June, 1972. You are there.
A nice picture of a Ford tractor, and some people standing in front of it.
25 Things About Don
On facebook, people ask each other to post 25 facts about themselves. It's fun to read them, sort of a mini-autobiography. Here are my 25 facts.
1) I grew up in Jackson, MI and lived in the same house the whole time. My parents still live there.
2) My dad steered me away from other occupations and into computers, and I'm grateful for it.
3) My mom is a talented musician and teacher. I'm fortunate to have had the exposure to music I did at home. Almost all of my best friends I had growing up, including J, I met through one music activity or another.
4) I admire my brother's stamina - he travels all over the world for his job, and I can't imagine being able to handle that.
5) When I was very little, my sister had hidden some contraband cookies in her room, and when she got in trouble for it, I stepped in and said I did it. She thinks I was sacrificing my own well-being for her benefit, but knowing me, I probably figured if I claimed the cookies, I’d get to eat them.
6) When I was a kid, we walked or rode our bikes everywhere. I remember walking home after getting my wisdom teeth pulled. I walked about a mile to work at Wendy’s when I was in high school, even late at night on school nights. We lived near everything - shopping, friends, church, school, the dentist's office.
7) I have Sirius satellite radio in my new car. It's free for 6 months. My preset stations are "80s on 8", "90s on 9", "70s on 7", "Classic Rewind", "Boneyard", "Hair Nation", "Lithium", "Bluesville", and "Bridge".
8) I have known J since I was in 7th grade.
9) I didn’t own a car until I was almost 24 years old. My first car was a burgundy 1991 Pontiac Sunbird.
10) Of the 27 PTO activities and fund-raising groups for my kids’ school, I am one of only four dads listed as a chairperson or co-chair. I’m helping run the Science Fair this year.
11) In 2003, between March 3 and July 3, I lost 35 pounds on Weight Watchers. I still know how many points are in lots of different foods, and if I have the nutrition information in front of me, I can calculate the points in my head.
12) I did not do very well in college classes until my 4th and 5th years. I got my first 4.0 on my second-to-last report card.
13) I live in a neighborhood where all the neighbors look out for each other. I have no problem giving my neighbors a key to my house or my garage door opener number code.
14) I am relieved that my boys are well-behaved in school. Let's just say they didn't get that gene from me.
15) My worst vice is Diet Mountain Dew. It used to be regular Mountain Dew, but now I can only stand a small amount of it.
16) The physical activities that used to be easy for me to do now result in sore muscles, and the sore muscles that used to heal in a day are now taking 3 or 4 days.
17) J and I took a road trip to Washington, D.C. in spring of 1992. She thought I might propose to her on that trip. I didn’t, but I proposed a few weeks later while we were having an indoor picnic on the living room floor in my apartment. (She knew I was going to propose that day – she said I was acting funny.) We got married a year later.
18) I love watching my kids grow up. I love watching them solve problems on their own, write in cursive, make up jokes, and surprise me with the things they've learned.
19) J and I have said many times that we will never get divorced. Mostly because it sounds like a lot of work, and frankly, we’re lazy.
20) I won’t get on a plane, a boat, a train, bus, or roller coaster without taking Dramamine. I have a recurring nightmare that I’m about to get on a helicopter but don’t have any Dramamine.
21) Growing up, our family always took the same vacation in the summer – to the grounds of the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake, WI. There was a church music conference we attended during that week. We would stop in East Troy, WI to see my uncle, aunt, cousins, and Grandma Bruey on the way there.
22) As a kid, I felt like my house was too small. Now I often feel like my house is too big.
23) I am always impressed with polite children. It shows they appreciate what they have, even though most of the kids I know have more than they will ever need. My cynical self would say that they're being polite because they know they'll get even more by doing so.
24) I am really proud of the hard work my kids do in school and the other things they take on. They truly work hard and play hard.
25) I am thankful for what I have – my wife, my kids, my friends, my health, and my job. I'm lucky.
1) I grew up in Jackson, MI and lived in the same house the whole time. My parents still live there.
2) My dad steered me away from other occupations and into computers, and I'm grateful for it.
3) My mom is a talented musician and teacher. I'm fortunate to have had the exposure to music I did at home. Almost all of my best friends I had growing up, including J, I met through one music activity or another.
