by Heather | 0 comments
It was brought to my attention that the name “Scotty” wasn’t very gentleman like or sophisticated enough for how the new car looks. So I’d like to clarify that his full name is Montgomery Scott. We will call him Scotty for short ;-)
by Heather | 1 Comment
Goodbye Stratus.
*salutes*
We bought a new car this week, a 2007 Ford Edge. We traded my 2000 Stratus in as part of the deal. While the Stratus wasn’t my first car (that honor goes to a white Pontiac, similar to this one). The Pontiac was called the “Gooley” because the “6000LE” on the side looked like a “Gooole.” I had that car from my junior year of highschool to junior year of college.
The Stratus has been with me since 2006, faithfully chugging along (with a little repair help from Andy). Towards the end of its life though, repairs were becoming a monthly expense and it was just getting to not be worth Andy’s time or our money to fix. The check engine light had been on for months too. Andy knew what the problem was (it wasn’t something too serious) but again wasn’t really worth the money to fix if we were going to get a new car. The Stratus had never been really good in winter, without fail I’d always end up in a ditch or sliding around even if I was going very slowly. It didn’t have anti lock breaks and the AC had died in the past few years. I didn’t so much mind the lack of AC, but I did feel pretty bad for Ben who was a hot sweaty mess every time we drove somewhere in the summer. In fact, for our memorable last ride to the dealership it was a balmy 96…so the Stratus definitely went off with a bang.
The Gooley was a hand-me-down from my dad (I think your first car should always be a clunker). I bought the Stratus from my stepdad for a few thousand. And the Edge, well, it cost a bit more than that but it’s the first “adult” vehicle I’ve picked out. It’s actually the Edge SEL Plus, meaning it comes with a bunch of extra features that I really don’t need…but the price and mileage were right. We were driving home from the dealership and Andy was pointing out all the features to me and showing me the knobs and buttons and I had to say “Andy, can I just drive home without killing us and THEN you can show me all the things it does.” In reply, he turned on the heated seats (remember, it was 96 out) and I couldn’t do a thing about it because I had no clue where the button was ;-)
I’d actually been looking on craigslist and fell in love with an orange Edge, but the guy sold it before we had a chance to look at it :( Guess it wasn’t meant to be. We bought our black Edge from Genesee Valley Ford in Lima if anyone’s interested. Pleasant experience (as far as car shopping goes). No pushy salesmen and very helpful with a few little hiccups we encountered along the way. Although I think our salesman found us a little awkward (he didn’t really get our jokes…)
I love Ford’s design on the vehicle, the bold lines and for a lack of a better word “edgy” body. I never really looked at it this way before, in the past I always just had a car to get me from point A to point B. I still can’t judge how big it is or where I am in space yet. Of course my lack of 3d vision doesn’t really help this, but I’ll get used to him soon. Yes, I’ve decided it is a gentleman SUV (or cross over I guess, CUV). I think his name is going to be Scotty. As in “Beam me up Scotty” because it’s so easy to accelerate and zoom along.
Dealer stock photos (because I haven’t gotten to it yet):
by Heather | 1 Comment
I figured some of you may be confused with all the names I mention in regards to my family. So without further adieu, the Who’s Who of Heather’s family:
Andy
My hubby, Ben’s daddy. First boy I kissed :) Computer engineer and super smart tinkerer who may someday take over the world. I’m convinced he can fix anything. He often says I break things just to see if he can fix it. This may or may not be true. Andy’s blog.
Ben
My baby boy, born October 2010. Loves kitties and clementines. Sleeps 7:30pm-7:30am, I am SO lucky. Has such a sweet demeanor and is very gentle for an almost 2 year old little boy. Picks vegetables out of his macaroni and cheese mix, shoves noodles to the side and eats the peas.
Jack
The cat, adopted in 2006. Also known as Tubbo, the large kitty. Puts up with Ben quite well. Bad kitty sometimes sneaks onto the counter and eats food he’s not supposed to.
Colby
The other cat, adopted in 2009. Colby isn’t the brightest crayon in the box, but he’s super sweet. He’s my snuggle buddy.
My dad
Colonel in the USAF. Currently lives in Massachusetts. Just sold his truck for a vintage corvette, boys and their toys. Right handed but plays softball left handed (I always thought that was weird). Instilled in me a love of camping and the outdoors.
