Living Car-Lite in Huntington: Tim, Hannah, Peter, and Claire

It has been generous of my friends to take their time to write up the answers to a barrage of questions and share their stories of living car-lite, here on this blog. This is Hannah's account of how their family has traveled about Huntington, WV. To read the first two interviews in this series, please see: Klover/Kittinger  and the Hobson/Greens.

 

I hope you enjoy learning a little more about another great Huntington family and their reasons for living with one less vehicle.

All photos are courtesy of the family.

 

We are a family of four: Tim, Hannah, Peter (9), and Claire (7 1/2). We own one car (a 2004 Honda Odyssey) and we each have a bike. Here's the history of our car ownership.

Peter, going to school.

Claire's ready to ride.

 

Tim and I both owned small, two-door sedans before the kids were born. We purchased a ten-year-old Volvo station wagon when Peter was about 9 months old (we thought it was the professor-ly thing to do), so we donated one of our cars to Good News Mountaineer Garage in Charleston. (By the way, this is a great organization.) Then at some point down the road  (I can't remember at exactly what point) we decided we could make do with just one car, so we donated the other sedan to Good News. Then, when Claire was three, we were able to purchase our used Honda van (with some generous financial help from my parents). 

 

We decided to hang on to the wagon, since it was paid for, and my parents ended up using it during the summers (they live in California but used to spend the summers in the east, so they flew to Huntington for a couple of years, picked up our wagon, and used it for the summer on their travels). In the summer of 2009, when my parents had driven the wagon up to Massachusetts, my mom was hit by a rookie policeman, who was making a bad left turn, and the car was totalled. To be honest, Tim was thrilled! He really didn't like the Volvo, and our insurance company payed us the full book value, which was significantly more than anybody would have paid us for it. I can honestly say that I am very grateful for that police man who hit our car, because it has simplified our lives tremendously to be back to one car. We feel like we're being better steward of our resources, and helping the earth out in the process.

 

One reason that it is doable for us to have just one car is that Tim can bike or walk to work easily. Only on very rare occasions does he drive the car to work, or do I drop him off at Marshall. He genuinely enjoys his bike ride to work, and in the winter when it is too icy to bike, he can get to school on foot in about fifteen or twenty minutes. We are only about a five minute bike-ride from our church, ten minutes from the kids' school, two minutes from the YMCA, and about five or ten minutes from downtown. So, we are truly blessed in terms of our location. It would, of course, be significantly harder to have just one car if we lived further away from these places.

 

Tim doesn't travel much for work, but when he does occasionally go to a conference, either he or I will rent a car (do you know about Enterprise's weekend special? About $35 for three days - Friday through Sunday). I work from home very part-time - I teach about six private violin lessons a week. I use the car to go grocery shopping (once a week), to run an occasional errand, and to drive the kids to and from school in bad weather. I do order some things online, but I also go out to the mall every once in a while (I do try to wait to go until I can kill many birds with one stone!) During soccer season, we make a trip out to the Kennedy Center on Saturdays, which of course uses more gas, but I can also combine trips to the mall with trips out there, so that helps.

 

It would be great if the city of Huntington would consider finding a way to put in bike paths*. When we ride with the kids, we ride primarily on the sidewalks, which I believe is actually illegal downtown* (I asked a policeman one time about this, and that's what he told me). I also think it would be great to have community leaders encourage people to consider living in Huntington, as opposed to Barboursville, Milton, and Ona. I know there are some folks who really feel called to live in the country, but it seems like there is potentially a lot of good housing in Huntington that goes unused. We really love living close to everything and often feel bad for our friends who have to drive 20 minutes just to go to the library, or something like that! 

 

*Stacy's Note: Huntington is working on installing bike paths and it is illegal in WV to ride on the sidewalks.

 

By and large I would say that having one car as opposed to two is a huge blessing. Even just keeping track of basic maintenance like oil changes on two cars seemed to complicate our lives considerably! Having just one car forces us to bike and walk more, too, which is of course a win-win situation: it's good for us, it's good for our budget, and it's good for the earth! There are times when one of us needs to ask a friend for a ride home from church, or to a rehearsal, or something like that, but folks are always happy to help in that department. We like being able to offer rides to other folks when we can, too. I would love to encourage other folks who live close enough to work and school to consider having just one car, or to consider the possibility of moving closer to their work if they don't. Very occasionally it complicates our life not to have a second car, but our overriding feeling is that we are very grateful to be able to make do with just one. It really is a blessing in the end!

 

 

Thank you Hannah, for tracking down photos and sharing your insight on Huntington, your family and your choice to live a car-lite lifestyle.

*Do you live car free or car lite in the Tri-State area? I would love to hear your story. Please contact me, asimplesix[at]gmail.com

Living Car-Lite in Huntington: The Hobson/Green's

Living without a car in Huntington is not just for those with DUIs, as Jenny Hobson explains in my second interview with a citizen of Huntington, WV who chooses to live with fewer cars than adults in their household. If you missed the first interview last week, you can find it here. I hope you enjoy what Jenny has to say about family life with one car and a bicycle.

The Hobson Green's at the 2011 Buns on Bikes ride.

Jenny Hobson and Chris Green: Huntington, WV
Could you please introduce yourself and your family? How many adults and how many vehicles?

My name is Jenny Hobson, and I live with my husband, Chris Green.  We have two children, one in elementary school and one in preschool.  We have one vehicle, a ten year old Honda Accord.

How long have you been car-lite/free in Huntington (and before living here)? How did you come to the decision to have fewer automobiles than adults?

We've been car-lite for so long that I can't quite remember when we got rid of our second car.  It was some time shortly after we moved to West Virginia, and it became clear that our mid-80s Toyota wasn't going to pass inspection without more costly repairs than the car was worth.  Inspired by some friends who had also recently donated a dying car and became a one car family, we donated our Toyota to the Good News Mountaineer Garage.  We've been car-lite ever since.  I think maybe we donated the car in 2006.

What's your current transportation situation? What are your methods for getting about Huntington? What about leaving town? Or when one adult stays and one goes?