4) I admire my brother's stamina - he travels all over the world for his job, and I can't imagine being able to handle that.
5) When I was very little, my sister had hidden some contraband cookies in her room, and when she got in trouble for it, I stepped in and said I did it. She thinks I was sacrificing my own well-being for her benefit, but knowing me, I probably figured if I claimed the cookies, I’d get to eat them.
6) When I was a kid, we walked or rode our bikes everywhere. I remember walking home after getting my wisdom teeth pulled. I walked about a mile to work at Wendy’s when I was in high school, even late at night on school nights. We lived near everything - shopping, friends, church, school, the dentist's office.
7) I have Sirius satellite radio in my new car. It's free for 6 months. My preset stations are "80s on 8", "90s on 9", "70s on 7", "Classic Rewind", "Boneyard", "Hair Nation", "Lithium", "Bluesville", and "Bridge".
8) I have known J since I was in 7th grade.
9) I didn’t own a car until I was almost 24 years old. My first car was a burgundy 1991 Pontiac Sunbird.
10) Of the 27 PTO activities and fund-raising groups for my kids’ school, I am one of only four dads listed as a chairperson or co-chair. I’m helping run the Science Fair this year.
11) In 2003, between March 3 and July 3, I lost 35 pounds on Weight Watchers. I still know how many points are in lots of different foods, and if I have the nutrition information in front of me, I can calculate the points in my head.
12) I did not do very well in college classes until my 4th and 5th years. I got my first 4.0 on my second-to-last report card.
13) I live in a neighborhood where all the neighbors look out for each other. I have no problem giving my neighbors a key to my house or my garage door opener number code.
14) I am relieved that my boys are well-behaved in school. Let's just say they didn't get that gene from me.
15) My worst vice is Diet Mountain Dew. It used to be regular Mountain Dew, but now I can only stand a small amount of it.
16) The physical activities that used to be easy for me to do now result in sore muscles, and the sore muscles that used to heal in a day are now taking 3 or 4 days.
17) J and I took a road trip to Washington, D.C. in spring of 1992. She thought I might propose to her on that trip. I didn’t, but I proposed a few weeks later while we were having an indoor picnic on the living room floor in my apartment. (She knew I was going to propose that day – she said I was acting funny.) We got married a year later.
18) I love watching my kids grow up. I love watching them solve problems on their own, write in cursive, make up jokes, and surprise me with the things they've learned.
19) J and I have said many times that we will never get divorced. Mostly because it sounds like a lot of work, and frankly, we’re lazy.
20) I won’t get on a plane, a boat, a train, bus, or roller coaster without taking Dramamine. I have a recurring nightmare that I’m about to get on a helicopter but don’t have any Dramamine.
21) Growing up, our family always took the same vacation in the summer – to the grounds of the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake, WI. There was a church music conference we attended during that week. We would stop in East Troy, WI to see my uncle, aunt, cousins, and Grandma Bruey on the way there.
22) As a kid, I felt like my house was too small. Now I often feel like my house is too big.
23) I am always impressed with polite children. It shows they appreciate what they have, even though most of the kids I know have more than they will ever need. My cynical self would say that they're being polite because they know they'll get even more by doing so.
24) I am really proud of the hard work my kids do in school and the other things they take on. They truly work hard and play hard.
25) I am thankful for what I have – my wife, my kids, my friends, my health, and my job. I'm lucky.
Jobs I've Held And Plan to Hold
In order:
Lawn mowing, yard work
Lawn mowing, yard work
Lawn mowing, yard work
Substitute Paper Boy
Lawn mowing, yard work
Yard work, lawn mowing
Substitute Paper Boy
Lawn mowing with my brother
Wendy's Hamburgers on Airport Rd
Wendy's Hamburgers on West Ave
Semi-professional cello playing (usually worked out to about $1 an hour. Sometimes less.)
Working on assembly lines making replacement and OEM oil pumps (Melling Tool)
Programming computers for Michigan State University
Programming for Comshare in Ann Arbor
Programming for my current company
Dad
(Future) Retiring at age 41.
(Future) Guy who drives the truck for the food bank.
Lawn mowing, yard work
Lawn mowing, yard work
Lawn mowing, yard work
Substitute Paper Boy
Lawn mowing, yard work
Yard work, lawn mowing
Substitute Paper Boy
Lawn mowing with my brother
Wendy's Hamburgers on Airport Rd
Wendy's Hamburgers on West Ave
Semi-professional cello playing (usually worked out to about $1 an hour. Sometimes less.)
