101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO

Vintage Limo Monologues #13

2009-06-23T10:03:00.000-05:00

Driving a limo has sparked the philosopher in me. I'm already on #13 of things that this limo has caused me to contemplate on. One thing I was thinking about the past few weeks was how we judge others. I attended a gathering of kids speaking where one speaker was talking about the topic of conservation. He asked for a volunteer from the audience and started asking them questions in order to assess their carbon footprint and illustrate the things that we need to consider when considering our impact on the earth. At a certain point everyone in the audience seemed to be competing to see who had the best carbon footprint. Judging ran amok:

"Ha! I have a fuel efficient car. Our car is better than yours."
"All of the light bulbs in our home are energy efficient and yours are not!"
"Well we don't even use central air! Our carbon footprint is going to be one of the smallest and better!"

On one hand this made me smile. It is wonderful that conservation has become so "hip" that everyone wants to be "cool" and have a small carbon footprint! What leaps and bounds we have made for earth awareness in the past ten years! WOW!

The part that made me sad was the part where everyone was judging each other.

However, it is interesting how judging people on appearances and what you know about them never seems to turn out well. If you only have part of the information how can you judge?

One interesting example is with the limo. In reality most people who know me know that I hardly drive and don't really use the car that much so I don't engage in a lot of energy conservation talks with people about the limo.

However, imagine that someone who didn't know me was comparing me owning a limo to the person who owned the 2008 energy efficient car? Wouldn't you assume that their carbon footprint was less?

However, what I learned at the speech that night was interesting. The person who owned the energy efficient car drove so many miles with their car they actually used three times as much gas as I did each year. This brought their carbon footprint up higher in this category. Others used up to five or eight times as much fuel as I did each year. I think I was actually the lowest in the fuel usage category!

This is a small example, but it came to mind because it is such a concrete one. Sometimes it is hard to find concrete examples, but we all experience being judged in so many ways. A few weeks ago I had someone try to tell me I was not making good use of my time because they read my Facebook posts and felt I should have been answering their e-mail instead of doing the other things I posted about. Obviously that is an extreme example. There is no possible way anyone could make an assessment about time based on a few Facebook posts LOL!

Being a long time member of the nursing mama/attachment parenting/natural parenting community I've heard many comments about other mothers - "That is horrible that she is bottle feeding!" or "Why does she send her child to daycare?" among others. However, in reality it is impossible to judge another person's choices based on a few things one knows about them.

This post is a reminder for me and for all of my friends - let's make a pact to think twice next time we catch ourselves saying "Now why are they doing THAT?" In the past few years I've taken some time to look beneath the surface of some of these questions I've had about people and have learned some amazing things about people! So many people I might have dismissed in my youth, I find myself friends with as an adult because I took time to look beneath the surface and found beautiful things.

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #27: Feild Trip

2009-06-18T09:46:00.000-05:00

Ah yes...I see the irony in this...we used the limo as transport to an overnight at the Springbrook nature preserve center (Read the post about conservation and the limo for more info on that). I transported five children (my son included) to the Springbrook nature preserve. I supplied the back of the limo with snacks and beverages while they provided me with directions using their map reading skills. Thank goodness their skills were good! Two of the other cars got lost going there. I joked that we were spared getting lost because God didn't want us wasting any more fuel driving that limo. This was our only out of town trip this year and we are still coming in way under the average American's fuel usage. Note: only own a limo if you walk and bike most places and you work from home!

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #26: Famous Ballerina Transport

2009-06-13T21:39:00.002-05:00

After two years my little ballerina is still convinced that riding in a limo makes her famous. Don't you just love the way children see life? So of course when she had her final ballet performance this year we made it special by driving and arriving in style and having a little photo shoot as well.

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #25: Lunch with the Principal

2009-04-04T20:50:00.001-05:00

I recently donated a limo ride to a local school auction for a very unique idea - lunch with the principal! That sounds fun! This is a copy of the thank you note they sent.

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #24: Treating Your Sister Like Royalty

2009-03-07T08:28:00.002-06:00

When your sister lives overseas and goes to school far far away it is fun to treat her like royalty when she visits for the summer. We had fun showing Mosi the new limo last summer. Sunii even opened the door for her when we went shopping and around town with the car. She thought it was great!

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #23: A First Date

2009-03-07T08:24:00.003-06:00

Ok, I can't say much about this without embarrassing all parties involved. So I will just say - that when a boy has his first "date" - even if it is with his friend who happens to be a girl and two of her friends - going to the theater in a limo is a really cool way to mark that occassion. Especially if it was Valentine's Day:)

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #22: Travel Around the World

2009-03-07T08:16:00.002-06:00

Two weeks ago we visited four grocers in Des Moines as a unit in "cultural studies and local awareness". We stopped at the Arabic market and purchased amazing pita bread, we shopped at the Mexican market and sampled some quesadillas, we stopped at the Oriental market and purchased sushi rice, we stopped at the Indian store and purchased some food. We then came home and cooked all day! It was quite an adventure. And of course we drove everywhere in the limo :)

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #21: Pajama Party

2009-03-01T20:26:00.002-06:00

My daughter had her 10th birthday party last night. We spent an afternoon playing creative games, making our own snack-kebabs, identifying our fingerprints, playing BINGO, and eating a homemade cake. After the main party a few girls stayed the night but just as everyone got ready for bed and in their pajamas someone had the idea - "hey - why don't we go to a movie"?

Usually I don't go to movies at 9:30 at night because they end so late it makes it impossible to function for our lives the next day. However, since this was a sleepover and I figured the girls would not sleep much anyway, I agreed. The next request was, "Can we take the limo?"

It was loads of fun to fill up the limo with giggling girls in pajamas with their stuffed bunnies and bears. I even wore my pajama top and bunny slippers (see picture) to join in the fun. On the way to the theater the girls giggled and laughed the entire way until it was time to drop them off at the entrance to the theater. Upon disembarking from the limo I could hear them all yell, "we are famous!"

I am sure some people were amused to see 5 girls in pajamas climb out of a vintage white limo yelling, "we are famous".

I am not sure when we had the most stares, though. Was it when we disembarked from the limo or was it when we entered the movie theater lobby dressed in our pajamas on a Saturday night when everyone else was "dressed to the nines" with their dates!

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #20: Chinchilla Transport

2009-01-11T21:43:00.002-06:00

Chinchillas that are movie-stars on CHINCHILLA YOUTUBE can't just ride in any ole car! They need to take the limo. Now if this reminds you of that scene from Alvin and the Chipmunks - just remember - these chinchillas just LIKE music...they don't sing :)

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #19: Holiday Gift

2009-01-11T21:18:00.003-06:00

In December a friend purchased a limo ride to the holiday lights for her family and I also took a friend of mine and her son on a ride through the holiday lights as a gift (although I think she ended up paying for the $9.00 entrance fee since I didn't have cash that evening - LOL). It is such a fun way to see the lights! We were lucky enough to go on an evening when there had just been an ice storm, so the reflection of the lights in the ice made it extra amazing. And there were not many people there visiting that evening so we stopped a took a lot of photos!

101 Uses for a Vintage Limo #18: Holiday Party

2008-12-08T08:33:00.002-06:00

In Des Moines we have a great tradition - local businesses donate light displays in a large park, people pay to drive through and see the displays and all the money goes to charity. It is a win-win-win situation :) It was no surprise, then, that my friend and owner of The Fair World Gallery (http://www.fairworldgallery.com/) , Christine, opted for a limo ride to see the holiday lights. She's always thinking about how she can help the community - even when she is hosting a party for her team at the gallery! I am not sure who had more fun though - them or me? I prepared for the evening by polishing my leather (AKA very well loved) jacket and limo driver hat. When Sofi asked where I was going I said, "to play dress up".

