Battling the "Burban"

One of the things I love about this big 'ol family I've got is our mode of transportation. Those who know me best are aware that fancy cars don't do a thing for me, I don't want anything new or fancy...mainly because things like Sharpie marker on the paint and a tick-tac-toe in some other permanent ink on the backseat would send me into orbit if we were still paying for a nice new ride. Instead, I clean it out once in a while and let the french fries petrify in the meantime. We have a 1999 GMC Suburban and it suits me fine. Even the way we came about purchasing the "Burban" as one of my kids dubbed it, was an example of the village stepping up and helping out. When we got the kids we had a smaller SUV which worked for a family of four. Both our girls were married and out of town. We actually added five children at once and we didn't all fit anymore. If you are at all familiar with the typical American family or vehicle you know that a family of NINE only fits in...a church bus, one of the newer Excursions or a Suburban. We started looking around. Michael talked to a friend of ours at church who just happened to be getting ready to sell a Surburban but it only seated eight. Turns out there's an extra seat that can be installed in the front to make it a nine passenger "bus". Our friend sold us his Suburban (at a more than fair price) and bought the seat for us, thanks Mark. Michael had it installed and we were on the road! I love this big old land barge...but yesterday I wanted to kick it's tires maybe just a little too hard.
We were going to Columbus to see our boys' end of theatre camp presentation. They were to get started at 1:00cst and it was already 12:15. We were strapping in child seats and getting everyone situated when I realized the left passenger door wouldn't close. Someone (who will remain unnamed but had black grease all over her chubby little fingers) flipped a little metal thingy in the door that locks it. Trouble is with these old doors when you do this the door is met by the little bar that would otherwise be grabbed by the metal thingy with a thud, then it bounces off. I had experienced this situation before school one morning....somebody didn't want to be on time that day either. I remember struggling and sweating to get it "unlocked" but not like today...this day it was taking much longer to figure out how to coax the metal thingy to drop back down to it's unlock position....did I mention it was 92 degrees? and I was parked in the noonday sun? It took me, Hannah, Madeline and our neighbor Lisa ten minutes ( at least) to poke and pull and hunt down a screwdriver, a pair of plyers and a garden spade (don't ask). We finally got it fixed and I told the little culprit not to ever touch the door of the car again!! I'm sure she had visions of sitting there in her seat for the rest of her natural life. We were really late to the presentation...but we did make it. One more battle with the good dependable old Burban. I hope it makes it a few more years...I'm gonna have one particular little lady with grease on her fingers drive it to school!