Little Smart Car

Oh No! A Chip in My Window!

2012-01-30T11:43:00.001-06:00

Not even a monthold, and Little Red Smart Car got a chip in the front window while drivingthrough Garden City, KS yesterday. Wewere almost home from our trip to California. Jeff, our local glass technician, came over right away this morning tofix it.

2012-01-24T10:52:00.003-06:00

Wouldn't this look great on Little Smart Car?

So much water!

2012-01-16T19:42:00.000-06:00

I was less than a week old when I got to California--I've been busy checking out all the local sites. Here I am by the beach. There are cliffs all along this area, so I can park near the edge.

Brand New for 2012

2012-01-07T10:41:00.001-06:00

I've been replaced! They traded me in on a little red tomato.....

Smart is Best in 2010 Roll-Over Testing

2011-12-26T16:47:00.000-06:00

This video was found on Dailymotion dot com and is well worth sharing. The Smart Fortwo has the strongest roof and the Chevrolet Aveo has the weakest among 2009 micro and minicars recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Smart earns the highest rating of good compared with acceptable for the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper, and Toyota Yaris. The Aveo is rated marginal. The rating system is based on Institute research showing that occupants in rollover crashes benefit from stronger roofs. Vehicles rated good must have roofs that are more than twice as strong as the current minimum federal safety standard requires. The ratings, products of the Institute's new roof strength testing program, add to consumer information tests that rate vehicles for front, side, and rear crashworthiness. The roof test is designed to help consumers pick vehicles that will help protect them in rollover crashes.

http://youtu.be/nSaffWbNmV8

Stone Age Bug!

2011-12-15T18:23:00.000-06:00

I don't know where this is, but it would be fun to visit!

2011-11-22T10:29:00.001-06:00

2011-11-17T17:15:00.001-06:00

To Do LIst

2011-08-11T12:04:00.002-05:00

I need a bath...

Original Smart Car?

2011-07-18T09:40:00.005-05:00

What a Smart might have looked like in 1910!

Lunch with the Chicken

2011-06-12T22:40:00.004-05:00

Today we had lunch after church at the big chicken--otherwise known as Tommy's. Actually John & Rae had lunch while I had to wait outside.

Look at that chicken! He's lots bigger than me!

Family Reunion

2011-06-11T17:39:00.003-05:00

We've been having a family reunion this past week...such a busy time! It seems I'm always on the go! Here I am between two of my big brothers who live on the farm.

I also have a big brother Outlook that lives in New Mexico, but I didn't get a picture beside him or my other big brother that lives in West Virginia--he is an Aspen.

Doughnuts!

2011-06-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today is National Doughnut Day! Guess where I'm going?

Gas price today: $3.80

2011-05-10T09:27:00.003-05:00

Woo Hoo! Gas prices are going down! I actually saw a sign for $3.80 this morning! Granted, I don’t use too much gas, and it only takes 9 gallons for fill me up—but, I still get concerned about prices, too.

In fact, I’ve made 2 trips from Nebraska to California (and back) this year already. In January John & Rae spent $300 for the round trip, and just two months later in April, the same trip cost $50 more.

Does anyone remember when gas was 99¢? I’m too young to remember that, but Rae talks about it sometimes….

Traveling around California

2011-04-22T17:20:00.005-05:00

Rae and I drove into San Luis Obispo yesterday (that’s the town that Oprah featured a couple of months ago because it is the friendliest in the country) to do some errands. On the way we stopped to visit the100-year-old Octagon Barn. There are only 2 others in California. The local people have started a campaign to restore it.

In Utah

2011-04-13T08:43:00.003-05:00

I've been driving cross country going to the beach in California, Right now I'm in Vegas (no fun for me: I'm stuck in the Hotel guest parking garage)because Rae is attending the eBay Convention. But here are a pictures of me at two different rest stops in Utah yesterday.

Another Road Trip!

