Car is back - sort of. . .

So yesterday evening I was FINALLY able to pick my car up from the repair shop. $500 later (that's my deductible) I was on my way home in my own set of wheels again. I was thrilled - finally I can drive again and not have to hitch rides all the time. Until this morning . . .
So this morning I was on my way to work and I kept feeling this cold draft in my ear. Seeing that it was about 32 degrees when I went to work this morning, that was not a fun feeling. So I put my hand up to where the wind was coming from, only to realize that while they replaced all the trim and sealants around my window, they apparently didn't do a wonderful job of it because I could practically stick my finger out the window from inside the car - with the window up. Why can't anyone these days do anything right the first time?
So as if that wasn't annoying enough, I later discovered that when you shut the passenger side door you can hear the broken glass inside the door. Yup - not only did they mess up the sealant but they forgot to vacuum all the glass out of the door when they put in the new glass. So, we were considering taking my car to Florida this weekend (better gas mileage and it goes faster - at least when I'm driving) but it looks like instead it will be going back to the shop tomorrow. I just don't get why places can't just do good, guality work the first time around.

On another note, we're going to FLORIDA tomorrow! Growing up in Florida you don't think much is special about the place - Disney is no big deal and you see the ocean enough to love it but also find the annoying things annoying (like sand and wind). But now that I live in Missouri, Florida holds this almost mystial quality that I never apprecitated before - it's Florida. Sort of like Hawaii is Hawaii and California is California. Sort Nebraska just doesn't hold the same mystical quality. :) Anyway, in addition to it being Florida, and thus at least theoretically warm (at least warmer then our frozen tundra), there's family. It's funny how as you age you appreciate your family more. When you're under the age of 13, family is everything. Then you hate family and want nothing to do with them for several years. Then you move away and realize that you're really lucky and you were a selflish brat back when you didn't appreciate them more. And then you get even older and move even farther away, and realize that when it all comes down to it, family is really all that matters in the world (and when I say "family" I also include close friends that you consider "family") and that if you lost them or even lost touch with them your life would never be the same ever again. Oh, and somewhere in there you meet a boy who you fall in love with and you become part of his family too. Bonus points if he also has a family that you cherish and love - and miss when you're away (like me!).

Anyway, we head to Florida tomorrow - a long, relatively boring 13 hour drive. I bitch and moan about the drive for weeks ahead of time - I bitch about how our entire "vacation" is spent running around and not sleeping and then we just have to drive back - I complain about how we always end up sick when we come back because we're so run down - but you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything. Absolutely nothing. The mere thought of getting to see our families makes it all worthwhile - because there will come a day when we won't be able/willing to make the drive anymore (I assume we will probably never end up back in Tally -sorry to burst anyone's bubble) and we'll be happy for the memories we make now, visiting our families and seeing our nieces and nephews as they grow and visiting with our folks.

Can't wait to see you all!!!