Beach week has come and gone.

This year was so much fun. Though Taylor and I got off to a rocky start with a disagreement about how to install the larger carseat for Mercy (turns out I was right!) the trip ended up being great. Our small family had great attitudes, and really enjoyed our time together.

Taylor was busy as a mom, and an awesome daughter. She has infinite patience dealing with Mercy, and doesnt seem to have any limits when it comes to helping her mother as a host by cleaning, and helping everyone she can.

Rosie is an awesome big sister, big cousin, and friend. She had tons of patience dealing with not only a toddler-sister, but also a toddler-cousin, and both of them thought Rosie was the coolest thing in the whole world.

Rosie also had a friend on vacation at the same time, Dottie Kate. We got to visit with her several times, and it was fun getting to know her dad, Hense, throughout the week.

Mercy loves the beach. Though she came last year to beach week, I consider this to be her first REAL year at beach week, because its the first year she can walk. She was wiped out by the end of the week, as its hard to keep up with her big cousin Everley, big sis Rosie, and a household of grown ups all day long.

The food was amazing. Every year the menu for the week remains unchanged:

• Cajun boil on Sunday
• Pork/bbq on Monday
• hamburgers and hot dogs on Tuesday
• Fish Tacos on Wednesday
• Steaks on Thursdays
• Leftovers on Fridays

(did I get that right?)

Ted’s steaks are pretty top-notch. In fact, I havent been to a restaurant yet that can top the steaks the way that he prepares them. Maybe that’s also because I don’t often order the steaks that cost the much at a restaurant?

Breakdowns (the car kind)

In 2013, we got a chunk of money from our tax return, and used it to buy a 2009 Toyota Camry. Its a great car.

I have been changing the oil in it, adding engine cleaner fuel additive, changing wiper blades, air filters, radiator fluid, batteries, etc. on that car since the beginning. It really hasnt had any problems at all.

The downside of doing exclusively self-maintenance on a car, is that you can miss the “other things”.

In this case, Taylor was waiting to pickup her groceries for about 20 minutes or so, and when leaving the parking lot, noticed that something wasnt right. She pulled off before getting to the main road, and the car wouldnt start after that. It wasnt the battery, since that was changed 2 months ago. Luckily, a female mechanic stopped by, and made a few recommendations.

Because Taylor was leaving town on a work trip the next day, and I work from home, we just left the car in the parking lot for 2 days.

When it finally came time for a tow, I called and got the truck to come. Just a few minutes before he arrived, I tried one time to start the car, and it started right up. Maybe the car just needed a break?

The next day, still unsure what the issue was, and since Taylor was returning at midnight to the airport without a car, I used my lunch break to drop the “functional” car at the airport for my bride, and took an Uber home, so she wouldnt have to.

The car seemed fine, until it wasn’t. I picked up Rosie from her summer camp, and figured maybe it is the alternator? I left the car running while I picked up Rosie, and 10 minutes later, it was still fine.

A few blocks down the road, it wasn’t fine. The thermostat dropped all the way to nothing. There were no smells or anything, so I told Rosie, who was in the back seat:

Uh oh. As soon as this car stops, it is not going to start again. Let me see if I can get to a car shop or safe parking lot”

-Luke, in the midst of a breakdown.

By the grace of God, we made it through the red lights (this isnt the BEST side of town, per se) and took a right-turn into a jiffy lube type place. They said we needed oil, coolant, and we should be fine.

Awesome. Problem solved, and at $79 because I use synthetic oil, this is a great deal to fix a car. Rosie was a little frazzled, but we were safe as we headed to Mercy’s daycare while Taylor was out of town.

The problem was not solved. 1/2 way between the oil place and the day care, which is only about 1.5 miles away, the thermostat went all the way to the top, then dropped to nothing. Rosie knew the drill. We took as many right-turns as possible, not knowing if the car would start after coming to a stop, and with the daycare closing in 10 minutes.

I had 2 girls in a parking lot, and no functioning car. However, all is not lost. There are some great benefits from being born and raised in Greensboro, and this is a perfect example of how knowling lots of people can really save your butt. As I was calling my mom for an emegency pick-up, a good friend pulled up in her minivan to pick up her own 3 girls from the same daycare. Laura Peascoe, you are awesome.

We quickly moved the car seats to her minivan (safety first!) and made it safely home.

The car was towed, and the good people at Randall’s tire found the problem and fixed it: a broken radiator. Despite no leaks under the car or smells of radiator fluid, somehow it broke. $1300 is the going rate for that kind of fix these days.

So, will there be a new car coming soon? My goal is something fun to jump around town in, and kind-of manly because I am surrounded by girls. Also, I am a bit inspired (and slightly jealous) of my brother Matt’s yellow CJ-5. Maybe something like this could foot the bill?