Working on assembly lines making replacement and OEM oil pumps (Melling Tool)
Programming computers for Michigan State University
Programming for Comshare in Ann Arbor
Programming for my current company
Dad
(Future) Retiring at age 41.
(Future) Guy who drives the truck for the food bank.
Who fixes things anymore?
I belong to an interesting email group that discusses old tools. It's called "Old Tools". Most of the discussion has to do with a type of vintage Disston handsaw or what thread size is used for the tote screw on a pre-war Stanley #4 1/2. But sometimes the discussion moves into laments about how people don't fix things any more, know how to make things, grow their own food, or fix their own plumbing. Shop classes are being eliminated from school programs all around the country. And most of the products we buy today aren't made to be fixed - they're just made to be thrown away. Case in point - there are more TVs than ever, but how many repair shops do you have in your city? You just throw them out when they stop working.
The running track on our treadmill occasionally starts slipping, and when this happens I go get the instruction manual to tell me which way to turn the little screws to tighten the track. But sometimes that's not enough, and more difficult adjustments have to be made. I did some research on the internet tubes and, in the spirit of Old Tools, decided to take this on myself.
For the benefit of those at home who would like to turn over a new leaf and start trying their hands at treadmill adjustment/repair, here are some notes on what I learned when I popped the hood.
I took the liberty of labelling the parts with my own layman's descriptions to help the novice ease into this complicated machine.
Part 1: Power transformer - steps down the voltage from the plug to a suitable voltage for the drive and incline motors, as well as the electronic control panel.
Part 2: Circuit board which controls the display and responds to button presses/requests from the user.
Part 3: Wires
Part 4: This controls the incline. Do not stick your fingers in the gears. Trust me on this.
Part 5: Wires of a completely different color.
Part 6: Remember how Hi-C used to come in those big cans and you'd punch two triangular holes in the top, one to pour out of and one to let air in? This looks just like one of those cans.
Part 7: Large rubber band which attaches to the Hi-C can and the front treadmill axle. Also keep your fingers out of there.
Part 8: Big bolt that M held onto with a wrench while I pushed on the Hi-C can with my foot and turned the other bolt with a ratchet.
Part 9: The inside of a treadmill is really dirty, but it's not regular dirt. It's completely black. Like space dirt or something.
Now it's running fine, and I put it all back together. Ready to take a merciless beating by its barely-in-shape owners.
I think we can all learn a thing or two about fixing things ourselves. And just remember - many plumbers, electricians, and handymen make a good living by fixing the mistakes you make when you do it yourself. So don't be afraid to tackle that leaky roof or sparking 220V dryer outlet - the service economy can really use your money.
The running track on our treadmill occasionally starts slipping, and when this happens I go get the instruction manual to tell me which way to turn the little screws to tighten the track. But sometimes that's not enough, and more difficult adjustments have to be made. I did some research on the internet tubes and, in the spirit of Old Tools, decided to take this on myself.
For the benefit of those at home who would like to turn over a new leaf and start trying their hands at treadmill adjustment/repair, here are some notes on what I learned when I popped the hood.
I took the liberty of labelling the parts with my own layman's descriptions to help the novice ease into this complicated machine.
Part 1: Power transformer - steps down the voltage from the plug to a suitable voltage for the drive and incline motors, as well as the electronic control panel.
Part 2: Circuit board which controls the display and responds to button presses/requests from the user.
Part 3: Wires
Part 4: This controls the incline. Do not stick your fingers in the gears. Trust me on this.
Part 5: Wires of a completely different color.
Part 6: Remember how Hi-C used to come in those big cans and you'd punch two triangular holes in the top, one to pour out of and one to let air in? This looks just like one of those cans.
Part 7: Large rubber band which attaches to the Hi-C can and the front treadmill axle. Also keep your fingers out of there.
Part 8: Big bolt that M held onto with a wrench while I pushed on the Hi-C can with my foot and turned the other bolt with a ratchet.
Part 9: The inside of a treadmill is really dirty, but it's not regular dirt. It's completely black. Like space dirt or something.
Now it's running fine, and I put it all back together. Ready to take a merciless beating by its barely-in-shape owners.
