointing.

Happy Birthday Hailey

So another classmate birthday party for Parker to attend. This time it's Hailey's birthday. Not sure if you remember but Parker attended her 2nd birthday last year. Now Hailey is one of Parker's favorite gal pals at school. However, he was so shy at the party. It was really hard to get him to interact with everyone...which was just about everyone in his preschool class. Very odd.

Super Tuesday

Non-major elections can be a bit boring for an independent voter...sorry, "Nonpartisan"...like myself. However, this time around I found out that Nonpartisan voters are able to vote in the Democratic Presidential Primary...interesting. So now I have an opportunity to jump into the fray...but who to choose?

Well, to be honest, the decision wasn't hard. Hillary betrayed me long ago with her hawkish war stance -- that she mysteriously lost when she started to run for office...hmmm, interesting again. Call me an Obama-Mama but I love his inspirational message of change.

Gated Community

Gated Community,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

Bad weather in our neighborhood means road closures. Here's the start of Angeles Forest Highway, where it meets Sierra Highway. It's an ominous roadblock but really, it's not as bad as it looks. It just prevents people from driving all the way up to the forest only to discover the road is closed over there. While we just drive around this barricade to get to our house, I do not suggest driving around the others. Most likely the road hasn't been plowed so you be facing obstacles like snow, ice, mud, and rocks.

Burns Night

So, every year Aimee sends out an invitation to celebrate Burns Night and every year I have to pass because it coincides wtih Geof's birthday. However, this year the venue decided to push the celebration to Saturday the 26th, making it possible for the Trillos to attend.

What's Burns Night, you ask? Well, from what I'm told, it celebrates the Scots poet, Robert Burns, with haggis and scotch whisky.

Now haggis (sheep's heart, liver, & lungs mixed with onion, oatmeal, suet, and spices and boiled in the animal's stomach) was not the only thing on the menu but Chris and I thought, in the spirit of the event, we should, between the two of us, have at least one order of haggis. To be honest, it wasn't that bad. It just tastes like liver. (Next year, though, I'll have to remember to bring some tobasco.)

The highlight of the evening, as you can see from Parker's pictures above, was the band -- the Ploughboys. They were great. And Parker couldn't resist jamming with them on the straw guitar and later on the straw flute.

Check out Aimee's blog for more pictures of the night and video.

Parker jams with the band.	Scottish pirates on the loose.

Snow Day

So we got more snow today. Actually it came last night, which, after a day of full on rain, made for an interesting trip home. I couldn't get the car up to the house -- couldn't make it up the driveway and couldn't make it up the "backway" either. Too steep, too muddy, and I was afraid I'd destroy the engine trying to power it up (wheels spinning and skidding) the hill. So I had to ditch the car at the bottom of the hill and hike up with Parker in my arms and my computer on my back in the snow and through the slushy mud. Fun. The last time I had to tromp up the hill, though, it was raining which causes the freaky frogs (yes, frogs!) to come out. So I guess it was a tad better.

That said, I figured I'd stay home the next day. That gave us a chance to play in the snow while it lasted...for a little while, at least...I mean, it's cold! We played fetch with Frankie, of course. Parker ate snow. And we made a tiny snow bear. (Anything bigger would have taken too long with Parker's hunger for snowmen. Plus, did I mention it was cold!)

I WON'T Grow Up!

So I got these costumes from a sample sale at work around Halloween. But since we already had a costume purchased for Parker...you remember the fireman...well, it just seemed to make sense to save it for another day. And today was just that day.

Parker's been watching the DVD so he's very familiar with Peter. And the costume just went over like gangbusters. Especially the fact that it came with a knife. He wore the costume all day long and forced Chris and I to engage in sword/knife fights all day long. A little tiring but fun nonetheless.

Mr. Fix It

Mr. Fix It,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

''And remember, there is no more important safety tip than to wear this (points at glasses), your safety glasses.''
--Norm Abrams

Parker proudly shows of his new tool bench. Of course the safety goggles highlight a recent run in Parker has with the playground asphalt. But, as expected, he's A-OK.

First Snow of 2008

The first snow of 2008! Of course it started late Sunday night and by Monday morning, much of it had melted away. So much for a snow day preventing me from going to work. Of course, if I didn't go to work I'd miss the freaky skies over Parker's daycare. It's a bit hard to see in this picture (god forbid I actually stop the car to get the shot) but the clouds that hung low in the sky were this unreal blue.

2007, A Look Back

Rather than reflect on where I failed on my 2007 resolutions (my scale makes things quite clear for me, thank you) I figured I'd look back on a year of blogging and point out a few highlights:

• No More High Chair: Marks a transition to big boy eating. Plus, I love these shots of Parker eating cereal.
• The Birthday Fun Continues: One of the funniest things about Parker's 2nd birthday was watching him react to the Tickle Me Elmo that Ravi got him. The emotions ranged from distrust and intrigue and that was just from Frankie. I have to admit, there were a few tears shed by Parker...but (and here's cruel Mommy talking) it was pretty funny.
• The Puzzler: I'm always amazed when Parker demonstrates a new skill. I always think he's too young to do this or that and he always loves to prove me wrong.
• Susie's Shower: Not only does this mark Parker's first airplane ride but I love the shot I caught of Parker in the park as he looks at me through the urban xylophone.
• Nap Time: Another classic Parker shot.
• Bye Cookie!: Once again, you think they're too young to give each other nicknames and yet here are Parker's classmates calling him ''Cookie''. Why? Who knows but it's still funny to this day.
• Spaceship: This could quite possibly mark the start of his spaceship obsession.
• Tahoe 2007: With all said and done, I guess I have to end with the Abominable Cannibal.

BTW, looking back on the year I have noticed that my entries have become fewier as the years go on so I guess one resolution I should make is to blog more often...at least beat last year's number of 86 entries. (1 down, 86 more to go.)