Atlanta is turning quite apocalyptic. Last year it was the gas shortage, turning the city into a bad Mad Max movie. Now it’s the flooding, haunting us with memories of Katrina, washing out roads and bridges and turning 20 minute commutes into day long excursions to find an open road.

These experiences have changed the way I view my world, the infrastructure of my life.  I take much less for granted and try to be more prepared.  Since we in America, and particularly here in Atlanta, spend so much time in our cars (and I always seem to be in my car when something goes wrong) here are a few things I’ve learned about being prepared for an emergency.

Keep the gas tank full.  Nothing is worse than sitting in a traffic jam caused by flooding or some other catastrophe worrying if you can get to the next exit and get gas – if there is any gas!

Maintain your tires.  Keep them inflated properly and check wear and alignment on a regular basis.  You do not want a flat at a time like this.  Or ever!

Keep water in your car. It’s easy to toss a gallon jug in the truck. Just be sure to update it regularly. Ugh, no-one wants to drink funky water.  And that water jug comes in handy for more than emergencies – such as after a long hike or soccer game.  Trust me, I know. …CONTINUE READING »

“Red punch buggy, no punch backs;  grey punch buggy, no punch backs; red pinch mini, no pinch backs; yellow punch buggy, no punch backs.  Bye Mom, love you.”

That was the voice message on my phone last month – my daughter calling me from her grandmother’s house where she was spending the summer. Turns out, she had ‘saved up’ a week’s worth of punch buggies just for me. She left another message for my husband as she had saved a different set of punch buggies for him.

Punch buggy started innocently enough. Driving to my mother-in-law’s house in the mountains, we always hit the same piece of rather uninteresting freeway stretching though the suburbs.  On one particular trip, my husband began a game of ‘Punch Buggy’ to liven things up. I had never heard of this thing called Punch Buggy – he explained it was a game he had played as a child on trips with his family.  I have since found out the vast majority of the North American population knows this game. (I don’t know what rock I was living under.)

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Some people are really knowledgeable about cars and can rattle off the year, make, and model of a vehicle a half mile away. I’m not one of those people. In fact, one of my first jobs was running the cash register, graveyard shift, at a convenience store / gas station. There was a form we had to fill out if someone pumped gas and took off without paying, but I couldn’t even answer the question about the color of the vehicle since it was dark outside!

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So we are having this wonderful vacation driving through the Florida Keys.  (They are so gorgeous – - I especially liked Islamorada and Marathon Keys.) But on the drive home, we get a call from our neighbor who very casually mentions, 15 minutes into the conversation, that the windshield of my car is shattered.   Well, that put the kibosh on joyful conversation for the next 200 miles.

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I just got my car back from Northeast Body Shop in Atlanta, after a week-long visit. This time the little Honda was in for a minor cosmetic procedure — a bumper replacement due to an unfortunate case of Angry Driver Syndrome

This was my fourth visit to the body shop in the past year. Three my fault, one not. How does this happen, you must wonder. How is it possible that a perfectly capable woman with many years driving experience manage to scrape, slam and screech her car into so many hard places? Ah, the secret belies in one word: Confidence.

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If you live in Atlanta, you’ve been hurting for gas. Check out this new photo gallery for some tips on how to conserve the gas that you are able to find.

Survive the gas shortage



See more Kudzu photo galleries

If you bought a car for a dollar, how long would you expect it to run? If you have a good mechanic, your one dollar ride could last longer than you’d think… One of our Kudzu users actually did buy a truck for a dollar, and thanks to his mechanic, the truck is still going strong!

Review from Kudzu user Bolt:
Bridwell’s Keeps My Dollar Truck Running!
Two years ago, a friend sold me his 1992 Chevy pick-up for a dollar. Needless to say, it needed plenty of work! The motor and transmission were strong so I’ve stuck with “Old Blue”. Jack at Bridwell’s Automotive is the only one I trust to keep her running. He does everything you’d want your mechanic to do. He diagnoses, then advises accordingly, always keeping the cost to benefit ratio in mind. He keeps replaced parts for me to see, and is ALWAYS a hoot to converse with over the phone. I live in West Phoenix, and my girlfriend lives in Scotsdale. She uses the truck to commute back and forth to ASU. I’ve developed an all-important rapport with Jack and feel I can send her and Old Blue to Bridwell’s anytime and be treated fairly!

Do you know a good mechanic too? Spread the word about the car service guru you trust most… review your mechanic now! Don’t know a good mechanic? That’s okay. Write reviews about the local service professionals you use most and your review could be featured as next month’s Kudzu Review of the Month.

I was literally not sure if this was for real. But I clicked through from Kudzu.com to the website for CarTopCamper and, no, it is not a joke. Apparently, this is a way long used on African safaris to sleep above the rocks, mud and critters. I don’t know about this. What do you think? Would you sleep in this? If so, I’d lay low on the beverages before going to bed if I were you.