Home from Michigan in Eight Phases OR Cars, Vehicles, and Automobiles

Phase One: 8:00 am-William volunteers (?) to take Victor and Dennis on a quick (?) driving tour of downtown Chicago via Interstate 94. Highlights according to V and D: (after much thought- not sure they were awake) seeing the White Sox Stadium and being able to say they saw Chicago. Okay...........

Phase Two: 9:00 am- Cindy, Dick, Christina, James leave Holland after a lovely breakfast at the Windmill restaurant where Sam and James got free military coffee (Memorial Day) and baby Natalie let Grandma spoil her some more.

Phase Three: 11:00 am- both cars meet up in Joliet for lunch (remember the time change before you judge how early we needed to stop for lunch). We try to ignore the incoming clouds, lightening, and rain as we eat our Steak and Shake.

Phase Four: 12:00 pm- Dick's car decides to throw a rod, burn up an engine, crack a head, or something else in "car-speak" that I didn't understand -- in the pouring rain-- RIGHT NEXT TO A REST STOP!!

Phase Five: 1:30 pm- After MUCH discussion and SEVERAL phone calls, and several um...rest..stops, it was decided that Dick would wait for the one AAA tow truck that was working on Memorial Day and would tow him to Davenport. Too bad he only had room for one rider. Really really too bad. Picture (above) four adults sandwiched into the back seat of a Toyota Avalon. James got to drive (his car) and Victor got shotgun (longest legs). All....the....way.....to.....Des Moines. Comments overheard: "This is my favorite part of the trip." (Dennis) "My body is numb from the waist down." (William) "Dennis- are you as close to the door as you can get??" (William) "I'm feeling nauseous- can I please get up off of the floor?" (Christina)

Phase Six: 6:00 pm- Cindy and group arrive in Des Moines. Cindy gets in Christina's car and heads back to Davenport to pick up Dick. Sure wish I had known that she needed brake work done before I got in her car. But hey, at this point we were running low on options and beggars can't be choosers. Simultaneously, James and William take Victor (just shoot me, I hate long rides) and Dennis (I forgot my toothbrush and haven't brushed in 3 days) home and bring back my Honda to Christina's house. William goes home to Ames, James stays in Des Moines in preparation for his month at National Guard training which starts June 1.

Phase Seven: 9:00 pm- Cindy picks up Dick (who has had three hours to look around at a Toyota dealership- not good) in Davenport and heads back to Des Moines.

Phase Eight: 12:oo am- Cindy and Dick arrive in Des Moines, pick up Cindy's Honda and head for home. Yes, we both had to work the next day. Yes, we were very thankful to be home. No, we were not upset because.................Dick had purchased an extended warranty which was about to run out. He was the happiest owner of a broken down vehicle that you will ever see!

Bonus Phase: The next day, when he found out that the Toyota dealer would not honor his non-Toyota warranty, he hooked up to the car trailer, found an extra driver (thanks David), drove back to Davenport, brought home the broken car to our favorite mechanic Rick, and also brought home..................the car he picked out to buy while he was waiting on me!!!