V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

We’re headed out very soon. I’ll be able to connect from the sandy beaches so you may see a few pictures of umbrella drinks in my hand.

This is the first true vacation we’ve been on since I was pregnant with Ethan (nearly 5 1/2 years ago). We’ve made a few trips to visit the in-laws - which in no way would ever be considered a vacation!

Most of our time off has been spent in hospitals and doctor offices. Last summer I took 6 weeks off to stay home and sit in a recliner while recovering from a big surgery. Sound like fun? Not so much. Every Christmas since the accident I have spent recovering from surgery as well (and will be this year again). A vacation is much needed!

So we’re packing up and headed south. I’m sure the 12 hour car trip down there will provide enough blogging content for a months to come. We’ll be spending a few days in New Orleans and then we’re headed to Florida (Gulf side).

To keep you company I have a few guest posts lined up from a couple of my favorites. I think they will provide you with some variety in their writing styles.

Jail Diet - funky fresh & witty
Grammology - hip wisdom
Velveteen Mind - life of a mom articulate
My Mom - who doesn’t have a blog (but reads mine & many others)

See you soon!

I’m guest hosting over at Cheaper Than Therapy today for Ali.

So if you want to know about the crazy old lady who lives next door and might be a bank robber…you know where to find me.

I spent two days this week in Detroit at the General Motors Milford Proving Grounds meeting bloggers and test driving cars. It’s amazing how this website started in January and has come this far.

One of my side-gigs is writing reviews for Props & Pans, which has been the highlight of my blogging experience. The opportunity has given me a chance to polish my skills and attend events like this (which was paid for entirely by GM).

The Proving Grounds is where all the GM vehicle testing takes place. With over 4,000 acres they’ve recreated everything imaginable and I was able to drive their vehicles through many of the road tests they use.

Part of the event included an advanced driving techniques course in which we were put into situations and challenged to react (quickly). This made me beyond nervous. As most of you are aware I was involved in a serious car accident several years ago. At the time I was driving a small SUV and after it occurred I moved up to a Ford Expedition. Mostly out of fear.

I am not a nervous driver. Oddly enough after the accident I didn’t fear driving. What I did (still do) fear is riding with others. It can be my mom, my husband, a co-worker….anyone. I think mostly because I have no control over what they do. I find myself anticipating their next move and watching the oncoming traffic, making sure I keep them up-to-date on any situations I find. My husband has been very patient with me, but I know it drives him crazy.

So now I find myself volunteering to be the passenger in a vehicle demonstration where the driver is showing us the difference between losing control with StabiliTrak (electronic safety control system) and without it. Trust me when I say having it is a much better option.

Picture being in the backseat when the driver loses control while speeding erratically at 60-70 mph and jerking the steering wheel from side-to-side. All I could think was, “How did I get here?”

The fact I threw up in my mouth and swallowed it says a lot! It was all I could do not to hurl all over the back of that vehicle, but I kept my nerves in check and completed all the courses.

It was probably over a year before I sat in an actual car after the accident because psychologically I could not bring myself to do it. Mostly out of fear that the vehicle was too small. If I barely survived a crash in an SUV I knew my chances in a 4 door sedan were not good. So you can see why I was hesitant to attend an instruction course in which I would be driving a similar size vehicle.

These are the challenges we completed:

*An ABS breaking demo where at 55 mph you’re headed straight towards a row of safety cones. They key is to brake lightly and steer slightly (that rhymes!). For this we were in a Buick Lucerne which may sound like an old person’s car, but it handles quite nicely.

*The SKID MONSTER - sounds like something from a black & white horror movie! This was completed in a Chevy Tahoo which had special rear tires equipped to simulate your vehicle skidding (as if on ice). The instructor controls when the vehicle will begin to skid and your reaction must be to turn into the skid with small movements of the steering wheel. Sounds easy, but my first reaction was to brake and that doesn’t work well. Several times I over-corrected, lost control and spun out. This leaves you with quite the feeling of motion sickness.

*For “evasive” driving we were in a Chevy Impala which accelerated very smoothly. Again you are flooring it in the direction of orange safety cones and the instructor tells you a direction (left or right). You are not allowed to brake, just steer around the cones. This simulates a situation such as driving down the highway and a box falls off of a truck. You learn how to safely avoid the object without slamming on the brakes and causing a rear-end collision.

*I figured the “serpent” course would be the most difficult, mostly because it required backing up in an “S” motion (along a curve of all places!). We did this in a Chevy Silverado truck. The only issue I had was wanting to look behind me instead of using the mirrors.

Overall it was a good experience for me. Not only did I have a great time, learn a lot about the GM vehicles (including one I’d love to purchase) and practice some driving techniques I know will come in handy, but I overcame some of my own obstacles.

You can read about the specific cars I test-drove and what I thought at Props & Pans.