Chris bicycle commutes to Marshall every day of the year.  It's around a 3 mile round trip.   If it's icy, I drive him to work.  Otherwise, he bikes.  We live within walking distance of my work and the kids' schools.  When we can, we walk or bike.  When the weather's bad, we usually drive.  Because I'm a preschool teacher, I often have large props or materials to take to school, and that necessitates a lot of driving, too.  I have to say that I don't hesitate to drive around town to run errands though I work my hardest to consolidate them.  It helps that I loathe driving, not necessarily from any ethical point of view.  I just don't enjoy it and never have. When one of us has to leave town, we often rent a car for the adult who's staying in town.  Thankfully, neither of us has jobs that necessitates frequent travel.  Chris travels five or six times a year, and we usually rent a car.

One new thing that we're currently trying to do is increase our overall car-free commuting.  For example, if we go all week without using our car to get to/from work and school, then we're ordering pizza from Papa John's on Friday night.  The kids love Papa John's, so this is a big motivator for them.  On the other hand, knowing how often I have to transport big stuff to the preschool in my car, I also know that I'll be buying pizza often enough to motivate the kids, but not so often that I break the bank.

What makes this work for your family?

We live close to work and school, so that's a big help.  It's also a help that we do own one car.  I would find it a challenge to do what needs to be done in Huntington without the option of a car.  I work part-time, and I think I would find transportation to the store, doctors, etc. a full time job if we were completely car-free. I think it can be done in Huntington.  I don't think  it can be done by us, with the needs we have in our lives.  

What have the challenges been? Does anything change with the seasons?

One unexpected challenge has come from Chris's bicycle getting stolen.  We're now on his third bike since we started this adventure.  Both previous bikes were stolen from Marshall's campus where they were locked up outside the building where he works.   It's certainly less of a hassle and less expensive to replace a bicycle than a car, but it's still demoralizing.  And it's now something that we kind of have to count on.  

There aren't really any seasonal changes for Chris, because he's got appropriate weather gear and he's stalwart.  For the rest of us, I definitely drive us around more in the murky months.  I look forward to doing less of this as Paul gets older, longer legs and a more focused mind that can take us to school more rapidly in the cold.  I don't mind walking in the cold for umpteen hours, but I do mind listening to a preschooler whining about it.  In the realm of parental "battle picking," I've found that it's not one I'm interested in fighting. 

What have been the responses of your peers/colleagues been when they find out you live a car-lite/free life?

Initially, people were concerned that Chris, as a dad, would take the risk of biking around Huntington. When he first began, I remember that some older colleagues had some serious conversations with him about it. I cannot emphasize how much the culture for bicycling and walking has changed since we first began this adventure.  I used to joke that, when we started, the  bicyclists were just Chris, Dave Lavender, a few other Marshall profs, and then all those guys with DUIs.  You could tell the bicycle dads from the DUI guys because the dads wore helmets.  Now, you see lots of folks out on bikes, including more and more Marshall students.  That makes me super happy. And of course, there is the Critical Mass ride,  recreational bike rides like Buns on Bikes, and even some bicycle lanes on the streets.  We're certainly not a perfect community for car-lite living, but the changes in the last 8 years give me a lot of hope.  

At this point, I'm not sure that most people even know about our car situation.  I think it's probably just one of the many weird things that we do, like own one TV, go to a very progressive church, eat dinner together, and minimize structured activities for our kids.  

Were there any unforeseen benefits to living with the decision to have one car? Or if you foresaw them all, what have been those benefits?

When we got rid of our other car, I thought it was going to be a pain.  Owning only one car has been nothing but joy.  Very occasionally, there are scheduling hassles.  I've been astonished by the spiritual and mental health benefits of owning only one gigantic hunk of metal that needs maintenance, insurance, etc.  Owning only one car just takes an enormous amount of stress away.  It's like Calgon!!   When you have two cars, I think that maintenance and repairs become hassles because somewhere in your mind there's the thought that there's always the other car.  When you have just the one car, there's no choice about fixing the car when it breaks down.  There's no point in stressing over it.  It has to be done.  Same thing with the bicycles.  It's demoralizing when Chris's bike is stolen, but it's his mode of transportation.  When it's stolen, it has to be replaced. 

Also, although making the decision to go "car-lite" takes some set-up, it doesn't take much time once you've got your infrastructure in place.   When we moved to Huntington, we came from an old suburb where we could walk almost everywhere we needed to go, and we lived in a "front porch" neighborhood.  We wanted to do that again when we came to Huntington, so that's how we found our house.  Coincidentally, it turned out that what we were looking for in a neighborhood worked very well for "car-lite" living even though we were not thinking about that when we moved.   When we got rid of our second car, there were a few adjustments, like making sure Chris was properly geared up for biking in all weather and making sure our car was reliable.  Beyond that, there haven't been many adjustments.  

How could Huntington, as a government or it's citizens, improve or change to make your situation more beneficial, safer, convenient, etc.? What resources or advocacy would you like to see?

I would love to see universal bike safety education for children, something along the lines of the "Safety Town" program for 2nd graders.  We teach our kids, but I think they would all "listen" better to official grownups.   I would also love to see improvements to the sidewalks, especially for walkers.  I think the sidewalks are a major barrier for safe walking for people with children, elderly people, people with disabilities, etc.  I would love to see the addition of flashing yellow/red lights at some of our more dangerous and weird not-quite intersections (e.g., near the park).   I would also love to see better lighting at night in all of our neighborhoods, not just for bicyclists and walkers, but for everybody.  

Do you have any advice for other families similar to your own who may want to reduce the automobiles in their lives?

I'm thrilled with all the changes in Huntington's bicycling and walking culture since we moved here.  Frankly, we haven't been too involved in those changes.  We've just been quietly living the "car lite" life we'd probably be living wherever we were.  In fact, when you asked me about answering some questions about "car lite" life, my first question was "How on Earth is our family 'car lite?'"  It's been so long that I just don't think about it.  So it's just to say that once you set up your infrastructure,  minimizing your car use can take as little or as much time as you want.  For us, having one car frees us to focus on our passions for our families and for our work.  Chris is passionate about his job working with college students in Appalachia; I'm passionate about my job in Early Childhood Education; we adore our family.  For us, living with one car is a sideline.  If you want it to be a sideline, it absolutely can be.  But if reducing your auto use and your carbon footprint is your passion, it absolutely can be, too.  God knows, we need many, many people who will make it their passion if we want to see our planet survive and thrive.  I say, if you can go "car-lite" or "car-free," go for it!   You will love it! 