I vacuumed and cleaned the limo, decorated it with holiday flowers, a nutcracker and some wire-wrapped stars from India and sprayed real essential oils of pine and cloves into the interior to add a more festive mood. Harp music was playing in the CD player and mini-candy canes were in a stocking hangin near the seats. Of all the "101 Uses" I have - so far this is my favorite one.

The Vintage Limo Monologues #12: A Local Point of View

2008-05-20T16:36:00.003-05:00

I've been having fun lately seeing how much I can do WITHOUT the car. I know a lot of other people who have done the same. It is strange to be writing a BLOG about a limo and one of the topics is NOT driving it...but, then, that is the entire point of the BLOG...to share what happens.

I have been thinking about my experiences the past few weeks trying NOT to drive. What I have noticed is that I tend to stay closer to home and shop at the local shops in Windsor Heights. I have seen more of my neighbors and so have the kids. I have noticed more around my neighborhood because I am around here more often. All in all, I have focused locally.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all do this even just once a week? By focusing locally we would be eating fruits and vegetables grown near where we live and this would be healthier for us. If we focused on what was around us we would have a tighter and more enjoyable neighborhood community and people would not be as lonely. If we focused on those things around us then we might realize our immediate or extended family and friends need help or need time and we can give it to them. That would reduce the need for International charities. If everyone just spent one day a week focusing on what is around them the world would be a better place!

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #17: Helping Abused Children

2008-04-27T17:11:00.002-05:00

I recently donated a limo ride to the Mentor Iowa auction and am really looking forward to giving some of the children rides as well! Thank you for contacting me Melissa! If you would like to do any volunteer work for this wonderful organization please visit their website at:

Mentor Iowa

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #16: Unicorn Transport

2008-04-27T17:03:00.002-05:00

I recently found out that the unicorns I "breed" (and sell on ETSY at:

The Dream Angels ETSY) like to ride in limos. This unicorn in the picture also likes to go to fancy shows and dress up. I suppose I should not be surprised. My favorite place to knit is in my little wicker chair nook with the sunlight streaming in. However, I find that when I am driving someone around in the LIMO and I have to wait, that knitting is a perfect thing to pass the time! It helps pay for the gas too :)

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #15: Sophisticated Picnic

2008-04-22T16:18:00.002-05:00

What picnic does not feel more sophisticated when there is a limo in the background? LOL!

The Vintage Limo Monologues #11: Environmental Awareness

2008-04-22T15:34:00.002-05:00

Although the limo uses more gas than my old car, I am finding that I actually use less gas than I used to. Ironically, owning a less efficient car has made me more environmentally aware. My last car was somewhat fuel efficient so I didn't think about gas that much. I put it in the car, drove where I wanted to and didn't do much towards conserving fuel. The lazy part of me figured since I didn't commute to work and back every day I was already doing my part.

However, now that I have a car that gets only 15 mpg I often ponder...is it really worth going across town to shop? Why don't we just walk instead of driving to the store? I don't really need to go to the grocery store more than once a week...sometimes the car will sit in the driveway for days!

My awareness of how much I actually used to drive and how much fuel I was using has become more pronounced. I have learned that I don't need to drive to as many places, and that I don't really need to drive much at all! I wonder how many other people are going through this same process as gas prices rise? Are more people taking the bus to save money? Are people taking fewer trips and working from home more? If this is the result of rising gas prices then perhaps it has all been "worth it" in some ways. At least once person (me) on this planet has greatly reduced their driving time and that is great for the environment. How many others have done the same?

The Vintage Limo Monologues #10: Fear & Familiarity

2008-04-14T17:03:00.003-05:00

Today I changed a tire! I want to shout it from the rooftops! I changed a tire! A tire! I took a jack and I pumped up the car and I took of the nuts and I actually CHANGED A TIRE!!!!! Well, my 11-year-old son helped...but WE CHANGED THE TIRE!

How can a woman who's graduated from Northwestern University, travelled the world alone more than once, shot photos at gunpoint, learned Arabic, did photo shoots in 130 degree weather when 3-months pregnant, finish in the state finals as a long distance runner, run the Drake relays in High School, survive an earthquake in Cairo, etc...etc...how can I find it exciting that I changed a tire?

For the simple reason that I am 39 years-old, I have never done it before and I have always been scared to try. This fear has caused me to call out for help in the pouring rain and wait for an hour for someone else to come change the tire for me. It has cost me hundreds of dollars in towing fees because I coulnd't change the tire in my own driveway or on the side of the road and it has caused me the frustration of feeling helpless.

But why was changing a tire so hard for me and these other things were easier? After today I think I have an idea why. For me, travel was easier than changing a tire because I had read many books about it and had dreamed of it for years. I had watched many movies about people travelling. It was challenging and a bit scary the first time, but it was easier to make that jump since I had already built the bridge of familiarity. \

Reflecting on what suddenly made me able to change a tire, I realize it was the same basic principle. In the past I have been in situations where the tire needed to be changed right away. I was on the side of the road, I was late to an appointment or I needed to get somewhere. THIS TIME the car was in the driveway, I had already gone shopping for the week and I didn't really need it. I didn't feel like dealing with it right away and paying all that money for someone to tow it (and Steve is out of town for another week) so I let it sit. A day went by and I let it sit. I thought about it for a while and thought about what my options were. I thought of some friends who might be able to help but they were all busy. Another day went by. I looked out the window and saw the tire again. Steve called one of his friends to help me but he was at a funeral. So I let it sit. I told myself that Monday morning I would have someone tow it but Monday morning came and I didn't feel like dealing with it. So I let it sit. I thought about different options again. I wondered if someone was going to come and help. Nobody came. So I let it sit.

But then, suddenly at 3pm today I looked at the car and I said to myself - why not try? The simple fact that the flat tire had become FAMILIAR to me gave me the courage to venture into something new. So I told the kids that I was going to change the tire and Sunii said "really??? Can I help?" Having a CHEERING SQUAD also helps! But it turns out that he was also very helpful. He remembered the motto for loosening the nuts that I had forgotten (Righty tighty - lefty loosey) and he gave me the idea of an angle on the nuts that finally worked (they were on their TIGHT!). And it was HIM that loosened that 5th nut - the last one that I didn't think I was going to be able to do.

It makes me reflect on how hard we push our kids to do new things. Sometimes we don't understand why a child can't just clean their room, learn that math concept or finish reading a book. We wonder what is the big deal about trying a new food, why do they have to sit there at the table for an hour instead of taking a taste of it? we get so frustrated with their apprehension about new things...but as adults we all have that same apprehension. Think of the one thing you have never done and ask yourself...what am I scared of?

Why are we sometimes scared of new people? Do we find the person frightening? No. We find the fact that they are unfamiliar frightening to us.

As humans there is sometimes an inherent fear of new and unfamiliar things - it does not matter if these things are difficult or easy, what matters most to us is that we have never done it before and that it is entirely unfamiliar to us.

I think of all the times that the kids finally tried that new food after seeing me eat it about ten times....and now I understand more clearly. Making something familiar can help us try new things.

I hope this post can inspire you to try something new today or to be more patient with a child you are teaching to do something new :) Try easing into the new thing and letting it become familiar to you or the child and see what happens. Perhaps it will work for you too! I have to admit I never thought I would EVER change a tire.

