Fun in a Ford

Every so often, particularly when I am travelling (and by travelling I mean making a quick Timmy Ho's run), I wonder what life would be like without the built-in DVD player in our car. Really - seriously - what did we do without it? It doesn't matter if I'm going near or far, that handy dandy piece of equipment pays for itself every single time. Have I really become that dependent on technology to entertain the children while I concentrate on driving? The answer is yes . . . yes I have.

Tonight, I decided to drive Mike's truck to T-Ball - mostly because I had some little critters to dispose of - and there is no way they are going in my Acadia. Normally, I don't drive his truck - not because I don't like it - but because the kids all sit in one row (gasp!) AND there is no DVD player (double gasp!!). In hindsight, I should have left the critters for another day - because sure enough, as soon as we got to Lacombe, it began to pour rain. No big deal right? Just pack up and go home? Sigh . . . things are never that easy.

No - tonight is the night I need to collect all the raffle tickets because the draw is on Thursday. So that means that even though ball is cancelled, I still am going to have to hang around the parking lot waiting for parents to drop their tickets/$$ off. Keep in mind ball normally would start at 6:30 and I arrived at the parking lot at 6:05 with my tired kids already beating each other up in the back seat. Recipe for disaster? I think so! The carrying on in the back seat was practically unbearable - and because it was raining, I couldn't even kick them out onto the playground!

Most parents arrived around 6:30. As soon as I started talking to someone, the kids would go WILD. Yelling in my ear, trying to hang out my window, throwing things. It was crazy! When the last couple arrived at 6:45, I suggested they throw in an extra five bucks and I would be happy to send my children home with them. Wisely, they declined.

Finally it was time to head home. I was only about 5 minutes out of town when Ben and Zach started screaming bloody murder. A quick glance in the rearview mirror revealed them pulling each others hair, Zach foaming at the mouth and Ben looking like a snake about to deliver that final venomous bite. I quickly pulled over - I mean, who wouldn't want to see who was going to come out on top in this round???

Turns out, they were fighting over something extremely important . . . an empty McDonald's cup. Seriously. Cardboard with wax on it. Did I mention it was empty? And I thought the gopher apocalypse was crazy!

As I pulled into the yard, I decided to heck with DVD players - there is great money to be made by inventing a portable plexi-glass barrier between the front and rear seats. 

And as I sit here nursing my gin & tonic after a long day, I come to another realization . . .

Those freaking dead gophers are still in the back of the truck. 

Son of a . . .