Wheels

Jeffrey got a new car this week. More accurately, we got Jeffrey a new car this week. Most accurately, Jeffrey’s parents got a new car in which Jeffrey will actively participate as a passenger.

In the past 8 months (can you believe it’s been that long already?), there’ve been a lot of times I’m amazed that I’m a parent. How can this be?

• I wearing jeans and a t-shirt from Pearl Jam’s “Ten” album.
  
• I play video games.
  
• I still like cartoons.
  

This is the point where my wife reminds me that:

• Pearl Jam released “Ten” in 1991.
  
• I use my Xbox to run emulators for video games systems from the late 80’s.
  
• My favorite cartoons are The Simpsons (c. 1989) and The Transformers (c. 1984)
  

So, if I’m not feeling like a parent all the time, at least I’m feeling old. My wife used to write me love letters. Now she writes me shopping lists. But nothing makes you feel more like a bona fide parent than driving a minivan.

Danielle and I spent the last few weeks researching vehicles. Minivans seemed out of our price range, so we initially looked at a wagon or compact SUV on a lease until I got out of school. The short list included the Chevy HHR, Pontiac Vibe, Saturn Vue and the Subaru Outback. We did test drive a nicely equipped ’06 Kia Sedona (the safest minivan on the road!), but at $27,000 it was unreasonable. But one by one, as we tried to fit Jeffrey’s car seat into the back seat of each vehicle, our options grew slimmer. It wouldn’t even fit in the Vibe and was pretty tight on the HHR. Neither allowed the passenger seat to recline, a must for the long trips to visit our parents. And most wouldn’t allow the car seat to be placed anywhere but the center, which is good for now but bad if another child ever travels with us.

Fortune shined upon us when we found a used ’06 Sedona at a local dealership. It had been a rental car previously and was in great shape. We were so close to buying it until Danielle began to get worried about finances. So I searched online to show what current Sedonas were going for on some auto-sales websites. That’s when I found another one for sale in Victor at Heritage Motors. With only 1100 miles on it, it was practically new! I called the dealer. Dave offered me a fair trade for my ’98 Dodge Neon (118K miles) and that night we drove our new minivan home. I like the comfortable ride and storage. Mom likes the seat recline and numerous cup holders. Jeffrey likes sleeping in it.

We put our first tank of gas in it tonight. That’s going to continue to be a shocker for a former compact coupe driver. We can’t wait to take a trip for visit the family!

I’m proud to be a minivan Dad.

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