The Raven

Our old Dodge Caravan, affectionately known to us as Moby Dick, the great white whale, because it was huge, and, well . . . white, has finally gone to that big ocean in the sky, or wherever it is old, beat up, seriously used whales . . . er, vehicles go after they've completed their run.  Here's a farewell shot taken with my phone as I said good bye . . .

Moby Dick never carried strollers, or wheel chairs, as our previous minivan did.  Instead it carried our children through the teen years, taught them how to drive, and moved my son to college and back many times.  It took me to work for a decade and was a comfortable ride for the long commute, albeit, a mite expensive.  It also hauled a lot of construction material:  Cement board, lumber, cabinets, floor tile . . .  Its roof bore the scratches of many Christmas trees . . .  Happy memories . . .

But!  Here's my new love:  Our brand new Toyota Rav4.  It has all the bells and whistles.  My favorite new feature is power adjustable driver's seat with two settings, one for me and another one for my much taller husband . . . bliss!

Yup.  It was a thing of beauty . . . for exactly 3 days . . .  Then I took it to work, where a tow truck proceeded to take a bite out of it in the parking lot, all while I was working and minding my own business . . . Arghh!

I'm taking it to the body shop tomorrow morning to have them fix it.  Thankfully, the damage was not extensive.  (Sigh!)  I just didn't expect to have to deal with repairs so soon!

We have a tradition in our family of naming our cars after literary characters, beginning with my father's 1970 (or 71?) Chrysler Plymouth Fury III, which we called “Rocinante” because it plodded along, just like Don Quixote's horse.  From the first, The Raven seemed like the obvious choice for the new car:  Raven . . . Rav4, the words were so similar . . .  But Edgar Allan Poe's poem is so dark that I thought to wait a little longer to make sure the name fit such a pretty car . . . 

And then, almost prophetically, the accident happened.  I suddenly recalled that Poe said that the raven was meant to symbolize “mournful and never-ending remembrance.”  Clearly, this is something that I'm not likely to forget.  No matter how good a job the body shop does, and even if no one can tell that the car was hit, I'll know.  It will never be the quite the same again . . . nevermore.

The Raven it is . . . but I still just love this car!  It rides beautifully, uses less gas, and I feel hugged by the comfortable seat and smart interior.  Toyota does a great job of laying out the interior features.  I can't wait to take it on a long road trip!  This Raven is gonna fly, baby!

2008 Highlights

The Best and the Worst of 2008

• January 2008 - I turned 50! We had dinner with my brother, Al, and his family at a French bistro, Mon Ami Gabi, in Oak Brook. Low-key celebration but hugely meaningful to me.

• January 2008 - Our minivan, affectionately known as Moby Dick, gets a flat tire on the coldest day in January; then gets rear ended by the garage that was installing new tires. I drove a rental for two weeks while the van was being repaired. Another innocent victim was my purse, which was run over by a car while I was transferring "must-haves" from the van to the rental.

• March 6 - I fell during work hours while attending an off-site meeting and fractured my left wrist. I spent the evening at an immediate care center brooding that my son, John, was celebrating his 19th birthday sitting in the Waiting Room while his mom was being treated for her injury.



• April 2008 - My office moves to Elmhurst, Illinois, from Oak Brook, into the renovated factory formerly owned by Keebler (yes, the cookie factory). Now, whenever something goes wrong, we blame it on the elves.


• June 2008 - The Dining Room gets a fresh coat of paint. Nobody paints like my husband, Lee. No one is as patient and meticulous.



• July 2008 - John's room makeover. John's bedroom gets new laminate flooring, paint and bedding. John has put his personal touches in the room which now feels very Zen.


• August 2008 - David gets his first part-time job at Jewel, straightening shelves in the grocery store, and helping customers.



• September 2008 - John begins his second year at College of DuPage, he is hoping to transfer to NIU and complete his Education degree.



• September 2008 - David begins his senior year in high school. Yikes! Where has time gone?



• October 11, 2008 - Moby Dick was hit again, this time on the left side, while my husband, Lee, was backing it out of a parking space at our local supermarket two days before our trip to Italy. We filed a police report and decided to deal with the problem after our return.



• October 2008 - Lee and I, with Lee's brother, Robert, and his wife, Barb, travelled to Italy and stayed in Rome seven days. Lee and I arrived a day earlier than Robert and Barb, so we could attend a Papal audience at the Vatican. The trip was wonderful but exhausting. We visited countless sites, and enjoyed many delicious local wines with our meals. We found the Italian people absolutely warm and friendly and very interested in the upcoming American elections. We definitely want to go back.



• November 2008 - John gets accepted to NIU for next fall, and wins their Centennial Scholarship. Go Huskies!



• December 2008 - I get my very own computer and begin a blog!!!