New Car

I did it. I upgraded my car and went fully electric. I had planned to upgrade in the Fall 2026 / Spring of 2027, yet I have been watching the options for the past 6 months. I liked the Kia EV6 since I drove it in 2022, and I like the new Tesla Model Y. Shelley hates driving the Model Y with all the controls on the middle-mounted screen. The EV6 shares many features with a typical gas-powered auto. My Kia Niro, which I bought in November 2018, was approaching 80,000 miles and needed the timing and serpentine belts replaced, along with some other minor maintenance. If I could find a new car at a reasonable price, I would be ready to buy early and use those funds for a purchase rather than a repair. 

While monitoring the EV6 and Tesla markets, I noticed a 0% interest option on Kia EV6 vehicles. Although it’s tempting to save money when buying a new car, this could be an easy way to earn conservative returns on cash. I did the same with my Kia Niro, taking out a 5-year loan that I paid off in 40 months. Since I have no debts, this wasn't an issue. I decided against that option as the prices were still over $40,000. Then I saw a 2023 Kia EV6 lease return with 15,000 miles for $26,998 ($30,292 under original invoice - see below). 

I convinced Shelley to take a test drive. I had thought the color was white, and that was not my favorite option. However, when the salesman drove it around, I fell in love with the color and look. It was off-white, called glacier. Shelley test-drove the vehicle and was pleased with it. 

So I started negotiations. With the trade-in of the Kia Niro, they said I would be able to walk out for under $23,000, including taxes and license fees ($7,500 for the Niro). I told them I needed to think it over and went home to do some research.  I was all over the map, prepared to buy as they offered, to walking from the deal, and my mind just kept spinning. I spend at least 5 hours lamenting. I finally decided to approach the dealership, and if they could get me out the door for closer to $20,000, either by a lower price or a higher trade value, I would do the deal. 

I went to the dealership at 12:30 and started the discussion. Four hours later, I left with the car on my terms! I was pleased. In my opinion, this was a great deal! A significant number of leased EVs are being returned, so it is a buyer's market. I may find a better deal over the next year, but this car's color and amenities are just what I want. In the future, I may not see all the desired features in a single vehicle at a great price. 

Now the search for a charger installation and learning the new vehicle operation. 

Carry on my friends, carry on!

No structure

I dislike disciplining the kids, but it's part of raising them to become adults. It’s harder when Shelley and I have opposite approaches to raising children. Since we both have successful kids, I believe both methods are correct, just like oil and water when adults apply their methods simultaneously on the same child.

On top of that, Shelley has her nighttime routine, so to accommodate her, I need to sleep with less than 2.5 feet of space on the queen bed at Allison’s. I typically have one arm and part of one leg hanging off the side of the bed. This makes sleep VERY difficult, but at least I do not disrupt her very essential sleep process. I also need earplugs because she snores, wear an eye mask because she needs the ceiling fan on high, and double layers because she needs the window open when it's 30 degrees outside. In addition, the CPAP air is frigid, so I need to place a heating element in the bedroom near my body to warm the air and reduce lung irritation.

I woke up at 6:30 AM today to bake cinnamon rolls for the kids. I made a mistake by not reading the directions last night, which said they should be started at room temperature, making the cooking time an hour longer. I had to improvise with the stovetop and microwave. As a result, they ended up too dark. Not burned, but close, and they had way too much cinnamon. They did not go over well! Oh well, Shelley made sure to let me know I failed.

Maeve was a handful this morning. She demanded the iPad Faye had, tried to call her mother to say we weren't nice, and refused to eat. Shelley just let her be on her own, pouting in the laundry room, making noises. I eventually had enough and carried Maeve, kicking and screaming, to the table where we made her sit until it was time for the bus. It was quite a scene! We set breakfast in front of her, but she kept up her bad behavior, and Shelley brushed it off.

Once she settled down, she ate a light breakfast and then headed to the bus as needed. We took Jack to school and arrived exactly at nine, but the process for incoming kids was slow. It wasn't until 9:20 AM that we finally unloaded Jack. I came back and took a quick nap before going to the club to lift weights. I returned and cleaned the patio and the garage before we had to leave to pick up Jack.

We took Jack to Crockett Park Playground again. He met a boy about a year older, Grant, and they played really hard. I was disappointed because I had a great video of them on the slide, but it somehow didn't save. Such a bummer, as it was a really good one.

We reached home by 4:00 PM and went through the post-school routine again. After dinner, we played Right-Left-Center. At 7:00 PM, Shelley took Jack for a bath; Faye watched a movie on the iPad; and Vera and Maeve went into the cold tub (Vera for 12 minutes and Maeve for 6 minutes), then into the hot tub. After 15 minutes in the hot tub, I told them to come out, but they refused. I told them again, but they refused.

