Tag Archives: cars

From the mouths of babes

Posted on December 3, 2013 by

I get to school early. 6:30am. I leave from the north side of the city and need to travel all the way to Hyde Park, which is quite a trek. The reason for this early rising is that traffic is … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, reading, school | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Burping the car

Posted on September 23, 2012 by

Friday night I took this photo from the front seat of a tow truck which was lifting our car onto the truck’s bed. I had been waiting about an hour for it to arrive, putzing around the car-picking up trash, … Continue reading →

Posted in cars | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Vital Fluids

Posted on July 12, 2012 by

Oil change time again. At least that’s what we went in for. But now a new water pump is called for and the oil pan needs to be resealed. At 185,000 a new water pump is not outrageous. It’s the … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, cars | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

57 miles from home

Posted on March 10, 2012 by

57 miles from home our 2000 Toyota Camry turned 180,000 miles old. A lot of distance traveled. A lot of road covered. Many unanticipated journeys and adventures. A dusty and streaked dashboard. Mileage per gallon not quite what it used to be. But the motor is … Continue reading →

Posted in cars | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Yes, the dogs are loose

Posted on December 29, 2010 by

One evening, years ago, when Jane Byrne was Mayor of Chicago (1979-83), I had parked my car in one of those “almost” legal spots downtown. Because Jane Byrne lived downtown, the police were especially vigilant about monitoring illegal parking. (It … Continue reading →

Posted in cars | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

When is it time to let go of our old car?

Posted on December 24, 2010 by

Our Toyota Camry is 11 years old. It has almost 160,000 miles. Every time we take it in for its oil change, the mechanics find something new to fix: the brakes need replacing, all the bulbs in the dash have … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, family | Tagged , | 6 Comments

A Mother’s Curse

Posted on October 26, 2010 by

My family lived in a working class neighborhood in Ohio, a neighborhood designed for the workers at the Willys Jeep plant. We were the only Jewish family for miles around, and we ended up in the midst of a Catholic … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, cats, family | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

They are all Joyce Thompsons!

Posted on August 24, 2010 by

I was cleaning my studio today and came across this stray piece of paper. Last winter I was on my way to the dentist and a man with a small child was pulling into traffic from a McDonald’s parking lot … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, insurance, truth | Tagged , , | 6 Comments