2011-04-09T22:06:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited! Rae took me through the car wash today. And then she announced we are going on another road trip! I'm going to Las Vegas! I just love traveling and seeing new places! And after 2 days in Vegas we get to go back out to California. I'm so excited that I am shaking with anticipation! Wow--can you imagine me in Vegas? I'll get packed up tomorrow afternoon, and then we leave early Monday morning.

Kobe Bryant Catches a Thief in a Smart Car

2011-03-30T15:12:00.002-05:00

This is a good demonstration of how a taller person (6 1/2 foot tall Kobe Bryant) can fit into a little Smart Car! The ad was made in China.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T09:40:00.002-05:00

Since it's March 17, there's no other color for a Smart Car!

Japanese Water Powered Car

2011-03-08T16:36:00.001-06:00

Three years ago a Japanese company named Genepax debuted a prototype vehicle that runs entirely on water and air. Their new "Water Energy System (WES)," generates power by supplying water and air to the fuel and air electrodes using a proprietary technology called the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). The secret behind MEA is a special material that is capable of breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen through a chemical reaction.

Not surprisingly, Genenpax kept the exact details of their technology under wraps, but they did say that their new process, while based on existing technology, is expected to produce hydrogen from water for longer time than any method currently available. Furthermore, WES does not require a hydrogen reformer, a high-pressure hydrogen tank, or any special catalysts to get the job done.

During the initial news conference, Genepax unveiled a fuel cell stack with a rated output of 120W and a fuel cell system with a rated output of 300W—and explained that there are plans for a 1kw-class generation system for use in both electric vehicles and houses sometime in the future. At this point, the cost of production on the water-powered vehicle engine itself is around about ¥2,000,000 (US$18,522), but they hope to drop the price to ¥500,000 (US$4600) or less if they succeed in bringing it into mass production.

I wonder what happened?

A Dog?

2011-03-08T08:39:00.002-06:00

I just heard that Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) made a Fan Page for his new puppy. He is cute—looks a bit like one of the dogs that live at my house.

Isn’t Social Media fun?

My Big Brothers

2011-02-19T22:20:00.001-06:00

Look at me—I’m between two of my big brothers. Jake is on the left and Noah is the red truck on the right.

smart fortwo - A big idea for two.

2011-02-16T09:58:00.000-06:00

Pismo Beach

2011-01-26T19:32:00.002-06:00

We have been going to the Pismo Pier a lot this week. I have to stay in the parking lot--they don't allow cars on the pier.

In Santa Barbara

2011-01-17T21:28:00.006-06:00

I went south to Santa Barbara for my yearly check-up. It's so neat that I only have to change oil every 10,000 miles! It's closer for me to drive to Santa Barbara out here than it would be to drive to the dealership in Omaha. It's only about 90 miles south here in California.

Look at this gorgeous weather--keep in mind it's still mid-January out here!

Santa Barbara is in the foothills--and look at those palm trees! They're everywhere!

My California Home

2011-01-16T23:46:00.006-06:00

I've been having so much fun here in the good weather that I haven't posted much. Here I am at my California house. Not many Smart Cars can say they have a home in Nebraska and one in California!

In California

2011-01-12T16:33:00.005-06:00

We made it to California--I've been having so much fun I haven't updated the blog! The weather here is so much better than it is in Nebraska right now. I hear they have 12 inches of snow!

Here I am along side a new friend...his name is Greens. We ate lunch at a Pizza Parlor just down the street and noticed him sitting out here all alone, so I came over to say hello. May-be we'll go back down to the beach later today....

In New Mexico

2011-01-02T21:26:00.003-06:00

We are in New Mexico, just north of Santa Fe, visiting Rae & John's daughter Erin. Their house is built in a traditional southwest-style. Here I am parked in front of their front door.

I will be going to Albuquerque tomorrow--we will catch Interstate 40 there and go west across Arizona.

Oh No! Snow!

2010-12-31T10:52:00.002-06:00

We have snow! And, we were supposed to be leaving for California today....The highway reports are not good, so Rae says we will try tomorrow. Check back often--I'll be writing about all my adventures on the road!

