A Little Football Education
Ah, there’s nothing like Super Bowl Sunday. Whether you love the game or hate it, there’s little chance of escaping hearing about it. So in the spirit of providing something for everyone, here’s a little classic Andy Griffth routine.
And for those afraid to attend a Super Bowl party because they don’t know anything about football, why not take a peek at the Today show’s Super Bowl Survival Guide. As a drunken buddy once told me, women can fake a lot of things, but knowledge of football is not on that list.
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Tags: Super Bowl Sunday, Super Bowl Survival Guide
Dodge Challenger
Although my sensible side will likely win out, I still occasionally dream of getting a Dodge Challenger instead of a more practical family vehicle. So in the spirit of “here’s dreaming,” below are a couple shots of the car that really needs to find its way to my garage.
The interesting thing is that the Challenger SE is about $20,000 less than the big boy version. Sure, you settle for a V6 instead of the bigger engine. But I suppose getting the entry level model is an easier way to justify a car that is about as far away from being a “family vehicle” as you can get. The other ouch factor is the horrendous MPG. It is hard to justify buying anything that only gets 17 miles to the gallon these days.
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Tags: Dodge Challenger, Portland Auto Show
Chrysler Town and Country
To eat crow for a moment, I have to admit there was one minivan that impressed me. I’m not a minivan guy, but this vehicle had some great bells and whistles so it made our short list of family cars to consider.
We spent some time playing with the Town and Country’s seats, as they fold down into the floor of the vehicle. When the two front seats are down, it gives a ton of space inside. You can also remove the back row if you need to haul a few items back from Home Depot. When the second row seats are up, there’s available storage space in the floorboards, so the kids have a spot to keep toys or whatever else might keep them occupied during the commute to school.
This particular model had two TV screens and a DVD player. I didn’t think much about the need for these kinds of features as a bachelor. But now that I’m a parent, something like this suddenly becomes a deal breaker when considering a vehicle. The Town and Country’s two sliding doors are motorized, so at the touch of a button you can open or close them. Little details like this can be a lifesaver for a parent on the go.
The only weird thing was that the gear shift was on the dash, next to the steering wheel. It just seemed like an odd placement and I wondered if it would be distracting while driving or make it more difficult to switch gears than if it were in the traditional placement.
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Tags: Chrysler Town and Country, Eating Crow, Portland Auto Show
Dodge Journey 2010
Although I was partial to the Passat Wagon, my wife’s auto show pick was the Dodge Journey. The Journey passed the back seat leg room test, as we could comfortable sit in the second row with the front seats all the way back. There’s plenty of cargo room in the back, has a decent 16/24 MPG, and at $24,000 it was priced at the lower end of the cars we liked.
This car also had one brilliant feature that I couldn’t resist photographing. Just above the glove compartment, there’s a storage space big enough to hold a couple of soda cans. When you run the air conditioning, the cold air cools the cans so you have a cold beverage to drink during those long road trips.
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Tags: 2010 Dodge Journey, Portland Auto Show
Add this one to the bizarre files. Out of Florida (where else), comes this story of a toddler who swallowed a penny. According to the story on MomsLikeMe.com, instead of going to a doctor, the parents spent a week sifting through dirty diapers hoping to find the penny after it came out on the other end. At the end of the week, the parents dropped off the toddler with the grandparents with instructions to dig through the diapers in search of the lucky penny.
Of course, grandpa wouldn’t have any of that and in an ingenious bit of logic, he grabbed the metal detector from the garage. Sure enough, the thing beeped when it was passed over the child’s abdomen. Then after ever dirty diaper, he would use the metal detector to scan the diaper and then the baby again just to verify the penny hadn’t come out yet. And wouldn’t you know it, the grandparents eventually had a winning diaper, which they saved for the parents to dig through. The penny was recovered (hooray for the college fund) and the kid is fine.
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Tags: 101 uses for a metal detector, Creative parenting tricks, How to find a penny in a dirty diaper, The bizarre files
The Big Bang Theory
Would you let your kid shoot a gun? I have mixed feelings about the issue, even though I have plenty of good memories of going to the shooting range with my dad. On one hand, I will never forget the first time I fired my dad’s Colt 45 and my shock at seeing a flame come out of the barrel. On the other hand, the recoil almost launched the gun into my forehead. I’d swear that my shoulder still hurts from the first time I fired a shotgun.