The Vintage Limo Monologues #9: Spa Day

2008-04-07T20:01:00.003-05:00

Limo has a spa day today - got oil changed, new filters a new gasket and a nice car wash with wax and everything! The secret to owning a vintage car is maintence, maintence, maintence...

Hey, come to think of it that is the secret to owning a vintage body too...I wish all I needed was an oil change and a new gasket! Whew! And why was it so easy to spend all that money on a spa day for the LIMO but I think twice about doing it for me?

Hmmm...thinking twice here...yes! I deserve it too!

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #14: BALL TRANSPORT

2008-04-07T19:55:00.003-05:00

Usage #14....To transport things that are too large for a car or a van, but too delicate for a truck.

Now, suppose you have this big bouncy exercise ball that was blown up so much that it cannot fit in your car or van? And you need to move it? You can't rent a U-haul just for one ball! So once again - another great use for a vintage limo.

My kids thoughts on the matter:

"Mom, why do we have a big yellow ball in the back of the LIMO????"

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #13: MOVING VAN

2008-04-07T19:51:00.003-05:00

Usage # 13....to help a friend move boxes. Hey - I know the tradition is to find a friend with a truck to help you move from one abode to another. But the new trend is to ask a friend with a LIMO. Trucks are SOOOOOO yesterday!

Yah, right. Anyway....a friend of mine needed to move about 30 boxes to her new storage closet so we both got some exercise by going up and down three flights, driving the boxes to the new apartment and then going up and down three flights again. But there is just something about doing all that with the LIMO that makes it seem...somehow...fun! Or at least funNY to a lot of people who were watching us :)

Enjoy the pictures....

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #12: ART GALLERY

2008-03-31T19:40:00.005-05:00

A wonderful lady called me from Barnes & Noble this week where my photos were on display for the month of March. She wanted to purchase all the photos! She also asked if I had more. So I brought a selection of more framed photos and we had a wonderful little private meeting/exhibit in the back of the LIMO! It was so much fun!

If anyone else has any ideas to add to my list...just tell me...I may have left some ideas out...I'll make sure I am organized about it later...

OK...only 89 more USES to go!

Blessings & Health,

Kristie

http://www.thedreamangels.com/

The Vintage Limo Monologues #8: On Being Vintage

2008-03-22T16:50:00.003-05:00

As you all know our limo is vintage. It IS NOT OLD (ok, can you tell I'm a bit protective) - it's vintage! I always make sure people know that (wink). I keep it cleaned and waxed and shined and vaccuumed and it looks pretty awesome most of the time. It is in good shape. A few nicks here and there...and some hidden issues. Like the doors started falling off on the inside a week ago. I just need to tighten the screws. They had been taken apart to replace the windows (before I purchased it) so I guess the screws were not put back right. Not a big deal. I will get around to it...but meanwhile...they have been like that for a week and we can't use that one door.

So, Sofi, finally having had enough said to me today, "Mom, no offense but our limo is really vintagey!"

If she had said OLD (which is what she wanted to say) I might have cried :)

I sorta like that word...vintagey!

I think when I "grow up" I'm going to be vintagey too!

Blessings & Health,

Kristie

http://www.thedreamangels.com/

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #11: TO MAKE YOU FAMOUS

2008-03-15T16:59:00.004-05:00

Well, limo has been sitting around for a few weeks. That is why there has been nothing to post here. I could have posted a daily diary...Day ONE: Limo covered in one foot of snow...Day TWO: Limo covered in 1.4 feet of snow....Day THREE: I am thinking I should uncover the Limo and get out of the house...etc....

But I decided to spare you all. So FINALLY the limo is getting out again (and yes, I really did stay at home for three weeks -except for groccery shopping). The snow finally stopped (well, for now) and it has been warm - nearly 45 degrees on some days! WOW!

So we unburied the LIMO and took it to Mr. Carwash and did some shopping. The first time we were out in it Sofi had some things to say about her first ride in three weeks. She said, "Mom, wouldn't it be fun if people thought we were famous because we are riding in a limo and then when we went shopping they gave us things for free?"

I had to burst her bubble on that one. I explained to her that if you were famous it would be more likely that people would overcharge you for things. I gave an example of some famous person eating at a fancy restaurant and paying $15.00 for some french fries or something like that.

She was a bit confused about that. She was just SURE that if you were famous you must get things for free.

But I had to laugh when a few days later I heard her explaining the concept to her friend. Only this time it was "translated" into 9-year-old language...now this is FUNNY!

I took her and a friend to the craft store because I needed some yarn. I knew they would go crazy there without any money so I told them they could each have $2.00 to spend. They were thrilled. They brought their dolls and raced to the door so they could each push the cart with their doll in it. I mentioned to them that there was no limit on how many carts you could have in a shopping trip and that EACH of them could actually have their own shopping cart. They were very happy about that.

So off went the little shoppers with their $2.00 and their dolls being pushed in the carts. Looking at wooded boxes, little beads, glass stones, ribbons, etc...happy as can be. I found the yarn I needed, pried them away from the craft store and we headed back to the limo.

On our way back to the limo the DOLLS had the following conversation. Keep in mind that my kids think the LIMO is an extention of their dress-up box. They don't see it as anything real. Everytime we go out now it has to be some different adventure. We can't just "go to the store" anymore. One day we are famous singers going to buy something, another day we are famous actors or something...so today the DOLLS were the famous ones...

(The dolls are named Abigail and Samantha and the girl's were speaking for them)

Samantha: I am so glad nobody recognized me in there. I am so famous and people are always wanting my autograph.

Abigail: Me too! Only one person asked for my autograph today!

Samantha: And I got a really good deal on some craft supplies too! I paid $50.00 for something that was supposed to be only $2.00!

Abigail: Huh?

Sofi, switching to herself again, re-explains what I told her a few days ago about famous people being overcharged.

Uh...but I think she missunderstood! I never said that famous people enjoyed being overcharged! But aparently Samantha the doll is a different sort of famous person...

I just love kids!

The Vintage Limo Monologues #7: On Being Dangerous

2008-01-27T15:06:00.001-06:00

I went to a birthday party last week and a boy told me there in a secretive whisper "My mom won't let me ride in a limo until I am 13". Sofi invited 10 girls to her birthday party and one cannot come because her mom (told the girl, not me) that riding in a limo is not good for her!

I find it amazing the number of things parents can find to be worried about. The last thing in the world I imagined was that my limo would be one of them. So, now I imagine there is this little clan of women going around whispering about how much damage I am doing to my children by letting them ride in a limo.

Ah! If only I could answer them I would tell them - It is people who think like YOU that were part of the reason I purchased it in the first place. If you scroll down to one of the first entries you can see that one reason I offer free rides is that I think one thing we all don't get enough of in this society is people telling us we are "good enough" or we "deserve something special". When was the last time someone said that to YOU?

Children mostly hear, "That food is not healthy, that game is not healthy, that activity is not good for you, don't be greedy, don't this and don't that." and we grow up thinking it is wrong to ask for anything and that we don't deserve anything. I have struggled with this my entire life. To this day I find it hard to charge people even when I am doing WORK for them!

As adults we rarely hear about how special we are and how we deserve the best. There is a lot of emphasis on serving our kids and our spouses and giving equal time to things and volunteering and the church or school. But there is nobody out there telling us - "take care of yourself and you deserve a treat".

This was of thinking in life has fostered an entire group of people who feel inadequete, are scared to ask for the things they need and are unable to earn enough money because deep down they think they don't deserve that much or they think "rich people are greedy and I don't want to be them".

