WEDDINGS, SUV'S AND 简体中文

The weddings last weekend were very enjoyable. It was great to have my brother and sister-in-law Rick and Leah and their twins here for a few days. Becca’s cousin Alicia, one of the brides, was happily glowing as much as anyone would hope that a bride would. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to see Aunt Marsha and Uncle Martin, Val or any of the other extended relatives that I’ve met before. Becca said that Alicia was a lovely bride and that the ceremony and reception were all very nice. We wish the best for them both.

The day that Alicia got married Becca and I got up at 5:20am to drive me out to the airport so I could fly to L.A. and go to my good friend Vicki Farthing’s wedding. As sad as I was to miss out on Alicia’s wedding I have to say that it was absolutely wonderful to see many of my good friends, their families, my mom and of course my brother Garit who I hadn’t actually seen since I dropped him off at the MTC two years ago. My friends Doug and Sarah were excellent hosts, as always, and I was reminded all weekend of why I have always been so fond of them. My good friend Andrew and his wife Karina were fun to talk to especially since I haven’t seen them since they got married. I was particularly amused to listen in on their little argument about buying nice unnecessary furniture to organize things. That argument sounds all too familiar. I’ve still got your back on that one Andrew! Vicki was a beautiful bride and although I have only had a few occasions to talk with her new husband, he has made nothing but a good impression on me. We wish the best for them as well.

My friend/Chinese tutor Wolf sent me some excellent study materials for learning Mandarin Chinese. That was very generous of him. I finally broke down and bought a Mandarin/English dictionary as well so my Chinese went much better this week. I’ve also figured out how to write in simplified Chinese characters on the computer so 我喜欢写在简体中文. What I wrote is probably slightly incorrect but it’s a good start.

I’d like to send a big thank you to all of you who contacted us this week with car advice. We’ve made a list of your suggestions and it has helped us in our car search. By the way, who recommended the Ford? This Saturday we test drove a 2002 Mazda Tribute, a 2003 Honda CR-V and a 2005 Hyundai Tucson. You all overwhelmingly recommended the Honda CR-V so we were pretty excited to drive it. This particular Honda CR-V was a big disappointment. The engine made funny idling noises that we recognize from our little Acura, however, our Acura is fifteen years old and this vehicle is only four. I then noticed that the exhaust, while not black, was a very visible shade of grey. Then the motor shuddered and made noises, like our little old car does, when we put it in reverse. We were set on not buying it before we got on the road.

The 2002 Mazda Tribute was the first car we drove since it was at a dealership not one mile from our apartment. It’s a smooth ride, has leather interior, all wheel drive and a sun roof. It’s a deep red, almost maroon color and Becca really likes it. The same dealership had a 2005 Hyundai Tucson so we took that out for a spin next. Also a smooth ride, though not quite as much pick up as the Tribute, carpeted interior instead of leather and it’s got a few small nicks and scratches. The thing is it has the same price tag as the Mazda, which is three years older. I think that it’s an incredible deal but Becca hates the way it looks. Your thoughts and comments about the two vehicles are welcome.