GOOD CARMA
The rules of good Karma say that the effects of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences. Yesterday, concerned about the future weather patterns headed for the northeast this winter, I purchased the must-have accessory for anyone who lives in cold weather climates: a (used) Four-Wheel Drive vehicle. Despite its good condition (I'm not judging the prior owners) odors from the past occupants linger. To ensure a bright future and good experiences for me and my passengers, I climbed into my new purchase this morning with a roll of paper towels and some of my favorite cleaning products. If you're like me your car is an extension of your home (it's my office, often my dining room on the run, I spend the better part of my days in it, etc.) so I want it to be safe, clean and a reflection of me. Growing up in earthquake country I learned to be prepared for anything: at home we had earthquake kits and in our cars we carried first aid kits, water, portable radios, etc. My mother purchased backpacks for all of us filled with freeze-dried food and water purification systems, flashlight, portable radio with batteries, small blanket and first aid kit. While we don't have earthquakes on the east coast, you never know where you might end up! Our dear friend, Judy, keeps half of the LL Bean catalog (pajamas, blankets, pillows, etc.) in the back of her SUV "just in case." So, while I scrub away the crumbs from the previous owners I'm also stocking up on emergency necessities, just in case! CREATE GOOD CAR (or TRUCK)MA!
Here are just a few things I did to straighten up our new ride:
1.) The Mr. Clean Magic eraser is genius! I used it to remove subtle scratches on the exterior and scuffs on the leather interior.
2.) To condition the leather I used Armorals LEATHER PROTECTANT.
3.) Nothing like a bottle of windex and paper towels to clean shift knobs, steering wheels and just about everything else.
4.) To get rid of the musty smell of kiddie tushie in the back seat, I sprinkled Arm and Hammer's PET FRESH on the carpet (not too much, it's fairly strong!), waited a few minutes and vacuumed it up!
4.) For my emergency kit I ran to target, purchased a cheap backpack and filled it with a flashlight, first aid kit, portable radio with batteries and water. All found in the camping section!
IF YOU'RE IN THE MARKET IN THIS MARKET:
To find the best deals given our present financial crisis, I headed to http://www.autotrader.com/ and found a fantastic deal on an SUV. While I thought about buying new, slightly used cars are far less expensive and often come with extended warranties. After researching the car (we went to http://www.carmax.com/ and for a fee of $25.oo were able to find all service records for this particular vehicle, accident reports, etc.)
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: (Creating safety BackPack)Fifteen minutes
COST: Backpack with goodies from Target: $35.00 (in the camping section of Target or Wal*Mart you can find waterproof radios, flashlights, freeze-dried food and water...you never know...and first aid kits)
STRESS LEVEL: Prepared for the worst but hoping for the best: LOW
