Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated

Kevin has been driving his '96 Ford Ranger longer than he has been parenting half of our children.  We bought it in 1998, and it has been a remarkable transportation value, really.  It has attracted the admiration of a certain set of automotive-centric friends and neighbors- some of whom have repeatedly offered to take it off our hands.  Sadly, after 200,000 miles, the truck has experienced its first mechanical failure.  It was hard for us to wrap our minds around it-we don't even have a mechanic that we have ever worked with.  I worry that the 'age of the truck' is nearing an end.
I, too, have had poor automotive luck this summer.  My Mom-Mobile became unreliable shortly before a busy summer that included two trips to CA.  The transmission guy tried to reassure me by saying that I shouldn't worry while I decided what to do with car, as long as I didn't plan to take any long drives! 

We replaced our old Odyssey with a new one that looks remarkably like a hearse from certain angles.  Niall really wanted a black one, but that would really only work during the Halloween season.  The new 'Topaz' Odyssey has some slick integrated technology, like Bluetooth capability and every 'port' imaginable.  That, combined with the appearance and the overall sensibility of a larger 'family' vehicle, led Coral to suggest that we name it 'The Borg'.  We could not have found a more perfect name.  I giggle about it every time my satellite radio transmission is interrupted by a phone call coming through the sound system.  Jonathan, Lance's brother and fellow 'Trekkie' with Coral, kindly supplied me with an appropriate rear view mirror ornament.

We have been assimilated.