PontifiKate

Car Gymnastics

Real-Life Story Problems with the Ghormleys: Juggling Cars & Schedules

Regarding Sunday, June 19th, 2005

The Predicament:

Dad needs to go to Des Moines to preach a Sunday morning sermon. He will leave around 6am and return at 3pm or so. Mom needs to go to Zion at 7:30am to practice with the worship team. Kate needs/wants to go to Zion for 1st service to make sure that the new PowerPoint computer is working. She must be there to teach the 3rd grade Sunday School class. She must stay after 2nd service for a VBS meeting. Anne needs to go to Zion at 7:30 to practice with the worship team. She must be there to co-teach the 1st grade Sunday School class. She must arrive at LHS (with her luggage for the week) for the Super (music) Camp initial staff meeting at noon, meaning she must leave Zion after the worship team finishes/before the sermon 2nd service. She does not need a car this week and we can’t afford to have one sitting in the LHS lot all week, so we'll have to drop her off or perform a car pick-up later. Joe needs to be at Sunday School and at one of the services. He’d prefer to go to 2nd service. He would walk from home to Sunday School, but he has a limp from his summer school gym class. The family has access to three cars: the Van (the red van), the Kia, and the Barge (the white van). We can add one more vehicle to the mix (Bess’s car) if we think an additional car is worth having to coordinate Bess’s needs as well... It’s worth it. Bess needs to go to Zion at 7:30 to practice with the worship team. She must be there to co-teach the 1st grade Sunday School class. She’d prefer to leave after worship team finishes/before the sermon 2nd service. So what’s the best course of action?

The Plan:

Dad takes the Kia to Des Moines. Mom & Anne take the Van to Zion for worship team practice. Bess takes her car to Zion for worship team practice. Kate takes the Barge to get to 1st service. Kate comes home in the Barge during 1st service (after she’s sure that PowerPoint is working). Kate brings Joe in the Barge for Sunday School and 2nd service. Bess & Anne leave in Bess’s car after the choruses 2nd service, stop at home and get Anne’s luggage, and Bess drops Anne off at LHS. Mom & Joe leave Zion together after 2nd service in the Van. Kate leaves Zion after the VBS meeting in the Barge.

Whew! Every once in a while it gets a bit tricky like that. Maybe it's not anything all that extraordinary, but it sure does make my head hurt.

posted by Kate @ 9:27 PM