New Little Sister

2010-11-30T14:22:00.003-06:00

I have a new little sister--she doesn't have a name yet....I'll let you know when she does! Right now we just call her little red bug...

The Bee Gees - Love So Right

2010-11-26T09:15:00.000-06:00

Facebook

2010-11-21T18:04:00.002-06:00

Rae made me a Facebook page! What fun! I can go Beep Beep all over, now!

I'm So Clean!

2010-11-12T11:02:00.002-06:00

It was a busy day yesterday! I had two baths! I went to Kermit’s (my favorite car wash here in town) to get cleaned up for a trip to Omaha where I needed a little bit of a check-up. In this colder weather my shifter sometimes gets stuck. I’m obviously a warm-weather car! But, it got fixed—the Smart Maintenance department said I needed a new brake sensor…so they replaced that.

And, while I was in for my check-up they washed and vacuumed me out! Whoo Hoo! I am sooo clean! It even rained on the way home—I wonder if that counts as a third wash?

Big secret: I get to go on another trip in January! I just love road trips! This time I get to see new country since we’re driving west to California!

I’m just posing in this picture at Kermit’s—see little Hammie looking out the window? He’s John’s dog—he’s half Shitzhu and half Maltese, but he does like to ride along when we are out running errands, or just dropping John off at work in the morning.

New Smart Ad

2010-11-04T14:25:00.004-05:00

A Smart Pumpkin!

2010-10-29T09:10:00.007-05:00

How Smart are You? (Quiz)

2010-10-23T08:20:00.002-05:00

The Discovery Channel has posted a fun little quiz to see how "smart" you are about Smart Cars. Check it out here!

And, of course I got every answer right! Aren't I smart!

More on Breast Cancer Month

2010-10-21T22:03:00.003-05:00

The Nebraska Breast Cancer Bus came through Grand Island last week. I drove over to show how I was proudly displaying my pink survivor ribbon.

Breakfast at Tiffany's--OOPS: Tommy's

2010-10-17T09:48:00.003-05:00

Rae and Dee usually have lunch together on Wednesdays, but this Wednesday they had breakfast at Tommy's. I got to park by the big chicken. Wow! It's bigger than me!

Should I go green?

2010-10-08T11:09:00.001-05:00

Rae's friend, Lori

2010-10-02T07:44:00.002-05:00

Rae’s good friend Lori Schlick is visiting Nebraska this week, so of course she had to sit in me. Like everyone else, Lori thought I was just so cute!

Lori and her husband Paul are missionaries in Zambia. They are in charge of building a school for International Bible College. They have been over there for a year and will be returning for another 4 years. Lori has a website all about it: Zambia The Next Step.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2010-10-01T15:30:00.001-05:00

I’m all cleaned up again! (Many thanks to the guys at Kermit’s who always do such a great job!)

Rae put a pink Survivor ribbon on me.. Rae had Breast Cancer in 2001 and is a 9-year survivor.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and today everyone is blogging about Army of Women. They are a group dedicated to finding a cure for Breast Cancer. The Army of Women two year anniversary is today, which also coincides with the 25th year anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Army of Women wants to help by creating a large database of diverse volunteers who researchers can contact for studies. They need women of all shapes, sizes and ages, from all around the globe — healthy women, women with cancer, and survivors. The “Army of Women” is always looking for recruits to help in their research. You can sign up at the Army of Women website.

Paris Motor Show

2010-09-27T14:08:00.001-05:00

Check out the the first smart fortwo to have its interior and exterior components designed and produced with high-quality recyclable cardboard from Smart in Germany. The car will be on display this week in Paris at a smart exhibit in conjunction with the Paris Motor Show.

A Week Around Town

2010-09-18T08:03:00.007-05:00

Last Friday Rae’s daughter Chelsea was driving my older sister “Blue Saturn,” when a cable went out. It was a pretty important cable—the one that goes from the gear shift to the transmission. So we had to go out to rescue her and call the tow truck to get Blue Saturn to the repair shop.

