Outnumbered Two to One

Usually when there’s a storm brewing in the Atlantic, my pastime of choice is obsessing about its projected path and monitoring every available weather resource for any up the minute breakthroughs. I’ll do so perched at the edge of my sofa, a TV remote in one hand and a high sugar snack food in the other, unable to function because I’m too busy mulling over the possibility of a stiff wind turning my little house into a pile of rubble.

Today I took a different approach. I cleaned out my minivan.

I figured the best way to start the school year would be with a vacuumed vehicle, something that smelled less like old french fries and more like Febreeze. At our elementary school, the teachers and faculty routinely help students climb into their cars at the pick up line. The last thing I want is for some well meaning educator to get buried beneath a pile of old Happy Meal toys and used napkins, just because she was trying to be helpful.

I believe the last time I cleaned it out was before our trip to Tennessee in March. It wasn’t as bad as I expected. Most of it was clutter - toys, wrappers, empty water bottles and sippy cups. Some of it was grime, some of it was gross. The stuff in our little garbage bag was festering some. I saw a piece of Cookie Crisp that had fossilized. I couldn’t even tell you the last time I bought a box of Cookie Crisp cereal. Every available cupholder was being used as a trash receptacle. And strangely enough none of the kids’ movie discs matched the titles on the boxes.

I took photos and forwarded them to Van Pan, a blog dedicated to minivan funk inspired by my bloggy friend Elizabeth’s Town and Country and penned by her husband. Hopefully they’ll make me a Van Pan Fan.

 Here’s a preview.

I’ll obsess tomorrow. Today I’ve got a crumb-free van.

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