honk honk, rattle rattle

Dave sold his beloved 1979 Mercedes Benz about a year ago. I strongly encouraged him to do it, because we live in the city, I don't drive to work (so my Outback was parked at home all day), and whenever he started the ignition, the fine white mobile coughed out a black cloud of exhaust like an old bingo player. It was a cute car with a chrome bumper and 250,00 miles on it, and was paid for, but at the time it seemed unnecessary to sustain two sets of wheels. Plus I thought we could be more 'green' and economical.

Well, fast forward to today. We both have our extra-curricular interests (me: Crossfit, yoga, shopping; Dave: softball in Bellevue, softball in Seattle, cribbage matches, and the occasional gym excursion). Last week our schedules came to a head when I realized I couldn't have the car because Dave needed it in Renton. The conversation concluded, as it sometimes does, as a regretful acknowledgment that "We shouldn't have sold the Benz".

I concede. Maybe we shouldn't have sold it, but what to do now? We don't want to buy a car, or to sustain another ongoing expense. Our Subaru has been having engine problems and was diagnosed with a faulty head gasket, which basically means it'll die a slow death. At least that's what I gleaned from our Asian mechanic with a heavy accent. He might've said it just needs wiper fluid...

After stewing in contempt for lack of my own car, I considered our options. Lease a Kia for dirt cheap? Sign up for Zipcar for those days when we really both need to get somewhere? Sell the Subaru while we can still get some money for it? Dave and I decided that getting another car right now isn't in the cards. But we did decide on a much better solution- a calendar!

How does a calendar solve the need for a car? Our issue can be solved by improved schedule coordination and flexibility. We both know what's on our own agendas, but we don't consistently inform each other of the week's events. A little foresight+ a dash of flexibility =a lot less annoyance at the 11th hour. So this weekend we bought a calendar (tough in the middle of the year), haung it on the kitchen wall, and wrote down our upcoming events. Let's hope we stick with it.

And ask me what having one car is like once Little Kitzman arrives.