Then Rae let Chelsea take me to her job at Holiday Inn….Here’s a picture of me there, but there’s no signs to show that I’m really at Holiday Inn.

Speaking of motels, I went to Comfort Inn with Rae on Sunday, to get Hannah, her friend from Iowa. Hannah and Gary were visiting for the week-end. We had lots of fun with them, and of course, they thought I was cute….

On Thursday new Goodwill in town opened so we had to go there to check out their shelves. Rae gets a lot of her eBay inventory from thrift shops. John thinks it’s a good thing that I’m small so she can’t carry much home!

And on Friday we went back to Ken's Auto Repair to pick up Blue Saturn. Our favorite repairman, Matt, came right out to get a closer look at me--Rae offered to let him drive, but he said no. Look at those fancy fins I'm behind!

Pink?

2010-09-12T23:46:00.001-05:00

Rae says she'd like a pink Smart Car...I wonder if this design might work?

New Electric Smart

2010-09-08T13:27:00.001-05:00

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow poses with the smart fortwo electric drive on September 2, 2010.

Well, at least I'm Cute...

2010-09-08T11:24:00.002-05:00

The HumanCar is the self-funded brainchild of Charles Samuel Greenwood, an engineer who has been working on developing the perfect human-powered vehicle since the late 1960s. Now, it looks like his car is actually getting somewhere. According to Autoblog Green, the lightweight "Imagine PS" is street legal and, if four people are cranking inside, can run on human power alone. "PS" stands for "power station." Based in Eugene, Ore., HumanCar Inc. is preparing to start producing the car.

The vehicle has electric plug-in capabilities, so it can still run if only one person is operating the hand-crank in a rowing-like motion. When four people are all rowing, it can run on human power alone.

I'm So Photogenic!

2010-09-07T21:30:00.002-05:00

I got my picture taken again today! I know, Rae is always taking my picture…but this time it was someone else who took a quick snap-shot using his cell phone as we passed on a corner.

The same thing happened also back in March when we were coming back from my first out-of-town road-trip to Kearney. I got my picture taken (also with a cell phone) while I was at a stop sign when we got back to town. That was the same trip when a train whistled at me when the highway was parallel to the tracks. Later when we were talking to the dealership in Omaha, someone commented that a train engineer in North Platte (west of us) also owns a Smart Car…so it might have been him just saying “hello.”

Here I am parked at Rae’s friend Dee’s house. We usually go to lunch on Wednesdays—I wonder where we’ll be going tomorrow?

OutSmart

2010-09-06T08:11:00.005-05:00

Look! There's another Smart Blog. This one is promoting using the Smart in Art...It's called OutSmart. This picture is by Samantha Eynon.

The blog writer explained how he got interested in Smart Art:

We hired a Smart car on Holiday in Greece which gave me the idea to create a fun brief for a collection of artwork inspired by this popular little car. Smart are a brand that I admire and I have always wanted to contribute to a cool collection of artwork with some of my favorite illustrators so it seemed like an exciting venture.
And this one is by Gaia Bordicchia.

The Strong Man & The Smart Car

2010-08-31T00:07:00.004-05:00

There was a Smart Rally in Europe last month. Part of the festivities was a Strong Man demonstration. They pulled a string of 5 Smarts!

Another competition involved lifting a Smart Car full of people.

Clown Car

2010-08-29T23:27:00.006-05:00

Rae always says I look like a clown car in the circus...well, here's a real one! What fun!

Neighbors?

2010-08-25T23:19:00.002-05:00

This Smart Car is owned by Meghan & Dave Thiele from Scottsbluff—which is just about 300 miles west of us. I wonder if they might be coming to Grand Island for the State Fair—we could have lunch!

Steak Dinner!

2010-08-20T10:35:00.005-05:00

We had dinner at Texas T-Bone last night (well, actually just John & Rae got to eat—I had to wait outside).

