Daddy, I'm hot!

Dave and I cut costs wherever we can. We've done it for years. We were cheap years before the current economic crisis hit. When the kids were little, Dave drove a 1967 VW Beetle that was painted about 10 different colors of primer. It was the ugliest car in the world! It was also pretty dependable. Dave could fix it with a bobby pin and duct tape! Our neighbor across the street HATED it! We lived at the end of a dead end street. Dave would always park the bug in the yard at the end of the street, right up against the armco barrier. Mr. Neighbor would stand on his porch and glare at Dave as he walked down the driveway to the front door. One afternoon, a police officer parked in front of our house and studied the ugly bug very carefully. Dave walked out to talk to the officer. Officer Friendly told him that the bug was reported as an "abandoned car". Dave pointed out that the car had a current tag, current inspection,and showed him proof of insurance. Dave explained that the car was just ugly and he wasn't aware of any laws against ugly cars. Officer Friendly laughed, shook Dave's hand, and was on his way. D'ya think Mr. Neighbor called the cops about an "abandoned car"? Hmmmmm.......
One summer afternoon when I was at work, Dave took the kids out to run some errands. 1967 Beetles did not have air conditioning. I think the only option on the car was a radio that worked part time! As they putted around town, Catie said "Daddy, I'm hot."
"Of course you're hot, Cate. It's summer. We're all hot!"
"But Daddy, I'm really hot"
"We're all hot Catherine."
"No, but Daddy, I'm REALLY hot!" (Cate begins to whimper)
"That's enough Catherine. Everybody in the car is hot. The boys aren't whining." (Daddy is losing his patience with his little princess.)
"But Daaaddddeeeeee!!!!"
"Catherine, I don't want to hear any more out of you. It's hot We're all hot. We'll be home soon!"
Catie pouted in the back seat the rest of the way home. The car ride was silent.
When they arrived home, Dave helped Catie out of the back seat. It is important to note here that Catie always wore sundresses in the summer when she was little. When Dave lifted Catie out of the back seat, he noticed that her bottom felt very warm. He set her down (Mr. Neighbor was, of course, watching from his front porch. This part must have been interesting to him!)) and lifted her skirt. Her bottom was bright red! He hustled the kids into the house, then came back out and took the back seat out of the bug. To his horror, there was no box covering the battery (The battery in old bugs was under the back seat, covered by a battery box). Whenever the bug hit a bump, pothole, train track, whatever, the battery terminals came in contact with the springs in the back seat. When contact was made, Catie would get a little shock! She wasn't kidding, she really was hot! Poor little cooked Catie. Poor Dad, he felt guilty for fussing at her.
A little ice cream helped to ease Catie's hurt feelings. A new battery box made sure that she never got that hot again!