I think we can all learn a thing or two about fixing things ourselves. And just remember - many plumbers, electricians, and handymen make a good living by fixing the mistakes you make when you do it yourself. So don't be afraid to tackle that leaky roof or sparking 220V dryer outlet - the service economy can really use your money.
I don't feel any different...
So we have a new president, and if this guy's so good, how come the stock market went down on Inauguration Day? But economics is only one thing, right? It's my understanding that I will no longer have to exercise to keep my lean physique as somehow the Democrats - controlling congress and the white house - will send the appropriate weight-control waves over the radio. Or something.
I just got done reading part of my dad's autobiography again - the part where he meets my mom. Reading it is just like being there, Back to the Future-style, except without the car. I suppose if I were smart, I'd start making notes for my own autobiography. Maybe if I publish enough nonsense on this blog, I'll just copy and paste that into Word and poof - instant autobiography.
Here's chapter one:
"I was born at a very young age. The son of sharecroppers, I started work at the age of 4 cooking meals for my employers in the big house. My earliest memory is waking to the sound of the rooster, and later eating him for lunch. Also we were so poor we couldn't afford rocks."
That's got bestseller written all over it.
I'm continuing working on organizing the Science Fair. Another parent and I are doing all the coordinating, including Volunteer Wrangling(tm), which at our school isn't too tough, usually. We have a lot of parents who are pretty active with the PTO. The Fair (capital-F Fair because I would never work on a small-f fair) is going to be March 19. It's amazing the amount of work that needs to be done. You do find out who the powerful people in the school are, though, and it's not always the principal. I think one of the most powerful people in the school is the vocal music teacher.
I'll let you know on March 20th how rewarding it all was, but don't check in early - I'm sleeping in.
This weekend M will have a small birthday party with 3 of his friends (and his brother!) We're going to Chuck E Cheese's but we're not paying the man in the mouse suit for a REAL party, we're just going to buy some pizza and play some games. The kids better get out of my way when I do the skee ball - the next kid who bumps my arm when I'm in my backswing is going to regret it...
M has a solo at the upcoming Martin Luther King musical they're doing at his school. Would have been nice for them to tell us more than a week in advance. But as I said earlier, you don't cross the vocal music teacher. She'll put your Science Fair plans on ice, brother.
Now, on to chapter two of my autobiography. Attending school in the coutryside of war-torn England...
I just got done reading part of my dad's autobiography again - the part where he meets my mom. Reading it is just like being there, Back to the Future-style, except without the car. I suppose if I were smart, I'd start making notes for my own autobiography. Maybe if I publish enough nonsense on this blog, I'll just copy and paste that into Word and poof - instant autobiography.
Here's chapter one:
"I was born at a very young age. The son of sharecroppers, I started work at the age of 4 cooking meals for my employers in the big house. My earliest memory is waking to the sound of the rooster, and later eating him for lunch. Also we were so poor we couldn't afford rocks."
That's got bestseller written all over it.
I'm continuing working on organizing the Science Fair. Another parent and I are doing all the coordinating, including Volunteer Wrangling(tm), which at our school isn't too tough, usually. We have a lot of parents who are pretty active with the PTO. The Fair (capital-F Fair because I would never work on a small-f fair) is going to be March 19. It's amazing the amount of work that needs to be done. You do find out who the powerful people in the school are, though, and it's not always the principal. I think one of the most powerful people in the school is the vocal music teacher.
I'll let you know on March 20th how rewarding it all was, but don't check in early - I'm sleeping in.
This weekend M will have a small birthday party with 3 of his friends (and his brother!) We're going to Chuck E Cheese's but we're not paying the man in the mouse suit for a REAL party, we're just going to buy some pizza and play some games. The kids better get out of my way when I do the skee ball - the next kid who bumps my arm when I'm in my backswing is going to regret it...
M has a solo at the upcoming Martin Luther King musical they're doing at his school. Would have been nice for them to tell us more than a week in advance. But as I said earlier, you don't cross the vocal music teacher. She'll put your Science Fair plans on ice, brother.
Now, on to chapter two of my autobiography. Attending school in the coutryside of war-torn England...
Baby, it's cold!
I'm glad the super cold weather is finally about to leave for a while. The kids didn't have school yesterday because it was too cold for them to walk to school or wait for a bus. Considering we have winter here every year, that's saying something.
