One car or two???

So, Internets WWW series of tubes users, I need your opinions.

HISTORY

We got rid of the '91 Honda Accord this summer. After years of loyal service to my dad, then to me, it was getting jalopy-esuqe. I started getting too embarrased to drive it when the back bumper fell off. It wasn't knocked off; it just fell off.

(I do blame myself for the car's demise. Hondas are damn fine vehicles, and most of the fault can be traced to the lack of maintainence and the car's general state of dirtiness. Of course a car is going to rust if you don't wash it and all the crud gets stuck underneath.)

Guilt aside, we donated the Accord to Goodwill and are now left with one gas-powered people mover, our trusty silver Honda Civic 4-door, 5-speed. Yes, the ubiquitous fuel saver of a cute car. We do love it, but now with the baby and daycare and our two jobs, my husband is in favor of rejoining the ranks of the 2-car families.

THESE DAYS

I'm kinda liking the 1-car lifestyle, and most days it's not a hassle, but the days we both need the car at the same time, that's when it sucks.

Right now, we're taking turns commuting to work by bike. That day's car-enabled person takes the bambino to daycare and picks them up.

WHICH ROUTE IS PREFERABLE?

So, should we stick with the 1-car, 3-person family or opt for 2 cars???

ANALYSIS

Why not to get a second car:

• I'm working 9-5 and haven't (knock on wood) had to stay long hours
  
• Husband has an "and then some" job. He gets in at 9ish but gets home whenever he happens to finish. 7ish, 8ish, etc.
  
• Bike commute is 5+ miles one way. (We work fairly close to each other.)
  
• We need the car on alternate days in order to do our parent hours at daycare.
  
• My parents work fairly close to our work/the daycare. They could pick up (and have offered to pick up) the bambino if necessary.
  
• My dad could also give one of us a lift to work/home if there's a car emergency.
  
• The bus goes right by our house and our workplaces, and that's always an option.
  
• There are very few extreme weather days, and we'd carpool in those situations anyway.
  
• Gas, car prices
  


• Restaurants, library, coffee shop, diner, stores, other entertainment are just a short walk away.

After-school activities like soccer practice are a ways off. (We will definitely need a 2nd car by then.)

Why to get a second car:

• Since I've gone back to work 3 weeks ago, we have already had to do some car juggling. Ex: Days when husband has worked really late and wanted to be picked up around 10 p.m., which meant I had to drive back to town to pick him up.
  
• This part is selfish, but there's no pre-planning necessary when you have two cars.
  
• You're not as reliant on others. I went out with some girlfriends on a recent Saturday and husband dropped me off with the gals because he wanted to use the car that afternoon. The downside was that the gals had to drop me off afterwards. Luckily, we were close to home. It would have been too much to ask them if we were not close to home.
  
  So, Internets, what do you think? Second car or not?
  

Ride report

Miles: Didn't look

Highlights: Saw another cyclist whom I had met last year and we rode together for about a mile during my commute home. Can you do that in a car? Just askin'.

Wipeouts

This is obviously taken from "America's Funniest Home Videos." While you're certainly a loser if you watch that show on Friday or Saturday nights when you should be out partying down like the cool kids, apparently watching it on the net after some loser (or some person with TiVo) posts it to YouTube or Guba does not make you uncool.

Furthermore, if the producers of AFHV were smart or savvy, they would have CREATED YouTube and Guba and that genre, as THEY were the pioneers.

Ride report

Miles when I got to work: 2831.5

About the ride: I liked the commute from our old place better. It was hillier. Today I was going mostly downhill, much like my body has gone. ha ha

I only saw one bike commuter along the way.

First bike commute since the baby...

I brought the towel and toiletry kit to work today. Tomorrow I will ride to work for the first time since my daughter was born.

Here's how we will do the back and forth:

1. I ride to work.
2. Husband drives to daycare, drops off cute child, parks at work and takes his bike off of roof rack.
3. After work, I ride to husband's car, put my bike on the roof rack and drive over to pick up child at daycare.
4. Husband rides home.

Our commute is not safe enough for a bike trailer and even if it was, little baby is too young for a bike trailer.

a bike mishap, as told by the wife

i like this post.

her husband's response kind of reminds me of the movie "european vacation" where the grizwolds keep running over a british guy and each time it happens, the chap responds good-naturedly "tis no problem at all!"

Police pursuit of a bike

My husband, who loves bikes sooo much just had to show me this video clip.

I immediately said "Fake!!"

His head drooped a bit.

I Googled to make sure.

Yes, fake, but certainly cute.

My husband, former TV producer that he is, wanted to believe. Sorry, honey.