So what can you learn by riding in a limo as a child? A lot!

1. You deserve the best - no matter what kind of day you had and no matter who you are you can ride in a luxury car and have someone open the door for you.

2. Luxury and Superiority are an illusion. There is a lot of show in life. Someone needs to own a certain car or wear certain clothes. Having a limo as a single mom on a budget is like my own private joke. It is laughing at the stereo types. It is saying "hey - having the right clothes and the right car does not MAKE you who you are. You ARE who you ARE no matter what car you drive or clothes you wear". I am a single mom on a budget who eats granola with plain yoghurt every morning and loves alternative schooling and natural healing. So...see? The limo didn't make me who I am. It is almost a joke that I drive one!

3. When you have something nice like a nice car or nice clothes, or nice house you should SHARE! A lot of nice cars are only driven by one person, a lot of nice houses with 16 rooms are lived in by a couple with one child. So we have a nice limo and we drive all our friends around in it, I volunteer for birthday parties, I offer people rides, I donate rides. I love sharing. If more people who had nice things would share then what a different world it would be! So how about it? Can I come over and watch a show on your BIG SCREEN TV? Or bring my kids over to swim in the backyard pool?

4. It teaches you to be brave enough to do something different for your own reasons. The kids all know the reasons I have the limo (1-3 above and more) and they see that I am not "doing like everyone else". I hope this inspires them in their own lives some day.

5. It teaches you a sense of humor. How silly is this anyway? To go through a car wash or a drive through in a limo? To get dropped off at school in a limo? To park a limo in your driveway??? It brings out an appreciation for the absurd in life!

And much more...but those are it for now. I have work to do!

Blessings & Health,
Kristie
www.thedreamangels.com

The Vintage Limo Monologues #6: Learning Self Care

2008-01-27T14:58:00.001-06:00

You know how they make kids dress in those frilly little tight-shoed outfits to go to Sunday School? There is a reason for that! When you are dressed so nicely there is just someting that happens to you...in your mind you feel less capable of messing around and fidgiting. I used to think "I look silly wearing this pretty dress and playing in the mud or swinging my feet or...whatever".

The same thing happened to me driving the limo. Now, perhaps it is just me. Perhaps it is all those years wearing frilly dresses in church that prepared me for this moment. But however it happened the moment has finally come when I can say that I am cured. Cured from 23 years of not bring able to keep my car washed. Cured of abusing every car I owned!

Because when I had a "car" it seemed to me fine that it was not always washed. And you know the ole "make the bed" theory...why make the bed when you are just going to mess it up again at night???? Well, I always thought the same about my cars. I would wash them when it started to get dark inside because of the build up on the windows!

But there is something about looking at a dirty limo that is just "wrong" somehow. It looks sad, weird, strange, not "right". I can't quite put my finger on it but in my head there is this stereotype of this shiny white limo and when it isn't shiny it just looks like...well, not a car and not a limo. I don't KNOW what!

So we went through the drive-through. Mr. Car wash offers wash with all the bells and whistles and all you have to do is put your car in neutral, roll up the windows and watch the pretty chemical filled soap in various colors rain down on your car. Funny, we were the only limo there today...but everyone else had a dirty car too - so we had at least one thing in common!

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #10: TO MEET MEN

2008-01-08T12:53:00.001-06:00

I can' tell you how many men have come up to me and asked me about the limo and started conversations with me. I actually feel guilty. I am a mom with three kids and I am really not interested in meeting men. But I have a lot of gal friends who might be. Perhaps I should lend them the limo for the day?

Anyway, these are my two most memorable meetings:

1. A month or two ago I was at the gas station. The limo was all washed and I was feeling all happy with it and it was a nice day and I was smiling. A gorgeous young man came up to me and started asking me questions about the car. I was happy to share. I am fascintated with the car myself so it is interesting to learn more about it and what other people know about cars (This is coming from someone who used to identify her last car as "purple"). So I chatted on happily and very flattered that this gorgeous young hunk about half my age would even talk to me. Then, as I was taking out the gas line and getting ready to get back into the car he asked me if I would be interested in hearing about The Church of....

Ah! That explains the suit! And I guess he could smell my "vanity" a mile away. Good method though. I fell for it! Cute guy, flattery...who could resist?

Too bad I had to drive off somewhere on an important errand.

2. Two days ago I was parking my car in the grocery store parking lot and the gentleman who was putting the carts away stopped me. "Yah trying to save money on gas?" He laughed. I laughed back. "Yah right! But I don't drive much actually. I work from home so I drive only a couple times a week." Then he started to talk about the car "You know if you got a new paint job and fixed it up and..."

I had to speak up to defend my baby! Oh, she does not need new paint. She is just dirty from sitting in the snow for a couple weeks. Just needs a new cover or some repair there. And the inside is completely re-done. Ok, I can't believe I am defending a CAR!

He looked at me skeptically and continued his imaginary repairs, "...and then you could be a limo driver!" he finished with flourish.

"I already am," I replied, "I have 3 kids I drive around all the time."

Well at least I've graduated. I used to have a bumper sticker on my car that said "mom's taxi" so now I can say I am "mom's limo". Cool!

The Vintage Limo Monologues #5: Branching Out

2007-12-26T02:30:00.001-06:00

Believe it or not I am very shy. Well, not as much as when I was a kid...I've trained myself to overcome my "shyness instinct"...but sometimes it is hard for me to approach total strangers!

Three days ago I saw an elderly man walking home in the rain so I offered him a limo ride home. It turns out he did not speak English but since I have lived overseas I was able to sign-language him what I meant. At first he did not understand and then pointed to his apartment complex (which was just across the street) but when I explained more what I had been asking he just got the biggest smile on his face! Although it turned out he didn't really need a ride it made me happy knowing that I made him smile and perhaps he feels a bit more welcome in America :)

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #9: DONATION FOR A CHARITY AUCTION

2007-12-18T23:08:00.001-06:00

Another successful charity day for the limo :) I donated a ride to a charity auction and it earned $75.00 for the charity :)

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #8: TO CHEER SOMEONE UP

2007-12-12T09:53:00.001-06:00

My favorite thing about owning a Limo is that I can offer up "random acts of kindness" by giving people rides. It is so unusual and wonderful to get treated like royalty with a ride in a limo but it is too expensive to offer this as a gift to people. I feel blessed I can offer this as a gift for only the price it costs me for gas :) I have been giving a lot of people their FIRST limo rides!

There was a friend of Sofi's who was in the hospital for 2 weeks with pneumonia and ended up having surgery as well. She missed 2 weeks of school. Sofi thought that on her first day back she should get a ride to her school in the Limo. It ended up being her 2nd day back, but it was fun for her sister and her to get picked up and dropped off by a Limo at school that day. "Mom" said they were looking forward to it all weekend.

It is these small acts of kindness that make a difference in my life - I want to bring these to as many people as I can.

The Vintage Limo Monologues #4: Snow Virgin

2007-11-21T21:59:00.002-06:00

Today we had our first snowstorm and for some crazy reason I had this idea that I needed to test the limousine in the snow. Why? I have no idea. What is next? Sky diving?

Anyway, I thought I would share the ratings I gave the car in each category. In some categories there are quantitative numbers. In other categories I am using a rating system of 1-10, ten being the highest rating and 1 being the lowest.