I've been waiting for the new car, which has to sit outside in the below-zero weather while I'm at work, to not start one of these days, but so far it's fired right up. I shouldn't be surprised, though.
We had to have the furnace repaired last weekend - we noticed it wasn't working on Saturday afternoon, and were fortunate to get someone to come out to look at it. Do you know how much it costs to have an ignitor replaced on what is considered an "emergency" (after-hours) visit? We do. And it ain't cheap.
I hope everyone's staying warm.
I've been waiting for the new car, which has to sit outside in the below-zero weather while I'm at work, to not start one of these days, but so far it's fired right up. I shouldn't be surprised, though.
We had to have the furnace repaired last weekend - we noticed it wasn't working on Saturday afternoon, and were fortunate to get someone to come out to look at it. Do you know how much it costs to have an ignitor replaced on what is considered an "emergency" (after-hours) visit? We do. And it ain't cheap.
I hope everyone's staying warm.
You're already paying for my health care, and I'm paying for yours
A few years ago I sent an editorial to the Ann Arbor News about the prospect of paying taxes to cover health care for everyone. Some people think that this would put us on par with communist countries to even consider such a plan.
But we already pay for other peoples' health care. It's not technically a "tax" but it is a hidden surcharge that everyone implicitly pays. When you buy something from a retail store, part of the purchase price is going to pay the health care for the employees/managers/owners/parent company's employees for that store. When someone buys software from my company, a small part of that price goes to subsidize part of my health care premiums (I pay the rest.) Lawmakers have famously pointed to the large amount of money for health care that is included in a new car's price - we all pay for each others' health care.
When you consider that many things you buy would cost less if the company did not have to figure health care costs into their bottom line, prices for goods and services could drop across the board. GM could immediately cut $1000+ off the cost of each vehicle they sell. Employers would not be saddled with additional costs for workers, and the overhead of having all these regional and national health plans could be turned into an efficient system like the one the VA system uses.
But we already pay for other peoples' health care. It's not technically a "tax" but it is a hidden surcharge that everyone implicitly pays. When you buy something from a retail store, part of the purchase price is going to pay the health care for the employees/managers/owners/parent company's employees for that store. When someone buys software from my company, a small part of that price goes to subsidize part of my health care premiums (I pay the rest.) Lawmakers have famously pointed to the large amount of money for health care that is included in a new car's price - we all pay for each others' health care.
When you consider that many things you buy would cost less if the company did not have to figure health care costs into their bottom line, prices for goods and services could drop across the board. GM could immediately cut $1000+ off the cost of each vehicle they sell. Employers would not be saddled with additional costs for workers, and the overhead of having all these regional and national health plans could be turned into an efficient system like the one the VA system uses.
I've got a joke for you (Updated: now with more jokes!)
K told this one at dinner yesterday:
Why did the cookie cry?
Because his mom had been a wafer so long.
From M:
There are three kinds of people. Those who know how to count, and those who don't.
From K:
Why did the boy clean his pet mouse?
Because he wanted it to be squeaky clean!
Why did the cookie cry?
Because his mom had been a wafer so long.
From M:
There are three kinds of people. Those who know how to count, and those who don't.
From K:
Why did the boy clean his pet mouse?
Because he wanted it to be squeaky clean!
In an attempt to draw more internet traffic to my blog, I'm going to add some popular Google search phrases. I'm expecting my statistics to really jump after this.
Paris Hilton
Britney Spears
Brangelina
Barack Obama
John McCain
Sarah Palin
Free Pictures of Naked People
Nintendo Wii games
Government bailout
Inauguration
Free Anti-virus software
Weight loss
Drunk driving lawyer
Pay Pal
Jonas Brothers
Paris Hilton
Britney Spears
Brangelina
Barack Obama
John McCain
Sarah Palin
Free Pictures of Naked People
Nintendo Wii games
Government bailout
Inauguration
Free Anti-virus software
Weight loss
Drunk driving lawyer
Pay Pal
Jonas Brothers
Libraries of Great Software Developers, Part I
The books on my shelf at work:
Essential XML Quick Reference – Skonnard & Gudgin
XSLT – Kay
XML Bible - Harold
UML Distilled - Fowler
Visual C++.Net Bible – Archer & Whitechapel
Effective C++ - Meyers
Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework
Pro .Net 2.0 Graphics Programming – White
Effective C# - Wagner
C# Database Programming – Price
Programming C# - Liberty
Windows Forms 2.0 Programming – Sells & Weinhardt
Pro C# 2005 and the .Net 2.0 Platform – Troelsen
Java in a Nutshell – Flanagan
Java Programminng – Farrell
Pure JFC Swing - Pantham
Telephone Book – AT&T Yellow Pages, December 2006 Edition
I understand most of them, although that last one gives me trouble sometimes.