Jenny chronicles her adventures at Hobson's Choice.  Learn more about Chris Green, professor/poet/bicyclist/juvenile diabetic, here.  To read an article local journalist extra-extraordinaire Dave Lavender wrote about Chris several years back (and to see a pic of Chris nobly astride his old bike!), click here.

Many thanks to you Jenny for taking the enormous amount of time from your day to share your story of living car-lite (unknowingly) in Huntington, WV.

*Do you live car free or car lite in the Tri-State area? I would love to hear your story. Please contact me, asimplesix[at]gmail.com

Living Car-Lite in Huntington: The Klover/Kittinger's

When we first started cutting back on our driving we didn't talk about it much. When I got down to driving one day a week, we just let be what would be. This past month it's been the center of conversation. Most everyone has been very supportive and encouraging. It has helped to know that I have many friends who live car-lite lives, whether they know it or not. I contacted a handful of these people about writing down their experiences, especially those related to living in the TriState region.

I am very excited to post my first interviewee and her experience living with fewer cars than adults here in Huntington, WV. 

Klover/Kittinger Clan, photo by Raine Klover

Raine Klover and Chris Kittinger: Huntington, WV
Could you please introduce yourself and your family? How many adults and how many vehicles?  

We are the Klover/Kittinger clan - parents - Raine Klover and Chris Kittinger and kids William (7) and Katie (5). We currently own two cars as we recently bought a used Toyota Corolla to replace our minivan. The minivan is for sale. Only Chris drives as I have never had a driver’s license.

How long have you been car-lite in Huntington (and before living here)? How did you come to the decision to have fewer automobiles than adults? 

We have lived in Huntington just over a year. Prior to that we lived in Albuquerque, NM for six years. I have also lived carless in Dayton, New Orleans, Dallas, and Seattle prior to meeting Chris. I chose to not obtain my license while in high school (for no good reason) and after graduation moved to Seattle where a car seemed like more a hindrance than a help. Living in Seattle for nine years solidified my view that driving was not for me. Walking and public transportation made so much more sense in a large city where you had to pay extra to have a parking spot at your apartment, pay for a parking spot at work if you worked downtown, and paying meters everywhere else. Add in car payments, insurance, gas and maintenance and not having a car seemed the way to go. As I’ve moved around the country I’ve made sure to do as much research as possible to move to neighborhoods that are walkable, have good access to public transportation, and are easily accessible to my work situation.

What's your current transportation situation?

Chris used to work in downtown Huntington but recently took a job in Charleston and commutes there Monday through Friday. We have decided to move from a minivan to a car in search of better gas mileage as Chris now has a long commute. I am a stay-at-home mom and I also have a dog nanny job and work in an administrative position with my church (I mostly work from home, but it does require some errands). I am a walker. I walk to my dog nanny  job and also walk my kids to school and walk for most errands. I use the bus occasionally. 

What makes this work for your family?

We were very intentional when finding a home in Huntington. As soon as we decided to move to Huntington I hopped on the internet and looked up information on the Tri-State Transportation Authority and scanned Google and Bing maps to get the lay of the land. I quickly identified the South Side neighborhood as the one for us. A neighborhood school, walkable to downtown, a small local grocer, Ritter Park, and multiple bus routes running through it made it an easy choice.

What have the challenges been? Does anything change with the seasons? 

As I have lived as a non-driver my entire adult life and have moved around the country I’m pretty good at identifying areas that will work with my lifestyle. We have not had many extra challenges in Huntington. Bus service could definitely be improved, I have had to use cabs a few times to places busses just don’t go or weren’t convenient within the timeframe I needed them. The Huntington downtown core and South Side neighborhood are extremely walkable. I can walk to church, school, doctors, library, shopping, restaurants and Ritter Park. Moving from New Mexico, weather has been an issue for us - we’ve had to buy raincoats, umbrellas, and boots!

What have been the responses of your peers/colleagues been when they find out you live a car-lite life? 

I am definitely the oddball in my social circles. I also cook entirely vegan so I think most people just chalk up my idiosyncrasies to being a hippie chick from Seattle. Many people have had a hard time believing I’ve chosen to live this way and actually enjoy it. For me being carless or car-lite has never been a burden - owning a car seemed like more of a burden.

Were there any unforeseen benefits to living with the decision to have one car? Or if you foresaw them all, what have been those benefits? 

There are so many benefits to living a car-free or car-lite life. We spend less money on transportation than just about everyone we know. Our car is paid for, we only have to pay insurance for one driver, and our driving errands are grouped together which help saves on gas. The health benefits are great - I walk on average 4 miles a day during the week. There is no need to go to the gym to run on a treadmill when you walk that much. Our kids have walked/bussed since they were babies. One bonus of being car-lite is more time with our kids. Walking the kids to school is a treat for both the kids and me. We don’t spend a lot of time running to multiple acitivities and that allows them to focus on the things they’re really interested in. Swimming at the Y, acting camp at the Renaissance Center, cub scouts at First United Methodist all are within easy walking distance. One benefit of walking that most people probably wouldn’t think of is the community factor. Traveling in cars keeps us isolated from others. I’ve had so many great conversations on the bus and sidewalk and made friends with other regular commuters when I bussed to work in Seattle and Dallas.

How could Huntington, as a government or it's citizens, improve or change to make your situation more beneficial, safer, convenient, etc.? What resources or advocacy would you like to see? 

Huntington definitely needs some infrastructure improvements. Sidewalks, or lack thereof, really need a lot of improving.Bus service that is more often and with more extended service hours would be great. As far as advocacy I believe more “walking tours” of different neighborhoods would be a great way to show people that Huntington is walkable, and that there are so many things things you miss in a car that you notice when walking. I think P.A.T.H. is a great thing for Huntington as are the monthly Critical Mass rides.

