Toyota Recall and Parental Negotiation

First, Drake is doing well. I need to weigh him today, but based on his Wednesday evening weigh-in, I'm not going to be shocked when he has gained 2+ pounds in the last 14 days. If not, he will be close.

As most of you have certainly heard reported in the news this week, Toyota has had to recall several million vehicles because they have a tendency to accelerate uncontrollably. At first they thought it was the floor mats. Then it was the gas pedals. I think (and I haven't checked on it this morning) they're ultimately going to determine it's an electrical/computer issue.

What struck me as odd was how long it took for word to come out about what to do if you found your Camry going Speed Racer on you all on its own. (I'm making light of this, but do understand that a lot of people have been injured/killed in these accidents) We just need to remember what Harry Hogue taught us:

Cole: "The accelerator is stuck!"

Harry: "It's over Cole. Push the clutch in let it blow." (I think there was an expletive in there, edited for your edification)

Now, Cole didn't push the clutch in. They were at Daytona and running wide open for several laps was possible. He got spun out, which fixed the accelerator, but jacked up the transmission. The rest is film-making history (MD: Don't hate just because Bruckheimer was involved). This is all beside the point, watch the movie.

My point is this, if you car (and I had this conversation with Britt in a serious tone the other night) accelerates on its own you put it in neutral. The engine may rev like crazy, it may blow itself up (though most cars have cut-offs to protect themselves), but it'll stop accelerating and you can use the brakes to stop.

Seriously, if you're driving a Toyota and it takes off on you, keep you wits about you, put it in neutral and pull off the road using the brakes to control your speed. If the engine blows I'm guessing Toyota will stand behind it, that'll be way cheaper than having you added to the enormous class-action lawsuit they're getting ready to face.

Unrelated to this Days of Thunder life lesson, my wife informed me that Drake isn't allowed to watch that movie until he is much, much older.

I replied, maybe the edited TNT/TBS version?

She agreed if we would skip the side-of-the-road-cop-scene and the bedroom scene.

I replied, those scenes are dumb.

That's what I call complete success - all racing, no love scenes.

Fatherhood: Weeks 2-4

Every couple of days or so we have a really good day - eat well, sleep well, fuss very little, etc. - and I start to think that we've really turned a corner on this parenting a newborn thing.

Inevitably the next day is a difficult one and I am brought back to the reality that I still have no idea what I'm doing.

In the last couple of weeks, Drake has been to the doctor twice, the ER once, and is headed back to the doctor on Wednesday of next week. Suffice it to say we're trying to get some formula, fussiness, and spit-up issues resolved. At this point we're on the hypo-allergenic formula (read: expensive) plus rice cereal and 2 medications. Through it all he is a sweet baby that really only fusses and cries when he is hurting - or if we let him get too hungry. I am told that Grant Wistrom had similar issues as a baby, was put on hypoallergenic formula (or something similar) and his mom is convinced that is what caused him to grow so fast (got that second hand from someone who knows his mom).

A couple of times the Draker and I have gotten to eat breakfast together. Well, really that means he gets fed and then I eat while he tries to fall asleep. This morning I actually held him while I ate and he dozed. He couldn't have cared less, but because that's my favorite time of the day I thought it was awesome.

Britt has been reading to him from a children's Bible we were given. When he eats with me we just go with the NIV Study Bible. He seems to really like Ezekiel.

I learned an important lesson this week. Being helpful to Brittany requires a sense of timing and precise adherence to the established norms and procedures of the household. Services rendered that deviate from said SOP shall be declared null and void. Actually, it's almost like it becomes the inverse of service rendered - not only not making any deposits in the marriage bank it actually debits the account like an ETF loan shark. But helping her is worth it - as soon as I figure out how to. Luzadder, stop laughing. :) I know you're enjoying this.

We feel pretty accomplished when it comes to bathing the little guy. He doesn't hate it, but seems confused as to why he is being placed naked in a large body of water. He nearly got his first swimming lesson last night when he nearly wriggled away from me.

I got seven and a half hours of sleep last night - not in one shot mind you. But the cumulative effect was great.