Time taken to scrape snow off 8 windows: 10 minutes
Time taken to scrape them again because by the time you finish they need it done again: 10
Time to decide I don't really need the windows that clean: 1 second
Heater Function: 10
Ability to stop on snow: 9
Nervousness factor that some car will slide into me at the stoplight: 3
Nervousness factor when I see an oil truck marked flammable in front of me: 10
Yards I stop behind the oil truck at the stop light: 100
Time it takes me to make a 5 minute trip to the post office: 20 minutes
Look on my face when I get there and realize I forgot my purse: priceless

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #7: TO HELP A DREAM COME TRUE

2007-11-19T13:10:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Steve had a "dream session" with a young girl and her mother and provided a nice limo ride to go with it. It was the perfect addition to fulfill a young girl's dream. Steve works with a number of people helping them to fulfill their dreams and he believes that it does not matter what the dream is - what matters is that everyone gets a chance to live their dreams. I am often his assistant in these matters and a lot of my work is along these same lines...but Steve makes it a full-time profession.

Steve partnered with a hairdresser friend of his to fix Sara (not her real name) up and take photos of her to help her fulfill her dream to become a model. Sara's mother has battled with cancer for the past ten years, and this has put a time and financial drain on the family so Sara needed some outside help to fulfill her dreams. Sara and her mom enjoyed a day of pampering, modelling and limo rides and enjoyed every minute of it! The limousine was a big surprise for them and it made their day even that more special.

The Vintage Limo Monologues #3: The Costume

2007-11-18T17:15:00.001-06:00

Some people dress-up for their husband or their friend or for weddings or other special functions. I have always enjoyed "dressing up" and playing "dress up" but now I find that I am dressing up for the car. One day last week I found myself unable to leave the house when I realized my reluctance was that I "didn't look good enough" to drive the limousine. Anyone who knows me will get a big laugh out of this.

I am the girl who knitted herself a sweater our of wool and wore that same sweater every day as a coat during college in Chicago. I am the woman who loved living in Saudi Arabia because those black cloaks I had to wear over my clothes were just perfect when I didn't feel like changing out of my pajamas that day...anyway, you get the idea...

So, I found myself feeling self-conscious about going out without being dressed properly. Out came the Norma Kamali coordinated outfits and the cute purses that have been sitting in my closet for five years (I had this idea 5 years ago I might actually venture into using more than one purse but it never worked out. I love my beat up ole leather guy). Out came the matching shoes (that was another idea I had. I've worn black flats for the past 24 years and thought perhaps it was time to change?) and I was ready to go.

Although one day last week I wasn't feeling in such a good mood and I actually embarked on a limo errand wearing only my black cotton stretch pants and a green Mountain T-shirt emblazoned with a big fairy in the middle of a meadow. I rushed the limo down to the post office to get the errand done and I got some interesting looks. I imagine people thinking "Why is there a limo parked at the post office and why does the lady driving it look like a Renaissance Fair reject?"

As I was telling my friend, Kim, the story of my improper attire she said in mock horror "Oh , how could you?!" I told her, "You might be joking with me, but you have no idea how seriously I have been taking this!" I am not sure how things will develop here...but I do have to admit I didn't feel quite right wearing a T-shirt to drive so if you see me walking around town looking like I've been invited to have lunch with the governor then I am probably just driving the limo that day.

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #6: SHOPPING

2007-11-12T08:18:00.001-06:00

The most popular question I get from friends is "How do you PARK that thing?" Well, they say it in a more polite way but that is what I would say. I have to hold myself to keep from laughing when they ask that because I have been "parking impaired" since I was 15 and failed my parallel parking exam. I passed the course only because I promised my instructor I would never parallel park. Clautrophobia, Agoraphopia...parkaphobia...if there was a word for that disease I am sure I have had it for many years. So, actually, owning a LIMO is one big excuse for me never to have to park again. It is a like a dream come true!

"Hey - don't you think we should park closer to the theater? There is one spot there in the street?"

Now, instead of shamefully admiting my parking impairment I can just say with an air of sophistication "Oh, I am sorry, my limousine would never fit in that VERY SMALL parking place."

Now I don't mean to dismiss all those professionals out there whom I am sure can park a limo as if they trained their steering wheel to respond to dog biscuits...I am just saying that I have found the limo a very convenient excuse not to park.

So this is a typical shopping day for me with the limousine:

1. My kids, who have come shopping with me, insist that I drop them at the door. Sofi waits until someone is coming near the car. She won't leave until there is an audience to witness her decent from the limousine. So every shopping trip takes a quarter of an hour more while Sofi waits for her ideal audience. Sunii pretends he doesn't care but he willingly waits with Sofi. Now, the "limo driver" (that's me) gets the fun job of "parking" the car.

2. I drive to the farthest ends of the lot and situate the limo across two parking spaces so far out in the parking lot that I will never have anyone park close to me or even compete for the space. Wow! This is great. I have just eliminated from my life: A. Circling the parking lot looking for a space B. Glaring at someone who just screeched their car in front of me and stole my parking space C. The feeling of defeat you have after circling the lot for 30 minutes, only to park in the next county D. Getting my doors scratched when some other parking impaired person parks so close to me that my cat couldn't fit through the space to open the car door.

3. I hope it is really warm out. I hate walking in the cold. Anyone want to tell me why I purchased a limo in the winter?

4. I walk the two miles from the far lot I have parked in. This is great! I don't have to plan my exercise anymore. I am getting plenty from driving (does that make any sense?)

Other parking situations are a little more complex. Like the time we arrived at PETCO. Really small parking lot. I approach the lot thinking to myself - where in the world am I going to park? How will I turn around? Then I discover that they have an entire empty lot behind the store. So I drive the limo to the curb at the end of the lot in front of the store. Nobody is going to care that I situated the limo near the curb because the place I have stopped in leads to an empty lot that nobody else will use and that I can use to turn around in. Plus, I am a limo, who is going to argue with where I park (he he)?

Then there is the post office - I think every post office is designed for tiny cars to begin with. I had trouble parking even when I owned my tiny Chevy Cavalier. I don't even look for a space. I circle the lot, and stop the limo to the side, a few feet back from the stop sign, with enough space for people to go around me and get out of the lot.

In fact, every store I regularly shop at now has a reserved parking space just for me. It is that space way out in the back lot, that space next to the empty lot out back, the space by the curb, the curb before the exit to the street. For some reason nobody wants these spots at all so every time I arrive my spot is always there.

There is a wonderful sense of reassurance when you leave for your errands in the morning knowing that you have a parking spot waiting for you. Even on Saturday morning when the streets and lots are packed.

Now, I just have to find someone else to drive the limo so I can get dropped off at the door!

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #5: BIRTHDAY GIFTS

2007-10-22T15:22:00.001-05:00

So far we have given free LIMO RIDES to:

Sunii's teacher on her birthday
We took her and three friends to The Cheesecake Factory, shopped around while we were waiting and then took them all home again. Sunii enjoyed wearing the limo driver hat and opening the door for his teacher!

Everyone at Sofi's friend's birthday party
I tried my hardest to finish the LIMO transaction before the weekend because Sofi's best friend was having a birthday party. Part of the party involved driving around looking for clues in a treasure hunt. I offered the limo as a "just for fun" experience. The girls all loved it!

To a friend who invited us to her birthday luncheon
We called her and said "why don't we come and pick you up?" (she didn't know about the LIMO). She said "wow! That is wonderful. My car is in the shop today!" So we went by her house to pick her up and take her to her birthday luncheon at the Art Center. The look on her face was priceless! And the food at the Art Center was amazing as usual!

And....now we are ready for more!

