It is pretty much a daily conversation at our house. You say to me, “Daddy, when I’m older, I can drink coffee too.”
During the month and a half I was home from my job on furlough, which ended last week, you watched me everyday in the morning and afternoon, as I made myself instant black coffee.
Not to mention, you and brother join Mommy and me at whatever coffee shop we end up on the weekends.
I see Starbacks Frappucinos in your future. We just now let your brother start drinking the non-coffee flavors, and he’s 9 and a half.
You still have several more years, it sounds like.
As Mommy was setting up everyone’s plates for the special strawberry shortcake she surprised us with over the weekend, the only thing you were interested in was the can of whipped cream.
You asked Mommy, “Can you just spray the whipped cream right in my mouth?”
To my surprise, she did.
You were very pleased.
The funny thing is, I’m not convinced you actually ate the actual dessert.
Where as your sister copied you, to get the “direct deposit” whipped cream, she definitely ate the strawberry cake too.
I thought the concept of a drive-thru window was lazy, but this takes it to a whole different level!
You turned 9 and a half this week, during the time which was supposed to be your last week of 3rd grade.
It was sad yesterday as I drove to your school to pick up all your belongings from your teachers. The closest thing to closure you had for finishing 3rd grade was some Zoom calls with your class.
The tragedy is that, as I predicted last fall, 3rd grade would be your favorite by far. It is unfortunate it had to be cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But we still have each other and we still have our health. And we continue to still make life fun!
It is true that I am of a dying breed. Not only am I of the minority of drivers who can drive a manual transmission, but I am of the shrinking group of people who actually still owns a stick shift vehicle and drives it it as my main vehicle everyday.
In 2020, only 1 out of 8 new vehicles on the car lot even have the option to be sold with a manual transmission. Not only are vehicles with automatic transmissions more efficient on fuel, but they are also less expensive. It used to be the other way around!
It only makes sense that for the few of us who can still drive a manual, and who still do so daily, we are a unique group of people. We actually like the fact it’s not easy, even if it’s all muscle memory to us at this point.
I drive a 2010 Jeep Wrangler, which I have now owned for a year. One of the reasons I was able to snatch it up was because I didn’t flinch when I saw that it had a manual transmission.
Granted, I had never owned a vehicle with a stick shift before, but I had driven my dad’s old 1988 Ford Ranger during college a bit; while making money mowing lawns- as well as driving it when my own car was having issues.
A year into driving a manual transmission every day, it feels wrong when I do drive my wife’s car, with its automatic transmission. I always instinctively press my left foot down on the floor when I start the car.
So it only makes sense that with my $150 Amazon shopping spree for my recent 39th birthday, I chose this 6 Speed Manual Transmission T-shirt.
If you would like to order one like it, just click this link.
I also ordered the same thing for the spare tire cover on my Jeep. I will do another blog post and video on that once it arrives!
Family Friendly Daddy Blog 