Do you have any advice for other families similar to your own who may want to reduce the automobiles in their lives? 

Do your research! Take a critical eye to all of the places you currently go by car. Are there similar options that are closer to home? Simple things like changing your grocery store, bank, or dentist can make going car-lite seem much more manageable. Is their a busline a few blocks from you that you never even noticed. Do you have coworkers or neighbors you can carpool with? And just try it. Pretend one of your cars is dead for a week and see how you get by just using one. If you’re really adventurous try using none.

Anything else you might like to add? 

I occasionally toy with the idea of learning drive and getting a car. Usually after conversations with “car” people. If I had a car would I go more places? Probably. Is that a good thing? Probably not. All of our needs are being met, and we have a very full life. Adding another car would add more expense but not improve our quality of life. I think we’re good to go as is.

You can read more about Raine where she blogs, www.raineklover.com and www.hotveganmess.com 

Thank you Raine for taking the extra time to highlight Huntington, your family and your choice to live a car-lite lifestyle.

*Do you live car free or car lite in the Tri-State area? I would love to hear your story. Please contact me, asimplesix[at]gmail.com

Officially car-lite

We signed over the title to our Cavalier to a new owner yesterday. No sale, just gave her away, as she was given to us. We feel great about our decision. I can't wait to call the insurance company and knock down that bill even further. Brent is happy the car will see a good life with someone new.

One car, now what?
Now that we have just one vehicle, I still want to sell it, to be replaced at a later time. Brent's pretty steadfast in keeping it. Most folks we talk to about the car situation tell us to keep it, it's paid for, you are going to need it. I have no doubts that we will need a car, that we want a car, I just don't want one right now. I have a hunger to eat up more debt and getting $10,000 from that van will certainly serve as a catalyst.

Entertaining the idea that we keep the van comes with straining to put together another way to pay down the second mortgage. We owe $23,000. I think if we could pay it down to with in $5K we would be in a great position to refinance. We need to come up with $18,000. We can do that, I just don't know how quite yet.

I am toying with the idea of some sort of debt ticker on the side bar, sort of how I track our mileage for our modes of transportation. The ticker is not going to help us earn or save any cash, but it might be a good point of visual accountability every time I visit, which is often, apparently. Don't I have laundry to wash or toys to put away? Probably, but this is more enjoyable.

Thank you all for reading, and coming back to read more.

Small Local Grocer & Greyhound

 

Miles Walked: 14	Biked: 21.4	Bused: 6.3	Drove: 3.6	This week
14	21.4	6.3	3.6	Since August 14, 2011

Brent went out for ground beef and bacon on Monday night and I needed a few things this morning. Biking to Kroger 2.5 miles away is not a very convenient option for small trips. When running out for a couple items we have a few other choices from our house. We can stop at Clark's BP gas station a couple of blocks away or Rite Aid several blocks further. There is a mom and pop shop (Ujamma's?) in the neighborhood behind Cabell Huntington Hospital, I think it's on Charleston Avenue, or a street south. Then there is Julian's market on 12th Street and 11th Avenue.

For both of our recent trips we chose Julian's. It's 2.2 miles round trip, less than 1/2 the distance of Kroger and still on level streets. Their prices are a bit higher than Kroger, but nothing outrageous. I paid .69/lb for bananas and they were .59/lb at Kroger last week. 2lbs of popcorn kernels were $1.99 and everything they sell is homemade or name-brand. 

Avery with eggs in the trailer

I did want to get bread today, but nothing whole wheat was under $2/loaf so I passed and will make my own later today with this recipe that just posted on another favorite blog site, 100 Days of Real Food. I also needed soy milk and it was near $3 for a liter, another pass today. The larger Kroger trip will be later this week. We make it stretch around here until we just can't scrape together the basic nutrition requirements.

Helmets and groceries, Oliver and list. Julian's used to be Mansour's.

Front door parking for every one at Julian's.  Yet, no bike rack.

Oliver, Avery and I took off at 10 till 9AM. We stopped for our eggs (4 dozen) first then to get a few provisions. Today's purchases and weights:

4.12lbs bananas
2.97lbs sweet potatoes
2lbs butter (actually margarine b/c butter was $4.89/lb and the margarine was .89, I still feel guilty over the compromise, but my budget won this fight)
2liters (4lbs) of diet Coke
2lbs of popcorn

About 20lbs in total, plus Oliver and Avery, the tools and diaper bag and waters. I think we maxed out the trailer's weight limit of 100lbs today. We were home by 10AM.

Time to Slow Down

Part of the slow journey today was my own physical condition. My throat has been very sore for a couple days and my legs ache. I can work through the muscle aches and pains, but then coming up the first of two hills home the pressure in my chest got to me. I have a history of my heart changing pace and rattling around in my chest like it's trying to jump out, even though my breathing is steady. The Drs say it's a change in pressure. Well, it started up at an intersection and didn't let up till I got home. The intensity of the pounding was making me light headed, so I stopped the bike, drank a lot of water, tried all the breathing tricks I know to get it to stop. Because it wasn't changing I decided to walk the bike home for the last couple blocks. When I reached down to unbuckle Avery in the trailer it quit. Just as quick as it started, it was over. I have been home taking it easy since.

HighSpeed

Did you catch a couple of things on this post? First there were miles listed in the "drove" section of the header. Then there was the diet Coke. We don't drink diet Coke, but you may not have known that. My grandmother took the Greyhound down from Columbus last night to visit with us and friends for a couple of weeks. Her bus came in at 10:45PM and we didn't dare let my 76 year old granny walk home or get on a bike. The local buses don't run that late, so Brent turned over the engine on the van, aka HighSpeed, and puttered down to pick her up.

Grandma been taking the Greyhound bus down here since we moved in. She likes the independence of getting where she wants to go without overly burdening anyone to take her. She enjoys sitting back and taking in the characters she sees on the bus. Now that I think about it, she's a car-lite woman. Her neighbor does her grocery shopping and she gets rides with family for doctor's appointments and errands. Way to go Grandma! 

