No fan of Car Talk

I've never been a big fan of Car Talk. I'm sure I rolled my eyes and groaned many times when driving around with my dad on weekends growing up and he put it on the radio. And now I'm married to a Car Talk fan. And I still roll my eyes and groan when he puts it on in the car. Although I admit that Click and Clack are funny. I just prefer music.

But if there is one part of their show that I like, it's the Puzzler. Thom heard it on the radio last weekend when he was out with Aaron and relayed it to me. It was an interesting one (read it here) that involved coming up with the model of a car. So over the week, I would look at car model names when I was out driving and I finally figured it out on Wednesday when I drove down to see my folks. So I submitted my answer online, a first for me.

So for the first time ever, I actually looked forward to Car Talk this weekend so I could hear the solution on air. (You have to e-mail them if you hear your name announced as the winner, so I had to listen, I couldn't just wait to be notified if I won.) But this morning, I nearly forgot. We were driving down to the farmer's market around 10:20 when I suddenly remembered. I turned off the Ingrid Michaelson CD that was playing and tuned into KPBS. Sure enough, Car Talk was on air.

Aaron, who loves music, whined from the back "Ingrid Michaelson." (Which was funny since when we first got in the car, he wanted to listen to a kid's CD we have, but I insisted on Ingrid Michaelson. But I guess he figured Ingrid is still better than talk radio.) But he quickly adapted and quieted down for the remainder of the drive to the market.

Unfortunately, it is a pledge weekend, and the show was interrupted by requests for donations. So we sat in the car after parking, hoping to hear the Puzzler solution. Aaron quiped from the back "Music off", indicating that we should turn off the music (and get out of the car). I said it wasn't music, it was Car Talk. I said "Can you say 'car talk'?" And he said "Car Talk off". Funny boy.

Eventually we gave up and went to the farmer's market without hearing the solution (and winner). But when we got home, I looked online for today's show. I found it and clicked to play the segment with the Puzzler answer. Aaron was playing on the floor. A few minutes into it (after I heard that I did indeed have the correct solution, but wasn't chosen as the winner), Aaron turns around, looks at me and says "Car Talk off". I guess he recognized the voices of Click and Clack. Smart boy. And so far his taste follows mine - not a fan of Car Talk. But given his genes (having a father and a grandfather who like Car Talk), I'm sure he will come around. Especially given that he was playing with cars at the time.