what's in a name?

Old, quirky things deserve to be named, as is the common tradition with old cars (all of my cars have been old...I only recently entered the 90's). I come from a long line of nicknamers. My family actually named a trash can once, after my mom drew a face on it with a permanent marker.

In many ways, our trailer is the embodiment of old and quirky. It has lasted longer than I think trailers are actually meant to last, and it is full of holes and smells and things that don't quite work. Hence, the naming has begun. When the heat was blazing, I began to refer to our little sauna as Herbie Hot Box. Now, as the chill comes on, Kim has dubbed it Fran the Freezer. Fran's issues, we have decided, will be remedied by Frank the Furnace. Frank is a scary looking fellow, for sure. (I'll have to post a picture of that ghetto furnace sometime soon.)

Herbie, Fran, and Frank are nice, but we know that the trailer needs a name that will remain throughout the seasons. After a month of playing with a circus of kids, dealing with a million little mishaps, and learning to make fun of each other's foibles, that name has become clear.

We live in the Loony Bin.