Car-Free vs. Car-Lite

Brent and I had a heated debate about the purpose of not using our van this month. It really was all my idea and we do have two vehicles sitting out there in the driveway that can be used. Some of our reasoning for going Car-Lite can be found on this blogs car-lite family tab. Here are the specific reasons for not driving our car for the month of August.


By the Numbers
There is a significant financial savings gained from keeping those vehicles in the drive way. Here are two charts I have kept on Mint.com. The first graphs our insurance, fuel and loan payments as well as any maintenance expenses. The second shows just our gasoline expenses.

Gas Only

All Auto Expenses Combined

I really thought July would have been a lot lower in gasoline. I only drove the van one day a week for errands. Then I remembered we paid for the gas for both trips to Elkins for Brent and we went to Charleston three times in one month. It adds up quick. June looks more accurate for what our expense would be if we reduced our driving, but we drove to Charlotte that month too, so I guess this is just a real life snap shot. It's not reflecting any extreme measures, but more of our transition to using the van less, but also driving it when we had to.

What I get out of these graphs is that we spend, on average, $600 each month for our cars. I took a huge measure to knock out half of that expense by paying off the van loan today. After I get the title I will call our insurance company and reduce the coverage to liability. Maybe we will have a little less green on those charts in a couple months.

Different POV
The second thing I did was revisit the issue of selling the van. I see selling it as a way to drag ourselves out of the pit of debt that has consumed me and my family for the past decade. With it's sale I can put more money toward more debt, and there is plenty of it, debt, not money.

Brent and I do not agree on this issue. The van still represents a lot of freedom and security to him. It's a huge pain in my ass. I am doing just fine to not go anywhere far or anywhere at all. I have learned to tolerate the heat and take each incline on the bike one stoke at a time. I have been whittling down our errands and bringing our Drs closer to home. Brent is scared of the car traffic and having the children out on the roads. He's concerned about the expense of buy a new van later and putting money into the Cavalier to keep it running. I should really ask him to weigh in on all his concerns here. They are very valid, but I just don't see that as reasons to not try our hardest to pursue this route to financial freedom, however long it may be.

He brings up that renting a car will be more expensive; a minivan was running $100/day last I checked. I counter with, "where are we going?" He doesn't know. Then I bring up the hope that Marshall University will get the ZipCar program they discussed last year. It would be a compromise in price and convenience of having a car. I should call them soon about this possibility.

Brent is concerned about school pick up. What if the baby is sick or napping and Brent's in class and the children need to come home? I think we know enough people who would be able to bring them back or stay with the baby while I go out to get them.

Then there is the, "What about the weather?" Again, I don't know exactly. We don't have extremely rough winters, by my standards. The winter that Avery was in the hospital for two straight weeks we walked in snow nearly every day and it was fine. The roads were clear enough to drive, so the same roads should be clear enough to bike? Walking is still an option. Not going is still an option. The bus in an option.

There are many single car families in town. There are several folks we know who commute in all weathers by bike. I am sure there are many people in town without cars, but I only know of one. Finding out their solutions is also on my research list. I feel that each challenge is one to be overcome, not one to be answered with the mini van.

Car-free vs. Car-lite 
Many people and families live without cars. Many people also live car-lite, by which I mean, they have a family with one car and make do, or drive less. I will make a list of them all later.

I do not plan to live car-free. After this month I intend to drive the children to school in the morning. I still think we will be doing our grocery shopping by car. For August, I want to see how much we can do without the car. I want to strip away the dependency on the vehicles and see exactly what we need them for. August is a good month to try this experiment. Two of the children start school on the 15th. Brent starts back to teaching on the 22nd. Avery starts preK on the 22nd as well. It will give us time to figure out how to get around in the early weeks, then add a week of commuting to school with two big kids, then a week of commuting with three. There will be a week of getting everyone home by first taking up two and bringing home four, then a week of taking up one and bringing back four. It's sort of a step it up program in bike commuting, up hill, with children.

We may discover that I can get a lot of grocery shopping done when it's just me and Oliver and we can load up the trailer and bring it home and put it away with no extra little bikes and bikers to take out. We might find out that the children love biking to school so much they are easier to get up and out the door in the morning (I can hope). Our regimen might provide us with enough exercise that we won't be paying for soccer, basketball and swimming this year (more savings!). The children may sleep better and focus on homework with more intensity. Maybe Brent will like that I can't call him home to pick up the children because the baby is napping and he will get more work done. There is the possibility that we will save enough money that Brent and I could date regularly again, something we gave up with the budget crunch of 2009. I see a lot of great things coming from not driving this month.

It may be that we hate living without our cars and we miss going to, I don't know, Target or friends out of town. Traveling with out our van in the rain and snow might be a complete bear. Perhaps someone gets hurt and we immediately sell our bikes and swear off leaving our home ever again. Dramatic? Perhaps. I just wanted to give some weight to ideas that might swing a bit further in the direction of car usage.

A Verdict?
We will keep our vehicles for now. Until we know what we need them for and which one to keep. Sometimes I think we should give away the Cavalier and keep the van. Other times I think sell the van, keep the car. Then I have moments of give away the car, sell the van, good ridden to them both. We would give away the car because it was given to us and it's not worth much more than the satisfaction of knowing someone who needed it would be using it. One last idea is to donate the car, sell the van and then later, six months, a year, or when ever, buy a crossover vehicle that is better on fuel, seats six and is less than $10000 that we can pay for in cash.

It's certainly a lot to think about.

A Rough Start to our Car Free August

The weekend was incredibly busy and I didn't peek at my Monday calendar. I remembered I needed to swap my meals at 9:30am, but beyond that, it was all going to be a surprise. And surprise is what we got. We forgot Brent was helping a new colleague move in this morning, and while he was helping I was watching one of the other helpers little girl. So I needed to be at the park with meals at 9:30 and home from 9-11 to babysit. Hmmm...

To add to the surprises, London woke up with a fever and sore throat, and Brent really needed to go into work today. This is the plan we created (again with the plans). I biked Oliver and the meals in the trailer to the park, while Elliot rode along side. Brent stayed home with the little girl, London and Avery. When I returned, Brent biked to the colleagues home and I stayed here with everyone else. Brent hitched a ride for himself and his bike back to the house and then drove London to the nearest Pediatrician's office.

