Subaru 34

On our trip, we had two car games.  One was counting the huge billboards of a particular lawyer whose face was plastered on every billboard from Mississippi to Florida and back. The other was counting subarus.  Once we finally bought a car after of months of waffling, we were so glad that we bought the outback instead of the CRV.  We didn't quite realize how few of them we would see on the road.  To be precise, from here to Orlando and back we saw only 34.

We have been home six days and I miss our car games.  I have plenty of down time, plenty of time to putter, plenty of time to clean and get back in the groove, but it has also been somewhat stressful.   Sometimes, I wonder how long we can keep things smooth in my in-laws' world while still managing our own lives and careers.  There are weeks in a row when they don't need much other than general checking on.  Then there are weeks when they could hire a full time errand runner and chauffeur.

This is one of those weeks.  I could be gone almost everyday running their errands or taking them somewhere.  Out of the five weekdays this week, I am signed up for three, possibly four mornings.  Next week doesn't look much better - we have to take our Subaru in for its first oil change and we are taking Rubilee car shopping.  At some point in the next few days, I predict another ER run for Harold.  I am not complaining - I am fretting.  I have wondered what will happen if Jack has a different job someday and works every day.  Right now, our delicate balance is maintained because even when I am at work, Jack is home every other week and we just try to plan all their days out for when he is home or when Jack's brother is home.

Eventually, our luck is going to run out and something will have to give.  I am just not sure who or what it will be.  For now, I wish for simple things to fill my free summer hours. Picking apricots which will soon be ripe.  Reading books in Overdrive.  Playing card games with Bell. Counting subarus and looking for number 35.