Nobody tells you it will be this hard. There's a lot written about that tug of pride and loss as you wave your kid goodbye on her first day of kindergarten or after leaving her at the college dorm? But no-one ever tells you how hard it will be to say goodbye to your 15-year-old minivan.

The biggest single step any nation has taken to fight global warming is working. Now if the auto industry -- finally selling cleaner cars and making real profits -- would just stop fighting it.

I came up with a quiz you can take to find out if you are Lost in Suburbia and, if so, just how lost you really are and what you can do about it.

After any valiant effort to clean the car, I enforce strict rules. I announce that the dog is no longer allowed in the main area of the van, and whatever the kids bring in the van, they must bring out. I'm a real stickler. For a few days. Then my kids break me.

Imagine an apocalyptic scenario with 500 people simultaneously looting a hardware store for the same supplies. You now understand Black Friday. Below are some essential practices that will give you a chance at getting what you want, without risking death.