What Was That?
Yes, I said drove. It's a five minute walk to the office. London was lapping up her ill status. We suspected strep throat, not a broken leg. Brent has a very soft spot for children who are pained and he drove her over, then drove her to the pharmacy, another five minutes from the Dr, got her the drugs and ice cream and drove home.

Live and Let Be
What I have learned. Patience and flexibility.

• First, I really need to get our Dr's switched and reestablished for just these sort of of occasions. Our regular ped is a 15min drive. 
• Second, I need to see if there is a pharmacy any closer to home so we don't have walk the sick child further just to get the medications they need. 
• Third, Brent will be the one to continue to break our declaration of a no-car August. He exclaimed first thing that I should just drive to the park then he took London in the car. It's August 1st. I adopted the attitude of "I will not start the month with a set back," but I guess he's going to be my biggest obstacle. Oh well.

Here it is mid day on the first of the month and we already had more to do than we bargained for. I am thankful for not having a job I must go to and for a husband who is employed in an incredibly flexible field. Perhaps tomorrow will be more smooth?

Comrade Spotted
I was also very excited to spot another iBert seat on another mother's bike on my way back from the park. It was a kindred moment. She was also the only biker I saw wearing a helmet. What is the trend with head gear in this country? I know the laws, but what are people actually doing?

Date Night by Bike

Babysitting for free has some great rewards. The best one happened Thursday night when the family we babysat for several times this month came over to watch our children. It was date night! I put a lot of thought into all the things I wanted to do. I first considered Geocaching. The idea was quickly thrown out when I realized we needed to have either a GPS or a mobile phone with GPS ability. We have neither. Then I thought we ought to do a long bike tour and picnic dinner. I looked over the PATH map and found it very under detailed and a bit incomplete at this time. I looked to ride all the way to Kenova for some ice cream at Austin's or Griffith & Feil. Both of these ideas were scrapped when the temperatures soared to 100 degrees.

The Date
Our sitters arrived about 6:30. We spent a few minutes catching up with our friends and giving them the 10-4 on getting everyone to bed pleasantly. Brent and I unhitched the trailer and the new iBert seat, settled our helmets and road off toward the sun. We set our sights to Huntington Prime on 4th Avenue. We took the most direct roads to get there, staying on 10th most of the way. Up to this point in my new biking life I had not ridden with out the children. Brent and I certainly had never had a biking date.

View Larger Map

The temperatures remained high and the air was heavy. Being free to glide around on our bikes, wind sliding over our skin and nothing but each other to be distracted by made the weather seem unimportant. On our typical date nights, it takes hours to get over the strange new feeling of not having children under our feet. Not yesterday. It was almost immediately clear that we were together on an adventure, relying on each other and savoring these new experiences.

We don't carry watches or have phones and therefore we had only a general sense of time. I guessed it took about fifteen minutes to get downtown from our house. It would have taken 15 minutes to drive there and park somewhere further than right in front of the restaurant, like we did with our bikes. Locked up on a lamppost, Brent put our names on the list and we strolled around the block to cool off and see what we could see.

On the same block as Huntington Prime was the Fredrick building. From 5:30-7:00pm on Thursdays, they host a Chat 'n Chew forum for individuals in the community looking to further develop ideas in town. These meetings have led to community garden initiatives, recycling pilot programs, graffiti removal organizations, creek clean ups, and plenty of other citizen based renewal in Huntington. We thought we would see if anyone was still lurking about, but they had left the place pretty deserted. Maybe we will catch them another week.

Inside the Frederick.

On the other side of the block is Pullman Square. There was a small crowd gathered at the courtyard listening to live country music. Brent and I enjoyed the liveliness of the people more than the sounds of the guitar. We are always happy to see downtown crawling with people enjoying what the town has to offer.

Our wait time was to be only 30 minutes so we walked around the other end of the block back to the restaurant. I was standing next to our bikes while Brent was checking on our table. One of the men from the city who was watering the hanging baskets came over to make sure we didn't want to move our bikes. He was certain they would get wet. I didn't mind a bit. I figured with this heat they wouldn't be wet for long.

Me, waiting on a table.

Talking with the crewman from the city.

We have had a few meals at Huntington Prime and have never been disappointed. They are doing their best to find local sources for their meals and the menu even highlights where their cuts of meat are from and where the veggies are grown. My current trend of reading has been entirely in food and nutrition, specifically locavore and sustainability. It was a real treat to have biked to a locally owned restaurant that was also trying to serve local commodities.

The helmet was hiding under the table until it was time to go.

Brent had a margarita pizza and crab cakes. I enjoyed a stuffed eggplant with a side of broccoli. German chocolate cake and tres leche cake for desserts. We discussed food culture and teaching philosophies, money and children. We chatted about the events coming this weekend and made plans for everyone going back to school. We didn't rush through anything. I sat there and watched darkness begin to descend on the town over Brent's shoulder, so we paid our bill and walked out into the night.

After Dinner
We were enjoying our company so much we didn't care to go home just yet. We rode back past Pullman Square down to Harris River Front Park. We were able to catch the last few shades of pink setting on the Ohio River and then turned south toward our neighborhood.

The ride home is graded slightly uphill. There also seemed to be several more cars than the few hours earlier when we arrived. I didn't realize downtown picked up after dark. We were able to keep up with the trucks in our neighboring lane as we all rushed from red light to red light toward Ritter Park. Most of the vehicles left our side as we neared the residential area.

We choose to ride through the park on our way back. Several people were out walking dogs and jogging on the loop. We were laughing at our need to ride side by side because Brent's bike was the only one with lights. We felt a bit fool hardy.

 As far as the history of our date nights go, this one will never be forgotten. Anyone else take their date out on a bike?

The iBert

Our new toddler seat arrived yesterday. After checking out many many options for seats online, we finally choose the iBert. We knew we wanted a front mounted seat that was very simple as we still needed to haul the trailer behind and we knew the seat would be switching bikes often. The reviews looked good, the price was great ($82 on Amazon), the color was spunky, the weight limit was high enough, and it was made in the USA. Choosing a seat without actually seeing one is tough. I was taking a chance based on opinions and descriptions. I guess we all do this more than we think we do.

