Friday, April 27, 2012

Car Stuff 2

Well, as soon as I put it in print, I've decided to change track. The two vehicles listed last time, fine though they are, may not be in the running anymore.

With three kids and all that they entail price wise (not to mention the new washing machine we suddenly found ourselves in need of), I have realised the need to broaden my thinking. Instead of looking at one or two vehicles and trying to make them work I need to look at what's out there and available, and buy the best car for my family. I've got a few more ideas of what that vehicle might be, but I'm not about to publish them and have to write another version of this post.

I will say though that I'm leaning towards finding a sedan that would work. Not that there's anything wrong with SUVs, and I haven't ruled them out by any means. If an SUV seems to be the right choice I'll go that route. But the thing is, I've always been a small car guy. I had one hatchback wagon that I bought for a job (totaled it) and the SUV/truck thing I drive now, which I only bought because of its uniqueness. It was so unique they stopped making it. The rest of my cars have been small.

Now, I can't go too small with three kids. After all, they can't ride in the trunk. But they are making car seats for smaller cars these days. And lots of sedans have plenty of room for three in back. Plus, I really do miss a car's agility and peppiness compared to an SUV's handling. But time will tell.

So that's where everything is now. More to come.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Car Stuff

Sometime in May, or possibly slightly later, I will be obtaining a new vehicle. Well, new to me anyway, it will probably be best for the family to buy used. Less to pay off and, theoretically, smaller payments. The trouble is that the two vehicles that I really like are either new or redesigned models from 2011. This could affect the payment plans a bit and send me looking in a different direction. However, I believe that these two will work for me as a buyer and be within the budget allowed.

The vehicles I am looking at are the Jeep Patriot and the Chrysler 200. Same family of cars, but two radically different models. I chose the two on purpose, looking at the pros and cons of SUV vs. sedan. I test drove both, thinking that I would clearly prefer one over the other. Naturally, this did not happen. So now I have a decision to make.

Both will easily fit the three children in the back, so that is not a concern. In the end it may boil down to money alone, but just for fun I'll explore some of the reasons I like both and offer you at home a chance to chime in with your opinions. Which will, of course, be duly considered and dismissed accordingly.

Let's start with the Jeep. It is more manly and rugged by design. Sits nice and high, too, and can go off road. Though, let's face it, me going off road would only happen maybe three times in the life of  the vehicle, and one of those would be due to sleep driving. Still, the ride is quite smooth considering what it is and the mileage is good.

There are a few cons though. Storage is a little bit limited, and the seat belt set up for the back seat is less than ideal. Also, power windows/locks and remote entry are options on the model I'm looking at. There have also been some complaints about leaking sunroofs on the Patriot and I love my sunroof so I'd want one if I could afford it. Annoying, but on the plus side I could play M*A*S*H every day by calling it a veeee-hicle in classic Rizzo style, and going all Col. Potter on it when it dies (as was my brother's recommendation). So in the end not much on frills, but an SUV that seems built to last.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Chrysler 200. Chrysler was bought by Fiat a few years ago, and their first priority was to take the ailing Sebring, overhaul it almost completely and come out with a quality mid sized sedan. In my opinion they have achieved admirably. Though it retains the Sebring's high roof line, almost everything else has been redone, thus making it a brand new old car. Which is just fun.

The 200 has more storage space ( a trunk) and a bit more legroom. The designs both inside and out echo luxury cars, especially on the driver's side dash and LED headlights. And the thing just zips along, very sporty like. It is also one of the quietest cars I've ever been in, although three kids in the back seat would change that. All in all though, a snazzy little car that's fun to drive.

The cons here are a little different. Some drivers have complained about the LED accent lights, but they are a fairly new product and I think just take a little getting used to. The 200 is also a bit more expensive than the Patriot so finding what I want in a used car may be more difficult. There is a slight safety concern in that I've heard some reports of engine stalls, mostly at red lights, but these seem to be fairly isolated. And besides, a certain number of any model car produced will have weird problems, and sometimes you buy a lemon. Lemon laws are designed to help new cars more than used, but that's a chance one takes.

So as far as problems go, I'm looking at restarting a car, or drying out a car. Six of one, in my opinion.

I could go on about technical details and options and what not, but why? The practical stuff is what I'm interested in and I believe these cars to be neck and neck. It's just a matter of deciding if I'm going to stick to the SUV thing like everyone else where I live and be in a more rugged vehicle. Or, do I go back to driving a small sedan with some luxury trappings and a nimble, quick ride? Money and availability may make the decision for me, but all that being equal, it's a tough decision. We shall see.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Brink Family Food Revolution

We are eating well again in my house!

Since the birth of the twins, most of our meals have either been from a box or from the drive thru. Nothing wrong with either, really, but not exactly exciting. Nor especially healthy, but quick and easy. Filling too. All important when a family has small children.

But not anymore.

