Off-Road Reality

Off-Roading ... in the RZRs and side-by-sides. Rock crawling. Getting into some sticky spots! Back in December when Gray and Jon hit St. George for some fun, then ended up being featured on a YouTuber's channel: Matt's Off-Road Recovery. When you break down out in the red rocks and sand, you are stuck! You can see the "rescue" HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vta1JRLAgY&t=2s). There are two stories, Jon's rig is the first one. 

Grayson got a NEW toy in February ... he and some buddies took it out on it's maiden voyage on March 3. It would be its only time out. It was insured, although payment didn't cover the full cost of the machine.

From this (above) ... to this (below)

Luckily everyone was okay for the most part. Grayson got a cut on his head and bunged up his shoulder. It was just a fluke accident. They weren't even going very fast, just hit a slick spot, slid, and when the machine hit a spot with some traction, it grabbed and momentum took it over onto its side. There was even a little video going (during, and after. See it HERE).  They had a bit of a cold walk back to the truck, and they were able to get the  machine back up and onto the trailer. Grayson had hoped it might be repairable ... but it was totaled. 

Gray and Jon were back to the red rocks just a few weeks later ...

March 22, 2024

... and oops!

Boys and their toys!

It's been a rough year for the RZRs ... and it's not over yet!

Tundra Truck ... Totaled

 

It was Thanksgiving. We'd had a nice meal, and while most of us were getting ready to sleep off the turkey dinner, Keaton was heading to the Nike store, for a pre-Black-Friday shift. It's not even a mile away ... and he didn't make it there without incident. There was an accident.

He was going straight, when a gal in the opposite left-hand turn lane turned in front of him. Keaton swerved, but was still hit on the front/right side, and the momentum pushed him into a truck that was sitting, waiting to turn right on the cross street. No one was seriously injured, but all three vehicles were definitely damaged. The other two needed to be towed. Grayson went to help out, and let Keaton take the Durango on to Nike, and he was able to drive the truck the short distance home. 

Of course, the gal's insurance didn't step up immediately, wanting to wait for a police report, which was taking a long while. Weeks! The insurance finally agreed to accept responsibility and arranged for a rental car for us (Keaton and I had been sharing, with me driving him to/from work when I needed the car myself) and we got the truck in for repair.

While the body shop dismantled the truck, they found additional damage, which sent the claim back to the insurance to get approval to move forward, or a decision that it was totaled. We weren't even sure which we wanted to happen. On the one hand, we were sure that pre-accident, we would have been able to sell the truck for more than any insurance payout would be. Gray had put quite a few upgrades in. We weren't sure how the extensive repair would affect the value. A check might just be easier and a more fuel-efficient car would be better for Keaton. The insurance company did come back with the decision that it was totaled, and even though the payment was less than what we'd hoped, we didn't have much recourse. It was a  month after the accident, it was time to move on.

 

Keaton went to the yard to clean out the truck ... and to say goodbye.

Then it was time for Keaton to go car shopping. That was a stressful and unpleasant experience for him. He just wanted it DONE, but wasn't really finding something he wanted. Car shopping isn't something he enjoys. Uncle Scott gave him the advice to take his time and test drive quite a few before making any decision ... and that went for car shopping AND marriage. He was able to get pre-approved for a loan without any issues, so that was good.  Keaton had pretty much decided on a car, just to have it sell before he made his offer. So back to square one, looking at ads, going on test drives. 

When he found a car/price that was acceptable, he was ready to be done, and plans were made to finalize the paperwork ... just to hit a snag there. It took hours, back and forth between the banks (Grayson was involved by this time), phone calls, but finally, January 28, 2020, Keaton was the proud owner of a little Toyota Corolla.  Unfortunately, the struggles didn't wrap up there. The title never got transferred to our bank, so after weeks of waiting we had to put in for a replacement title. Keaton's temporary registration expired the end of March ... right as Covid came in and shut down the DMV. I think it was the end of April before he was able to finalize the paperwork, get his stickers and be completely legal and DONE. 