Brent installed the seat on his bike first. He found he had plenty of knee clearance and Oliver loved the new position. Today we moved the seat to my bike so Brent could haul the trailer. I did not have a lot of knee clearance and felt like I was straddling the seat for most of my ride. I see this as yet another reason to get a better bike and not as an issue with the iBert. I am 5'9". I was not built for a small framed bike.

Oliver seemed very happy in the seat, but he opinion mattered very little today. I know he doesn't look happy in this photo. A neighborhood dog had just come up to him before I put him in, and it scared him.

Initial Assessment
 I did enjoy the weight being in the front of the bike. It took some time to get used to easing into my stops to avoid giving him whip lash. Half way through the ride he was looking very tired. It was about 90 degrees at 7:30pm, I was tired too. The seat is not very high in the back and he wouldn't have been comfortable to nap. I actually think it wouldn't have been safe for him to nap there either.


When I was doing my research I was trying to find a high back front mount seat and couldn't. If you know of one, I may be in the market for a second seat later and might like to see what high backs are out there. For now, this was going to provide us with a good option for having to put two children on one bike or on two.

We picked up our eggs.

Our Test Ride
The purpose for our ride tonight was eggs. I completely forgot to get our eggs from the pick up location downtown when I was out in our van and I forgot to ask Brent to get them when he went out with London for her appointment. Eggs don't keep long in a cooler when it's sweltering, so we used it as an excuse to get everyone out for a little exercise before bed.

Bikes away! Hey, is that an English style garden?

Brick streets. A characteristic I love to look at but do not always enjoy riding on.

Oliver thinks he can steer.

We took our usual route into town. We picked up our eggs and we headed home a slightly different way. We used more roads lined with bricks. They are beautiful, but not the best for biking. I snagged a few pictures, but no one got one of Oliver and I together. Maybe next time.

Biking to an Appointment

It has been a week full of van travels. I have been working up at the Huntington Museum of Art in the mornings and using each pass through town as an opportunity to pick up something or drop off other things. The museum sits atop a hill with steep tight turns. You don't drive up it any faster than 35mph, 25 at most places. Biking was not an option this week. Riding the bus was not possible either as there isn't one that goes up the hill.

One of those extra errands was picking up London's Junior Viper bicycle we left at a friend's home a couple weeks ago. Having this bike back meant a couple different options for our older children to ride. London could either ride her cruiser or the Viper and Elliot could choose between his Mini Viper or the Junior. I think eventually London will ride my bike and Elliot will have the Junior.

The Appointment
When I returned from art camp today it was nearing time for London's orthodontist consult. The office is on 8th Street, but not past the aqua ducts. Brent and London rode bikes! I was so glad they choose to ride. Partly because the gas tank was on E and well, this is exactly what we are moving toward.

 They had to lock up on the sign out front, but it made for a cute photo. Carrying their helmets in to the office, the Dr. said he was meaning to get bike racks. I hope he does. Gestures like those would reinforce the sense of small town community Huntington is trying to empower.

Last year we met with three orthodontist. We choose this one to return to because of his more relaxed and less urgent assessment of London's mouth. The others exclaimed she needed braces right away. When we got the card reminding us to call for a follow up and we remembered he was downtown, the choice was reinforced as being the right one for us at this time. Moving our Drs and other errands to more central locations has not been hard, but it has taken some effort. We are all due to see the dentist soon. Which reminds me, I need to call Dr. Woodruff's office tomorrow to set up appointments.

The great news at Dr. Thompson's office?  London can wait yet a year for another consult. She needs to loose a few more baby teeth.

Three Week Review

Brent left Huntington, WV for Elkins, WV on July 2, 2011. For 21 days and nights, I was the sole care taker of our four children. Admittedly, I was concerned about my level of patience for such a task. In addition, I was going to drive the van as little as possible. I have been trying to build my patience and independence in a healthy way. This was a challenge I needed. I also needed this time with my children.

From my journal entries, here is the tale of 21 days of flying solo:

Brent left today for Elkins, WV. He took the bike. The only adult working bike we had. His brother drove him over and came back. We didn't need to go anywhere after Brent drove to the bank for cash and a grocery run and to check the mail at a friend's house. What would have been a good bike ride was turned over to the van b/c of his departure time. 7-2-11

Another day at home. The children and I didn't have anything to do but muck around the house. I can't wait to hear about Brent's bike adventures. 7-3-11

A fourth of July a world apart from last year. We ate homemade meals and played around till bed time. The children did a Pirates of the Caribbean flick the I loaded them in the van for a 10pm, 3mile, 30minute tour looking for pyrotechnics. Oliver fell fast asleep and we ended up at the Ohio river for a few minutes looking at homemade displays and then home for bed. 7-4-11

This was going to be our car day, but it was a little more than five miles of driving for a couple hours of errands. The children were just uncooperative. I did manage to drop off my bike downtown for a repair tuneup and they call when I got home. It was done, and for less than $50. That's a good deal and good service. Perhaps we will retrieve it tomorrow and go for a test ride with the children. Fun times! 7-5-11

How fortunate are we? My dinner guests retrieved our bike for us. She even picked up milk for me at the store. We didn't need to go anywhere! 7-6-11

I really enjoy not driving anywhere right now. Getting ready to bike takes a lot more planning, but I can see the rhythm of it getting easier. I hitched up the trailer to my new tuned up bike and loaded the little boys. London rode independently. We went downtown to the library. They had a bike rack right outside the doors, but there were very unsavory and questionable people (they were talking about stealing bikes, smoking in front of the children and some had obvious mental impairments) there as well. I also don't know how to lock up my trailer, so I waited with it. Then we biked down to fencing at the church. Played a bit then biked home. The very slight grade can be felt going home. 7-7-11

Home day. The neighbor took three of the children to the movies. How wonderful! 7-8-11

