AAA was invented for people like me....I have locked my keys in my car more times than I can count. My poor dad has made me 'spare' after 'spare' sets. I lock those in the car. I have locked my keys in my car while it was running. I have locked my keys in my car on 3 consecutive days. I have never locked my keys in my car with my children in it, but I'm sure that is in my future. I am not proud, I'm just honest. I'm not really as scatter-brained as this makes me seem, I just try to do/think of too many things at one time.

I tell this story because I just had a really funny encounter with Money Makers man. If you are curious, Money Makers is a towing service that AAA contracts with.....and the name would make me mad if I was paying the fee every time, but I just flash my AAA double shiny deluxe platinum gold card (I made that up) and they say, "thank you Ms Burch, try to be more careful next time." And I laugh, thinking about how I quickly I recouped my AAA membership fee. By the way, I'm pretty sure I'm a few calls away from getting kicked out of the club....but until then, I'm riding the glory train.

So Mr Money Maker had to come today because my battery was dead. And I was all, "I'm so sorry sir, but I let my 3 year old play in the car and he must have left on the lights." He had no sympathy and said my real problem was that I needed a new battery. I told him I thought I had just had a new battery and he said "that is your original batry (the east TN version of battery), but I do think you have new tires." It is a sad state when the tow man knows more about your upkeep than you do.

Anyway, he asked if I ever used the automatic sliding doors without the car 'on'. Ha. HaHa. Seriously? We open those doors about 3212 times a day. You may know, my minivan is my nerve center. My command post. My office. Aside from the obvious, get us from point A to B, we use that thing for all sorts of purposes (e.g., diaper changing station, snack/drink center, jungle gym, etc.). All of which happens in the driveway or parking lots, requires the doors to be open/shut, and almost never involves the engine running.

Mr Money Maker says this "pulls the batry" and will "kill it in 1 year". I have to get in the car and start the engine before using my key to automatically open both side doors, he says. Ha. HaHa. Who does he think he's dealing with? I might as well trade in that bad boy (the minivan, not mr money) for a regular old sedan. The automatic sliding doors are the essence of that automobile. So, I glance over my handy 'new batry pamphlet' and learn that my new batry has 3 year warranty. I do some new math and realize I can keep on "pullin the battry", and get mommy mobile a new battry whenever the need strikes. I love warranties...now if I can just keep track of it.:) Click. Clickclick.