2/41/200,000

These are some numbers that are important to me lately…

2

The number of diapers we are now down to, per day. I had all these grandiose plans about having Roz potty-trained by the time she was two. I was potty trained early, and as the months went on I got more & more tired of washing diapers. But, it just wasn't happening that early with Roz, for whatever reason. We read lots about potty training, from the stoner ("it'll happen in its own time") to the feral ("let 'em run around naked and encourage them to pee outside"). One thing that really resonated with us was a concept that linked potty training with emotions. To wit: kids can't really control their waste until they learn about their own emotional state. And, lo & behold, as Roz sort of "came online" with her emotions (and her ability to label them), potty training took off. We had one accident on Tuesday, but that was the first in…oh, must be weeks & weeks. She's in underpants full-time now, even at school, except for naptime and nighttime. And even then, the nap diaper is usually dry, and even a few of the overnight ones have been as well recently. YESSS!!!!

41

The amount, in cents, that Mom & I found with the metal detector at our local park. This goes back to the treasure-hunting post of several weeks ago, but since that time I saw a guy in the park running HIS detector, and of course we treasure-hunters have a secret "code" that lets us recognize one another, so we chatted for awhile and then I wished him luck while Roz & I went to get dizzy on the tornado slide. He came over after awhile to show me a Buffalo nickel he'd scrounged out of the dirt. Dateless, to be sure, but still: that's not a bad find at a meager 2" under the dirt. So, Mom & I went around for a couple of hours last weekend. We found 37¢ worth of "new" change, 4 wheat cents, and a bullet. ("A bullet?!? *bam!* A bullet?!? *bam!* It's the part that gets me the hottest!" --thanks, Frank.) The wheaties were a mix of dates: '24 being the oldest, then a '37-D, and then a couple from the fifties. Still: fun.

200,000

The amount, in miles, registered on my car's odometer when I pulled into the garage on Tuesday. I drive a 2003 Vibe, and it's the shit. I get regular oil changes, tire rotations, and radiator flushes (this, after rotting out the radiator on my Tracker). I pay $500 every so often for the 30,000 mile service (but not every 30k, that's for sure!), and I fix what needs fixing. That means I've replaced the brakes several times, ditto tires, and also the front & rear bearings on the driver's side. That's it. It's been paid for since 2006, and while I probably won't go ANOTHER 200,000 miles…I'll go until the car falls apart.