Being without my husband has been the greatest excuse for not going anywhere, but my grocery supply is critical. I can make do without a lot, but I have done that since Wednesday, so we really need to go. We also had an opportunity to see Brent about an hour away, so we took it. I packed and planned yesterday and threw together a quick breakfast and set off early. We picked him at the Capitol and drove to the farmer's market. Drove downtown for lunch then back the Capitol. Put fuel in the van. First time since the Ohio trip on about June 26. Drove to Barboursville to let the children play at a friend's house while I got the vitals. Drove home. Stayed home, because we acquired two extra children. 7-9-11

Thanks to FB, I got wind of a meeting of hands and hearts at the community garden down the street. It approached 100 degrees today and I was determined not to go, but confirmation that the children were welcome to help strengthened my resolve and we loaded up the bikes and took off. Elliot still needs a lot of practice with biking. He had a hard time slowing down before Hal Greer and went about a foot into the road before stopping by throwing his feet out. He was more hurt in the area of confidence. Yet, he got back up, practiced in the parking lot across the way and rode the rest of the way there. We put in about an hour, nibbled our sandwiches and biked home for baths and bed. 7-10-11

Meal swap was meeting this morning at the park. London had already been picked up by her ride to art camp so the boys and I loaded the trailer. It was extra heavy b/c of the glass containers of food. I was concerned the brakes were going to fail coming down our drive way. Again, we made it. We played at the park, took a couple laps on bikes and headed home. It was hard work hauling that extra weight. I wanted to give up, but didn't. After we cooled down we needed to mail a cable to Brent. If he didn't need it over-nighted and had he not forgotten it, we could have mailed it from home. We drove to the PO. Elliot's just not ready for the distance. While we were out, we stopped at Jeff's and picked up a helmet for Oliver and a new flag for the trailer. I love local business, but my wallet cringes. 7-11-11

Today was our car day. First I had to take care of myself. I had fallen ill to a grave fever and sore throat. After my husband called in the cavalries, I walked to the hospital walk-in Dr's office and did my thing, then walked to the pharmacy and then home. We meddled around the house then a friend picked up a couple boys, Oliver and I napped. London was at camp. Then I set out to do my car things. Trendy tots, CSA, recycle, eggs, pick up boys, deliver diaper goods, home. We enjoyed a light dinner, a lot of A/C then headed out again for tennis. We did a stop at Baskin Robbins for some delicious treats then came home. Our neighbor needed a ride back from the dealership where he was getting car repairs so we did a west end drive. Finally home and ready to crash to get well. 7-12-11

Another wonderful day at home. We had a birth to three therapist over and not another thing on the calendar. I spent some time resting and cleaning up the chaos from being ill. 7-13-11

A second birth to three appointment in our home this morning. More cleaning and food prepping and no driving or biking anywhere. There was one last nap to work in. 7-14-11

We have our second anniversary Critical Mass ride tomorrow and I am not sure how Elliot is going to do. I thought it best to take him out for a test ride. London was still getting rides to and from art camp and today I had Joni bring her home so Amara could visit. Because London just got the new cruiser we had enough bikes and helmets to ride the friend home. This was perfect. We didn't need to get in the van and we could test Elliot's distance riding. I took five children out on the bike. Three independently riding and two in the trailer. The weather was mid 70s and partly sunny. Most perfect for us. Elliot rode the whole thing without complaining. We covered about seven miles in 90 minutes. We returned the friend and left the extra bike with the understanding we would pick it up on Tuesday when we were out in the van. Then we headed down the street to pick up an extra helmet from the Amsbary's for Etta. To add a little more distance and so Elliot could see the route, we rode down to the Memorial arch and back home. It was a great success. 7-15-11

It's Critical Mass day and I was so nervous and scared and excited. Ashley and Etta agreed to come with us and I was going to hook up the extra trailer to her bike. It turned out not to fit b/c of a kickstand issue and we used the toddler seat instead. We left the house with five minutes till ride time. Luckily we were not the only slow pokes and they hadn't left yet. Two adults, five children, four bikes. The best of times. We were gone for two hours and covered over 8 miles in all. Elliot was a champ. Everyone made the whole ride easily, except me. I couldn't get up the last ten feet of the 10^th Street aqua-duct. Otherwise, we were glorious in our finish. 7-16-11

Saturday has fallen upon us once again. We drove to tennis, still haven't ironed out where to get on that #8 bus. Took London's cruiser in for a tune up, chain tightening and some oil. We vowed to pick it up on Tuesday when we knew we were out in the car again. While we were there we picked up a lime green flag for the trailer, chain oil, and grips for Elliot's bike handles. I called back to the shop latter to see if they could get a front toddler seat for Oliver. We will discuss this on Tuesday. I think I have narrowed it down to an iBert or Yepp Mini. We also had a Harry Potter party in the afternoon to attend followed presumably by biking and fencing in the park. We biked and scootered to all of it b/c London's bikes were out of commission. Then home again. I forgot, Charlie also biked home with us. Three days of evening biking! 7-17-11

A lazy Sunday? Hmm. Home all day till a more than needed grocery trip this evening. I am going to drive to lessen the burden on Melinda who is taking in all four of the rascals for me for about 90min. I haven't checked on how to lock up my bike yet either. Maybe that will be my mission tonight, to scope out the scene? 7-18-11

I didn't scope out the scene. I ended up at the Kroger I am unlikely to bike to. I also took note that a weeks worth of groceries will fit in the trailer, but not with the children in there. That will need to be a solo trip, or two trailers. Or panniers? Now that would fun.

Monday was interesting. I was baby sitting Etta again for most of the day and this time all the children were here. We didn't have anywhere to go, so we called it another home day. 7-18-11

Tuesday is car day. I blogged about all 15 stops we made and about our first bus ride. I think this journal is going to go live. 7-19-11

Woke up to get the eggs by bike. Quick and easy and fun. 7-20-11

Haven't gone anywhere all week. Everyone has come to us or taken the children were they need to go. London had fencing on Wednesday evening and she got a ride with a friend. Avery had a play date today and was picked up and dropped off because I had three extra girls here. We will be doing another van trip tomorrow and I am trying to plan everything to maximize my mileage to make it all work. 7-22-11

In summary, we drove more than I thought we would, but less than most. I also over came some personal hurdles and gave the children plenty of new experiences.