OK! The Blog is ready, I updated the website and I am ready to go! I have to admit that I didn't think I would be ready so quickly but when I get inspired and excited about something I just can't stop myself. I finally caught up with all my packing and shipping so I took a little time today to finish up the BLOG for launching (before I go catch up on correcting tests, knitting and the other work I am behind on...)

So I would like to open (the floodgates?) for FREE LIMO ride nominations. I can only afford the money and time to do one a week for now, but we will see how this all goes and I may be able to offer more in the future. To nominate someone all you need to do is to go to the nomination link at the right and fill in the information. Write me a little bit about WHY this person needs a LIMO ride.

I know I will get many more nominations than I can fill so if you own a limo yourself and would like to participate please contact me. If you would like to make a donation to help me continue this project please use the donation link and if you nominated someone and they do not get a ride "right away" please be patient. I am just starting this idea so things will be slow at first...

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #4: CONFIDENCE BOOSTER AFTER AN ACCIDENT

2007-10-22T11:12:00.002-05:00

Did you ever have the experience of not knowing what you were getting into?

Just the phrase itself brings to mind a lot of scary moments for me. Like the time I decided I was going to live in the "poor district" of Cairo, Egypt to have a more "realistic experience of the city" or the time I decided to drive to Colorado (11 hours) by myself, or the time I decided it would be a good idea to take a photo of a rescricted military area and I was arrested...the list could go on.

But THIS TIME, "not knowing what I was getting into" has turned out to be all good. I didn't really give owning a LIMO a lot of thought. It just started out as an intuitive feeling. The ideas about sharing it with friends, sharing it with others and having fun with it came after my own experiences of driving the limo around for one day. That one day of driving inspired all these ideas. Because when you drive in a limo something happens. And you don't realize it until you are actually in one.

You can see them on the street and sit in one for a bit, but there are a lot of things I never realized until I got behind the wheel of the car. Here is a list of things that happened to me in just one day:

1. At least half the people I passed on bikes, cars or walking stopped to stare and point or smile at the limo. A few people looked impressed. A man in a rennovated Jaguar looked at it with admiration (ok, so I can't take credit for the work, but I get to drive it). All those stares of admiration just made me feel so special! I basked in a feeling of SPECIALNESS.

2. I got a lot of respect on the road. I wanted to merge into the right lane a few times and people actually slowed down to let me in instead of wizzing past me to "get past me before I merged". I went from feeling like this beaten-down taken advantage-of-by-the-bigger cars-driver to this respected driver. What a change! I basked in RESPECT.

3. I realized I had to be a lot more careful when I was driving a limo. No way can you drink coffee or talk on the cell phone (which you shouldn't do anyway, but at least you CAN do it in a smaller car) and you have to consider carefully how you turn, where you are going to park and which streets you want to take so you won't be stuck in a lot of left turns. It takes a lot of concentration and skill to manuver these limos. I felt really proud of myself that I could do this so I basked in a feeling of PRIDE.

4. As I was driving around I realized that nobody was telling me I could not buy this car. Nobody was telling me I shouldn't buy this car. I was a single mom, independant and nobody was running my life anymore. I am my own boss and if I want to own a limo I can and I DID! I felt a sense of FREEDOM for the first time in years.

5. I enjoyed being able to take the 1st grade neighbor girl and her friend on a spontaneous limo ride around the block and being able to offer it to my daughter's best friend for her birthday. Watching the smiles on these girls' faces made me feel a sense of SELF-WORTH. Ok, I admit, I do a lot of service work, so I feel that a lot anyway, but I love the feeling of being able to make people happy :)

6. I enjoyed showing my children the car for the first time and letting them take their friends around in it. One of the many reasons I purchased the car is because, as a mother, I want my kids to have the most fun they can have as children. Sometimes I feel I grew up to fast. Offering my kids the opportunity to ride in a limo for a while was a way I could express my LOVE to them and my feeling that THEY ARE SPECIAL to me. And they do feel that way. (see the story in the next post). I basked in the feeling of MOTHERLY LOVE.

7. As I admired the interior of the car and the outside I realized how many hours and how much work "phil" had put into the car and I felt this warm glow - the kind you get when you purchase a nice art piece from a crafter or artist. You purchase because you enjoy the piece but also because you want to show your admiration and support and honor a person who has put so much love into that art. I felt the same way as I was driving the car around. I felt like I had taken a great piece of art out of hiding and was allowing the artist to shine and the world to enjoy it. I felt HAPPY and JOYFUL.

The feelings and experiences I had when I drove the car that first day were so powerful and positive and that was what inspired me to want to share those feelings. I never realized I would experience all those positive feelings just because I purchased a limo. I was actually feeling a bit depressed for the past month and that all seems to have vanished now. Not because I own a nice car, but because of the feelings it evoked in me. I am sure many things can evoke those feelings - eating Hagen Daaz also evokes positive emotion in me - but in this case it was a surprise that a limo could be such a powerful personal experience.

I certainly didn't know what I was getting into!

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #3: TO UPLIFT YOUR SPIRITS

2007-10-22T10:44:00.002-05:00

One thing I have noticed in this world is that there are a lot of ways we can be made to feel very "small" - perhaps it is when the bank treats us like we are a number, perhaps it is when someone says something cruel to us, or perhaps it is when we just can't earn enough to support our family or provide them with the things we think they need.

In a spiritual sense, feeling small can be a good thing. One can feel the awe of theb universe when they look at the stars and one can feel their one-ness with the earth when they look at the ocean. At such moments we seem to vanish into the wonder of what is the world and everything in it.

But the smallness I am talking about is not that good small-ness. It is that feeling that we don't deserve things, that we are not worthy, or that we are unimportant.

And it may seem shallow, but doesn't riding in a LIMO take that feeling away - if just for a moment?

But in reality, these things that seem shallow really have a lot more depth than we realize. Having children has made me realize that often it is the small things in life that make us happy and not the big things. It is a kiss goodnight and a chapter read before bedtime that makes a child smile for years. It is an ice cream cone and a little hand-knit unicorn that they will treasure memories of until they are old. It is the small things that uplift us.

And I am sure we have all had the experience of having a "bad day" or a "bad week" or even a "bad year" and then one LITTLE thing happens and our life is changed for the better. It is a mystery how this works, but it seems to be an ongoing theme in many people's lives. You often hear people tell the story: "I was so depressed and then this person said something to me and I just woke up out of my depression and started a new life"....or..."I felt I had nothing and then I saw this scene one day and I realized how much I had". These are gifts - little epiphanies that help us move on a reach farther in life.

I want to give those little moments to people as gifts. My plan is to offer the limo once a week (I better start slow because I tend to over-give of my time otherwise and end up overwhelmed) to someone who needs to be uplifted in some way. I want them to have a half hour or an hour to experience what it feels like to be important, respected and special so that they walk away from the experience thinking "I want to feel like this all the time and I deserve to feel like this all the time." I want to pick them up in the limo, open the door for them in my limo drivers outfit (Ok, so it is not only kids who like to play dress-up), and take them to their favorite place in Des Moines. Perhaps they want to take their children out to lunch and pick them up at school. Perhaps they want to take some friends out, perhaps they just want to go to have some tea at a nice cafe. Everything would be my treat. I want this person to feel like they are the most important person in the world - and they are.

We all are. I just don't think people take enough time to tell each other how much they mean to each other. People don't take enough time to see how important they are and sometimes even if they look they don't see it. Everyone has a gift and a reason and a beauty about them and the world would be a much happier place if we all realized that about ourselves.

