EM has volunteered to babysit and she means it. She showed up at the tryouts today wearing Matilda in the front pack (which was a surprise). JZ's Mom and Dad will also offer babysitting services and I could also probably impose on Emmett's Godmother or the older Godsister for that matter.

Plus there are local Buffistas who who need to be abused would delight in Matilda's company, I'm sure.

Speaking of which, tommyrot, I've been meaning to mention that Tom Waits has a song on his new collection titled "The Pontiac" that makes me think of you every time I hear it. It's up at the NPR website for All Things Considered so if you check out his last interview there (in Nov.) you should be able to hear the song for free.

Hmm.... I have his new album but I've only listened to half of it. He often does mention big old American cars. One of his songs on the new album has words to the effect: "She had an old Lincoln - with suicide doors." I love the way he says "suicide" there. (Suicide doors are doors that open "backwards.")

God, I'm boring

'64 Galaxies are cool.

My car history is incredibly dull:

1987: Suburu Legacy
1995: Suburu Legacy which I am still driving.

I suspect the first one would have lasted longer if it had not been in a wreck.

DH's cousin owned a Plymouth Scamp about 10 years ago. Which was actually very cute. I don't know how reliable it was but it was right there on the back of the car--SCAMP!

Every time I see a Mitsubishi Galant, I think that they should also have a Mitsubishi Goofus.

Every time I see a Mitsubishi Galant, I think that they should also have a Mitsubishi Goofus.

"Galant is always fuel-efficient, because it knows our natural resources are limited. Goofus only gets 2 mpg, because it wants to look cool to all the SUVs and Hummers."

OK, all this parental-babysitting-guilt has made me post. TAKE THE OFFERS! I LOVE babysitting. Seriously. People don't make the offer unless they mean it. I've been privileged to be the first sitter at anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks for my friends here. I know it can be stressful for the parents, expecially for the first kid (record: calls every 15 minutes over the first 3 hours.) But honestly? For those of us who like kids but don't plan on having any, it's a few hours spent with someone so neat and new and we get to be the fun aunt or whatever.

Y'all need to just move closer. If it didn't end up taking over my life with poor pay and benefits I'd probably be happiest as a nanny (when I was one, I eventually ended up only going home to sleep, spending the remaining 16 hours with the family, which I really enjoyed, but.)

She had an old Lincoln - with suicide doors." I love the way he says "suicide" there.

That's the song.

In his interviews he says that spoken word piece is basically him riffing on his FIL.

{{{Nora}}}

We were lucky with a babysitter when Jake was born -- Stephen's mom. She was 65ish, and desperate to play with a baby, so, since we were young and I was bottle feeding, we went out a LOT when Jake was under six months old, often drinking and to hear live music in Hoboken. Ah, good times.

In PA, we found the sweetest,most responsible high school girl EVER, who lived a block away, but we still couldn't afford her very often -- that whole dinner, movie, babysitter fee thing = a lot of money. We usually did with dinner or a movie, and always took one night to do both around the holidays, for our anniversary.

Nice thing: once, she had play practice on a night I called last-minute because we were taking three-year-old Ben to the ER (bashed-open head requiring stitches). We didn't want Jake to have to hang around the ER, but when Katie couldn't come, her older brother Ed offered -- he was the one who actually introduced us to her (long story). He sat for the boys quite a few times after Katie abandoned us left for college, and the boys *loved* him, because he'd bring his Nintendo or Playstation.

Car history:

1981 Pontiac T-1000
1988(?) Nissan 280ZX (hand-me-down from brother-in-law -- it talked!)
1993 Ford Taurus (hand-me-down from dad)
2002 Hyundai Elantra (new!)

We now have my mom's old Ford Escort, too, which is shoebox on wheels, but runs. I don't even remember what year it is.