While I may still be on the fence about when and if firearms will ever be part of a bonding moment for me and my son, I did stumble upon this little gem of a video which shows some parents who obviously don’t mind if thier kids have fun with a little black powder. I kept watching until the end, hoping and praying that it was a fake, but sadly I think this is the real deal.
As a side note, did anyone else notice the lack of ear protection when the old man stands there helping the kid fire off a few dozen rounds from the machine gun? He had to be stone deaf not to flinch when that thing was going off. Crazy.
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Tags: Kids and guns
2010 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
One of the cars we liked most at the Portland Auto Show was the Volkswagen Passat Wagon. Although I’ve had my eye on something a little more sporty, I was impressed with the classy look of the car and how many features you get for the money. The one on display was a touch under $30k and for that price it felt like you were getting one of the luxury cars at a big discount.
It had all of the Bluetooth, MP3, navigation, etc. gadgets that I wanted. It seats five. But I also learned from a friend that it comfortably fits three car seats of various sizes in the second row. I sure hope that I don’t have to try that myself, but if the birth control gods frown upon me one day, it is nice to know this car could handle a large family with ease.
And speaking of family cargo – one of the best features was the amount of storage space in the back. We’re spoiled rotten with our SUV and from the looks of the back, I don’t think we’d have to sacrifice any storage space with this car.
One of the most important things for me is the amount of leg room in the second row. I like to move the driver seat pretty far back, which doesn’t leave much room for anyone to sit behind me. I noticed that some cars, like the Mustang, seem to only have a second row for the sake of giving you a place to put your bag and coat. Other cars, like the Passat sedan, gives enough leg room for Mr. pencil legs. The Passat Wagon had a good amount of leg room, which earns it a thumbs up in my book.
It even has built in sun shades for the windows
The window sticker
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Tags: 2010 Volkswagen Passat Wagon, Portland Auto Show
Portland Auto Show
I just wanted to share a few fun photos from our trip to the Portland Auto Show today. I’ll post some more throughout the week, as I looked at quite a few cars in our search for a new family vehicle.
Matthew has a NASCAR moment with his stroller
The Portland Police Department had one of their classic cars on display
Ford trucks have enough cargo space for all of Octomom's kids
The new Ford F350 comes with something called a power stroke. Awesome.
Ford trucks also come with a special playpen feature in the back
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Tags: Ford, Ford Trucks, Portland Auto Show
The Douche Bag
Ever have one of those moments where you just want to punch someone? I’ll tell you, this DB at the Portland Auto Show really made me mad.
I was taking a look at the Chevy Colorado, since the truck is comparable to my S-10, and decided to ask the people behind the desk a few questions about the truck. To caveat all of this, I’ve attended the PDX auto show for several years and have always been impressed with the friendliness and knowledge of all the various floor reps I’ve spoken with. I guess that is why today’s encounter came as such a shock.
I approached the desk where the DB and a woman coworker were standing. I said, “I have a simple question about the Chevy Colorado that I’m hoping you can answer.” The DB then made a joke about his female coworker’s intelligence, saying that as long as it was an easy question then she should be able to handle it. The look of shock on my face must have been obvious, as the poor woman quickly joked, “See what I have to work with?”
I realize the automotive world has been a male dominated space and the powers that be would often relegate women to the role of “booth babe” (where they are picked more for their physical characteristics than product knowledge). But I had really thought this kind of sexism was in the past. It shocked me that the DB behind the counter would have the gall to belittle this woman like that.
After the DB answered my question about the engine size options for the Colorado, he finished up by taking another jab at the intelligence of his female coworker. The poor woman had enough at that point and walked away.
Maybe this is the case of a floor salesman who showed poor judgment in the final hours of a multi-day auto show. Maybe it was just a sad reminder of how out of touch Chevrolet is with today’s auto consumer. Or maybe this was just a douche bag that should never have been put into a role where he speaks with the public. But whatever the reason, this is one of those guys who give men a bad name. I hope he gets hit with a sexual harassment suit in the near future.
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Tags: Chevrolet, Douche Bag Award, Portland Auto Show
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