Some changes may be for the better

When we move to China, as per a lot of expat agreements, we technically won't be allowed to drive. The company doesn't insure us while driving and from what I hear, it's not a good idea. The driving is crazy, most signs aren't in anything remotely resembling a language we can decipher and if you get lost, you are pretty much screwed unless you can find a taxi driver you can communicate with and who is willing to lead you home, again, IF you can communicate to him where you live. Kenny knows one guy who after being lost for hours spotted a bus who's number he recognized as one that went past his home. He followed it for another few hours before FINALLY making it home.

Given all of the above, the company provides us with a car and driver. Some people think this sounds great, I personally like the freedom of my own car. But, after this past week I'm thinking a driver and a car that I don't maintain may be a blessing in disguise.

After months of a light blinking on my dashboard and me thinking it meant I needed air in my tires, thus filling my tires with air, it turns out my brakes were out of fluid - oops. It's kind of like going to a German doctor. Patient, "My ankle REALLY hurts." Doctor, "Here is a prescription for nose drops."

Next "oops," but with potentially less dire consequences, we've had tons of snow lately and since Kenny's been gone I've been driving his car. Last Wednesday our street was particularly slick/slushy and I noticed my car kind of sticking out in the road, I thought I'd move it and give people plenty of room to navigate. I hopped in and quickly found out I was "stuck." Dominic wasn't down for his nap yet, so since I didn't know how long it would take me to dig out I decided to wait until naptime. As soon as he was asleep I put on my boots, found a shovel and started digging. Still no go. I found some sand and salt to put under my tires. Nada. I rocked back and forth trying to get some momentum. Nothing. In and out of the car, more digging, more sand, cardboard. I tried everything I thought I had seen done at one time or another during my Colorado upbringing other than being towed out. I was sweating bullets after about 30 minutes and couldn't really see how it was possible that I could need to be towed out of what were now about a 2 inch slush mounds around where my tires were sitting on dry pavement. I could tell my poor little car was working as hard as I was by the smoke and burnt rubber smell. I sat in the drivers seat, exhausted and trying to come up with another idea (I don't give up easily and the concept of "work smarter, not harder" is sometimes lost on me). Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my problem....the parking brake was on - big time oops.