Cars

I'm not a big car girl.

I want something practical, comfortable, that looks decent.

Maybe if I could pick ANY car it would be something cool like a vintage Mercedes (with functional a/c and heat:).

But in my life I've had 4 cars, well 5 if you count the truck.

The SR5, a crazy little Toyota that was both Tercel and Corolla hatchback.  It was poo brown with brown plaid interiors.  I bought it with money earned in one summer babysitting for a neighborhood family. 

My brother-in-law Kirk took me shopping for it and while it wasn't pretty, the price was right and it was a great buy. 

I bought it with 60,000 miles on it for $1,200.  I drove that thing from the beginning of my junior year in high school through graduate school and put over 100,000 miles on that thing. 

I fit my cheer squad in there one crazy night (we barely made it up Black Lake hill). 

And I drove many, many, many miles between Walla Walla and Wenatchee, then Walla Walla and Olympia, then Eugene to Olympia to see my hot stuff boyfriend (now my husband).  That brown plaid interior heard a whole lot of Indigo Girls.

My brother-in-law maintained it for me- adjusting the clutch and other minor repairs. 

It was a great car and I traded it in for $1,200 for the "Honda Car" which evolved to Mark's "commuter car" now our second vehicle.  Due for a good scrubbing and couple maintenance items...

When Mark was hired with the fire department, he waited until his probation was over then bought his brand spanking new Ford F350 pick up.  Poor guy had been driving his cool looking Bronco (which leaked when it rained and he was constantly replacing cotter pins.. for what I don't recall- brakes maybe?) then my dad's beater truck with a big old cattle rack on the back.  He was due for a comfortable vehicle and that one was good to us.

We brought our first two babies home from the hospital in it.

It was instrumental in building two houses and a pole barn.

It was key to many family camping trips and boating adventures.

And my first brand new car was a Pacifica (gag).  It was practical and had enough seat belts to fit each member of our family.  It looked too much like a mini-van for me (which I SWORE I would never have- even though I admit it would be practical).

That vehicle also brought two babies home from the hospital.  AND it also saw the most vomit of any car in our family.  Gross!  I even found remnants while scrubbing it down to trade in...  Ewwwww!

Now both Pacifica and the truck are gone.

We're entering a new era of vehicles for our family.  Also practical, though I cringe a bit- in a time when I'm trying to be more environmental (trying not to use Ziploc baggies, less paper towels, no more paper napkins, far less paper places and plastic cutlery) but the fuel consumption is supposed to be similar to the Pacifica, so we're not worse in that sense...

The Silver Bullet (a sweet friend nicknamed it already).

It's big. 

Which I hope will accommodate the 4 pairs of legs that are only going to grow longer.

And provide space for 2 friends.

And the stuff for trips.

And yippee no more setting up the goddamn dvd players on long road trips!  Hallelujah!  4 stinking dvd players and 4 little souls wanting to change it up entirely too often = parents needing a good rest after a long road trip.

This guy has one built in screen in the roof and we're toying with adding screens built in the headrests.

Either way it HAS to be better than the old system.

Plus, I can run to Costco with all 4 kids and have room for the purchases!

I'm not sorry to see the Pacifica go- it's good bye and good riddance.

But I'm sad to see the truck go.   

Silly to be sentimental about cars.  But I guess I am (heck, I don't turn them over very often).

Here's to a new era of an active family and our new vehicle.  May it perform well, tow the travel trailer nicely, and escort us to many fun family adventures!

And if you see me trying to park it, steer clear!  Thank goodness for the backup camera on this tank!