Since Shelley disapproved of how I supervise the children, I told her they were in the hot tub and wouldn't get out, and it is her problem. Shelley came into the bedroom, upset with me for going to bed, so I went back outside.

It turned out Maeve and Faye were once again going into the cold tub, and Maeve said, "Grammy said they can." Shelley and I argued again, and I angrily told them they lied to Grammy and to get in the house. They didn’t listen, so I left it to Grammy. Grammy let them continue in the hot tubs, and I just shook my head.

Maeve seems to enjoy pushing buttons, and Vera asserts her independence. I don't know how she behaves when we're not around, but Maeve is not a pleasant child. She's very manipulative and becomes angry when boundaries are established, which makes things much more difficult. 

What makes it more complicated is that the widening child-rearing gap between Shelley and me is growing. I am reaching the point of reevaluating my future with Shelley. When we're around the children, we argue more than ever because she hates how I do things and often criticizes me. In fact, that was happening at home, too. I clean the kitchen, and then she comes and does it again. I vacuum, and she points out where I missed a crumb. I put things in the pantry and fridge in a way that makes sense to me, and she tells me I am wrong. This whole situation has me reevaluating my involvement with Shelley and the grandkids, as she lets them run all over her, and I keep trying to set boundaries. Shelley is doing more to bring me down, to make herself feel better.

I need to reconsider future trips involving kids if I stay in this relationship. It was 9:45 PM before I finally went to bed without a word to Shelley. 

Carry on my friends, Carry on!

Short trip to Babysit

This trip started early! We had a 6:35 AM flight to Nashville, where we will watch four of Shelley’s grandchildren while the parents relax in Cabo. They were supposed to leave yesterday, and his mother watched the children until we arrived today. Shelley’s daughter and her husband received a message that their Saturday 6 AM flight was delayed by 90 minutes. Yet when they arrived at the airport, they were told the flight wasn't delayed and that they had missed it! I saw the text message that it was late, and this was a terrible situation caused by a Southwest Airlines flight. They managed to get on a flight this morning, so they'll be a day late!

I was nervous about sleeping too late and missing the flight. So, when I woke up at 3:00 AM, I stayed awake. Shelley was up by 4:15 AM since my sister was picking us up at 5:00 AM. The trip to the airport was smooth, but once we arrived, I was shocked to see that departures were backed up a quarter mile. I have never seen departures this busy in decades. I assume the final holiday rush caused it, and most people were heading home on Sunday.

We were fortunate that I had upgraded us to first class as a Christmas gift to Shelley. This let us take a short line to check her bag and reach the gate 30 minutes early. If she had to wait in the regular line, it would have been close.

The flight was full. When I boarded, I noticed that about 75 percent of the passengers were Montana State fans heading to Nashville for the FCS National Championship. I wanted to attend that game, but No. 1 seed North Dakota State lost its first-round game to Illinois State, which is in the Championship. I really hope Montana State wins because their coach is a great person, and it would be well-deserved. In the last two championships, 12021 and 2024, North Dakota State beat them in the final game. The only other time they won was in 1984.

We landed just after 9:00 AM, and everything went smoothly. Shelley ordered an Uber. There’s no mass transit to Brentwood, so for $85, it was our only option. Crazy the cost for the 13-mile, 25-minute trip, but there’s no other option.

When we arrived, the children and Grandma Sue were playing left, right, and center. This is a dice game they love! That was followed by Bingo, which took us to lunch. After lunch, Shelley took Maeve to basketball, and I played outside with Vera, Faye, and Jack. When Shelley returned, I cleaned the kitchen. At 3:15 PM, we headed to the Factory for donuts and ice cream. Faye and Jack said they wanted donuts, while the rest stood in the long line for ice cream. Since there was no ice cream flavor I liked, I also had a donut. Unfortunately, we finished the donuts before Shelley ordered ice cream, and she gave in when Faye and Jack said they wanted it, too. To fix the situation, Maeve and Vera each got a bag of their favorite chips from Daddy’s Dogs, and Jack and Faye needed to share one.

That didn't go over well. Jack threw a tantrum and created a scene because he wanted his own chips. I picked him up and told him he couldn't get his way by crying. After I threw him over my shoulder, they held him up by the ankle behind me, and he seemed to forget about the chips.

We arrived home at 4:45 PM. Shelley stayed to make dinner with Jack, Maeve, and Faye while I took Vera to basketball practice. Once practice was over, Shelley got the four kids to bed while I cleaned up the kitchen. We were both so tired as it was, and with an early start, we were happy to relax at 9:30 PM.  We both need a great night's sleep.

Carry on my friends, carry on!