Welcome to the driveway Keaton's Corolla. Welcome to adulthood and car payments Keaton (he had been giving us a payment on the truck each month, but financing this all himself it's a bit more). 

... this setup would only last a few months. Callahan was getting married and would be taking the work van and his Charger, and then Grayson switched out the Sequoia for ... a truck. We are the Blackham family. With Gray and the boys and their toys, we probably do need a truck. I haven't been completely consistent keeping up with the comings and goings of cars, but watch for a post in the future for more information on that. 

Car Catch-Up 2016

In previous "car" posts I'd mentioned Gray's (then Landon's, then Callahan's) truck, the Avalanche, and the issues it had. It wouldn't pass emissions testing. In 2014, we managed to get the registration renewed on an exemption for a year ... and before we knew it, registration rolled around again and we were in the same boat. Pay for repairs? Buy a different car for Cal to use? What Grayson ended up doing was buying a nice new family car, and having Callahan drive the Suburban, which had been "my" car for several years.

Introducing ... the Dodge Durango. 

August of 2015.

Now, if you'd have asked me (Gray doesn't really ask me) I would have said I didn't need all the bells and whistles. I don't care. I just want a car that goes when I need it to go. Reliability. But this baby HAS all the bells and whistles ... and I like them. The rearview camera? LOVE it. The keyless ignition? LOVE IT.  The heated steering wheel makes winter so much more bearable. Stereo inputs with iphone attachments make music and audiobooks easily enjoyable. Auto start and the easy open back gate ... it's all great. So now I'm spoiled.  If I ever had to go back to driving the big ol burb (the Durango was also a bit more compact, while still seating six) it felt so old and clunky!

Callahan was the one driving the suburban now. That was his car for his Junior year. He'd often pack it full of friends and drive them around. As school ended, Gray brought up the idea of a new car for Callahan. One that he'd be at least partially paying for himself. Cal wasn't that picky, I think it was more a Grayson idea to look at Mustangs and Chargers. 

 Cal's new car ...

 Meanwhile ... Keaton got his learners permit.

... and then his license. 

Keaton didn't really drive much his sophomore year. Callahan was a senior and was driving him to school. I'd have to pick him up occasionally when Cal's schedule had a conflict. Unfortunately, Keaton was carless for quite a while, as Grayson had said "bye bye burb" and sold it. But with 2017, Landon would be coming home and needing a car, and Callahan would be graduating, so Keaton would need something when school started (if not before, he got a job, at KFC, which is close, but still a struggle if he needed to borrow a car or get dropped off and picked up)... so more car changes would be coming in 2017!

Cooper driving is closer than we'd like to think.
... and Colton already has an eye on the goods. :)

It's been a while since Cooper and I have "collected" license plates, 

but I find myself still looking ...for out of state plates or punny personalizations.

... I don't know whose car this was, but it made me laugh!

Muhahahahahah!

A License, A Ticket

... another teenage driver in the house. Unlike Landon (and Mommy back in her day), Callahan was very anxious to obtain his driver's license. Grayson took him in just a couple days after his birthday, and the deed was done. 

The timing all worked about almost perfectly. Landon left for his mission on Feb 18. Callahan's birthday was on the 21. Callahan could take over the truck, and our insurance stayed about the same, as we swapped one child off (Landon is just walking all over Mexico these next two years) and added another one on.  

The nicest thing, was that Callahan could now drive to school, saving me a trip in the morning. Unfortunately, the high school is so crowded, that sophomores can't qualify for a parking permit. The streets outside the school are lined with cars ... "Sophomore Way". Callahan parked in a nearby neighborhood. Callahan got a parking ticket for parking in said neighborhood. There are restrictions against parking too close to a driveway or mailbox, and the nearby neighbors are fed up with cars in front of their houses and do call and report them. I guess we are lucky he didn't get towed.

Callahan is pretty happy to be able to have a little more freedom that driving himself allows ... just hopefully no more tickets!

Grayson actually got a new license himself the same day Callahan did. He hated his picture that much! Just a bit later, both my boys had their new, official licenses in hand.

