If you’re anything like my family, getting folks to and from their various job duties, school functions, and appointments is a constant battle.  I’ll describe my family’s situation below, but I’m sure you may have some hybrid of this situation (or if you have young children – don’t worry – it’s coming).

First, there is the sheer lack of available drivers in my clan.  I have a wife and two daughters (one is eighteen and the other is sixteen).  Now, my wife has vision issues that prevent her from driving, so she has been delegated to the role of “permanent passenger”, but has high hopes for the future of autonomous vehicles.  As a matter of fact, if she had Elon Musk’s email address, I have no doubt she would flood him with messages to “hurry up and get this thing done”.  Until that day comes, though – one potential driver has been crossed off.

Second, there is my oldest daughter.  She got her license this past year – just in time to utilize it for exactly one week before she went off to college for the fall semester.  She’s fully embraced her college experience, meaning she stays on campus every weekend – so a second potential driver is also out.

Lastly, there is my youngest daughter, who at sixteen, is now in the throes of her driver’s education classes – and as such won’t be up for her license until at least February of next year.  Another driver off the list.

That leaves – you guessed it – just me.  I jokingly refer to myself as “Hoke” from the movie “Driving Miss Daisy”.  I’m constantly taking my ladies to and from the Piggly-Wiggly.  When they start arguing in the car, I usually respond with “I’m just tryin’ to take you to da sto’,” which only I seem to find amusing.

I will say that my mother (a saint of a woman) lives just down the street, and has saved my bacon on more than one occasion when life events require me to have people in two places at once.  God bless her and all like her (love ya, Ma).

Then there comes the question of transportation itself.

I’m a pragmatic guy, so when it comes to vehicles, as long as it runs – I really don’t care about the looks of the thing.  What does that translate to?  Well, my two main vehicles for the past fifteen-plus years have been a 1999 Toyota Camry (nicknamed “Stan”) and a 2001 Toyota Sienna mini-van (nicknamed “Wheezy”).  Both “Stan” and “Wheezy” have been faithful servants over the years, but as time marches on, more often than not they have issues that will sideline them for periods of time.  For example, “Wheezy” currently needs a complete brake job and “Stan’s” exhaust can be heard for over a country mile (he is also leaking an unidentified liquid – which I fear is his radiator).

Bearing that in mind, a new player has entered the mix.  We’ve recently acquired a 2012 Nissan Sentra (nicknamed “Mr. Lee”).  These days, “Mr. Lee”, by default, has picked up the heavy lifting of our transportation duties (most notably getting me back and forth to work every day); however, even he is not immune to issues, as he recently failed us during my oldest daughter’s first driving test and locked up – in line – while waiting for the test to begin (it’s a long story).

Unfortunately, at some point I’ll be at a crossroads where I’ll have to “fish or cut bait” with regards to investing in the futures of “Stan” and “Wheezy”, as even my trusted mechanic is starting to doubt keeping them on life support.  With college breaks and summer coming up, I’ll have the luxury of a glut of drivers available and no equipment for them to drive with.

Judging by my insurance rates with two teen drivers added to my policy (wow, that’s an eye opener), I’d better get something out of this deal.

Dear Santa – got anything used, low-to-mid mileage, with a good maintenance record?  Just leave it in my driveway in a few weeks and I’ll take care of the rest.  There’s an extra cookie in it for you.