John’s favorite dinner is steak, so they like to go there. After eating, some of the staff came outside to see me!

This is the big bull (he has a name, but I’ve forgotten) outside in the Texas T-Bone parking lot. He’s all prettied up for the State Fair in two weeks.

The owner of the restaurant says it’s very important to remember all of our military men and women, so he always has a sign on the bull honoring specific ones in our community. He also sponsors special care packages to be sent overseas at Christmas time.

Everyone Has a Smart Car

2010-08-18T10:22:00.001-05:00

This is an article about the Schmoigl family from Bavaria. From grandpa Max to grandson Sebastian - every member has their own Smart Car!

One Limo, Two Limos, One Smart

2010-08-16T12:38:00.003-05:00

I ran across two limos this weekend. They were parked near a flower shop--not doing anything. Perhaps they were resting up for a run on Saturday night? Sure makes me feel tiny!

Cat Mobile in Maine

2010-08-08T18:25:00.003-05:00

Rae's niece in Maine sent some pictures of a cute little “Cat” Smart that is at the Knox County Humane Society in Thomaston, Maine.

The car goes to Parades and recruits volunteers for the Humane Society. I hear she gets lots of attention. If I'm ever out there I'll be sure to stop and say hello!

My First Car show

2010-08-07T22:52:00.008-05:00

I went to the car show down town this afternoon. I met so many new friends: I parked between aqua 1957 Chevy and 1937 Oldsmobile. We got to talk all afternoon—what fun! 1937 Oldsmobile won Best of Show for a Car with Original Parts—and I was right there next to her!

John had a great time showing me off to anyone who came by.

And, look at this: Marilyn Monroe came by to see me! She arrived in a spiffy 1958 Ford Fairlane, which was parked just a few cars down from me.

Getting Pretty at the Car Wash

2010-08-07T09:38:00.014-05:00

There's a car show downtown this afternoon, so I went out early this morning to get pretty again. I went to the new car wash on West Second Street (right across from McD's). Mark and his crew dusted and polished and washed and then even hand-dried me so I'll look my best today.

Look at this—it takes four people to make me look good! I really wasn't that dirty—I think they just wanted to see me.

Dalton and Shandell are vacuuming me from head to toe. That Big Red van in front of me is local Radio Station KRGI's mobile unit. I wonder if it will be downtown today, too?

Now for my bath! Matt did a super job getting me sparkling clean!

A bit of pampering for my big debut!

Mark (the manager at Kermit's) is doing some last-minute polishing before I go. Thanks, guys, for making me so pretty!

See you later downtown! Beep Beep!

Swiss Smart

2010-08-05T09:00:00.003-05:00

Rae found this picture of a Smart that was painted by a clothing designer. The picture was on Facebook with a comment in Spanish, which we translated on Google:

The famous Swiss designer Rolf Sachs has designed Smart ForTwo using his unique technique of 'splashing and marking' to create an enthusiastic look that is full of life with fine speckles.

My New Friend The Model A

2010-07-30T22:45:00.002-05:00

This is Little Nostalgia--she's a 1930 Model A Ford. I saw her in front of the new sweet shop and just had to stop to introduce myself. Isn't she a beauty?

Some Smart Cars I'd Like to Meet

2010-07-27T18:11:00.005-05:00

What a pretty blue! You can just about see the ocean in her doors...It makes me want to go to California!

I wonder if Chocula (see yesterday's post) knows this Canadian Lumberjack Smart car?

Another New Friend!

2010-07-26T23:11:00.004-05:00

Gordon Nore from Toronto, Ontario wrote to introduce me to his Smart called Chocula. What a pretty color for a Smart Car--I like chocolate even more than I like Snickerdoodle cookies! It’s so much fun meeting new friends--I hope more Smart Cars write to me!

Out to Eat

2010-07-26T10:26:00.003-05:00

What an exciting weekend! Everywhere I went people commented on the article in Friday's newspaper. A couple of people even asked if I was giving out autographs....I replied that if they had a newspaper I'd gladly drive over it and leave my tire print.

