One Hundred Thousand!

Yesterday, January 1st, 2010, was a day for celebration.  A real monument, a landmark in time, an event so special that it required champagne.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, my mommy’s minivan hit 100,000 miles on its odometer.

It was a very big deal, and throughout the preceding week, Daddy had been preparing for the great celebration, purchasing champagne (well, sparkling wine from Spain, but in the US it’s all the same to us), placing glasses in the garage, and threatening anyone who dared drive the minivan that they better not take it over 100,000 miles without him in the car or else.  Mommy even had strict instructions that should the van approach 100,000 while she was on her way to work, she was to pull over to the side of the road, call Daddy and wait for him to come meet her wherever she might be.  Luckily, no such extreme measures were necessary.

On Monday, my sisters and I borrowed the van for our annual trip to the museum.   We kept a close eye on the odometer.  “Thirty-five!”  I yelled out as we drove out of Leon’s parking lot and the van turned 99,985.  On Thursday, Daddy made Mommy take his car to work, because she works too far away.  Daddy only works about 5 miles from home, so he took her van.  And drove it just a little extra.  On Thursday afternoon, when he pulled into the garage, the odometer said 99,999.

All day Friday, the van sat there.  No one dared touch it.

Then came Friday night.  Time for the big event.  All the fun people – Nathy-Boo’s words since he and Alfred elected to stay behind – piled into the mini van.  Daddy driving, Mommy in the passenger seat, Munchkinhead and I in the middle seats and the Belgium in the back.  As Daddy backed the car out onto the street, we all craned our necks to watch the little digital numbers.  Down the street to the corner, up a block, over a block, up a block, over a block, still 99,999.  Around a corner, back towards, around another corner, onto our street.  And then, just as we pulled up in front of the house, ready to turn into the driveway, 100,000!

 

Daddy pulled into the garage as we all cheered loudly.  Then he and Mommy popped the cork on their champagne, poured it into glasses waiting on top of the recycling cart and toasted to the great achievement.  This was the first, and probably will be the only, vehicle they bought brand new and drove to 100,000 miles.

Life certainly is exciting in Wisconsin!