Living Vicariously Through My Husband’s Rental Cars

by FadraN on January 31, 2012 · 5 comments

in Family Life,Lifestyle

My husband (shaking head). Have you met him? If so, you can skip ahead. If not, here are a few things you need to know.

My husband is awesome. He is a handyman plus. He can literally do anything: welding, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, carpentry, IT, cooking, laundry, and even sewing. I’m convinced they based the TV series MacGyver on him.

He can be the most easygoing guy in the world. If I want us to go on a vacation, I pretty much plan it and then tell him about it. If I want to order takeout, he says “Surprise me.” But he can also be one of the most difficult too.

He’s the only person I know that can stop by the hardware store for a single nail and agonize over the decision.

3/8? 1/4? Galvanized? Corrugated? Spiral? Pneumatic?

When it comes to guy stuff, he is extremely picky. Now I want you to imagine him picking up a rental car.

First of all, he likes cars. A lot. We subscribe to several car magazines and we always attend the car show together. He knows more about cars than I ever care to. And when I need help falling asleep, he talks to me about the viscosity of motor oil.

So when he gets to drive a rental car, he’s like a kid in the candy store. He prefers to go to the companies where he has some sort of premium service: gold, emerald, or whatever it’s being called these days. Then, he gets his pick of the litter. He usually picks his car based on one he’s been wanting to “try out.”

When he’s forced to go with some other car company that assigns him a car, he’s been known to go back to the counter to see if they might have something else. Like that shiny red one over there.

He usually gets it. He’s learned to attract more flies with honey than vinegar.

He rents these cars locally because he’s on the road most of the week. He drops his car at our local airport, picks up a rental car there, and heads home to pack up for the journey out the next morning. And every time he comes home, it’s the same thing, “Honey, wait til you see what I got this week.”

He’s driven a Volvo, Nissan, Chevy, Ford, and probably others he’s never even told me about. But this week, he was especially excited to show me his car.

He came in and said, “I have something for you to write about!” He was referring to my involvement with TWIN (Toyota Women’s Influencer Network). He was proud to show me his brand new Toyota Camry. As per usual, my son and I went out to the driveway and climb in and test all the buttons and switches.

I gave him my initial assessment. The outside was very blah. Nothing special about the design. But the interior was especially comfortable and roomy with a nicely positioned dashboard and center console. I told him I thought it would be a good car for a long drive. He said he would let me know. And I knew he would.

Over 300 miles later, he’s happy to report a few key things he discovered when driving the Toyota Camry:

  • It is actually a very comfortable car for long distance driving.
  • It has a very nicely integrated iPod system. He says the interface on the dash operates exactly like the iPod menu does. My car also has iPod integration and I’m less than thrilled. I think Toyota probably made a wise choice by not trying to re-engineer something that is already so wildly popular.
  • It has a very good braking system. I didn’t ask him exactly how he knew this. I really didn’t want to know. Sometimes, grown men and rental cars are a dangerous combination. I should tell you about my honeymoon sometime.
  • It has a ridiculous gauge. According to him. It’s the average MPG, which in and of itself is a useful measurement. I guess his issue was with the non-digital gauge that you would never really see moving. I kind of understood his point. Kind of.

While the weekly travel is getting old for all of us, we do get a little excited to see new cars every week, even if it only means a quick glimpse a night and a joyride around the block.

By the way, if you are a Toyota Camry owner or have a story about one, you should check out The Camry Effect where you can share your experiences or just read about them (the oldest story I’ve seen so far involves a 1983 Camry!)

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of the Toyota.

{ 5 comments }

What Would You Change If You Could?

by FadraN on January 30, 2012 · 16 comments

in Causes,Humanity,Inspiration

heart for changeYou know what I think about a lot? Changing the world. You know what I don’t do a lot of? Changing the world.

I struggle with changing the world versus changing my world. How important is one over another?

I know what I can control. I know the little differences I can make. I know how it adds up and influences others. Ultimately, that’s how every movement starts. With one or two people and a few ideas. Sometimes those ideas are radical but in order for the movement to take shape, those ideas have to go mainstream.

I was talking to one of my friends about all of this. I’m a Gen X-er. She’s from Gen Y, or what some people call a millenial. Her feeling is that so much is wrong with the world and so much still needs to be change. I couldn’t help but disagree.

I was born in the 1970s. I’m into my 5th decade on Earth (wow, that makes me sound really old). And I recounted so many of the changes I’ve seen in my lifetime…

  • We went from glass containers to plastic containers and now some are back to glass. But they’re all recyclable.
  • Recycling is the law in many states (including mine).
  • Smoking is banned in many public establishments (my first year of high school still included a designated smoking section for students).
  • Homosexuality is more mainstream than ever with major gay characters in both TV and movies
  • Many animal shelters, included county-owned and operated facilities, have adopted no-kill policies

Now, I’m sure for every step forward in one area, we’ve taken a step back in another. However, I feel encouraged when I see change. It might takes decades for the change to be enacted but to think of my life growing up in the 70s compared to our lives today, I’m much happier with the world we have.

The work is never done though. There is more education to be had. There is always more change to be had. The difference that I see is that more people want it and more people care about it and more people are willing to do something about it.

But what can you do? How does one person make a difference?

Through your writing, your voice, your actions, your message.

There are a few things I believe in strongly and I hope some of those things have been reflected here on this blog.

I have a passion for the environment. As a former biologist, my favorite subject was tree ecology. Every Earth Day, you’ll find me participating in local events and last year, I got my son involved in a trash pick-up.

