A Little Shine

We ordered running boards for the new 4Runner last week and they came on Tuesday.  Dan went right to work installing them and they look terrific!

They're just the touch of shine it needed.  Now I have to get used to using them after just jumping up and in for over a week.  ♥

The Wheels on the Car Go 'Round and 'Round

The wheels on our wonderful '04 Ford Explorer have gone 'round and 'round for almost eleven years. I can't believe we've had it so long--longer as our main vehicle than any other we've owned (Dan has had pickups that we had longer).  We've been toying with looking for a new "car" for a year or so and had pretty much decided that if we bought, it would be a Toyota 4Runner because we've been so pleased with Dan's Tundra since we bought it two years ago.  

Last Thursday Dan had a meeting in Coeur d'Alene and I went along because I needed a fun day. Bear Paw Quilting is just around the corner from where he had the meeting so I knew I could very enjoyably spend hours there.  And the Toyota dealership was just across the street!  Do you see where this is heading?

Yes, I have new wheels.  A gorgeous white 4Runner with all kinds of fun bells and whistles!

It drives like a dream.  I'm reading the manuals every day and hope to be up to speed on everything in a year or so!  The built-in GPS helped get me out of Coeur d'Alene alive (Ann and Eric are buying the Explorer so Dan drove himself home).  The salesman synced my cell phone with the car's system and all I have to do is push a button and say, "Call... ."  Amazing!!  Eric synced my iPod and between that and XM radio I'll never want for tunes.

We'll be adding running boards in the next few weeks, but until then I'm pleased to report that my hours at the fitness center have paid off and I can jump up and in with no problem.

I loved, loved, loved my Explorer and there was a small fear in me that no other car would fit me like it did.  I'm thrilled to report this one seems to.  ♥

Grammy's Drivin' the Truck

Dan left this morning for Coeur d'Alene and after kissing him goodbye, I rolled over and went back to sleep. Until the phone rang a little after seven.  It was Dan telling me he was "broke down" five miles north of Potlatch.  I crawled out of bed, pulled on my jeans and a sweater and headed out on my rescue mission.  It was a beautiful drive, but I noticed heavy smoke on the horizon to the west.  Fires are still burning.  

Dan was heading off on another tour when he broke down, so when I met up with him, he unloaded his "company rig" (our old '94 Explorer) and put everything in the one I drive.  He explained what had happened on our way back to town:  a little doo-hickey (my term) that attaches to the fan belt had come loose causing the belt to come loose.  His first indication was loss of power steering and then he looked down at the gauges to see the electrical gauge was dropping, so he pulled off the road and there he sat until I arrived.  We are thankful for cell phones!

Back in town, a stop at our insurance agent's office told us we had towing insurance and they sent us to their preferred service where Dan dropped off the keys to the (formerly) "Old Faithful."  As Dan drove to our house to drop me off, I told him to take the new Explorer and I'd drive the pickup while he's gone.  He had so much stuff to haul, it would never fit into the cab of the truck.  He finally agreed, so I'll be cruising town in the pickup for the rest of the week.  I told him I'd certainly be stylin' in my 4-wheel drive muddy truck.  :-)

And here's the sicko, parked right where the very nice tow truck driver placed it about forty-five minutes ago. Dan says he can fix it this weekend.

I've tried to talk Dan into a new truck, or a newer Explorer for his work, but he loves both of these vehicles and says he'll drive them until they're worn out.  As long as he can plug in his XM radio and listen to the oldies, he's good to go.

Me, too.  Vroom., vroom...