Let's go back to the beginning.
In the Spring of 2002, Jason and I took our 2 boys down to New Zealand for a nice long visit . . . a month. B was 3 years old and C was just a baby--8 months. All I took stroller-wise with us was a cheap little umbrella stroller, you know the type. It was, needless to say, not sufficient for our needs. So Jason and I went into Farmer's in Gisborne on the East Coast (for us Yankees, Farmer's is a large department store, along the lines of Sears or JC Penney.) We found a nice stroller there for about $100 NZ dollars. Now the exchange rate was really good on that trip, so we got nearly twice the spending power for our American dollars. This means that we only paid about $55 for that $100 stroller. Good deal! Even though at the time, we thought even that was a lot for a stroller. But it was seriously the best money we spent. That stroller was one smooth ride. The handles were very tall, so it was very comfortable to push. The wheels were a nice rubber-like substance, so they were quiet and very smooth. It folded up like an umbrella stroller, but had a spacious seat AND a basket underneath. It also had a nice canopy overhead. For decoration, it was a very cute scene of Classic Pooh and Tigger. To say that we loved this stroller is an understatement. Back in the US, almost everywhere I'd take it I would get compliments. Where did you get that? It's awesome! I know! I got it in New Zealand. Sorry, can't get it here.
A few years and several moves later, we were living in a house on Iosepa St. in Laie, Hawaii. It was a pretty nice house for the area. But it had one problem. Not one ounce of outdoor storage space. No garage. No shed. Nada. So that stroller got parked on the front porch a lot. On the back porch a lot. Sometimes inside but not very often. Let me tell you about your nice possessions once they spend any amount of time in that humid, salt-filled Hawaiian air. They deteriorate. Quickly. Less than a year living in that house, and the stroller was sadly not the nicest thing to lay your eyes on. The overhead canopy was flopping to the side. The metal frame had quite a few rust spots on it. It was a little squeaky. But it was still the smoothest ride around. And we still LOVED it.
We moved here to Arizona and brought our beloved stroller with us. It took a nice ride with us strapped to the top of our minivan when we went to Nauvoo and back. But soon after, I decided it was a little bit of an eyesore and I replaced it with an inferior Jeep stroller, though it was easier on the eyes. But I couldn't stand to throw it away. So it got folded up and put in a corner of the garage. To sit. And collect dust.
Until last Saturday. Jason pulled it out. We looked at it and reminisced about what a great stroller it was. You know, on two separate trips to New Zealand I went and looked at Farmer's for another one. But I've never found it's equal. We decided it would probably never get used again and it was time to say goodbye. Kids are getting older. Sniff.
I was thinking about it today. Thought I'd go pull that stroller out of the trash and take a nice photo of it to give it a proper goodbye. When I opened the trash can lid, that stroller was all bent up and in pieces. I guess it's the only way Jason could fit it in the trash can. Can I just admit that to see that stroller like that brought a little tear to my eye? I subsequently rummaged through all of our old pictures to see if I could find a picture of it anywhere. Was starting to get seriously depressed until I saw some from our Nauvoo trip. So here it is. The beloved stroller. I shall thoroughly miss it. Not to mention the little buns that have sat in it.
1 comment:
I remember that stroller. Funny thing, I never knew you got it in New Zealand. It does seem like a part of your family. Been around for a long time!
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