I want to end hunger. Whether it’s world hunger or hunger in your very own city, there’s no reason for any person to go hungry ever. It’s why I starting working as a Social Media Ambassador for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

I want every child to feel safe and protected. When crimes are committed against children, my blood boils in a rage. I’ve written about it simply to get it out but we need change in the laws to better protect our children and severely punish the offenders.

I want animals (wild and domesticated) to have rights. I have no tolerance for cruelty to animals. In most cases, I feel that these crimes should be treated as felonies. I also believe that animal owners need to be held accountable and responsible for the care they give their animals.

These are by no means all of the causes that live in my heart. But these are the causes you don’t have to go very deep to find. I’m going to be spending more time this year figuring out how to use my voice to make a difference. And I want to help you do the same.

I’m working on a project (shhhh – I can’t tell you about it yet but I promise I will shout it from the rooftops when I can) and I want you to be a part of it. There’s nothing for you to do now except stay tuned and hopefully tell me how excited you are too.

And, more importantly, I’d love for you to tell me what you feel passionate about and if/how you’ve used your online voice to make a difference.

Photo credit: nellart

{ 16 comments }

Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Take It Easy

by FadraN on January 29, 2012 · 27 comments

in Stream of Consciousness Sunday,Writing

I had a birthday party today. Well, I didn’t have a birthday party. My 5 year old little boy had a birthday party and I played hostess. I thought to myself, no problem. He wanted a bowling party and I was more than happy to oblige. A little bit of cash would save me a lot of headache. I didn’t have to clean the house, prepare the food, host the games, buy the goody bags, make the cake. Nope. I paid one price so I could show up and have an instant party.

Not sure what I was thinking because no matter how much you pay, having 14 kids at your party will stress you out (especially when you’re battling another seasonal ailment like me). So I got to thinking about how I like to unwind and what I need to relax. Maybe you’ll do the same.

Today’s (Optional) Writing Prompt: Describe, in detail, the way you like to relax.

Here we go…

—

stream of consciousness Sunday

My favorite kind of relax is the kind I feel like I deserve. When I’ve had a day that’s either mentally stressful or physically stressful or even both, I’m ready to settle down at home and totally chill. I’d like to say it’s after the kids are in bed but to be honest, I’m lucky if I can get Evan to bed much before me.

Let’s take today for example. Busy day, birthday party, 5 year old on a sugar high. I come home and haul in the birthday stuff, configure new toys, make room for leftover cake in the fridge, clean up the kitchen (again). Then I take the dog for a walk and start thinking about dinner. Trying to keep the family on a healthy track and I made these super yummy baked chicken fingers and salad for dinner and it wasn’t until then that my relaxation started.

Large glass of chardonnay.

Yummy food on my plate. Mostly guilt-free.

Seated on the soft couches in front of the TV.

Watching grown-up TV!

Discovering mindless entertainment like “Storage Wars”

Evan off to bed.

Games on my phone like Scramble and Word With Friends.

Comfortable pajamas. Usually I like nightgowns but when I’m lounging, I like PJ pants.

Super soft comfy socks. A MUST.

If it’s cold, a fire in the fireplace.

If I’m not too tired, a little bit of Bailey’s over crushed ice.

Fall into my bed and pile on the blankets.

Drift off to sleep knowing the day is over.

—

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

  • Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
  • Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
  • Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
  • Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
  • Link up your post below.
  • Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over in the sidebar)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.

{ 27 comments }

I’m a TWIN!

January 27, 2012

Okay, I’m not really a twin. I’m IN the TWIN. Toyota Women’s Influencer Network You might have noticed that little badge on the right pop up in my sidebar a few weeks back (it’s under the section called REPRESENT). I’m here to tell you what it’s all about and why you might care. First of [...]

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When it’s laundry day at my house…

January 25, 2012

I have a confession to make. I hate doing laundry. I know I’m not alone. I couldn’t possibly be alone. But it’s not every aspect of laundry I hate. I’m fine with the sorting. I’m great with the washing. I can even handle transferring from washer to dryer. It’s what happens after that that I [...]

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Ode to My Baby Boy

January 24, 2012

If you’ve never read my About Fadra page, it might be worth a look. I don’t hide the fact that I’m a mom but you won’t find me pushing cute pictures of my kid on my blog all that often. I have plenty of other channels in which to do that. But there is a [...]

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Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Charles Kuralt and Sunday Mornings

January 22, 2012

I often don’t think about the writing prompt I want to offer up until I sit down to write. But today’s prompt came to me while I was taking a bath. While I was soaking in our garden tub, my husband and son laid on the bed watching an old black and white movie with [...]

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The Post About Aging and Spa Treatments

January 20, 2012

Last week, I was waxing philosophical about taking charge of my life and my health. And I was celebrating that one pound I lost that stayed off. Well, it didn’t stay off but I didn’t get one bit discouraged. I still drink my green smoothies and, yes, I just finished week 2 of the Couch to [...]

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What the Caucus is Going On?

January 18, 2012

In case you didn’t know (or aren’t American or don’t follow American politics), it’s an election year. I think it’s a pretty important one too. I don’t have a gut feeling yet as to which way the election will go although my hope is usually for a conservative candidate to take office. However, there are [...]

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Take Me to Your (BlissDom Community) Leader

January 16, 2012

It’s announcement time. Hi. My name is Fadra. And I am a Community Leader for the BlissDom conference this year. Specifically, I’m one of the Community Leaders for the Newcomer community. So what does that all mean? What’s is all about? And more importantly, should you care if you aren’t going to BlissDom this year? [...]

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