Essential XML Quick Reference – Skonnard & Gudgin
XSLT – Kay
XML Bible - Harold
UML Distilled - Fowler
Visual C++.Net Bible – Archer & Whitechapel
Effective C++ - Meyers
Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework
Pro .Net 2.0 Graphics Programming – White
Effective C# - Wagner
C# Database Programming – Price
Programming C# - Liberty
Windows Forms 2.0 Programming – Sells & Weinhardt
Pro C# 2005 and the .Net 2.0 Platform – Troelsen
Java in a Nutshell – Flanagan
Java Programminng – Farrell
Pure JFC Swing - Pantham
Telephone Book – AT&T Yellow Pages, December 2006 Edition
I understand most of them, although that last one gives me trouble sometimes.
I Told You
I told you this would be the year of the new car! Here's our new 2009 Ford Fusion SE - black exterior, black interior. As Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap would say "How much more black could it be? And the answer is none. None more black."
It doesn't have any bells and whistles to speak of, just the basics. One thing that encouraged us to buy it (besides getting the price that Ford employees get, plus a lot of money in rebates) was the many reviewers and industry insiders who think this car is really well-built and reliable. After the problems we had with our old Saturn (which was traded in for this one) we were looking for reliabilty.
The kids just got back to town after staying with Aunt Laurie (thanks!) and we jumped in the new car to go to the ice rink. Both kids found friends there to talk to.
Stay warm, everyone!
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to the several people who know about this blog. I hope it's a good one! We're shipping the kids off to Aunt Laurie's today and are going out to eat tonight and listen to some live music. Last night we went out for pizza with some neighbors and back to our house for some talk (and a movie for the kids.)
I'm getting back in the swing of my indoor hobbies with the completion of the workbench and my now-steady progress on the ship model J got me last year for my birthday. My next project will either be a frame saw or a toolbox. Here's a frame saw - http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=handtools&file=articles_416.shtml
Maybe I better make the saw before the toolbox...
I still have plenty of work to do in planning the Science Fair at M and K's school, and after that's done, the weather will start to get warm enough to get outside a little more. Volunteering is rewarding but sometimes restricting.
This year is going to be the year of the New Car. We haven't bought a new car since 2001, and we think the time is right with all the incentives and cash back and whatnot. We joked that we would try to walk into the dealership with $5000 in cash and demand our choice of cars on the lot, and they might just let us get away with it. Probably not, but I'm sure the salespeople will be falling down stairs and running outside without their coats when they see us coming.
We're looking at Ford Focus and Ford Fusion currently. I'm off now to check out the Mercurys in case there are any hidden deals there. Then it's off to put away the Christmas decorations, which J is already starting in the other room.
Happy New Year!
I'm getting back in the swing of my indoor hobbies with the completion of the workbench and my now-steady progress on the ship model J got me last year for my birthday. My next project will either be a frame saw or a toolbox. Here's a frame saw - http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=handtools&file=articles_416.shtml
Maybe I better make the saw before the toolbox...
I still have plenty of work to do in planning the Science Fair at M and K's school, and after that's done, the weather will start to get warm enough to get outside a little more. Volunteering is rewarding but sometimes restricting.
This year is going to be the year of the New Car. We haven't bought a new car since 2001, and we think the time is right with all the incentives and cash back and whatnot. We joked that we would try to walk into the dealership with $5000 in cash and demand our choice of cars on the lot, and they might just let us get away with it. Probably not, but I'm sure the salespeople will be falling down stairs and running outside without their coats when they see us coming.
We're looking at Ford Focus and Ford Fusion currently. I'm off now to check out the Mercurys in case there are any hidden deals there. Then it's off to put away the Christmas decorations, which J is already starting in the other room.
Happy New Year!
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