Car Stuff

Today I finally took the van in to get it checked—the "maintenance required" light has been on for almost three weeks. Turns out we needed new brakes and the usual check-up stuff. It's a rare day when I can get by without a car, but we did it for most of today. The guy there assured me it would be done by 3:00; Jamie had a piano lesson scheduled for 3:30. Sonia (the owner's wife and business partner) picked the kids and me up around 3:00 and took us back to the car shop. I quickly paid and we screeched in to the piano lesson 15 minutes late. Quick lesson today. Sonia is great. She's from Slovakia and is so personable and funny. I always enjoy our 10-minute rides together when my car is in her shop. She says she and Henry studied hard to pass the test to becomes American citizens (and many of her American friends didn't know the answers), but that it was very worth all the work and expense. She also says, "if I'm not willing to work to change something that bothers me in this country , I have no right to gripe about it." I think that's a great attitude. It was a gray and cloudy day, and after piano the kids and I wanted to do something fun, so we stopped at a little doughnut shop and each chose a doughnut! We never do that! It was a fun treat.