Sunday evening we tried the newest Mexican restaurant here in Grand Island: La Cabana. It's in that little Fonner Park shopping center on South Locust. John was impressed because they cooked his steak just the way he likes it (rare). Rae had the grilled chicken salad. Noah & Shannon invited us out so we could celebrate John's birthday and a belated Father's Day (if you recall, we were in WV for Father's Day).

I'm Famous!

2010-07-23T09:30:00.004-05:00

Beep Beep! Did you see me in this morning’s paper?

Rae brought it out first thing for me to see—I’m so excited! I’ll bet everyone will wave at me today while we’re out (Rae says we have to go to the grocery store and will probably stop at a few yard sales since it’s Friday).

Look at this: I’m even above the Independent’s Masthead! And, they called me an “attention-getter.” Awww…I’m going to be blushing all day…

If you don’t get our local paper, you can still see the article online: http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2010/07/23/news/local/12094339.txt

My Interview

2010-07-22T11:13:00.001-05:00

Ellen from the Grand Island Independent came by to interview me this morning...she said I might be in tomorrow's paper! (So look for it!)

She sat in my driver's seat for a picture before leaving. We had a great time!

I'm So Pretty!

2010-07-21T23:23:00.000-05:00

I’m so excited! The newspaper is coming to interview me tomorrow! And, a photographer is coming too, so I went to Gosda’s car wash today to get all prettied up for my interview.

Brandon gave me a full shampoo (look at the pink bubbles!) and vacuumed my carpets, and polished all my outside parts. Rae told him why I needed to look my best, so I'm sure he did an extra good job.

2010-07-21T09:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday John!

Rae & I went to Eileen’s Colossal Cookies to get a giant cookie for him to share with his whole office today.

This is Mona at the Grand Island cookie store—she came out to show me the cookie before we took it to John. I sure do like Eileen’s cookies! My favorite is snickerdoodle, but we got John his favorite: chocolate chip (and of course Mona decorated it with a Nebraska big Red N).

Crochet A Car Cozy!

2010-07-19T23:37:00.000-05:00

A photographer from Britain spotted this Smart Car sporting a crocheted cozy. It was created by Magda Sayeg for the Il Lusso Essenziale art festival in Rome.

GI Jane

2010-07-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

This is at John’s office. He has a co-worker who owns this cute little red bug. Her license plates say “GI JANE.” Unique play on words: GI is for Grand Island, of course. But, as you can see she’s for sale….
It's too bad Jane didn't pull a bit further forward...we would be able to fit into the same parking spot!

The second picture was actually taken before the first. In the time it took Rae to walk across the street and get her camera set, a delivery van pulled up and blocked the view!

Stacked Smarts

2010-07-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

Good-bye PT Cruiser

2010-07-12T09:40:00.000-05:00

Bye, bye PT Cruiser. After 1.3 million were sold, the last one rolled off the assembly line in Toluca, Mexico, last week.

New Smart Colors in Europe

2010-07-08T08:46:00.001-05:00

I think I like the light blue one the best....

Vietnam Memorial Wall

2010-07-06T19:18:00.000-05:00

The traveling Vietnam Wall memorial came to town over the July 4 holiday. They erected it in the Veteran’s Park. We went to visit it yesterday, along with lots of other people!

Here’s a picture of me next to one of the big pick-ups that traveled with it. That pick up was twice as long as me! (Just like the traveling memorial Wall is about half the size of the real on in Washington DC)

Another Smart Car Here!

2010-07-05T23:57:00.000-05:00

I was turning north onto Broadwell Street and saw another little silver Smart Car coming from the south--I was so excited! Rae waved and the other lady waved...The other Smart Car turned left onto 13th Street. Rae remembered that John once thought he'd seen a Smart Car in someone's garage on 13th Street...The other Smart Car turned into its driveway a few blocks later, and of course I pulled over to meet her! It was a "top-of-the-line" model Barbus Cabriolet. The owner (Gloria) said she had it for a year now, but didn't take her out very often. I think I'll call her Barbie..I wonder what Gloria will think of that?

