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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Don't Ya Just Love That New Car Smell? ~ STMUSS

Good Morning!

OK, folks... I'm in a much better mood than I was for last week's Songs That Make Us Sing Saturday!  Why is that, Mary? (you might ask)

Here's a little hint...



Well, peeps... It's because we finally have our new car! Yep. A brandy new, Toyota RAV4 Limited V6 AWD, with all of the bells and whistles!! She has...

Leather... um, make that heated leather seats.
Power everything.
Keyless start Yup-per... Look Ma, no key!
Keyless entry
XM Satellite Radio
6 CD Changer
Tinted rear view mirror with integrated back-up camera
Hands free, bluetooth enabled phone, through the JBL stereo system
An I-Pod auxillary port
Several USB ports and
There's even a 120V plug adapter in the center console!!!
And a whole lot of other things that we haven't discovered or I've forgotten in all of the craziness.

Oh.... and she's a lovely metallic country (or maybe it's cornflower?) blue.

Wanna see her??  OK... Here she is!!

I hope our new neighbors don't mind that we got their work in progress in the photo. They're in the process of totally gutting and remodeling the house and saving our neighborhood from the "party house" that we've been living next to for the last 5 years. We don't know them very well yet, but we already LOVE them for that!

Our Passat was a lighter silver blue metallic. I initially wanted the gorgeous claret red version that they had, but hubbs wasn't a fan. I honestly don't know what he has against the color red... OK So he won that battle. This time.

She's sooo shiny!

Of course, any car that we bought just HAD to have room for Hubby's precious golf clubs and his fancy, schmancy new bag and push cart. That will be properly tested out this morning, of course.

Don't ya just love those shiny alloy wheels? (truth be told, that wasn't exactly a top selling point for me, but hubbs seemed to need them. whatevs...)

Ooops! I guess my cane wanted it's picture taken too.

The command center. So much to explore...

So, folks... There you have it! I'm so happy to finally be getting rid of that horribly uncomfortable rental car.  It was getting just a tiny bit annoying to have to have hubby help me get out of the passenger seat every. single. time.  we went somewhere. (you'd be surprised how important one of those little "grab handle" thingys above the door can be for someone with physical limitations)

Anywhooo.... Of course, I'm linking up with my good buddies Ginger and Becca for Songs That Make Us Sing Saturday! Why don't you come and join us?? We really do have a lot of fun checking out each other's videos every week. I mean, who doesn't love a great mix of music and a little story behind why the music was chosen on a Saturday morning?? (or afternoon, or evening, or whenever you have the chance to stop by and visit everyone)


Songs That Make Us Sing


So... Since I rarely EVER post just one video for STMUSS, here are a couple more car related videos for your listening pleasure!






This song was a huge hit for Neil Young. It's been covered by many well known artists and played at funerals and memorial services by probably thousands of people, as a tribute to their lost loved ones. But what most people don't/didn't realize, is that the song is actually about a car. Yup... not just any old car either. It's about a 1954 Cadillac hearse that Neil and his band (Buffalo Springfield) used as a kind of "band bus" to get them from show to show. It broke down on the way to a show they were heading to, somewhere near Sudbury, Ontario in 1965 and he wrote this song as a way of saying thank you to the car for all of the times that it got the band where they needed to go.  I know... makes it seem silly that so many people have used this song as a way of memorializing someone they loved, but we are talking about the great Neil Young here. Who else could make a song about a car, mean so much to so many?

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Crazy Times ~ STMUSS

Phew!  I'm finally linking up again with my good friends Ginger and Rebecca for another Songs That Make Us Sing Saturday! (they probably think I've abandoned them)

It's a little insane around here at the moment. I'll try to just put this as simply and concisely as possible, 'K?

Easter - wonderful
Daughter and her family were here for 4 days - incredibly wonderful
Dear friend passes away unexpectedly - absolutely devastated
I get some kind of GI bug/flu - sick as a dog
Hubby is in an accident - scares me half to death
One and only car is totalled - cars can be replaced
He's fine (Thank God) - hubby can NOT be replaced
Hubby goes out of town for work - I hate being alone in this big old house
Hubby comes home - Happy Mary
Accountant calls - taxes are finally done - safe?? OR broke??
We get a refund this year! - Yes! unusual, but very nice
Start car shopping- hubby is right brained and very frugal, I am spoiled
Insurance decides NOT to total 10 year old totalled car - WHAT? - panic
Hubby, smart, savvy claims adjuster makes calls - relief
Back to car shopping - research and test drive a gazillion cars
Last night - finally decide on one of those gazillion cars
Today - going to the dealership to buy the car! - I win - Yipeeee! (photo later)

Maybe the rollercoaster has finally come to a stop?? - Fingers crossed...

I thought these songs were appropriate for what's going on in my life right now. No special order...







And last, but certainly not least.... a little something for a dear friend, brave Marine and Vietnam vet, who we will miss more than words can say.  RIP Richard. Semper Fi.





Just click right HERE to link up and join in on the fun!


Monday, April 16, 2012

Under The Weather


Sorry that I've been MIA...

Started out with a busy Easter week and weekend and then on Tuesday, I got hit with a nasty GI/stomach bug. Believe me... I wasn't feeling much like turning the laptop on, let alone making any blog posts. Unfortunately, when you live with an autoimmune disease or chronic illness, a "24 hour bug" can easily (and usually does) turn into something more like being on the losing side of a week-long WWF smackdown.

That being said, I am feeling much better and should slowly be getting back into the swing of things over the next couple of days.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Dogs Rule, Cats Drool?

Because our daughter has no "human" children yet, the two grand-dogs always come to visit when she does.  Now, Dad and I love to see them....

Our three furry kids do not.

After four days of barking, drooling and jumping around like monkeys at the zoo, when my grand"kids" finally go back home....

Tonka (aka Donkey)


Miss Lily (her bite IS as bad as her bark!)


This is what my (much releived) "kids" do:

Monkey

Miss Pretty Girl

Simba

For days and days and days.....