The Rose-Mobile
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
In which Rose becomes the proud owner of a beautiful construction of machinery…
On a last day in August…
Mom and Dad had a 9:20 flight out to Burbank with a layover in Dallas.
OLeif and Rose were carpooling towards the city in order to pick up the Fiat after work. [Though the pin-striping was still on backorder for two weeks.]
And Joe had a 9:30 interview.
On the way to the house, Riverdance was playing. And OLeif had the genius idea of a Will Ferrell Irish clogging film.
Back on the ranch…
“Earnest is changing into his winter coat. It’s turning a dark brown.”
Short-order cook. Egg sandwiches.
Joe was preparing to leave while Snuggles was meowing annoyingly in the basement…
“What. Is wrong with you, Cat? Can’t you just entertain yourself for like two minutes?”
Puck was busy doing chores for his Sun in return for chocolate dollars. Seven total. Two one-dollars. And one five-dollar.
Algebra.
Francis and Puck burning rubber in the driveway.
Carrie solicited Puck’s help in wrapping gifts. Puck was sitting on the red stool with a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios on one knee.
“Here, Sun. You can sit on my other knee.”
“Got a ladies’ man and you didn’t even know it,” Francis teased.
“He doesn’t know it either,” Collette replied. “A few weeks ago at church I was walking in with Puck and this black SUV goes barreling past… ‘Hi, Puck!’ And when they drove by I asked him, ‘Who was that?’ ‘Lulu’, he said, as if he was used to it.”
Lunch was in progress.
“Rackaroni!” Puck declared.
Linnea, however, was initially not so fortunate.
As punishment for having skipped breakfast, she was made to choke down a platter of yogurt mixed with green weed powder. After feeling sick for awhile, she managed to move on with her life.
Joe returned from his interview. Success. He would start in two weeks in a telemarketing position while hopefully building his detailing business on the side.
And Francis fell asleep on the couch.
Into the afternoon…
With tutoring sessions completed, Collette and Carrie-Bri hit up Walgreen’s for two bottles of Vitamin C. Carrie’s hair needed to be stripped. And although the result was very much Anne of Green Gables-esque — green on red — the treatment seemed to be slowly working.
Then for groceries for Joe’s upcoming four-day birthday celebration.
Back at the house…
Someone had been eating ice cream with a slotted spoon.
And Linnea and Puck bicycled around the basement.
As the evening came on…
Phone calls back and forth between the house, Rose, and OLeif, to determine the best way to get the car. Last minute plans as Francis prepared to leave for further training at the YMCA in St. Charles, and Linnea donned the latest fashion from England for youth group that evening: jean shorts over brown leggings with red chucks…
It was then that everyone realized they needed to be leaving, now.
Collette hustled out Puck and a china bowl of nothing better than beef and black beans for another Time Ferriss special, just as Dad called to say that a hold had been put on the credit card because someone had made an $18 charge through Skype out of the United Kingdom…
Fiat dealership.
With three cars and six persons present, they were assured of success.
After some deliberate haggling inside between the girls and the sales associate — there had been enough troubles along the way to merit this craft — the deal was done, printed, and signed. Meanwhile, all the customers and associates were raving over Rose’s car. There was certainly not another one like it in the city with its minty green complexion, 50’s space-age dashboard, and Italian hand-stitched brown and white leather seating. Bravissimo. If ever a car was made for an individual, that car was made for Rose.