My incredibly intelligent and awesome wife decided we needed to start eating real meals again. I did not argue. Okay, so there's lots of Crock Pot meals, but so what? They are hearty and tasty, and we have left overs for lunch. Left overs which, by the way, my boss is always commenting about how good they smell. Wow, that sentence could have been better. But you know what I mean.

Some recipes we have enjoyed:

Chicken with Stuffing
Cheesey Chicken
Salsa Shredded Chicken
Guinness Corned Beef and Potatoes

and my new favorite...
Meaty Corn Chowder.

Pork and Beef recipes on tap for this week! Now, bear in mind we still eat less complicated meals. Microwave pizza is a staple, as is baked chicken, burgers, hot dogs, and sausage with rice. But the variety and taste are increasing and I have become a very happy camper indeed.

PS-I know a dude who makes and sells his own hot sauce. Jeffe's Seriously hot Stuff. Check him out on the web. I recommend the Jalapeno sauce, it takes like Tobasco without being overpowering. He's a good guy, give him a try.

Okay, so that's it. Just a little something to get back to writing on this blog. Car stuff next time.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Sunday Matinee on Sesame Street

I had a weird weekend. Contracted a 24 hour stomach flu that hit me Friday night. The less said the better, but aside from what one would normally expect with such an illness intense back pain was involved, fever and dizziness. I slept for a total of 36 hours this weekend. Over a normal three night period the average person would sleep about 24, so it was pretty bad. But it got better by Sunday afternoon. Which was good because I had plans with my daughter Tessa.

After all that sleeping and limited television, including some pre-Olympics skiing and Betty White's 90th birthday celebration (Best joke was from President Obama who appeared in a taped segment writing a birthday letter that said, and I'm paraphrasing, "Betty, you're so full of energy I can't believe you're 90 years old. In fact, I don't believe it. So I'm writing to ask you to produce your long form bitrth certificate."), we decided to go to late service at church. The service was all about using prayer to ask God for healing. Nice timing. So we did that.

Then, in the afternoon it was time for Grandma (Tessa's, not mine) and I to take Tessa to Sesame Street Live at the Peabody Opera House. For those who aren't aware, the Peabody used to be named "Kiel Opera House" a famous and storied venue here in St. Louis. Built in 1932, the building has been closed since roughly 1990 but has been beautifully renovated. And yes, the bear sculptures are still there.

Anyway, upon arrival we were shown to our seats in the third row, but first full row-great job Grandma! Tessa had been to a Sesame Street live show before and the characters came into the audience, Grover shook her hand and Prairie Dawn hugged her last year. So being right by the stage she was quite excited and fairly sure the same would happen again. Well, this is a different show and is in a different venue than last time with more limited space. So only one character came into the audience, the purple honker. He made contact with only three children, and Tessa was one of them. I think she was a little disappointed that no one else came to see her, but Elmo, Baby Bear and Rosita waved to her, so that was pretty cool. She enjoyed herself.

As for the show, it was aimed at the younger Sesame Street fans, and lacked much of the second level that the show has always provided for parents. There were some, of course, but the show strove for audience participation so the higher level jokes fell away a little bit. Having said that, those of us who grew up with the show couldn't help but smile a little when old songs were revisited and reinterpreted for this show. And Bert doing The Hustle in his white Disco suit was pretty funny.

The best bit of theater though I think had to be the start of the show. It opened with Bert and Ernie telling the audience the number and letter of the day. Mission completed Bert asks what they should do next. Ernie's answer is to meet all the Sesame Street friends. Fastest curtain open ever and bam! Ten giant Muppets singing and dancing right in front of you. Simple yet effective. It made the kid in me happy and the real kids ecstatic. The kids behind me were screaming like it was the Beatles on Sullivan. Or maybe they were freaked the heck out by a bunch of eight foot monsters, one of which who loves to eat, I'm not sure.

And therein lies my only complaint. Not with the production but the parents. Obviously it's difficult to anticipate how kids will react, although Big Bird did come on over the PA to tell us it would get dark once the show starts and to stay in your seats. But why bring infants to a show like this? Two or three years old should be a minimum, at that age you can console them if they flip out. But infants? A majority of the kids seemed to be far too young and cried during the whole show. I know it's for kids and only Sesame Street, but why wreck it for the slightly older kids who want to participate and pay attention but can't because your kids are making more noise than what's coming from the stage? And honestly, what can your child  (or more importantly you and your child gain from such an experience? I was able to bond with my daughter, not try to hold her and keep her quiet for 90 minutes. Perhaps babies are free, or they were taking the older kids and couldn't get a sitter, but it still seemed inconsiderate and ultimately useless.

No matter, it was a fun time, and one we'll be sure to experience again, probably with the twins next year. It's good to share these types of things with the children and a nice sneaky way to teach them how to behave in public. Most importantly though, it was lots of fun.

And you best believe we bought some merch....