Leslie
My stepmom. Lover of coffee (particularly Tim Hortons). Got me hooked on Downton Abbey. Always makes it feel like home when we visit (wherever they may be). Leslie’s blog.
Gabby
Leslie’s oldest daughter, my step sister (although we usually forgo the “step” part). Currently looking for an interior design job after graduating from FIT in NYC. Way more stylish than I and a super creative girl. Gabby’s blog.
Danielle
Leslie’s second daughter. Insanely talented singer and performer. World traveler and adventurer. Has such a sweet heart and the most b-e-a-utiful blonde hair that looks good however she wears it. Danielle’s blog.
Christopher
Leslie’s youngest, my step brother. Loves video games and playing guitar. Benny adores him! Fun fact, Chris and Danielle actually share the same birthday, June 14.
My mom
I am so like her in more ways than one. Inherited her freckles, although I always thought I should have been a red head too. I do graphic design/web design part time for her company. Mom’s website.
Paul
My step dad. Talented guitar player and fellow tinkerer with Andy. Made me my first MP3 mix CD when I bought my own CD player as a tween. Likes “stuff” and “things” on his pizza, ick :) Paul’s youtube channel.
Justin
My little brother! Works harder than anyone I know, going to school full time AND working a job full time. Growing an Amish beard, but underneath the scruff is a really sweet guy. So many memories, we had fun growing up together.
Kate
Justin’s fiance, my future sister in law. She’s finishing up her Masters in education. So sweet and fun to hang out with and she’s absolutely perfect for my brother. Weirdly, Kate hates chocolate…but I love her anyway.
Andy’s mom
Oh my goodness, a multi talented lady! From fabulous quilts to delicious desserts, she does it all! Including sewing the buttons back on Andy’s work shirts (because I’ve failed him domestically). Best mother in law a girl could ask for, we have a great relationship! Plus, she introduced me to the strawberry rhubarb combination :)
Andy’s dad
Such a terrific father to Andy, I really see a lot of him in his son. Another tinkerer (we have a lot of them in the family). He’s excellent with woodworking, wiring and mechanical projects. He’s also colorblind, which I find fascinating for some reason. Once he retires in January, he may never stop helping us work on our house ;-)
Jared
Andy’s younger brother who doesn’t look a thing like him with blonde hair and green eyes. He is SUCH a great guy and has a big heart for others. He just graduated and is looking for a job in nursing. Jared is like a rare animal, it’s impossible to get a picture of him because he’s always eluding my camera. I think this pic is like 1 of 2 that I actually have of him :)
by Heather | 0 comments
I may have over simplified things in my last post when I said Andy’s parents took Ben for the weekend. In actuality, I headed to Lockport Friday with Ben and all his travel equipment. From here it gets a little complicated :) My friend Allison was back from Italy for the week so I spent the morning visiting with her. We heard that our highschool friend Sarah was having a garage sale, so we popped over to her house. Ben was the charmer as he met Sarah’s mom for the first time and smiled at all the garage salers. After the garage sale, Allison and I met Sarah’s twin sister Heather, at the church she works at. We chatted with her for a little bit before I dropped Allison back off at her house.
From here I headed out to visit my dad, Leslie and Christopher. They were in from Massachusetts, staying at a friend’s house while the friend was on vacation to Virginia. Justin and Kate joined us for lunch and a swim. You can read more about our afternoon and see pics in Leslie’s post. So much fun :)
After Ben woke up from his nap we had a little snack and then packed up all his gear. He headed off with Justin and Kate for Friday evening. First time spending the night with his Auntie and Uncle :) Saturday morning Kate dropped Ben off at Andy’s parents’ house (which is right across the street from Justin & Kate’s apartment).
Ben had a lovely weekend with grandma and grandpa. There was swing time, exploring the yard, splashing in the pool, church on Sunday and much more. Sunday evening we met Andy’s parents at a restaurant along the thruway to do the Benjamin swap.
All in all a crazy weekend for the little guy, but he seemed to have fun! He slept VERY well the next few days we were home :) Andy’s parents took some pics of Ben’s weekend and these were my favorite:
