Things are a little crazy over here since we are now down to one car. One car in a five-person household is challenging. One car in a five-person household where we have to get everyone to three jobs and two different schools is frightening. What we spend on gas is probably a day worth of work for me.

After looking at all our options, which really were one, we realized we had to make it work and everyone would have to sacrifice. The plan, Joe takes the car to work. On his lunch break, he picks me and the kids up. We drop off the girls, we drop off Vinnie, Joe drops me off, then he heads back to work with only minutes before his one-hour lunch break is over. Pickups are the same routine.

The girls get to school about ten minutes early (doable)

I get to work one hour early. This sucks because I usually spend my time/breaks in my car. When my coworkers see me all sprawled out in the break room at 8am, eating my breakfast, doing my makeup, perhaps painting my nails, I get the “You’re here early!” Then they are forced to listen to my life story on why I am at work early. (Sorry co-workers!)

Vinnie has it the worst. He ends up at school three hours early. The only other option is him taking the A-line, but the drug addicts kind of put a damper on that. Although there was a funny story where Vinnie witnessed a guy bring a sofa on the bus. I mean I rather a sofa than the meth addicts, and apparently so does Vinnie, which is why he ends up at school three hours early.

Joe does not have it easy either. Instead of spending his lunch break regrouping, he now has to play chauffeur. It’s not easy, but important to note we are so thankful we do have this option, even though it is not ideal.

Our first day of trying this new routine out, I was determined to be positive about it. Look, I am the kind of person who does horribly with any kind of change in my routine. I am a creature of habit, to the point where each week, I will eat the same things for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I knew this new morning routine of ours was going to put my nerves to the test. The only positive I was able to take away from it was, Joe and I would have about twenty minutes alone in the car together to just catch up.

Tuesday morning comes around, I am up and ready to go! I feel good, I am determined to make this work. Again, everyone has to sacrifice, and since I am the Lady of the House, I need to be a good example. Right?

You guys, we did not even make it out of the parking lot before I flipped out, and I know you will not believe me when I say this, but it was not my fault! Hear me out…

My morning routine with the kids I had down to a science. I knew what time we needed to walk out the door. As the girls were picking their food from the trunk (I keep their school lunch snacks in there just for easier access) I would warm up the car. Vinnie would be the last to come down, just in time to miss the bus that picks up the high school kids in front of our apartment.

I mean I will give Joe a pass. I forgot to tell him about the school bus, and he looks at me like I am crazy when his daughters are rummaging through the trunk for their snacks. I am already “off” because I am in the passenger seat and not the driver’s seat, but still determined to be positive. We are all now in the car. Joe put his CD in. “Imagine Dragons” Now look, I like Imagine Dragons just as much as the next person, however, this is not my routine. We listen to talk radio on the early morning drive. I know I have to pick my battles, especially since we are still in the damn parking lot, so I keep quiet.

And then, a stupid purple car illegally parked just ruined everything.

Everyone and their mother are trying to get around this car, this makes Joe mad. “What the hell kind of crap is this?!” (Trust when I say my paraphrasing is better than the original version.)

That’s all it took, my positivity mindset went out the window with my sanity. “Look, you need to calm down, this is not how we start our mornings, we start our mornings with prayer and talk radio and now I am too damn annoyed to even pray!”

About three cars later, we end up passing the purple car that was illegally parked and continue on with our drive to the girl’s school.

“Wait, why are you going this way? I turn at the light and take the back roads!”

Joe looks at me, equally annoyed as I am.

“Well, I did not know! I do not make this drive!”

This was not going well. It is only Day 1 and we cannot even make it out of our apartment complex.

Joe cannot believe how much driving there is in the morning (Dude, welcome to my life) and I cannot believe how horrible his driving is. (He will disagree with that) He seriously tells me “I never knew what a cautious driver you are.”

What I wanted to say is “Yeah call me crazy, stop signs and speed limits mean something to me.” But, I digressed.

The remainder of the drive was spent in silence.

Eventually, Vinnie got to school, I made it to work, as did Joe, but it was not easy.

When Joe and the girls came to pick me up, collectively we came up with a new plan.

• I will now be the one driving in the mornings. I know the routes. I know all the bus stops. I have it all down to a science. I will make the drive while Joe is in the passenger seat eating his lunch.
• Whoever is driving (that would be me!) is in charge of the radio. Thank you, Holy Mother Mary of God.

There ya go! Only two rules. Two very important rules that will most likely save our marriage.

It is not easy times right now over in the Vodka Calling household. We are going through a lot, some things I cannot talk about just yet, although as a disclaimer, it is coming. Look for a post on Tuesday.

I try hard to find humor in things. I do not care how smart, attractive, you may be, but if you can make me laugh, or at least laugh at me or with me, then I am good. We will be okay. And, even though we are down one car, I am thankful.

I am thankful that we have that one car. I am thankful I have a husband who is willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. To the naked eyed we may not have much, but we have the will,  and motivation to move on, to move ahead, and God willing in a very short time from now, I will be posting about a new car that I believe God provided to us.

Hard times suck, but sometimes it is what we need to get through the other side.

Well, hard times and a good radio station.

~Jennifer.