Trading Trailers

In pictures past, you may have noticed a couple trailers the Blackham's have owned. A folding camping trailer, that we used a LOT for a few years ... then not at all for more years. There was also a trailer for hauling things; Gray's derby track and other items as needed.

During derby days with bad weather, Grayson would comment on how much nicer it would be to have an enclosed trailer. One that would ward off the rain and snow. One that wouldn't have to be parked in the garage. 

Then, Grayson made a trade. He traded our two trailers, for the one pictured above. It reminded me a little of "The Great Brain" series, as Tom would trade items, no actually money passing hands. I think it was a good trade for both parties. We had thought about selling the camping trailer, but our neighbor had a similar one and had posted it for sale and had nary a nibble. This was so much easier than trying to sell both of them, although monetarily, the other party probably got a bit of a better deal. We are happy with the new trailer ... happy to have the camping trailer gone (and open up that space on the side of the house). 

And Gray is especially happy as he heads out to derbies on a rainy or snowy day!

Teenage Driver #2

Callahan had turned 15 back in February and we really should have gotten his permit as soon as summer hit. I was constantly driving him around all summer (to friend's houses, church gyms and Gene Fullmer Rec Center) and all those little trips would have been practice with him behind the wheel. With school quick approaching, we did make an appointment and go in to get it while our summer schedule was a little more flexible. Happily, he had already passed the written test (one of his friend's dad is a driving instructor) to we just had to go fill out the paperwork and take the picture.

With his learner's permit in hand ... it was time to practice. If you know me, you know I already have anxiety issues in a car. Add in a new teenage driver and it's not a good situation. So ... Grayson took Callahan out a few times. On the freeways, on the smaller roads. After a few successful trips out, I even relaxed enough to let Callahan drive on the little outings I would take him on (to basketball practice, social outings, etc.)

We actually will NOT have two teenage drivers in the house at the same time though. Landon leaves for his mission on February 18. Callahan turns 16 on February 21. So the old truck will be available as soon as Callahan has his birthday ... not that the truck is in great shape (Registration Rigmarole) but other than the insurance cost - it will be nice having another driver in the house. Especially as Callahan is constantly on the go. It will make things easier when he doesn't need a ride every single time!

Registration Rigamarole

Such a small little sticker ... what a stressful mess! Landon's truck was up for inspection and registration. Landon took it in and it didn't pass. The "check engine" light had been on. He took it into our local mechanic for a fix.

It wan't a quick or easy (or inexpensive) fix.

Basically, one of the cylinders was misfiring, causing it to spew a little too much exhaust (nothing visible, but apparently above the standards for inspection). The fix? A new engine! Ummmm ... of course we had waited until close to the expiration of the truck before finding the motivation to get in and now we were out of time. Not only would the repair be costly ($5000+) but could possibly also take weeks! At this point we had to consider if it was even worth it to invest more money into the truck. Decisions, decisions, and no time.

I called and got some information and options ... apparently we could possibly get a waiver for the year if we showed we had attempted a repair and spent a required amount of money. We'd had the truck into the shop BEFORE the repair, trying to address the "check engine" issue but it hadn't fixed the issue.

Landon went into the DMV to apply for a temporary extension (two weeks) ... the truck had been expired for TWO DAYS when he was pulled over and given a ticket. SO frustrating for me! I am a bit OCD about registration and am aware of so many people driving around months expired. I couldn't believe the cop would be that mean to grab Landon who had expired over the weekend, when it was apparent we were aware of it and doing our best to remedy the situation. Grrrrrrr .... $90. Thanks a lot Sandy City Police Department!

After many more phone conversations, another trip to the shop, a trip back into the original location who had done some work ... Grayson went in and applied for the waiver. It was granted. Whew. It doesn't really solve anything, it just buys us a little time to decide what to do and make it happen. It will at least leave Landon with a car and a way to get around until he leaves on his mission, then we can stick it in the shop or do whatever we decide to do.

Callahan driving is just around the corner ...

He turns 16 just days after Landon leaves ...