I realized how important this inner feeling was when I sought help from a friend in running my business ten years ago. "I just can't seem to make any money" I said to her. "I work 24 hours a day and I barely break even". Knowing me very well, she said to me, "Your problem is that you don't think you deserve to be paid. Someone in your life has made you feel unworthy and now you don't think you deserve even to ask for the things that are rightfully yours. If you went to see a naturopath or healer wouldn't you want to pay them?"

"Well...yes"
"Then why don't you feel comfortable charging people for your services?"

That simple statement changed my life - personal and business life. I realized that I was "shorting" myself in a lot of areas of my life because I didn't feel I deserved things. As a mother I didn't think I deserved to take any time for myself. As a wife, I felt I should be serving my husband all the time and he should never have to serve me, as a businesswoman I felt it was hard to ask people for money.

Many people can relate to this, I am sure. How about women who get paid less than men because they are scared to ask for what they are worth? How about the mom who never takes a minute for herself because she thinks she has to be serving her children 24 hours a day? Or the caregiver who is so busy helping an ill person that they forget they are also a person...and the list can go on and on for pages...

Because of my own experiences in life I feel especially close to the experience of abused women and would like to offer them A LOT of limo rides. I know what it feels like to be told you are unimportant and stupid for years on end. Another soft place in my heart goes out to children who are ill or who are feeling down in some way. People at school can be cruel to kids, parents can even be cruel (even the best intentioned ones) and if a child has an illness or financial challenges this often compounds any pain they may be feeling. Children are not given much of a voice in this world sometimes and I would like to recognize that children ARE people way before we treat them like people. I feel so strongly about this because I remember my experience as a child very vividly. I did not have a tragic childhood but I do remember being teased at school, and being treated like I was a fence post by most adults - very few people were able to see my wisdom and abilities at a young age but they were there. I wonder how many children today are also being ignored.

I am going to be out of town most of this week so I will make some calls next week and start my "dream limo service" then. I look forward to sharing an uplifting experuience with as many people as possible...speaking of which...riding in a LIMO is a VERY uplifting experience I have realized...

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #2: TO TREAT YOUR FRIENDS & YOURSELF

2007-10-22T10:25:00.002-05:00

On the way home from the purchase - along with getting used to driving a big car down the road - my imagination was spinning with ideas. I was going to have so much fun with this car. It WAS a new toy, I realized. And, do you know what? I deserve it! I have not purchased myself something JUST FOR ME since...well..let's see...since...gosh I can't remember.

Everytime I get a cent I spend it one something the kids want and I love doing that. Or I put it into my business. Even the house is not "mine" - In all this square footage I can only claim a small corner of the kitchen that I converted into my home office...and we all know how busy a kitchen can get!!!

Sometimes a woman just needs to do something like this for herself. Some women reach that moment and they buy an expensive necklace, or perhaps a nice coat or designer dress or perhaps treat themselves to three days at the spa. Or get their nails done. I just decided to buy a limo without even realizing what an uplifting experience it would be for me. I had not realized before how much I was in need of something that was "mine" in this world.

But ironically enough, this "mine" is not a selfish mine. The importance of it being "mine" was because I have been yearning for a long time to have something physical that I can offer other people. Something physical. As a single mom a lot of people have helped me out over the past few years and it always seems I am borrowing someone's lawnmower, or computer or camera with nothing to give in return but a smile and perhaps some nice home-cooked pumpkin muffins.

Nobody has ever asked for a return on their help and I know that everyone has enjoyed helping - but for me, somoeone who also enjoys giving, I have been wishing I had something I could offer in return. There is something in me that feels happy now that I have something. I can offer free limo rides to the neighbor who has lent us his mower for about 2 years. I can offer my friend (who's computer I am using) limo rides whenever he needs them, and I can offer my other friends rides too.

And that is where the repair fund comes in. Before I owned a LIMO I only used one once - for my eldest daughter's birthday party. Now this may seem an extravant way to take her friends to the movie and back but she was due to go live with her father overseas in four months and I wanted her to have some unforgettable "going away" experiences. When your 12-year-old is leaving the nest a bit early one tends to do crazy things like that.

What was crazier was the price. It cost me $180.00 to have the limo pick the kids up, take them to the theater 15 minutes away and then pick them up again and take them to my house 10 minutes away! And that was the cheapest service I could find in town AND I negotiated a discount because it was a weekday. WOW.

So my idea is to offer limo service to my friends - something that would have been a DREAM for me a year ago when I was looking for one - and in return I can start a little savings fund for any repairs that might need to be done on the car and I can afford to keep it up and continue my volunteer service as well. I would like to be able to offer free rides to the women's shelter 3-5 times a week but I can't afford that on my own right now. So if friends wanted to donate it would be a win-win situation. They get cheap limo service and in return they support the continuation of this project.

Even if I had to wait for round trip services I would not mind because I have A LOT of knitting to do for my business so the time would never be wasted for me. Plus I LOVE driving the LIMO! I could drive for their child's party, they could surprise their wife, husband, sister, mother or friend with a limo ride. They oculd even use it for clients or business.

And all these ideas just keep coming...how about a birthday party for a few kids where I give them all dark glasses and perhaps some feather boas and they have a "celebrity" party in the limo? How about offering to pick up massage clients or other clients in a limo?

But my desire to "share the fun" goes beyond returning favors and cooperating with friends...I also want to bring some joy to people who need some more in their lives...

The Vintage Limo Monologues #2: The Suspense

2007-10-22T10:19:00.002-05:00

Now that the purchase was made, the realization sinks in. I just purchased an 1985 LIMO from a person I don't know and I am holding the title in my hands. Is this car really OK? Is it going to break down in 3 months? Surprisingly this didn't bother me - I was convinced it was OK, but it bothered my friend. The next day he took it to the mechanic to have it checked up on. Thirty minutes later we had the diagnosis -

The issue the seller had told me about was actually BETTER than he had described. Instead of the entire front exaughst needing repaired and replaced it was just one piece of the system. They did it in a half hour and gave the rest of the LIMO a clean bill of health.

The mechanic's two comments were, "Someone has been working on this a lot and there are a lot of new things. It looks great" and "So, someone has a new toy now?"

I called up Phil to tell him the good news. After all - if not for his hard work the past 5 years I wouldn't have this great car. He was happy to hear it and mentioned that he had actually put about "Z" amount of dollars into fixing up the car - about four times as much as I paid for it. Wow. But I sort of figured it was something like that. The car was just too nice.

So now everyone is happy. Friend is happy that I did not buy a limo lemon and I am happy that he can sleep again and that I don't have any more repair bills to look forward to in the near future....speaking of which...I have a great idea...

The Vintage Limo Monologues #1: The Purchase

2007-10-21T08:11:00.001-05:00

Before I purchased the car my friend said to me, "Let's take it to a mechanic and get it looked at". My response was, "You can do that if you want, but it is a waste of time. The man who owned it for the past 5 years knows more about it than any mechanic and I am going to buy it anyway because I have already fallen in love.

He just shrugged his shoulders as most people do when I go into stubborn mode and said "Ok, Iowa has a 3-day return policy on used cars anyway."

It is hard for people who research things before they purchase them to understand the concept of intuitive shopping. You know that feeling you get when you just passed up that great sale on a leather jacket and then for the next four years you wish you would have purchased it? Or that feeling you get after researching the entire housing market and then when you walk into a house you just "feel" like it is yours? What I have done over the years is to focus my awareness of that "feeling" so it is more and more accurate and to gradually let go of the need to reasearch everything. I always tell people "your intuition is more powerful than you give yourself credit for. Use it". And that is why I don't like shopping for major purchases with anyone else along. They distract my focus and they take the "fun" out of it with all these questions - "don't you think you should...."