My European friends

2010-07-02T08:56:00.000-05:00

Somewhere in Europe they made a Smart Car out of sand!

Smarts around the world

2010-06-27T16:57:00.000-05:00

I find a few good pictures of Smarts around the world. Here is a group of yellow Smarts lined up on a street in Spain.

Here’s another cute Smart Car—would you believe she’s 7 years old? She lives in England; I found the picture on Facebook.

2010-06-24T21:28:00.000-05:00

More fun in West Virginia: Here is a picture of John trying out his son-in-law's motorcycle. It looks like the bike is longer than me, but it's not! John didn't really ride the bike--he just sat on it to see what it felt like. I think he still likes me better...Beep Beep!

Beep Beep! Good-bye!

2010-06-21T22:34:00.000-05:00

We stayed at Erin's house for a few days, but now it's time to head home.

On the Road Home

2010-06-21T21:22:00.001-05:00

Here I am parked on Highway 79 in West Virginia yesterday! We spent an hour either parked or just creeping along because there was an overturned camper trailer a mile ahead of us.

I have more pictures of my West Virginia vacation--watch for more updates!

In West Virginia!

2010-06-17T13:32:00.001-05:00

Today we went to South Mill Lake in West Virginia. West Virginia has trees everywhere! That's my cousin Saturn Outlook parked next to me. She belongs to John & Rae's daughter Erin. We are visiting Erin's family in Petersburg, WV.

In Kentucky

2010-06-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

Here I am at the Motel 6 in Lexington, KY. Next to me is my older cousin, Little Yellow Beetle. She belomgs to John & Rae's daughter Megan. She drove out from West Virginia to surprise us.

Columbia, Missouri

2010-06-09T20:48:00.000-05:00

Tonight I am staying in Columbia, MO--about half-way between Kansas City and St Louis on I-70. We went to eat at Fazoli's...you'd think we could go someplace I haven't been before, but, no--John said Fazoli's was fine. He thought it would be fun to see if it was much like the one back home in Grand Island.

Road Trip!

2010-06-09T07:50:00.001-05:00

Beep Beep! Road Trip today! I’m so excited! We’re going to West Virginia to see three of John & Rae’s daughters…Megan, Erin, and Samantha. Megan & Erin live in West Virginia and Sam lives in North Carolina. I’ll get to see so much new country and I’ll tell you all about it! Beep Beep!

I have a new friend

2010-06-06T16:17:00.001-05:00

I just met a new friend on Twitter! Her name is “Zippy.” She lives in Scotland with the Miller family.

Chocolate Bunny Car

2010-06-05T13:14:00.001-05:00

I know Easter is long past...but I wanted you to see this little cousin of mine all dressed up like a chocolate bunny!

See Me at the old Grand Theater

2010-05-31T22:19:00.000-05:00

This is the old Grand Theater in Historic Downtown Grand Island, NE. John & Rae volunteer here. The Grand goes back to the mid-1930s when it was a beautiful Art Deco themed theater.

The Grand Theater is run by an all-volunteer staff, showing movies every week-end. On the last Saturday of the month there is a free matinee for the kids that is sponsored by a local business.

There is a museum in the basement that has memorabilia from the old movie houses in the area as well as pictures from the Grand itself. If you are interested, the theater has its own web site: The Grand Theater.

That's not a SMART car!

2010-05-27T16:07:00.000-05:00

Have you seen this picture before? A friend recently forwarded it, but on checking SNOPES, it is not a SMART car!

The accident is recorded (near New Orleans) as happening in May 2009. The car squished between the trucks is a Ford Escape SUV. The impact was not dead center as the photo leads you to believe: it was offset to the right, and thus the driver's side was not damaged much. The driver survived!

Check out my previous post about how strong my framework is--you just can't believe everything you see or hear. Beep Beep!

