I bought my first car when I was twenty years old. Before that I relied on patient parents, crummy bus systems and boyfriends with twenty year old mustangs that sometimes worked.
My first car was a basic sedan, almost new (it had 500 miles on it), blue, power steering and manual everything else. The best part? It had a CD player.
It was the ultimate first car. I named her Katie.
Fast forward eight and a half years. My first car is still my only car.
Katie has been up and down the east coast from Pennsylvania to Georgia three times. I don’t remember how many times from Pennsylvania to Virginia. Katie and I have been to nearly every major city several times over on the east coast. We went cross country alone once. I drove all over south California for two years. Then the move to Utah came. Then I drove from Utah to Wyoming twice. Then Utah back to California several times….
Of course there were all the every day drives in whatever location I was at the moment and in whatever situation I had myself in as well. Maybe I hang on to the car because I am a Cancer, ‘home and hearth’ thing and all that. This car is my ship and anchor... but without the whole water deal and with wheels and axle. Passport not required (although I had one stashed and ready just in case), driver’s license highly recommended.
Anyway… Katie now rattles. She sometimes has a cough in the morning. The windows stick, permanently implanted dog hair is in the back seat and a nasty long scratch marks the outside –acquired when avoiding a semi on a little road four years ago. Randomly, lights will turn on in the dash board and I really don’t know why anymore.
She smells like really old Gatorade, shoes, burnt coffee, cigarettes (yes, yes, they are evil, bad for you and stinky, I got it), wet dog and books. I don’t know why books but that could be because I moved a few times and everything I owned had to fit in the trunk or be left behind. Books were usually the things I refused to not force fit. The back seat was out as the dog had dibbs.
There are too many cup holders, I never could figure out what a front seat did with one in each door, and three in the middle. The third one in the middle is filled with sea shells. Some are from the harbor in Baltimore, some from the Outer Banks, some from the Gulf of Mexico, Virginia Beach, Carlsbad, Mexico, and Santa Barbara. I think there are even a couple of shells I found while hiking in Utah.
From the rear view mirror hangs a dream catcher from Oklahoma, a necklace from an old friend I haven’t seen in seven years and a faded yellow ribbon for my dad and then for my brother.
I did get Katie a new pair of shiny ‘tready’ shoes at the beginning of this winter. And new brake pads… Her morning cough thing is new. That started about a month ago. Could be she is sick of the winter and smog and inversion too though.
I know I might have to replace this little blue car in the near future but I have to admit, I really am sad to see the car go. Even if it stinks. Even if it rattles… sometimes a lot.
My first car was a basic sedan, almost new (it had 500 miles on it), blue, power steering and manual everything else. The best part? It had a CD player.
It was the ultimate first car. I named her Katie.
Fast forward eight and a half years. My first car is still my only car.
Katie has been up and down the east coast from Pennsylvania to Georgia three times. I don’t remember how many times from Pennsylvania to Virginia. Katie and I have been to nearly every major city several times over on the east coast. We went cross country alone once. I drove all over south California for two years. Then the move to Utah came. Then I drove from Utah to Wyoming twice. Then Utah back to California several times….
Of course there were all the every day drives in whatever location I was at the moment and in whatever situation I had myself in as well. Maybe I hang on to the car because I am a Cancer, ‘home and hearth’ thing and all that. This car is my ship and anchor... but without the whole water deal and with wheels and axle. Passport not required (although I had one stashed and ready just in case), driver’s license highly recommended.
Anyway… Katie now rattles. She sometimes has a cough in the morning. The windows stick, permanently implanted dog hair is in the back seat and a nasty long scratch marks the outside –acquired when avoiding a semi on a little road four years ago. Randomly, lights will turn on in the dash board and I really don’t know why anymore.
She smells like really old Gatorade, shoes, burnt coffee, cigarettes (yes, yes, they are evil, bad for you and stinky, I got it), wet dog and books. I don’t know why books but that could be because I moved a few times and everything I owned had to fit in the trunk or be left behind. Books were usually the things I refused to not force fit. The back seat was out as the dog had dibbs.
There are too many cup holders, I never could figure out what a front seat did with one in each door, and three in the middle. The third one in the middle is filled with sea shells. Some are from the harbor in Baltimore, some from the Outer Banks, some from the Gulf of Mexico, Virginia Beach, Carlsbad, Mexico, and Santa Barbara. I think there are even a couple of shells I found while hiking in Utah.
From the rear view mirror hangs a dream catcher from Oklahoma, a necklace from an old friend I haven’t seen in seven years and a faded yellow ribbon for my dad and then for my brother.
I did get Katie a new pair of shiny ‘tready’ shoes at the beginning of this winter. And new brake pads… Her morning cough thing is new. That started about a month ago. Could be she is sick of the winter and smog and inversion too though.
I know I might have to replace this little blue car in the near future but I have to admit, I really am sad to see the car go. Even if it stinks. Even if it rattles… sometimes a lot.
