16 October 2007

Baby you can drive my car

No. 1 Son turned 15 the other day. We haven't had a party for him yet. He says he doesn't really want a party, just wants to go bowling with a couple of friends. I can't pretend to understand that. Bowling? It isn't like we are some die-hard bowling family or anything. Sure, back in the day the 5/8 and I were on a bowling team in Olathe, back when No. 1 Son was just fresh from the cabbage patch. Maybe he has some sort of fond memories of bowling alleys from way back then. Who knows.

About 10 years ago his grandmother won a Dodge Neon from the newspaper over in Lawrence. Some contest she entered. I hadn't known anyone who won a car in real life, so that was kind of exciting. Well, against my objections, she gave No. 1 Son that Dodge Neon for his birthday. It only has about 67K miles on it, and it needs at least a battery. But we have a year to fix it before he can really drive it. I didn't think he needed a car. My plan was always to get another vehicle for myself next year and give him the Insight.

My thinking was that the Insight is a perfect car for a kid. If it isn't driven conservatively, the batteries become drained and you find yourself trying to drive a car on the anemic 3 cylinder engine. Add to that it is so small and cramped, there is absolutely positively no room for any funny business in that little car. Sure, we don't have any drive-ins around anymore, but that doesn't mean that kids won't be kids. And this was supposed to be just one more extra little blanket of protection against hormones. Now he has a roomy car with a full back seat (it is a 4 door)!

On the upside, now I can think about getting a more suitable vehicle sooner, rather than later.

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