Built Like a Steel Nut!

2010-05-25T11:30:00.001-05:00

While we were visiting my home-base dealership in Omaha, Rae got a picture of my insides—almost like an X-Ray, isn’t it? Anyway, they had a SMART frame there to show how I’m built. It’s a steel roll-cage—so I’m really just a little steel nut!

Quick Stop in Auburn, NE

2010-05-24T09:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on the way home from St. Joe, we stopped in Auburn (NE) to see Phillip, John & Rae’s oldest grandson. Phillip thought I was pretty small, but did sit in the driver’s seat for a picture. Rae offered to let him take me around the block, but he didn’t want to.

Home Again!

2010-05-23T23:24:00.001-05:00

I’m back home from my road trip—We only went 505 miles, but it was a good trial for the big trip next month when we go to West Virginia! John said I did a great job in the Missouri hills. Lots of truckers waved at me on the highways. We had such a great time on the trip!

Here I am stopped in Lincoln on the way home—I was thirsty, so John was filling my tank! My front looks awful dirty—may-be I’ll get a bath on Monday…

My First Road Trip!

2010-05-22T13:20:00.000-05:00

We traveled to Omaha and stopped to see my brothers & sisters on the car lot where I'm originally from. I spent less than an hour in the maintenance department--good check up report: no cavities LOL. It was good to be home for a quick visit.

And now I'm in St. Joseph, MO--John & Rae are spending the week-end with their daughter Sharona, her husband Guy, and their cute baby girl Breckin. Saturday morning we went out antique shopping. Rae bought an original pet rock. I don't know why she needed that--she's got me!

2010-05-20T22:58:00.000-05:00

This is Noah and baby Ethan. Noah is a big boy (6'2"); he is John & Rae’s son-in-law. He and Ethan showed how they could fit into my front seat. Noah said I was cute, but wasn’t about to give up his big pick-up. Still, Ethan liked being in Grandma's little Smart Car.

One of My Cousins in Europe

2010-05-19T23:40:00.001-05:00

John found a website featuring very little houses. Here’s a picture of one of them (somewhere in Europe) that has one of my cousins parked next to it!

I'm So SMART!

2010-05-19T09:28:00.000-05:00

My new specialty license plates arrived! I can stand out from the crowd now (not that I didn’t already since I’m so cute…) and I don’t have to wear county plates. For those non-Nebraskans reading this, our state license plates show the county number and then a letter/number combination. I live in county number 8, so my “temporary” plates were 8-G1026 but now I proudly wear MY SMART.

We had quite a time coming up with the right license plate. John and Rae posted questions for their friends on FaceBook about what to put on the plates. Rae's favorite was What Dat (suggested by her son-in-law Mark) and John's favorite was Nota Toy. I really wanted Smarty, but that was already taken, so we compromised on MY SMART. Other ideas we had were Agent 99 (you'd have to have grown up in the 60s to understand that one...), Skate, and GI Smart (since I live in Grand Island).

SMART goes to Yard Sales

2010-05-18T16:06:00.001-05:00

One of my most favorite things to do is go out to all the yard sales and rummage sales on the week-end! My cargo area behind the seats holds more than it looks like. Three boxes across the back and I still have plenty of room for more!

And, of course I get all the attention while we’re out. Anytime we stop somewhere, people stop and ask questions. Most people think I run on electricity—they must not have seen my little gas door on the right side. Rae tells people that I only used 2 gallons of gas when they brought me home from Omaha in March.

My First Blog Post!

2010-05-18T09:50:00.001-05:00

Beep Beep! I have my own blog!

I wonder how many other cars have their own blog? Check back often—I’ll tell you where I’ve been and who I’ve seen! Won’t this be fun?

Here’s my first picture: me at the bank last month. You might notice that I don’t have my regular license plates yet. That’s why I’m at the bank: getting enough money to pay the new car taxes and license plate fees! I sure am glad I’m being registered in Nebraska and not California. I can’t imagine what the taxes would be there!