Cooper's Collection

I asked Cooper what his favorite part about the trip to Seattle was ... and he said it was his license plate collection! Huh ... While they were out, and especially during the long wait for the ferry to the island, Grayson told Cooper to snap pictures of different license plates - to try and get as many different states as possible.  Cooper loved it. The kids were so excited when they found an Alaska and even a Hawaii. We've added a few more since they've been home, and Cooper is still always on the lookout for ones he doesn't have.   Here's just a small snapshot of some of his collection ...

You can check out his complete collection HERE ...

Who knew, in a couple years, Cooper would use his collection for a school assignment and make a cute poem! I included it on that post (School Assignments and Such) but thought I'd post it here as well.

License plates, license plates

All across the United States.

As I travel in my car

Whether I’m going near or far

I look at the license plates.

In Utah, our cars show what is in our state

Everyone knows the skiing is great!

Or if you like it dry and hot

Give our National Parks a shot.

There are some license plates are just plain yellow.

Like New Mexico. A good place to go and be mellow.

New York and Alaska have yellow plates too.

But Texas, Indiana and Idaho’s are red, white and blue.

Florida features oranges on its plate.

It is also known as the “Sunshine State.”

Both Ohio and Iowa take time to show

The beautiful land where they plant and grow.

Hawaii shows a rainbow so high

Up against a blue, blue sky.

California and Illinois plates are pretty plain.

Except for the fancy cursive of their name.

South Carolina has a plane. They were “first in flight”.

Wyoming shows a cowboy, putting up a fight.

Oregon features a tall tree of green.

But in Arizona, only a cactus can be seen.

Wisconsin says it’s America’s dairy land.

Washington and Colorado feature mountains grand.

Minnesota features it’s 10,000 lakes.

While Nevada proclaims it’s the “Silver State”

Of course there’s a lot more that we could name.

Like Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Maine.

I keep a look out in my car.

But those states are so very far.

Maybe now you’ll start looking too.

To see different states, many or few.

Make it a contest, make it a game.

None of the license plates are exactly the same.

I found a lot … how about you?

Car Crunch

As a parent with a newly licensed teenager, you dread THE CALL ... "Mom, there's been an accident."  At least for our first experience with it, we didn't have to worry about blame. Landon's truck was parked in the school parking lot, he wasn't even in it.  At first, I really didn't think there would be that much damage, I mean, you are generally going pretty slow in a parking lot.   Then Landon shot some pictures and sent them to me ...

I could see the damage to the bumper/lights in the first photo, but THIS photo surprised me. Landon HAD been parked properly between the lines. The truck had been physically shifted over about three feet! Luckily there wasn't a car parked on the right side, or it would have been impacted too.

Then there was the picture of the OTHER car ... OUCH!

Gray and I went to check the truck out in the evening (Landon didn't think he could drive it home, the bumper was pressed into the tire, and he wasn't sure if the bumper/lights would fall off during a drive). While we were there, the other family was there getting the other car towed. Using the tow truck, we were able to pull the bumper away from the tire enough that Gray felt he could try to drive it home. He felt like something was dragging, but he made it home okay. 

Then it was getting the car in to the body shop for repairs and getting a rental. My folks let us borrow their little blue truck until we could make arrangements (I wasn't looking forward to having to get up at 5:30 to drive Landon to Early Morning Seminary). They have had a policy of no grandkid borrowing the truck (which also seemed to be standard policy at rental car places, well, not "grandkids" but no teens allowed) so I ended up driving the borrowed truck/rental car while Landon drove the Burb to school.  We'll be glad to get back to our own automobiles! We are glad no one was hurt, and are relieved that Landon is yet accident free.

Lots of Legos

We've got a LOT of legos ... we pretty much have a room devoted to them (it was actually my scrapbook room, but when I didn't scrapbook for a couple years, the kids figured they could leave their lego creations out on the unused tables).

You probably know about Grayson's hobby ... Pinewood Derbies. Well, Gray found a site selling Lego/Derby wheel sets. It's basically just a lego block, with holes drilled in the sides, and special screw axles added to attach the traditional Pinewood Derby wheels.  He purchased several sets, thinking this would be a fun addition to any derby (or a fun activity all on its own).   He figured he could just raid our Lego stash ...

