Oh boy! It's not every day that history is made right outside your combination laundry room/office window. Or mine either! That's why I was so excited to find this monumental event reported on YouTube, because I don't think I could have done it justice without video support. Many thanks to Lorie Seadale, The Orleans County Fair, The Guinness Book of World Records, Steve Glazier, CNN, zaqura1001, Doug Leland and all the nice Cadillac people who made it happen by joining the parade! And let's not forget all the folks in the enthusiastic crowd, standing by in the hot sun with plenty of appreciation and cheery waves.
Why hold such a big event in little Barton, VT? You will probably not be surprised to learn that it's not because Mother lives here, but because Henry Leland, the creator of Cadillac did. Here's Mr. Leland himself, portrayed by one of his younger relatives, to explain...
Too bad Springsteen didn't show up, but it was a great day for Cadillac and Barton anyway! Hurray!!
And just for this one special ceremonial occasion, Mother won't fuss about seat belts.
I know, I know, I promised you more laughs in 2011. And where are they? Good question!
How did I know that Keith Olbermann, my ace driving humor resource was going to quit MSNBC? Sure, many of you may think of him as a crazy smarty-pants liberal nut,
but I remember good old Countdown with Keith Olbermann fondly as a rich and generous source of silly driving
videos. So naturally I was thrilled to learn that he was returning to TV in June, and delighted to see that the goofy video segment of the program returned with him, although I am a tiny bit disappointed that Current TV doesn't have MSNBC's fancy and flexible embed code that made it possible to cut out just the best parts to share with you, which means that we're stuck watching the whole segment on YouTube instead. On the bright side though, Keith always begins with an interesting trivia treat. Would you like to see an example? Here you go...
Lest you think I totally gave up on laughter while Keith was away, I'll also include a few samples of alternatives that I found and left open in my tabs all summer but until now was too lazy to post. Sorry!
Here's an amusing cartoon that most of us can relate to in one way or another, courtesy of my friend Marcia and the fine monthly humor newspaper Funny Times (always good for a laugh!)...
Another Funny Times contribution to auto hilarity comes from Dave Barry, and it's easier to read from his blog, so let's go there next...
Yes, I know it's ancient, but it's still funny, isn't it? And more or less just as true as it was in 2004? Well then, if Funny Times can make us laugh by going back in time, Mother can too! And is grateful for the excuse to do it! Thank you Funny Times and Dave Barry! And Marcia!
I'm going to go close those tabs now. You all have a nice day :-)
And thanks for stopping by.
Mother's belated (but shouldn't be) Back to School safety message
And why shouldn't it? Because school ought not to start before Labor Day. That's why. Any questions? Good, let's move on, beginning with the classics, like behaving prudently around school buses and in school zones and watching out for the kiddos wherever they are. Do NOT hit them! Ever!! If you could use a refresher, check out this list of Back to School Safety tips that was kindly published by the nice folks at AARP.
Are you wondering what back to school safety message would be complete without harping at least a little about NOT texting while driving? NOT this one! And since some other nice folks at BMW have kindly published a charming little video that makes the point much more beautifully than Mother ever could on her limited budget, she will gratefully take advantage of their generosity instead of making her own. Thanks, BMW!
For a nice change of pace, we're picking on the parents here instead of the teens, so as to be crystal clear that NOBODY of any age should be texting while driving. Period. Got it?
Let's finish up with a little driving-to-school safety quiz from Riders on the Road, shall we? Are you ready?
Here's an exercise in practical arrangement of your driving activities. See if you can find the flaw in the following morning routine:
1)Buckle the kids into their seats securely
2)Start the minivan
3)Pull out in front of a nice lady in a red Subaru
4)Wander along in slow motion, crossing the double yellow lines to and fro every now and then
5)Wake up
6)Turn into the elementary school parking lot
7)Deliver the little tykes safely to school
What's out of place here? Right! I'd move step 5 up to first place, wouldn't you? That could eliminate steps 3 and 4 altogether and vastly increase the odds that 7 will be accomplished successfully. Good work!
Because there's always one more thing to nag you about, and this time it's drowsy driving. Seriously, you know I hate to pester you but it's my job, so I must. Would you like to hear it form the experts instead? Here you go ...
Now let's get some sleep! Nitey nite! And please, have a happy healthy and safe school year!