In any case, this was a typical big purchase for me. The minute I saw the car I knew it was mine. But I do have a little "fail safe" built into my system. I wait. But then I could not sleep all night. I dreamed about it, I woke up at 3 in the morning thinking about it. I finally called the owner at 9am and said "I would like to see your car".

He was from ______, a very friendly place in Iowa and his way of talking immediately put me at ease. "He is someone like me" I sensed at once. And at that moment I made the decision that the best way to deal with this purchase would be to just be honest. I was not going to try to pretend I didn't like the car so I could get a better price. I was just going to be level and honest with the guy. I sensed he would do the same back.

And he did.

He took me for a drive in the car and along the way told me so much informtion about it and was so honest I almost thought he really didn't want to sell it. And perhaps subconsiously he didn't. He told me about all the work he had put into it and the things that didn't work in it. After 15 minutes I knew more about that car than any car I had ever owned. And my decision was still standing. It was my car.

We arrived at the lot where he was keeping it and I knew this was the time to ask about the price. It was advertised at X but on the way over I had in my head to ask him for Y. but then something told me just to ask. So I did. I said "I want this car. How much will you sell it to me for?" He said, "Well, I have not been offered Y yet, but you can have it for Y". I said "Ok, that is what I was thinking. I will come by later and buy it."

Yet another sign of our "Iowa honesty style transaction" - he took my cell phone number and actually believed me! How did he know that he could believe me? Was it the same way I knew I could trust him? How do we know these things in Iowa? Or are we just to trusting and we get lucky sometimes?

Three hours later, after picking up the check from the insurance agency and visiting the bank, I called him back. "I can give you a check today or cash tomorrow. Which do you prefer?" To my great surprise he said "Either is fine". So I headed down to ________ to pick up my LIMO.

We stood in the parking lot together. It was a nice day, a bit chilly, but no rain like there has been lately. He signed over the title and I signed over a check and we said thank you and parted ways.

Read the next post to find out how this all went...

101 Uses for a Vintage LIMO #1: TO RECYCLE THINGS

2007-10-20T18:15:00.002-05:00

If I had not been rear-ended by a careless driver last week I would probably not have a white limo parked outside my front door. It is interesting how we can be heading on direction in life and then, suddenly, life changes drastically and we find ourselves catching up with our own life.

I am still not caught up. I just know that a new era in our lives has opened and I am going to write about it because I think it will be an exciting era. And, as many beginnings are said to, this one also started with a BIG BANG. That is all I heard before I realized my car had been hit, my neck hurt, and my kids were OK, but that my car and I were not.

I was rushed to the emergency room to check my neck and back and came out with the diagnosis "nothing broken. You'll have to endure some pain for a week or two and see what happens". My "Scary Purple Car" didn't fare as well. The diagnosis on my car was "Not worth fixing, the frame is ruined in back. You need to buy a new one. And by the way - you need to do that in two days because we are taking the rental from you on Monday"

I had to say goodbye to my car on Thursday and I cried. It was a good car. I remember the day I purchased it on the lot. It was completely intuitive. I did a web search and found that there was one car lot that had a lot of cars I liked in my price range. I went to the lot, I asked for a purple car, the saleman showed me this 1998 Chevy Cavalier and I fell in love. I purchased it on the spot.

Do you want to drive it first, he said?
No thank you.
Well I can take 500$ off the price.
Thank you that would be nice.
Any questions?
No, can I buy the car now?

And that was it. And in three years it never gave me any trouble. It was a perfect car, handled well and was a reliable friend. And about every two months I would find a lovely bumper sticker for the back of it. And then I found a sticker that said "mom's taxi" for the side of it. I always got a lot of comments on my bumper stickers. One said "Consume Less, Share More". One said "Frodo Failed, Bush has the Ring" and another said "Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History". Surprisingly enough the police never pulled me over at all in three years despite that sticker! They probably figured I wasn't really that seriously a bad girl if I had a purple car. Although I sort of was. The reason we called it "scary purple car" was that if someone on the highway was going too slow and we needed them to move to the slow lane we would stare at them and think really hard "move, move, move" Then when they did we would say "see? They are scared of our little purple car"

So I cried as I said good-bye. I am sorry little purple car. You were good and Good-bye now. I cried all the way home. I didn't even want to look at new cars for a day. Then I realized I had to force myself or I would be walking.

So I went online and looked at all the websites for used cars in Des Moines Iowa. There was www.cars.com and www.auto.com and many many more. I think I looked at 10 sites in all and browsed at least 100 cars on each site. Most of the cars were pictures from dealers around Des Moines. A few were from independant sellers. But all I saw was tan, brown, grey, blue, green. And really common cars. Nothing that measured up to the charm of "scary purple car" at all! Then I saw HER!

A 1985 Lincoln Custom Limo.

It was love at first site. My friend says "my sister did the same thing when she was rear-ended two years ago. She had to buy a new car and she purchased the biggest baddest car she could find". That probably did have something to do with the immediate connection I had with the car...but there was more. Something inside of me said "why not?" I don't drive that much. I don't drive out of town with my car and I mostly just use it for errands so the gas mileage will not be an issue and wouldn't it be fun to be able to ride in a limo every day?

I do lust after one of those alternative fuel cars but I cannnot afford that right now. I do everything I can to be environmental - I have all the right bulbs, I use canvas bags when I shop, etc...etc...but in this case I was going to have to settle for "recycling" instead of alternative fuel.

What? You have not heard of recycling cars as a way to save the environment?

Think of how much money is wasted every year creating the newest models of cars. Think of how many people junk or trade-in their cars that are in perfect running condition simply because they are tired of their car. Think of the people who own more than one car. Think about it. Envision piles of rusty metal. What are we going to do with all that metal? I refuse to be part of that movement. I have always kept my cars as long as I could and purchased used.

This time I have taken it one step farther and purchased a recycled used car. This car was originally going to be tossed aside to pollute the earth when a lovely man named Phil (name changed to protect identity) found it at a car auction and lovingly put thousands of dollars of parts and hundreds of hours of labor into it, bringing it back to life, modern low-pollutant standards and 18mpg. He later fell in love with a Mustang and since you can't be married to more than one car he had to pass the LIMO onto another owner.

I stepped in yesterday to save this car from a life of wasting away in a barn somewhere in Iowa and to save the labor market from making yet one more metal car. I think, in the search for alternative fuels people have forgotten the most obvious solution - fewer cars in the world and fewer cars using energy and materials in their manufacture. One expert in the field (http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Research.html)
has calculated that the production of ONE car uses 1,142 gallons of oil even BEFORE it is driven a mile. And they were not even figuring in the labor that goes into getting the metal for the car to begin with, the transport of materials to the factory and the disposal of the car once it is made and its life has ended.

It is worth linking to the article above. This gentleman asks and answers a lot of questions I have had for a while. Like, what is the use of Soy fuel if you need electricty and gasoline to run the factory? Why are we running after solutions to our energy crisis that REQUIRE energy? Why don't we just use what we have now and look for solutions that are whole solutions? We will never really find a solution to our energy crisis until the factories that produce these solutions are also energy efficient.

I know some people who have probably asked these questions themselves. They purchased a USED RV and had it converted to a veggie fuel car and are driving that around the states. Hmmm...I wonder if you can convert a LIMO to veggie fuel?