Funny how what LOOKS to be a TON of Legos, doesn't actually go that far (that and my boys weren't willing to have their creations broken down, especially when Dad indicated they might not even be getting the blocks back). So ... I jumped online and looked for lots of Legos on Ebay. They are still dang expensive! I'd watch and wait, trying to get them for around $7 a pound. I picked up a couple sets (about 10 pounds each).  The boys did love looking through the new blocks (and sneaking some of "Daddy's Legos" down to their own collection) and building some fun car creations. When Dad had a derby, they took a couple of the Lego cars and gave them a try (it's hard to get them close to the 5oz weight of a traditional derby car). 

We haven't tried a Lego derby yet ... but I'm sure it's coming up!

Just for MY reference too .... here a link to the Lego website, which has free online magazines, videos and games. Love Legos!

Two Trucks

A few months ago, when Landon got his license, and school was starting, we wanted to get him a car. Not necessarily to make HIS life any easier, but to make MY life easier. If Landon had a car, he could drive himself to school, he could pick up Callahan, he could get to his work shifts and other activities. And it's always nice to have an extra car around, just in case. At that time, we toyed with the idea of Grayson getting a new truck, and letting Landon use the Avalanche. But then we Clay and Courtney's little Corolla fell into out lap, and that was a good fit. Until ... the oil light and the little car was no more.

So ... being in the same situation again, with no little used car falling into our lap, Grayson went looking for a new truck for him. It's a Toyota Tundra, it's not "new", but new to him. And Landon is LOVING the Av...

Oil Light

So Landon called as I was dropping Callahan off to school ... his car wouldn't go.  I found out the oil light had been on for a couple of weeks. He says he mentioned to to Grayson, but Gray doesn't remember such a conversation. Anyway, CC (Cute Corolla from Clay and Courtney) is no more.  What kills me is that Landon is a big fan of the tv series Home Improvement, and he has seen this episode (here) ... go to 2:30, that is the interesting part!  It had been SO nice for Landon to have his own car to get to/from school, pick up his brother, get to work ...

Ready for the Road

I wasn't sure it was going to happen! It was well over a year ago that Landon took Driver's Ed. (although he hadn't gotten his range and roads in during the class, and it was taking forever to get them done). It was almost a year since he turned 16 ... and when he did finally get all the necessary hours in and passed his test, we still didn't get around to getting his actual license. I had to look into getting insurance (doubling our current monthly payment, and that was WITH a good grade and multi-policy discount) and we didn't have a car for him to drive ... I was SO dreading car shopping though, I just wanted something to fall into our lap.

Then Courtney and Clay had a baby. With baby #3, the car that Courtney had brought into the marriage (that Clayton was currently driving) wouldn't work for their family, and they bought a minivan. They offered their Toyota Corolla  to us for a steal of a deal and we grabbed it ~ the only problem? The car was a stick shift.  Landon was not thrilled about that, but after just a few days of instruction, he mastered it (as I knew he could). 

So the week before school started, we took the car in to pass emissions and safety inspections, then we had to pick up the car title and go get it registered. We got Landon's license, got a parking permit and ... whew, we made it! Landon was ready to drive to his first day of 11th grade.

Last year we had a carpool. Landon would get picked up in the mornings, and I'd do the afternoon pickup. But our carpools from last year weren't going to work this year, and my mornings were already committed taking Callahan to school (starting at the same time, in opposite directions). I didn't really have a back up plan for the morning, so I was very relieved when it all worked out. It also totally frees up my afternoons (saving me almost an hour every day), as Landon picks up Callahan on the way home. Of course it also saves money on gas ... not enough to make up for the increase in insurance, but what can you do?

It's been nice having an extra driver around ... he's been helpful running a few errands here and there. He likes the freedom of being able to run to the store on his own if he wants. When he went to watch the football game at school, I was thrilled not to have to go pick him up at 10:00. 

After a long road ... he's ready *Ü*